Dolphin, the GameCube and Wii emulator - Forums

Okay guys. So you are probably thinking, this is just some guide that will tell my config settings and not tell me other settings that could potentially help. If you want help on the settings and what they mean, here is the link. [removed link]

But were are not going to talk about that this time. I'm going to talk about other actions that would help Dolphin.

1. Use older versions to use D3D9
As stated before, D3D9 was the fastest backend, but due to being a burden in later development, it was dropped. However, older versions still exist which still use D3D9. You can find them here
[removed link] JMC47's note - You can find old versions of dolphin on http://dolphin-emu.org/download just as well as anywhere else.
Here you can find the older revisions of Dolphin. For you people with slightly older PC's which have that tad bit of lag on Dolphin, older versions may help. Just choose the right version, because some revisions are glitchy with D3D9.
2. Use GMABooster for Intel Integrated Graphics
If your GPU is Intel Integrated Graphics, say GMA 950, GMA Booster will help "overclock" your GPU a bit for a little boost performance. GMABooster is also available for more chip types. Here it is.
http://www.gmabooster.com/download_win.htm
3. Run Dolphin as an Administrator
For some reason, running some programs and games as administrator help them run faster. This is only if you know your admin's password.
4. Use GameBooster
At this point, some of you will rant, but GameBooster slows Dolphin down! Well, this is only true if you launch Dolphin with GameBooster. Configure your settings for GameBooster, Run it in Gaming Mode, and the open Dolphin. For a little bonus, run it as administrator if you can.
5. (Windows Users Only) CAUTION: Do this at your own risk (Windows Only)
End Explorer.exe
Explorer.exe is the task that shows you your desktop, task bar, etc. Ending this process will get rid of this, freeing up more space on your computer. No worries, this process will be running again after you restart your computer. If you don't feel like restarting, simply press Ctrl+Alt+Del to open up Task Manager. Click 'File' at the top left corner and click New Task. In the blank, put 'explorer' without the quotes to start up explorer.exe again.
6. Update your graphics drivers
The drivers themselves don't help with performance, but the new settings they come with help. Open up your 3D settings, and enable the necessary for the 3D rendering, and disable the uneccessary.
7. Empty your TEMP folder.
Open up 'Run' in the start menu and put in '%temp%'. This opens up the temporary folder, where temporary files are stored. These files are not necessary, and just eat up space. Delete whatever you can in your temp folder to free up space.
8. Defragment your files
Your downloaded files usually end up unorganized, and this makes a mess. Defragment your computer to help clean these up and free up space.


This was just a simple little guide to help you with Dolphin the most possible. My computer just won't cut it for Dolphin. A few generous people helped me with my issue. However I still got little speed boosts with these settings. Special thanks to Anti-Ultimate, KHg8m3r, AnyOldName3, and kinkinkijkin for helping me with my first question.

Thanks JMC47!

We do NOT talk about that website anymore.

(04-15-2014, 06:52 AM)Anti-Ultimate Wrote: [ -> ]We do NOT talk about that website anymore.

You know, a performance guide would be better to be created by someone who's used dolphin for a while, possibly someone who is good at configurations (like myself, but don't ask me to do it or it'd never come out well).

You mean, like this: https://dolphin-emu.org/docs/guides/performance-guide/

FWIW, all these tips and tricks are stupid. Suggesting the use of old builds means that Zelda games require way more CPU to not crash and freeze, and the rest is just plain dumb ("killing explorer.exe", "emptying the temp directory", etc.). Please stop misleading users.

Yes, like that one. Perhaps it can find a prominent linking in the front of the hardware and support forums, so that people who go to the forums first (many, many) will see it? I constantly forget that it even exists.

Put "[UNOFFICIAL + NOT RECOMMENDED]" in the thread title. Had to make some room there, so I removed the (sort of redundant) "Dolphin" prefix from the title.

My curiosity often leads me to go off-topic but may I ask what shall not be named is now exactly?

(04-15-2014, 07:19 AM)Nyrii Wrote: [ -> ]My curiosity often leads me to go off-topic but may I ask what shall not be named is now exactly?

An old website that used to be the official one. The devs had no access to anything and the owner didn't respond to any of their mails, so they got this domain and started all over (they got a copy of the forum and the wiki though).

Did the owner go off the radar or just ignore them? Is the traffic making him money somehow? Why else would he upkeep the server? o.O

(04-15-2014, 07:27 AM)Nyrii Wrote: [ -> ]Did the owner go off the radar or just ignore them?

Noone really has any clue. He just didn't respond to their mails. After the 4.0 release he put that onto the site however, so it seems like he just ignored them.

(04-15-2014, 07:27 AM)Nyrii Wrote: [ -> ]Is the traffic making him money somehow? Why else would he upkeep the server? o.O

The traffic is (was) making him more money than you might think.