Dolphin, the GameCube and Wii emulator - Forums

We're going to be writing a new FAQ for the new main site, so it would be nice to get some feedback and suggestions on what actually should go into the FAQ from the users who use Dolphin the most.

Quote:Read First:

Keep in mind that these sections are not meant to be a full and detailed explanation of every piece of hardware known to man that will run all games, but is more geared towards a quick statement that can help users get a general idea of which hardware they would want to use. More detailed threads and explanations can be found on the forum if the user wants to get deeper into exactly which CPU or GPU they may want to use.

Quote:Dolphin Operating System Requirements:

Dolphin will run on Windows, Linux and OSX. Generally speaking, you will run games faster and with less issues on Windows over all others. Windows 7 x64 is recommended.

Quote: Dolphin CPU Requirements:

There are going to be a lot of processors that can fit into these categories. Listed here is just one popular CPU that some people may have for each category, other processors of similar performance can be replaced with the ones I mentioned.

- Bad: The Intel Pentium 4 is not going to get the job done. While it technically will run games, they will never be fast enough to play at enjoyable speeds. This processor wouldn't be worth using at all.

- Average: The AMD Athlon X2 6000+ is not going to be the CPU of choice to run Dolphin with, but it will work. You can expect a few games to be playable with this CPU, but the vast majority are not going to run at acceptable speeds.

- Good: The AMD Phenom II x4 955 is not going to be the best processor to go with if you're looking to play the most games at playable speeds, but you're going to be able to play more games at faster speeds over the Athlon, so this CPU is a much better choice.

- Excellent: The Intel i5-2500k is going to be a really good choice for Dolphin. You're still not going to be able to play all games at full speed, but you will have the best overall experience with this CPU over the others mentioned. This CPU or better is recommended.

Note: Game speed is dependent on the game, Dolphin revision, Dolphin settings and your hardware components. The CPU is the most important factor in deciding which hardware to use with Dolphin. Generally, the better your processor is, the better your overall performance will be.

Quote:Dolphin Video Card Requirements:

Just like the CPU section, there are going to be a lot of video cards that can fit into these categories. Listed here is just one popular video card that some people may have for each category, other video cards of similar performance can be replaced with the ones I mentioned.

- Bad: The Intel Integrated Graphics Chips are not a good choice for Dolphin. Most old Intel graphic chips simply will not work at all. Others will be slow, produce graphic errors or restrict the user from running games at high Internal Resolutions. Although the Intel HD2000/3000/4000 graphic chips will work at low resolutions, Intel graphics are generally not recommended.

- Average: The ATI HD3650 is not a good choice if you're looking to run games with high graphic settings. You should expect to run most games at 1x-1.5x Internal Resolution.

- Good: The Nvidia 8800GT is a good choice for 2.5x-3x Internal Resolution in most games. This video card will generally be fine.

- Excellent: The AMD HD6850 is going to be a really good choice for Dolphin. This video card will allow you to run games as fast as your processor will allow while not losing any game speed at 4x Internal Resolution. This video card or better is recommended.

Note: Generally, the better your processor is, the better your overall performance will be. Having a good video card is important for maintaining good speed with high graphic settings.

Quote:Dolphin RAM Requirements:

1GB or more is recommended. RAM speed or the amount of RAM generally has no affect on game speed.

Quote:Dolphin HDD Requirements:
Any modern storage device with enough space to store your Dolphin game files, save files, screenshots and anything else that you may need. Standard Gamecube game discs are 1.4GB while Wii game discs are generally 4.7GB (uncompressed).

There will also be other things to mention, like guides on how to do certain things. These things would include but are not limited to:

How to connect a Wiimote:

How to dump games:

What certain error messages mean and how to solve the problem:

I can run PC games fine, why not a Wii game?:

Will Dolphin support four cores?:

What is LLE and how do I use it?:

Where do I get games?:

What are all those revisions?:

Among many others.

Some of these sections would have to be a bit longer and more detailed in the explanation to properly explain how to do certain things. If anyone wants to write something that looks good and makes sense, feel free to give it a shot. Pick a topic and get to writing, maybe your writeup will be included!

Please update "Performance Guide" or just link it to "Settings for best speed"

Guides will be separated from the FAQ and will have a place just for them on the main website. Some question ideas:

• Dolphin does not start because it can't find VCOMP100.DLL (install VC++ redistributable)
• Dolphin does not start because it can't find XINPUT1_3.DLL (install DX runtime)
• I've got an issue with a game that nobody else seems to encounter (try redumping, post on the forums, and if nobody can help you create an issue on the bug tracker)
• Can I play online Wii games with Dolphin? (no, but it's in progress)
• Can I play online GC games with Dolphin? (yes, link to the BBA docs)
  

Okay, I'm going to start on the video card section writeup. Added some TODO's.

Quote:
Dolphin Video Card Requirements:
...
...
Note: Generally, the better your processor is, the better your overall performance will be. Having a good video card is important for maintaining good speeds with high graphics settings.

Just a little mistake here.
I also suggest using the 'modern' terminology for it, which is graphics card.

*saves spot for potential FAQ writeup*

That actually wasn't a mistake. I wanted to stress how important the CPU is, even in the GPU section.

(08-13-2012, 03:08 AM)Starscream Wrote: [ -> ]That actually wasn't a mistake. I wanted to stress how important the CPU is, even in the GPU section.

You might want to list an intel equivalent for the "good" and "average"
processors and note that no AMD processor even comes close to an i5 2500k.

Example:

Good: Phenom 2 x4 955 / Core 2 Quad

Average: Athlon x2 6000+ / Core pentium / Nehalem based pentium (G9650)

Bad: Intel Atom, Pentium 4 or older, Athlon 64 or older

Feel free to criticize.

EDIT: And an Nvidia/AMD equivalent on the GPU end, naturally.

HD 6850 / Gtx 560 as an example.

This is the problem when you start talking about hardware. Before you know it, you have this giant list of stuff. This is not supposed to be a giant list of stuff. This is a quick reference for Dolphin requirements.

"Keep in mind that these sections are not meant to be a full and detailed explanation..."

"More detailed threads and explanations can be found on the forum..."

"Listed here is just one popular CPU that some people may have for each category, other processors of similar performance can be replaced with the ones I mentioned."

We actually need other stuff that is not already written, if you're interested.

You may already have this planned, but you may want to note in the Dolphin HDD requirements that despite it's small initial size, once you start getting wii saves, GCN memory cards, capture a few screenshots, etc etc, the size of the dolphin folder can balloon very easily. I have 300+MB in my wii folder alone, a few gig in screenshots (getting "quality screenshots" can do that), on and on. Not to mention the storage space to hold ISOs...


Also, you may want a brief thing on configuring controllers. I have no idea why people have such problems with it, it's really simple, but you've seen the boards, there are always questions about how to configure it.

Quote:- Good: The Nvidia 8800GT is a good choice for 2.5x-3x Internal Resolution in most games. This video card will generally be fine.

3x IR in any game, 4x IR in most games. I ought to know, I still have mine around here somewhere.