Which of the 4 or so configs of the Alienware X51 will run most GC/Wii games at 1920x1080, and 4x internal resolution?
None will run all games. You have to get a Gaming PC for dolphin, not a 'Gaming' PC.
The best option (performance per dollar/pound/euro) is to build your own system with:
i5 4670K
Any Z87 motherboard
4GB+ of DDR3 RAM
GTX 650 or better (check NaturalViolence's thread for specifics on what can do what)
>500W PSU (from reputable brand)
Decent case
Decent HDD
Coolermaster Hypo 212 Evo so you can overclock the CPU
Anything less than this will struggle at some point, and even with this, overclocking is necessary to play all playable games at fullspeed. Of course, if it turned out you only wanted to play light games, then you may be fine with less. We'd have to know what you were going to play specifically, though.
You're probably going to have to go with the highest end alienware X51 configuration to run dolphin reasonably well. And like AnyOldName3 said you can build a much better system for a lot less money yourself.
Try Building a Rig instead of buying Alienware much more Cheaper
When I looked, the only option for a CPU was a 3.3 GHz Ivy i3, so there wouldn't be any real difference between configurations.
Best CPU option is the i7-4770 on the x51. You can't overclock an X51 because of the tiny 330W PSU, therefore they don't provide overclock-able processors. If you want the X51 because of its size, look at the Falcon Tiki, which can get a 4670k and be OC'ed, but is extremely expensive. Any PC that you build, while it will be a better value, will be much bigger than either the x51 or tiki. If space is not an issue, build your own. Most small form factor cases are bigger than the X51 anyways.
The other option is the ibuypower revolt, which can run an OC'ed 4670k, but the case is made out of plastic and it tends to be louder and hotter than the tiki. Read reviews.
You can't OC the i7-4770 anyway
You can get a small form factor case and build into it yourself if you need it to be small. You don't have to waste a tonne of cash on a pre-built system.
ExtremeDude2 Wrote:You can't OC the i7-4770 anyway
You can if you're using a retail motherboard. But the multiplier will only go 4x above stock. So you'll be capped at 4.3GHz with turbo (which is about how high you can OC ivy bridge anyways) and 3.9 GHz without.
AnyOldName Wrote:You can get a small form factor case and build into it yourself if you need it to be small. You don't have to waste a tonne of cash on a pre-built system.
^This.
AnyOldName Wrote:When I looked, the only option for a CPU was a 3.3 GHz Ivy i3, so there wouldn't be any real difference between configurations.
I'm not sure where you were looking then because on the dell site they have a variety of configurations ranging from an i3 to an i7.
(07-17-2013, 04:55 AM)NaturalViolence Wrote: [ -> ]ExtremeDude2 Wrote:You can't OC the i7-4770 anyway
You can if you're using a retail motherboard. But the multiplier will only go 4x above stock. So you'll be capped at 4.3GHz with turbo (which is about how high you can OC ivy bridge anyways) and 3.9 GHz without.
People need to stop lying to me then
, that is what I thought before, but someone told me you couldn't do it at all now >.>