(09-02-2014, 10:30 AM)tueidj Wrote: [ -> ]The windows 7 kernel typically takes up nearly half a gig. Add other background applications and the total will be close to 2GB.
It isn't mandatory for Windows 7 to take that much RAM, though. Mine uses < 850 MiB upon startup, but even if we do assume your 2 GB number for the OS and background processes, the remaining 2GB is more than enough for Dolphin. You could even subtract another 1 GB for that open browser and still have enough RAM for Dolphin with the 1 GB remaining. For all the things that people can upgrade to get better performance, RAM is one of the few things that isn't on the list.
As I mentioned, unused RAM is used for disk caching. That's why people think things like "wii and gc used way slower means to transfer game data than what even the slowest hdd can provide", which isn't true (especially if the games are on something like an external USB drive). The access only seems quicker on a PC because that data is cached in RAM, but if there's no disk cache available I/O performance CAN be a bottleneck, particularly for wii games that can have over 4GB data.
Remember the OP's question was not "what should I upgrade for better performance", it was "will an SSD improve performance". Installing an SSD in a 4GB system would not be a wise idea.
(09-02-2014, 10:38 PM)tueidj Wrote: [ -> ]As I mentioned, unused RAM is used for disk caching. That's why people think things like "wii and gc used way slower means to transfer game data than what even the slowest hdd can provide", which isn't true (especially if the games are on something like an external USB drive). The access only seems quicker on a PC because that data is cached in RAM, but if there's no disk cache available I/O performance CAN be a bottleneck, particularly for wii games that can have over 4GB data.
Remember the OP's question was not "what should I upgrade for better performance", it was "will an SSD improve performance". Installing an SSD in a 4GB system would not be a wise idea.
So the program uses the left over ram to cache the game files without it appearing at the os? Interesting, i had no idea about it really. 8 gbyte would be enough for single layer wii games i suppose and more than that would be needed for dual layer disks in order all of the game to be put in Ram? And going by that 4gbyte systems should usually be enough for gamecube games i suppose. Yet can't say i noticed any difference myself between gamecube and wii games. Maybe Xenoblade Chronicles that shows some hickups while loading new areas would be eliminated with more ram?
(09-02-2014, 10:14 AM)KHg8m3r Wrote: [ -> ]Dolphin uses less than half a GB of RAM. So as long as you have enough RAM as per what your OS needs, you're done.
I even had Dolphin running on an x64 system with only 2 GB or RAM and it was fine (4 GB is recommended for x64)
And besides, I always have everything else closed when running Dolphin to make sure the CPU isn't being held down by anything I'm not using.