Hi, I'm looking to spend the least amount possible on a desktop PC that will be 100% dedicated to Dolphin and permanently connected to my 46" plasma. I'm not very knowledgeable on PCs so forgive my ignorance on these matters. I did a search in the FAQ so have a vague idea.
I want it to most importantly be able to run the Mario galaxy games, and also ideally the Wii version of Metroid 1, DKCR, Skyward sword and some Gamecube games at 1080p with AA, AF and other graphical features at full speed with plenty of headroom. Also, I'd like it to be able to run games like Mario Sunshine at 60Hz and 4:3 Gamecube games in widescreen where possible. Oh and hi-res texture packs.
Can anyone help me? I don't know about overclocking (I'm open to it though), and I'm thinking an i5 processor with a Nvidia graphics card, 8GB memory (need 8gb for texture packs?), 128 gig SSD. I know nothing of motherboards etc.
The important thing is that I want there to be quite a bit of headroom so the games don't ever stutter or have other issues due to spikes in processing power demands.
I'd ideally like to spend perhaps £600 but I don't want to compromise on performance at all, so am willing to go quite a bit higher if necessary.
Thanks, Andy.
Thanks very much for that - I'm in the UK, but reading another post further down, it looks as if I'm going to be spending a lot less than I thought!
Is it possible (or advisable) to fit a 1050ti into a small form factor PC so it looks more like a console?
That sounds perfect, although I wouldn't want to run in to problems overheating. Also the aim would be to have it as quiet as possible..
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/hkYKm8
Pick your case and storage. Entirely user preference.
I went with a low wattage PSU because those tend to run quieter, and then picked a SeaSonic brand because most of the time they're pretty dang reliable. I wouldn't worry about the wattage of that PSU though. The system I put together there should pull less than 175W under load
(07-14-2017, 03:58 AM)Helios Wrote: [ -> ]https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/hkYKm8
Pick your case and storage. Entirely user preference.
I went with a low wattage PSU because those tend to run quieter, and then picked a SeaSonic brand because most of the time they're pretty dang reliable. I wouldn't worry about the wattage of that PSU though. The system I put together there should pull less than 175W under load
Thanks for taking the time Helios, very much appreciated.
As I say, I don't know much about all this, but assuming I'm going for a mini ITX case, would I be right in saying I don't want to buy anything *too* small or it will run too hot on longer sessions and maybe throttle the processor?
If that's the case, should I go for a slightly larger mini ITX like the second one on this list:
http://www.buildcomputers.net/mini-itx-case.html
I'd ideally prefer one of the super small cases but I'm wondering if the GTX1050 will even fit inside those super small cases and even then will it overheat?
Do you have an example of a really small, almost console sized mini ITX case that these components will fit in and work really well without possibility of ever overheating?
Apologies for so many questions!
Pretty much any Mini ITX case will work fine.
The G4560 CPU is a very low TDP CPU for what it is. And the GTX 1050 is a tiny GPU with a TDP of 75W. Should be fine for 1080p. If you want 4k, a 1050ti might be worth looking at. Again, will fit fine in a mini ITX case.
I'm not aware of any Mini ITX cases the size of a console. You can probably make it custom yourself and thermals would probably not be that bad, but I'm not aware of any vendors that make Mini ITX cases that small.
(07-14-2017, 06:52 AM)Helios Wrote: [ -> ]Pretty much any Mini ITX case will work fine.
The G4560 CPU is a very low TDP CPU for what it is. And the GTX 1050 is a tiny GPU with a TDP of 75W. Should be fine for 1080p. If you want 4k, a 1050ti might be worth looking at. Again, will fit fine in a mini ITX case.
I'm not aware of any Mini ITX cases the size of a console. You can probably make it custom yourself and thermals would probably not be that bad, but I'm not aware of any vendors that make Mini ITX cases that small.
Thanks so much Helios, hugely appreciated - I'll go for something as small as possible.
Lastly, just to be sure, this'll easily run just about any game I throw at it with plenty of AA and AF at 1080p and 60fps with custom textures? And also the 60Hz and widescreen hacks?
Yes to everything except some games documented 60 FPS hacks are incredibly demanding, and bring very high clocked Intel CPUs to it's knees. But do note, that is only an issue with some 60 FPS hacks. Many 60 FPS codes will run just fine.
And every game I can think of will likely run at full speed without hacks.
Fantastic thanks again - a lot easier and cheaper than I thought! Sorry, just one more question - is there a preferred front end for Dolphin that people tend to use for dedicated setups?
I've seen Steam ICE be used to pretty good effect. It's since gone unmaintained but I think it still works?
Some use Launchbox, but the big picture mode isn't free.