Which PC build is better for 1080p/720p performance?

[Nintendo Maniac 64]

Well before I dive into possibly putting together a new PC build, lets deal with some of the other things first.

(10-17-2022, 04:45 PM)RustingParagon Wrote: So the i3 will run on the motherboard but not the Pentium? The Pentium is actually the cheaper one here so I wanted to get that one, what else can it emulate beyond Dolphin if its that powerful?

The problem is that systems more powerful than the Wii have more CPU cores and threads, so the Pentium only being 2core/4thread could pose a problem - the Switch is the closest thing that might work since it has 4 cores but only 3 of which are dedicated to games and subsequently the Vita might work as well since it's basically a slower quad-core compared to the Switch.

(10-17-2022, 04:45 PM)RustingParagon Wrote: Nvm that, are there good mini or small MRBs for it? I dont mind spending a bit more on the board if it ends up being small. I could end up fitting everything in something more portable.

There was another recent user looking for a mini PC and I offered lots of choices (in the end, they actually went with a Steam Deck instead):

• https://forums.dolphin-emu.org/Thread-a-mini-pc-for-dolphin

(10-17-2022, 04:45 PM)RustingParagon Wrote: I actually looked it up and uh.. Well I found some sure. They are used and um.. well suspiciously low priced.

That's likely due to two factors:

#1 they're old, based on an architecture from 2013 (Haswell aka Intel Core 4th gen)

#2 they're only 2core/2thread

The thing is though, for whatever strange reason, Haswell was weirdly fast in emulation workloads - substantially more-so than nearly all other tasks when compared to Intel Core 3rd gen. This means that, to put it bluntly, that generation has some serious staying power in emulation workloads. And since more and more modern native-PC games won't even launch if you don't have 3 CPU threads, then it's no surprise that a mere 2core/2thread processor is seen as a non-starter (though I kind of wonder how WINE or Proton or the like would impact that issue).

Also, Intel's CPUs from 6th gen to 10th gen were basically identical in terms of performance-per-GHz and tend to only be a little bit faster than 4th gen when only focusing on performance-per-GHz (also keeping in mind that 5th gen was almost a no-show on the desktop), so the age of 4th gen is almost deceptive with regards to its single-threaded performance.

Furthermore, the vast majority of Intel's overclockable CPUs are marked with K but that Pentium has no designation in the model that indicates that it's actually overclockable, so I wouldn't be surprised if there are less-savvy people that have no idea that it has an unlocked multiplier.

(10-17-2022, 04:45 PM)RustingParagon Wrote: I could try getting them yea but wont overclocking mean I need to install proper cooling?

Well the thing is, due to it only being a dual core, the definition of "proper cooling" is quite a bit less than you'd expect. Apparently even overclocking on Intel's dinky stock cooler is possible if you're fine with it being noisy, though I think you're then limited more to around the 4GHz range.

While I personally have a single-tower aftermarket cooler, the thing is really quiet and, honestly, I've probably set the fan curve to be much less aggressive than most people (except when hammering both cores, a slight hum from my monitor is louder)... and also I should have probably replaced the thermal paste 5 years ago, but I was expecting to have my PC hardware revamped years ago and it just... never happened. Nowadays I'm more a fan of graphite thermal pads since preventing a degradation in thermal performance over 5+ years is more important to me nowadays, especially since quiet/slow fans + relatively humid environment = minimal dust build-up and therefore minimal maintenance and cleaning.