My friend's PC is worse yet runs dolphin far better?

[Nintendo Maniac 64]

It is because the processor in your PC uses a modern low power architecture that essentially has similar per-GHz performance to a mainstream "Core 2" processor from 10 years ago but with much lower power consumption and heat output.

Your friend/s processor by comparison is basically just a lower end variant of the processor architecture that's a direct successor (by 4 to 5 generations) of those aforementioned "Core 2" processors.