Dolphin, the GameCube and Wii emulator - Forums

Hey guys, I've come here to, once again, find out if a computer that I happened to choose would be good enough to run some games on Dolphin and other emulators.

In my previous thread, I was looking at laptops as the computer type for my next purchase. Since then, I have found out that laptops usually don't perform as well as desktops. So, I tried to find the components I would need to build my own computer, and figured out that I would need to spend around +$1000 for a full computer setup (all computer components, mouse, keyboard, monitor) if I were to build my own computer, which is beyond my budget of around $900 to spend on every single thing (narrowed down to stuff like tax and shipping costs and that kind of stuff, also including what was in parentheses above).

With that said, it seems like now one of my only options left is to get a pre-built desktop seeing how a DIY one would be too expensive for me, and I think I found a computer that just might suffice.

http://www.amazon.com/Asus-CM6730-US010S...828&sr=1-1

Specs are in the link above or:

Processor3.1 GHz Core i5-3350P
RAM16 GB DDR3
Hard Drive1024 GB SATA
Graphics CoprocessorNVIDIA Geforce GT 640 3GB
Graphics Card Ram Size3000 MB
Number of USB 2.0 Ports
6
Number of USB 3.0 Ports
2










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Other Technical Details





Brand NameAsus
SeriesCM6730-US010S




Item model numberCM6730-US010S







Hardware PlatformPC
Operating SystemWindows 8












Item Weight17.4 pounds
Item Dimensions L x W x H9.50 x 20.20 x 18.90 inches
Color
Black
Processor BrandIntel
Processor Count4
Computer Memory TypeSODIMM
Hard Drive InterfaceSerial ATA
Hard Drive Rotational Speed7200 RPM
Optical Drive TypeDVD-RW


Here is a list of the games that I want to run on Dolphin and PCSX2:

Gamecube:
MARIO KART DOUBLE DASH
RESIDENT EVIL 4
IKARUGA
VIEWTIFUL JOE
LUIGI'S MANSION
KIRBY AIR RIDE
SOUL CALIBUR II
PAPER MARIO: THE THOUSAND-YEAR DOOR
SKIES OF ARCADIA: LEGENDS
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: WIND WAKER
PIKMIN 2
METAL GEAR SOLID: TWIN SNAKES

PS2:
RATCHET AND CLANK: UP YOUR ARSENAL
GRAN TURISMO 3
FINAL FANTASY X
DRAGON QUEST VIII
KLONoA 2: LUNATEA'S VEIL
GUILTY GEAR X2
METAL GEAR SOLID 3: SUBSISTENCE
TONY HAWK'S PRO SKATER 3
KATAMARI DAMACY
GITAROO MAN
SKYGUNNER
KINGDOM HEARTS II
FINAL FANTSY XII
GTA: VICE CITY
GOD OF WAR
DARK CLOUD 2
SILENT HILL 2


I wish to be able to run games identical OR better as if they were being played on the actual system itself. From what I understand, this computer could probably run the games as described, with maybe the only component not being able to handle that being the GPU.

I know some of you are probably going to say that I should just save up for a DIY, but I have been saving up for this computer for several months without spending pretty much anything, so I can't really afford to save up any longer.

Please feel free to make recommendations as well as to which computer I should buy as well.

DIY systems almost always get you better bang for your buck. You could easily build a $750 custom PC that's faster than that thing. Pick a budget and we'll help you find the right parts.

Agree with NV. The TDP and base clock on that chip are relatively low, which won't leave you room to maximize performance if you choose to. $150 can probably be trimmed from a custom rig to make it happen.

Without even trying, here's something that will fit the budget:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundl...42-_-Combo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6814130827

$723 total before shipping and about $643 after mail-in rebates. Doesn't include monitors and all of that stuff, but you can easily squeeze in a keyboard and mouse with that $80 in rebates. Your ASUS linked above doesn't come with a monitor either.

If you priced the components separately you might be able to do even better.

(09-24-2013, 02:02 PM)NaturalViolence Wrote: [ -> ]DIY systems almost always get you better bang for your buck. You could easily build a $750 custom PC that's faster than that thing. Pick a budget and we'll help you find the right parts.

I have a budget of $900, but I have to spend a maximum of around $650 on the computer alone since I need to spend the other $250 on a monitor ($140), mouse & keyboard ($20), and an OS ($100).

---

Also, I found this build that fits my budget, would it perform as well as I wish?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundl...bo.1418411

@TheCaptainFalcon
If you want good performance go with rokclimb15's build. Just don't order the gpu yet if you need to save money. The igpu on that cpu is good enough for 2xIR which will hold you over for now. As for your rig, your cpu is too slow for all games to run with LLE audio and EFB to ram. That cpu (i5 4670k) is the fast cpu on the market currently.. er well the fastest within a normal price range.

rokclimb15 Wrote:The TDP and base clock on that chip are relatively low, which won't leave you room to maximize performance if you choose to.

If you're referring to overclocking I disagree. Lower TDP and base clock = more potential for OCing. The issue here is the locked motherboard and cpu which prevent any overclocking altogether.

Oh and I think you meant to refer to the operating clock rate not base clock rate.

I second rokclimb15s build being a good choice.

(09-25-2013, 09:15 AM)NaturalViolence Wrote: [ -> ]

rokclimb15 Wrote:The TDP and base clock on that chip are relatively low, which won't leave you room to maximize performance if you choose to.

If you're referring to overclocking a disagree. Lower TDP and base clock = more potential for OCing. The issue here is the locked motherboard and cpu which prevent any overclocking altogether.

Oh and I think you meant to refer to the operating clock rate not base clock rate.

I second rokclimb15s build being a good choice.

I should clarify. The low max TDP of that processor make it a poor choice. A significant increase in clock on that chip would push it well over the max TDP and cause throttling/core shutdown pretty quickly. And yes, the lack of an unlocked multiplier is going to make that pretty hard too

Yes, the operating clock rate (stock clock), not base clock.

That build is just some crap I grabbed off the deal of the day page. Let me build something with some attention to detail really quick. After the discount and rebates, it may not be any cheaper. garrlker is right, you can skip the GPU until later since it will do 2xir (I have one).

---

Here's something even less expensive (without rebates) and it includes a rock solid cooler and arctic silver and an optical drive, which the other one lacked. You might want to double check that power supply to make sure it is Haswell compatible. You can disable C6 sleep states to avoid that whole mess, but I've never used this particular power supply for a Haswell build (I've used it dozens of times for others). If you need to, switch that for a nicer power supply to feel more confident. Everything else is good except the case, which is one step up from a POS. I chose to spend the funds elsewhere. No discrete graphics card on this one.

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/Public...r=28615147

What about this? It's pretty much the same as rockclimb15's newegg build but with more memory and with the addition of a DVD drive, and it would also rely on using the CPU's IGPU:

CASE: COOLER MASTER HAF series RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6811119233
$59.99

MOTHERBOARD: ASUS B85M-G LGA 1150 Intel B85 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6813131986
$79.99

MEMORY: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model BLS8G3D1609DS1S00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6820148540
$64.99

HDD: Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6822148840
$69.99

OPTICAL DRIVE: LG 24X DVD Burner - Bare Drive 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 24X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model GH24NS95 - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6827136259
$19.99

POWER SUPPLY: COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power RS600-PCARE3-US 600W ATX12V V2.3 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6817171039
$69.99

GPU/IGPU: Intel HD 4600 Graphics

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K Haswell 3.4GHz LGA 1150 84W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics BX80646I54670K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6819116899
$239.99

TOTAL: $604.93

This is a very good build if you don't want to overclock. The B85 is a much less expensive chipset so that's a good move. It doesn't have the overclocking ability, which is what the 4670K was designed for. I highly recommend overclocking since the CPU and IGP on that chip are designed to do it. If the OP doesn't really plan to do that, this will do the trick. Much nicer case and power supply than my most recent build post in this thread.

rokclimb15 Wrote:It doesn't have the overclocking ability, which is what the 4670K was designed for.

The asus B85 boards can use unlocked multipliers via a firmware update. But only with certain steppings. So that's not entirely accurate.