09-03-2010, 12:29 PM
[color=blue] Increase Dolphin speed?! Sign me up![/color]
I wrote this to explain to people that there is a relatively easy way to increase Dolphins speed with games. This is 100% guaranteed to work. You
WILL see more FPS from my method, because it deals directly with increasing the performance of your computer. You'll also see more FPS in games.
Unfortunately this will not work for Laptops or Pre-built computers (unless you use an overclocking software, which I will not cover because I do
not condone using software to overclock)
FPS?
FPS stands for Frames per second. This is how we determine the speed of a game.
Some games on Dolphin run at 30fps, and some run at 60fps. Some games will run 30fps during gameplay and 60 during cutscenes. It really just
depends on the game. Either way overclocking is going to bring this number UP.
[color=blue] Overclocking? What is that? How do I do it? Will it blow up my computer?[/color]
Overclocking is simply increasing the frequency of various components in your computer. By increasing the frequency you increase the performance.
The specifics are intricate and complicated so I won't bore you with a lecture, but this is a direct increase in performance meaning better FPS.
Overclocking is not dangerous if you are careful and follow the rules. The rules that I state in this tutorial are very strict, and if you break
these rules you may damage your computer beyond repair. I don't know about you, but I can't see down to the 32 nanometer level, and I sure as
hell can't hold my hand steady to use a soldering iron at that level.
Overclocking will not blow up your computer, but if you are careless about voltages and temperatures it can reduce the life expectancy of your
computer, and it will damage components. Remember: [color=red]HEAT IS YOUR ENEMY![/color]
[color=blue] Getting Started. What do I do?[/color]
First you're going to need to take a look at your BIOS. When you start your computer it gives you the option to press F2, F10, Delete, or some
other key to enter "setup" This is the BIOS. The BIOS tells the computer how to work, and what settings to use to properly run the hardware. In
the BIOS of 90% of motherboard you can tweak these settings to your liking, but the more expensive boards are going to have more options.
The BIOS can be vague, so this isn't going to be an easy tutorial. I will answer any question you have but please remember that I don't own
every motherboard on the market. You might not have specific options, or it might be labeled differently. Just ask here and I will try to help.
[color=blue] Temperatures and voltages [/color]
I don't know the specific TJMAX of every processor, but I will explain that more when I start getting detailed with the overclocking tutorial.
This isn't an end-all be-all tutorial on overclocking. This is just a simple tutorial to get you started.
If you want more detailed help you can post a reply here and be specific damnit I will try to help.
The maximum temperature that is safe for most processors is 60c. This is actually higher in mose cases, and most novice overclockers will run
their chips MUCH hotter than this, but for safety I recommend keeping things uncer 60c under load. I will explain load and idle in a bit. The
reason I don't like anything over 60c is that once your temps reach 55c+ it starts to diminish your ability to overclock and tweak. If you are
running at 55c+ at idle, then don't even attempt to overclock. I [color=red] AM NOT RESPONSIBLE IF YOU FUCK UP YOUR COMPUTER[color=red] so
heed my advice.
The maximum voltage I am going to recommend is 1.425v. This is for the CPU core only, this is not for memory or northbridge, which you might also
have to slightly increase during overclocking. 1.425v should be safe for nearly all processors on the market, but you need to make sure to keep
your temperatures in check.
[color=blue] First steps. What will I need? How do I monitor temperatures? Do smurfs really control the universe?[/color]
You will need a few software utilities to monitor frequencies, voltages, and temperatures. I recommend the following:
http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html
HWMonitor will show you your temperatures, and some voltage readouts. This is a very useful utility, and, [color=red] IF YOU POST A
SCREENSHOT WITH OVERCLOCK INFORMATION INCLUDE ALL OF THESE UTILITIES IN THE SCREENSHOT[/color]
http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html
CPU-Z will show you your frequencies, voltages, and detailed statistics of your hardware. This is going to be essential to see what your system
settings are, and I'll need this information (the SPD, Memory, and CPU tabs) if you ask me for help.
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=201670
LinX is a great utility to test the stability of your computer. It will also heat up your processor to "load" temperatures, and allow us to see
if you are within safe tollerances. [color=red] DO NOT SKIP THIS. IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR SAFE OVERCLOCKING.[/color]
First I want you to run HWMonitor and LinX. The default settings on LinX should work fine, and it will allow you to get a good idea of your
default temperatures. If you are exceeding 50c+ load on STOCK settings (meaning before the overclock) then you shouldn't overclock. Remember;
heat is your enemy.
And yes, smurfs do control the universe.
[color=blue]Detailed Explanations[/color]
OK I am not going to be super specific, but I will try to color the basics.
CPU Frequency
You can increase the CPU frequency 2 ways. The first way is by increasing the FSB (this is called CPU-HT link in some motherboards, or HT speed,
or CPU frequency). The second way is by increasing the multiplier. You will need an Intel Extreme CPU, or an AMD Black edition to increase the
multiplier, so most of you will be overclocking with FSB.
CPU voltage
CPU voltage is sometimes referred to as vcore. The CPU voltage is important, because you can't just increase the CPU frequency and expect a clean
and stable overclock. If you go far enough you will need a voltage increase. You aren't required to increase voltage to overclock, but if you
don't then your overclock will be severely limited. An example is that my Phenom II x6 1055t is stable with stock voltage (1.325v) up to 3.5ghz,
but I need more voltage to go above that and remain stable. Stability is important!! If you are running an unstable overclock, even if things
SEEM ok, you could corrupt files on your hard drive and cause nasty little issues.
Memory Frequency
The memory frequency is far less important for Dolphin than the CPU frequency. As such, I recommend not overclocking the memory at all.
You will want to actually UNDERCLOCK your memory at first, so that you can rule it out as a potential bottleneck.
Memory frequency will increase as you increase the FSB, so if you don't have an Extreme Edition, or Black Edition you are going to be
overclocking the ram as well. This is why I say you'll need to underclock the memory at first.
Contrary to popular belief, anything above DDR2 800 with cl5 is going to make a very very small impact on performance in games. It will make a
decent improvement in synthetic benchmarks but we don't care about those. All we care about is CPU operations per second for Dolphin.
Northbridge Frequency
Northbridge frequency will be increased as you increase the FSB. This will help throughput and give you better synthetic results, but it's not
going to make much difference at a higher.
HT Link, or Hyperthreading frequency
This is different by far for AMD and Intel chips. I can't comment on Intel chips max frequencies because I don't own one, but If you try to keep
everything as close to STOCK (default speeds) as possible with HT Link, Memory, and Hyperthreading frequency, then you should be fine.
Voltages
Your CPU voltage can be increased quite a bit, and so can your memory voltage. Remember that I'm not going into detail with memory, so be very
careful and do your research if you decide to overclock memory.
You can safely add +0.05v to NB and HTlink speed. HTLink is connected to your memory controller, and will allow a higher memory overclock, but
like I said I'm not going in to that. We are just concerned about CPU frequency here.
[color=blue] Let's begin![/color]
Setting things up
Alright first things first. Increasing the CPU frequency safely
The first thing you're going to want to do is check your default settings with CPU-Z, and test with HWMonitor and LinX to get an idea of your
temps.
If your load temps are 50c or lower then you have a little headroom. Just remember not to exceed 60c at any time.
Once you have an idea of your default settings, you want to reduce the HTLink multiplier, memory multiplier (or increase the divider), and
Northbridge Frequency.All of these are in your BIOS and should be relatively easy to find assuming you can read and have an attention span
greater than a monkey.
The reason for reducing the HTLink multiplier, and memory multiplier is because you want to keep them at stock settings and you will be
increasing them while you increase FSB. [color=red]If you have a Black Edition or Extreme Edition CPU you can skip this part because
you'll be using the multiplier to overclock.However, some motherboards use a CPU/Mem divider, and you may need to reduce memory frequency by
increasing the divider.[/color]
[color=blue]Increasing the CPU speed! Here we go![/color]
Alright. Assuming you already reduced memory and HTlink speeds you can now begin overclocking the processor.
[color=green]Overclocking with Multiplier[/color]
[color=red] If you have an Extreme Edition or Black Edition CPU with an unlocked multiplier[/color]
You can begin by increasing the CPU multiplier. This is called different things in different BIOS's but it's all the same thing.
Start by increasing 1 step at a time. Each time you increase the CPU multiplier you will want to run LinX and HWMonitor to check for stability
and temperatures. If LinX fails then you are not stable and you need to increase voltage.
Each time you increase the CPU multiplier you need to make sure to check for stability. Don't take shortcuts! You don't want a dead computer.
If everything checks out then you can increase the multiplier 1 more step. Continue until you are unstable, increase the voltage 1 step at a time
until it's stable, and then continue. [color=red] Remember the max voltage I recommend is 1.425v. If you go beyond this you risk
damaging your equipment[/color]
If you take it slow, make sure to test every step along the way, and make sure to keep your temperatures under controll; then you will see a very
decent overclock even on stock cooling. This is going to make a huge impact on emulation perfmance (re: FPS)
[color=green] Overclocking with FSB [/color]
Overclocking with the FSB is trickier because it also increases your CPU-HT link, HT link, NB frequency, and memory frequency. You need to make
sure to keep these as close to default as possible, which means reducing the multiplier or dividers.
[color=red] MAKE SURE YOU TAKE IT 1 STEP AT A TIME!!![/color]
The FSB stock for AMD CPUs is 200mhz. I can't comment on Intel but I should be getting some details from another member of the forum who can give
me some better details on Intel stock frequencies and such. I will edit this section when I receive this information.
You will want to start by (AFTER reducing memory, NB, and HT link speeds) increasing the FSB by 5 mhz.
You might be wondering "why only 5 mhz?" The reason for this is that you want to take it 1 step at a time so that we don't get ahead of ourselves
and botch it up. If you increase it too far too fast then your system just won't boot, and you'll be back here crying about how you can't get the
computer to start.
Increase the FSB 5mhz at a time, and each time you increase you want to make sure to run LinX and HWmonitor. Check temps, check stability. If
everything is OK then you can increase 5 more MHZ.
After you reach an unstable point, assuming your temperatures are OK, you can increase the voltage slightly 1 step at a time until it's stable
again. Then continue increasing FSB. Again, remember, I recommend a max of 1.425v with modern CPUs.
Once you reach your max overclock using 1.425v, you can try out Dolphin. Enjoy the speed boost!!!!
[color=purple]Addendum and Help[/color]
Yes it's really as easy as that. If you bothered to read this then you have a decent idea how to overclock safely.
Make sure you follow my rules if you are afraid of messing anything up, or if you are not sure exactly what you're doing.
Overclocking is pretty easy once you understand the terms. It's not difficult and it's guaranteed to give you a boost in Dolphin.
All of these "settings" and "software" tools designed to speed up Dolphin, they are BS. Overclocking is the way to go for real speed.
If you have any problems feel free to post here and ask your question, but BE SPECIFIC. Take screenshots of CPUZ and HWMonitor. Make sure to tell
me exactly what the problem is and describe what you did.
[color=red] Help, my computer won't start![/color]
If your computer won't boot then you didn't listen to what I said, or you didn't reduce memory/nb/htlink speeds before starting your overclock.
You NEED to reduce those frequencies to ensure that you're not limiting your overclock with other components, and this is essential.
If your computer won't start there is a jumper (or button on premium motherboards) to CLEAR CMOS. This will reset you to default so that you can
start again.
[color=blue] I will edit this post with new information as I come across it. I am sure that I haven't covered everything, and when I
re-read this the next day or so I will be adding more information, so be sure to check for new info periodically[/color]
Thanks for reading, and good luck overclocking! If you have any questions feel free to ask them here.
[color=red] Proof of concept[/color]
![[Image: Proof2.jpg]](http://i534.photobucket.com/albums/ee347/n00bketchup/Proof2.jpg)
As you can see by the first screenshot, my FPS is around 25fps while looking at a large area on Wind Waker at 2.8ghz
![[Image: Proof1.jpg]](http://i534.photobucket.com/albums/ee347/n00bketchup/Proof1.jpg)
As you can see by the second screensh shot, my FPS is around 30fps at 3.5ghz. Which is 100% perfectly playable (I.E. Full speed)
Edit: This is at 1600x1200 resolution in window mode. Native is checked off, and 16xaa, 4xaf.
The reason I used 3.5ghz as my overclock was because MOST of you will be able to reach 3.5~3.7ghz on air. This means you'll get comparable framerates.
I wrote this to explain to people that there is a relatively easy way to increase Dolphins speed with games. This is 100% guaranteed to work. You
WILL see more FPS from my method, because it deals directly with increasing the performance of your computer. You'll also see more FPS in games.
Unfortunately this will not work for Laptops or Pre-built computers (unless you use an overclocking software, which I will not cover because I do
not condone using software to overclock)
FPS?
FPS stands for Frames per second. This is how we determine the speed of a game.
Some games on Dolphin run at 30fps, and some run at 60fps. Some games will run 30fps during gameplay and 60 during cutscenes. It really just
depends on the game. Either way overclocking is going to bring this number UP.
[color=blue] Overclocking? What is that? How do I do it? Will it blow up my computer?[/color]
Overclocking is simply increasing the frequency of various components in your computer. By increasing the frequency you increase the performance.
The specifics are intricate and complicated so I won't bore you with a lecture, but this is a direct increase in performance meaning better FPS.
Overclocking is not dangerous if you are careful and follow the rules. The rules that I state in this tutorial are very strict, and if you break
these rules you may damage your computer beyond repair. I don't know about you, but I can't see down to the 32 nanometer level, and I sure as
hell can't hold my hand steady to use a soldering iron at that level.
Overclocking will not blow up your computer, but if you are careless about voltages and temperatures it can reduce the life expectancy of your
computer, and it will damage components. Remember: [color=red]HEAT IS YOUR ENEMY![/color]
[color=blue] Getting Started. What do I do?[/color]
First you're going to need to take a look at your BIOS. When you start your computer it gives you the option to press F2, F10, Delete, or some
other key to enter "setup" This is the BIOS. The BIOS tells the computer how to work, and what settings to use to properly run the hardware. In
the BIOS of 90% of motherboard you can tweak these settings to your liking, but the more expensive boards are going to have more options.
The BIOS can be vague, so this isn't going to be an easy tutorial. I will answer any question you have but please remember that I don't own
every motherboard on the market. You might not have specific options, or it might be labeled differently. Just ask here and I will try to help.
[color=blue] Temperatures and voltages [/color]
I don't know the specific TJMAX of every processor, but I will explain that more when I start getting detailed with the overclocking tutorial.
This isn't an end-all be-all tutorial on overclocking. This is just a simple tutorial to get you started.
If you want more detailed help you can post a reply here and be specific damnit I will try to help.
The maximum temperature that is safe for most processors is 60c. This is actually higher in mose cases, and most novice overclockers will run
their chips MUCH hotter than this, but for safety I recommend keeping things uncer 60c under load. I will explain load and idle in a bit. The
reason I don't like anything over 60c is that once your temps reach 55c+ it starts to diminish your ability to overclock and tweak. If you are
running at 55c+ at idle, then don't even attempt to overclock. I [color=red] AM NOT RESPONSIBLE IF YOU FUCK UP YOUR COMPUTER[color=red] so
heed my advice.
The maximum voltage I am going to recommend is 1.425v. This is for the CPU core only, this is not for memory or northbridge, which you might also
have to slightly increase during overclocking. 1.425v should be safe for nearly all processors on the market, but you need to make sure to keep
your temperatures in check.
[color=blue] First steps. What will I need? How do I monitor temperatures? Do smurfs really control the universe?[/color]
You will need a few software utilities to monitor frequencies, voltages, and temperatures. I recommend the following:
http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html
HWMonitor will show you your temperatures, and some voltage readouts. This is a very useful utility, and, [color=red] IF YOU POST A
SCREENSHOT WITH OVERCLOCK INFORMATION INCLUDE ALL OF THESE UTILITIES IN THE SCREENSHOT[/color]
http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html
CPU-Z will show you your frequencies, voltages, and detailed statistics of your hardware. This is going to be essential to see what your system
settings are, and I'll need this information (the SPD, Memory, and CPU tabs) if you ask me for help.
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=201670
LinX is a great utility to test the stability of your computer. It will also heat up your processor to "load" temperatures, and allow us to see
if you are within safe tollerances. [color=red] DO NOT SKIP THIS. IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR SAFE OVERCLOCKING.[/color]
First I want you to run HWMonitor and LinX. The default settings on LinX should work fine, and it will allow you to get a good idea of your
default temperatures. If you are exceeding 50c+ load on STOCK settings (meaning before the overclock) then you shouldn't overclock. Remember;
heat is your enemy.
And yes, smurfs do control the universe.
[color=blue]Detailed Explanations[/color]
OK I am not going to be super specific, but I will try to color the basics.
CPU Frequency
You can increase the CPU frequency 2 ways. The first way is by increasing the FSB (this is called CPU-HT link in some motherboards, or HT speed,
or CPU frequency). The second way is by increasing the multiplier. You will need an Intel Extreme CPU, or an AMD Black edition to increase the
multiplier, so most of you will be overclocking with FSB.
CPU voltage
CPU voltage is sometimes referred to as vcore. The CPU voltage is important, because you can't just increase the CPU frequency and expect a clean
and stable overclock. If you go far enough you will need a voltage increase. You aren't required to increase voltage to overclock, but if you
don't then your overclock will be severely limited. An example is that my Phenom II x6 1055t is stable with stock voltage (1.325v) up to 3.5ghz,
but I need more voltage to go above that and remain stable. Stability is important!! If you are running an unstable overclock, even if things
SEEM ok, you could corrupt files on your hard drive and cause nasty little issues.
Memory Frequency
The memory frequency is far less important for Dolphin than the CPU frequency. As such, I recommend not overclocking the memory at all.
You will want to actually UNDERCLOCK your memory at first, so that you can rule it out as a potential bottleneck.
Memory frequency will increase as you increase the FSB, so if you don't have an Extreme Edition, or Black Edition you are going to be
overclocking the ram as well. This is why I say you'll need to underclock the memory at first.
Contrary to popular belief, anything above DDR2 800 with cl5 is going to make a very very small impact on performance in games. It will make a
decent improvement in synthetic benchmarks but we don't care about those. All we care about is CPU operations per second for Dolphin.
Northbridge Frequency
Northbridge frequency will be increased as you increase the FSB. This will help throughput and give you better synthetic results, but it's not
going to make much difference at a higher.
HT Link, or Hyperthreading frequency
This is different by far for AMD and Intel chips. I can't comment on Intel chips max frequencies because I don't own one, but If you try to keep
everything as close to STOCK (default speeds) as possible with HT Link, Memory, and Hyperthreading frequency, then you should be fine.
Voltages
Your CPU voltage can be increased quite a bit, and so can your memory voltage. Remember that I'm not going into detail with memory, so be very
careful and do your research if you decide to overclock memory.
You can safely add +0.05v to NB and HTlink speed. HTLink is connected to your memory controller, and will allow a higher memory overclock, but
like I said I'm not going in to that. We are just concerned about CPU frequency here.
[color=blue] Let's begin![/color]
Setting things up
Alright first things first. Increasing the CPU frequency safely
The first thing you're going to want to do is check your default settings with CPU-Z, and test with HWMonitor and LinX to get an idea of your
temps.
If your load temps are 50c or lower then you have a little headroom. Just remember not to exceed 60c at any time.
Once you have an idea of your default settings, you want to reduce the HTLink multiplier, memory multiplier (or increase the divider), and
Northbridge Frequency.All of these are in your BIOS and should be relatively easy to find assuming you can read and have an attention span
greater than a monkey.
The reason for reducing the HTLink multiplier, and memory multiplier is because you want to keep them at stock settings and you will be
increasing them while you increase FSB. [color=red]If you have a Black Edition or Extreme Edition CPU you can skip this part because
you'll be using the multiplier to overclock.However, some motherboards use a CPU/Mem divider, and you may need to reduce memory frequency by
increasing the divider.[/color]
[color=blue]Increasing the CPU speed! Here we go![/color]
Alright. Assuming you already reduced memory and HTlink speeds you can now begin overclocking the processor.
[color=green]Overclocking with Multiplier[/color]
[color=red] If you have an Extreme Edition or Black Edition CPU with an unlocked multiplier[/color]
You can begin by increasing the CPU multiplier. This is called different things in different BIOS's but it's all the same thing.
Start by increasing 1 step at a time. Each time you increase the CPU multiplier you will want to run LinX and HWMonitor to check for stability
and temperatures. If LinX fails then you are not stable and you need to increase voltage.
Each time you increase the CPU multiplier you need to make sure to check for stability. Don't take shortcuts! You don't want a dead computer.
If everything checks out then you can increase the multiplier 1 more step. Continue until you are unstable, increase the voltage 1 step at a time
until it's stable, and then continue. [color=red] Remember the max voltage I recommend is 1.425v. If you go beyond this you risk
damaging your equipment[/color]
If you take it slow, make sure to test every step along the way, and make sure to keep your temperatures under controll; then you will see a very
decent overclock even on stock cooling. This is going to make a huge impact on emulation perfmance (re: FPS)
[color=green] Overclocking with FSB [/color]
Overclocking with the FSB is trickier because it also increases your CPU-HT link, HT link, NB frequency, and memory frequency. You need to make
sure to keep these as close to default as possible, which means reducing the multiplier or dividers.
[color=red] MAKE SURE YOU TAKE IT 1 STEP AT A TIME!!![/color]
The FSB stock for AMD CPUs is 200mhz. I can't comment on Intel but I should be getting some details from another member of the forum who can give
me some better details on Intel stock frequencies and such. I will edit this section when I receive this information.
You will want to start by (AFTER reducing memory, NB, and HT link speeds) increasing the FSB by 5 mhz.
You might be wondering "why only 5 mhz?" The reason for this is that you want to take it 1 step at a time so that we don't get ahead of ourselves
and botch it up. If you increase it too far too fast then your system just won't boot, and you'll be back here crying about how you can't get the
computer to start.
Increase the FSB 5mhz at a time, and each time you increase you want to make sure to run LinX and HWmonitor. Check temps, check stability. If
everything is OK then you can increase 5 more MHZ.
After you reach an unstable point, assuming your temperatures are OK, you can increase the voltage slightly 1 step at a time until it's stable
again. Then continue increasing FSB. Again, remember, I recommend a max of 1.425v with modern CPUs.
Once you reach your max overclock using 1.425v, you can try out Dolphin. Enjoy the speed boost!!!!
[color=purple]Addendum and Help[/color]
Yes it's really as easy as that. If you bothered to read this then you have a decent idea how to overclock safely.
Make sure you follow my rules if you are afraid of messing anything up, or if you are not sure exactly what you're doing.
Overclocking is pretty easy once you understand the terms. It's not difficult and it's guaranteed to give you a boost in Dolphin.
All of these "settings" and "software" tools designed to speed up Dolphin, they are BS. Overclocking is the way to go for real speed.
If you have any problems feel free to post here and ask your question, but BE SPECIFIC. Take screenshots of CPUZ and HWMonitor. Make sure to tell
me exactly what the problem is and describe what you did.
[color=red] Help, my computer won't start![/color]
If your computer won't boot then you didn't listen to what I said, or you didn't reduce memory/nb/htlink speeds before starting your overclock.
You NEED to reduce those frequencies to ensure that you're not limiting your overclock with other components, and this is essential.
If your computer won't start there is a jumper (or button on premium motherboards) to CLEAR CMOS. This will reset you to default so that you can
start again.
[color=blue] I will edit this post with new information as I come across it. I am sure that I haven't covered everything, and when I
re-read this the next day or so I will be adding more information, so be sure to check for new info periodically[/color]
Thanks for reading, and good luck overclocking! If you have any questions feel free to ask them here.
[color=red] Proof of concept[/color]
As you can see by the first screenshot, my FPS is around 25fps while looking at a large area on Wind Waker at 2.8ghz
As you can see by the second screensh shot, my FPS is around 30fps at 3.5ghz. Which is 100% perfectly playable (I.E. Full speed)
Edit: This is at 1600x1200 resolution in window mode. Native is checked off, and 16xaa, 4xaf.
The reason I used 3.5ghz as my overclock was because MOST of you will be able to reach 3.5~3.7ghz on air. This means you'll get comparable framerates.
