minipc with intel j4125

[duelistjp]

looking at getting a mini pc for travel so i can hook it up in hotels and stuff. was wondering how it would do with dolphin. this is the one i'm looking at right now. https://www.amazon.com/Celeron-Windows-Computer-Multi-Displays-Ethernet/dp/B08GCWKB9K?ref_=ast_sto_dp

intel j4125 with hd600 graphics. 8gb RAM and win 10 pro. as far as the type of games i can see myself playing. things like fire emblem path of radiance, pokemon coliseum and xd, and megaman network transmission are favorites of mine. i play less wii games but do love fire emblem radiant dawn. would these games likely be pretty playable or would i need to go to one of the ryzen mini pcs.

[Shonumi]

Personally, I would avoid Intel Celerons. They're all Ultra-Low Voltage CPUs (also known as ULV), which means they don't draw as much power as non-ULV CPUs. For a Celeron running at 2GHz, it'll be slower than a same generation i3 that isn't ULV running at 2GHz. The newer Celerons are effectively re-branded and and updated Intel Atoms, and the performance shows it.

The J4125 has a base clock of 2.0GHz and goes up to 2.7GHz via Turbo Boost. A good rule of thumb is to never rely on the Turbo Boost. It'll only go up that high if the CPU's thermals are within a certain range, so the Turbo Boost speed shouldn't be seen as a guarantee. The J4125 is an okay CPU for a lot of lighter GC titles, and the HD600 should be fine if you're content with 1x IR. I don't think it'd have trouble with the games you listed, despite the issues I raised above. Just know that it won't be a very fast device if you start playing more demanding games (like F-Zero, or the Rouge Squadron titles).

Personally, however, I would try to get something with a bit more power to be on the safe side. The J4125 is more designed for so-called "thin-client" PCs instead of gaming (or any CPU-heavy task for that matter). We can offer you some mini PC suggestions if you have a budget.

[duelistjp]

do you think one of the ryzen 3 mini cpus would substantially outperform this or would i need to go to the ryzen 5. i can get a minipc with the j4125 for 180 but the ryzen 3s seem around 400 and the 5 seem around 600 might find it cheaper but that was first glance. so need to decide whether to keep lugging the desktop on vacation for a few years or do the j4125

[Shonumi]

A Ryzen 3 CPU would be substantially better, performance wise, if you went for one like the 3300U. On the bright side too, you get a far better integrated GPU that should handle 2x and probably 3x resolutions easily. Something like this one comes in at below $400 (well, before taxes+shipping) : https://www.amazon.com/Windows-Desktop-Computer-Graphics-with1000M/dp/B08F7XV7WG

I'd like to add that laptops would also be an alternative to the mini PC if you're looking for a portable solution to hook up to a TV. Most $300 laptops made in the past 2 years will run Dolphin just fine at 1x or 2x resolutions without any trouble. You get more options to play around with price since the laptop market is so huge. The mini PC market, even after all of these years, is still somewhat expensive and limited in contrast. It's definitely better than when I built a mini PC myself in 2013 though.

[KHg8m3r]

I just bought a Larkbox Pro with the J4125. I'll see how it plays Dolphin with the games you mentioned (at least what ones I have). But as Shonumi said, don't expect too much

[duelistjp]

considered getting a 2.4" one but something deep inside scoffs at the idea of a desktop without an ethernet port.  but yeah definitely let me know how it handles.  don't think i can afford the step up to ryzen now but i can keep lugging the big desktop around if i have to but if these can handle decently $200 is impulse buy level

[TKSilver]

I just setup a Minisforum DMAF5 mini pc (Ryzen 3350H, Vega 8 iGPU, and 16GB RAM). Handles dolphin very well (3x resolution, async shaders, vulkan or d3d12 (d3d for EA VP6 titles), rest default), though I have only tested a handful of titles so far. It also has dual gigabit ethernet, though the AX200 wifi it comes with is not bad at all. The pop up top might be a slight issue if you are tossing it in a bag, so you might want to use some tape if it is going to be something you throw in a bag a lot. It is also not silent, but quiet and the noise it makes is nicer then any laptop I have owned. It also maintains clocks nicely while staying in the mid 60s.

They had a black friday sale when I bought mine so I got it for a little over $450 fully kitted out with a 512GB NVME drive and 16GB RAM. If you get an 8GB model it is only a single stick and you really want 2 for dual channel. The drive it came with is also not bad, kingston and 1,200MB/s read and write.