Hey guys, I just recently used Boot Camp to launch Windows 10 on my 2017 MacBook Air and am surprised that I can play some of the most demanding games near perfectly.
For example: I can run Double Dash, Metroid Prime, Pikmin 1 and 2, and Sunshine all at 720p and the original frame rates with Skip EFB access from CPU on. Prime has some frame issues with the map and intense explosions but is basically flawless everywhere else. At native res, they run perfectly with no issues. Wii games work almost as well in this setup. I can play Galaxy 2 at native res with a full 60fps. I use Direct3D 12 as the renderer in all cases. The only game I own that doesn't run full speed is Rogue Leader. It only runs at about 40-45 fps.
Here's my specs: MacBook Air 2017 (Windows 10 x64 Boot Camp)
Intel Core i7-5650IU/2.2 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.2 GHz
Intel HD Graphics 6000
8GB LPDDR3 SDRAM
For someone who is not well-versed in how Dolphin works in relation to computer specs, could someone please explain why my computer works so well?
Sorry if this kind of question has been asked before, but I'm new and wanted to understand why it runs how it does.
Thanks!
Well, first you're getting a performance boost by running Dolphin on Windows instead of macOS, basically because anything that utilizes GPU and doesn't have a backend written for their proprietary Metal API runs like garbage. Then, you're getting another performance boost because you enabled Skip EFB access from CPU, but keep in mind this option breaks game mechanics depending of the title (e.g. you can't pull/throw stars or use Yoshi's tongue on Mario Galaxy, graffiti from Mario Sunshine behaves oddly/can't be cleaned, the scan visor on Metroid Prime doesn't display correctly, etc).
And finally, Dolphin system requirements aren't that high considering what we have nowadays. A reasonably clocked Haswell CPU (Intel's 4th gen) or newer is powerful enough for anything you can throw at Dolphin at native resolution, add in a GTX 750 ti or equivalent GPU and you can safely run all games at 1080p (and sometimes even higher) with various enhancements...
(07-29-2019, 01:50 PM)mbc07 Wrote: [ -> ]Then, you're getting another performance boost because you enabled Skip EFB access from CPU, but keep in mind this option breaks game mechanics depending of the title (e.g. you can't pull/throw stars or use Yoshi's tongue on Mario Galaxy, graffiti from Mario Sunshine behaves oddly/can't be cleaned, the scan visor on Metroid Prime doesn't display correctly, etc).
Metroid Prime 1 for the GC doesn't require any special settings for the scan visor, and Super Mario Sunshine only has the goop collision detection break if you enable Store EFB Copies to Texture Only – enabling Skip EFB Access from CPU just makes Mario turn as if he's constantly behind an object or something along the lines of that. But yes, there are problems with forcing Skip EFB Access from CPU to be enabled, especially the one you mentioned in Super Mario Galaxy.
Thanks for the responses, guys. One more question though, when I run Dolphin at 2x res, my PC tends to get higher temps than when I play at native, especially Metroid Prime, which can cause my PC to reach 90-104 C. Other games get higher as well, like Pikmin at around 78-85 C.
Will running these games at these temps damage my computer? It only gets to these extremes when I play at 2x res on the more demanding games. Or would a cooling pad be a simple solution?
Thanks again.
(07-29-2019, 10:38 PM)CubeWaker Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks for the responses, guys. One more question though, when I run Dolphin at 2x res, my PC tends to get higher temps than when I play at native, especially Metroid Prime, which can cause my PC to reach 90-104 C. Other games get higher as well, like Pikmin at around 78-85 C.
Will running these games at these temps damage my computer? It only gets to these extremes when I play at 2x res on the more demanding games. Or would a cooling pad be a simple solution?
Thanks again.
A decent CPU with decent cooling should be able to handle 90 degrees Celsius for a while. It shouldn't fry your CPU immediately, but long-term usage might not be that ideal. 104 degrees Celsius certainly seems to be too high. That could be dangerous for your CPU if you constantly at that. It could be close to the maximum capacity your CPU can handle. It all depends on your specific CPU and cooling.
Ideally you want to be at 70-80 degrees Celsius or lower as an average for your 3D applications, with occasionally some of the busier scenes going towards the 85 degrees Celsius. Essentially, there is nothing to worry about as long you most of the time remain below 80 degrees Celsius. Again, check your CPU and cooling for specifications.
Emulating Ocarina of Time - Master Quest (GC) usually is around 55 and 75 degrees Celsius, depending on the current load or the booting of the disc (shaders compilation and such, etc). Most of the game just runs between 55 and 62 degrees Celsius. I tend to use quality enhancements which add up to the cost in CPU power. I also overclocked my physical CPU. This would be a perfectly safe temperature for me to run at.
Anyway, I am not a dev here, so you should ask them.
Just to be sure, are you referring to Fahrenheit of Celsius? Personally, I am used to Celsius. If we are talking 104 degrees Fahrenheit then you shouldn't worry, and should translate into 40 degrees Celsius, which is perfectly safe. Also, did your overclock your CPU?
(07-29-2019, 10:56 PM)Admentus Wrote: [ -> ]A decent CPU with decent cooling should be able to handle 90 degrees Celsius for a while. It shouldn't fry your CPU immediately, but long-term usage might not be that ideal. 104 degrees Celsius certainly seems to be too high. That could be dangerous for your CPU if you constantly at that. It could be close to the maximum capacity your CPU can handle. It all depends on your specific CPU and cooling.
Ideally you want to be between 70 and 80 degrees Celsius as an average for your 3D applications (lower is always better of course), with occasionally some of the busier scenes going towards the 90 degrees Celsius. Essentially, there is nothing to worry about as long you are most of the time remain below 80 degrees Celsius. Again, check your CPU and cooling for specifications.
Emulating Ocarina of Time usually leaves me around 55-75 degrees Celsius as an average for all my CPU cores, depending on the current load. Most of the game just runs between 55 and 60 degrees Celsius. I tend to use quality enhancements which add up to the cost in CPU power, but still that is a perfectly safe temperature for me to run at.
Anyway, I am not a dev here, so you should ask them.
Just to be sure, are you referring to Fahrenheit of Celsius? Personally, I am used to Celsius. If we are talking 104 degrees Fahrenheit then you shouldn't worry, and should translate into 40 degrees Celsius, which is perfectly safe. Also, did your overclock your CPU?
Celsius, yes. It seems actually that after some testing this morning, my temps are staying in the 70s and 80s Celsius for anything but Metroid Prime and Mario Kart at 720p. Prime sent my temps over 100C. Mario Kart kept them in the 90s. No I did not overclock my CPU.
(07-29-2019, 11:08 PM)CubeWaker Wrote: [ -> ]Celsius, yes. It seems actually that after some testing this morning, my temps are staying in the 70s and 80s Celsius for anything but Metroid Prime at 720p. That sent my temps over 100C. No I did not overclock my CPU.
From the sound of it, your CPU's temp is probably too hot for extended periods of time. Repeated usage can decrease it's lifecycle and potentially fry it.
As said, there's nothing wrong with running for a short period of time at higher temperatures, but over 100C is just too much. Permanently running the less demanding games at 80C at 720p probably isn't a good indicator either.
(07-29-2019, 11:20 PM)Admentus Wrote: [ -> ]From the sound of it, your CPU's temp is probably too hot for extended periods of time. Repeated usage can decrease it's lifecycle and potentially fry it.
As said, there's nothing wrong with running for a short period of time at higher temperatures, but over 100C is just too much. Permanently running the less demanding games at 80C at 720p probably isn't a good indicator either.
In that case, native res for everything is probably the best bet. Looking back, instead of getting a MacBook, I should've gone for a rig that could handle both college work and gaming.
EDIT: Actually, I just deleted Dolphin off my PC. It started running everything at a lower fps and excessively high temperatures in all my games. I'd rather preserve my laptop's life than overload it.
Thanks again for your help.
Nearly all MacBooks are known for poor cooling, there's a price to be paid to have that super slim, near unibody design. I even recall their recent fiasco where they offered a Core i9 option (don't remember exactly to which MacBook line) which ended performing poorly than the i7 variant simply because it throttled so much due overheating.
Regarding the fear of frying your CPU, that's very very unlikely to ever happen. As your temps get close to the thermal limit of your CPU, it will start throttling to manage that heat (in other words its clock will decrease and as result your performance will decrease too). If the CPU already throttled to its lowest clock and the temperatures still are close to the maximum or just got past what it can safely handle, the whole system will simply suddenly turn off (as if you pulled the power plug) to prevent any permanent damage. This sudden shutdown can also occur on recent game consoles, smartphones, etc., anything nowadays with a powerful CPU and too much heat. Sure, running at such high temperatures for extended periods might shorten the lifespan of the CPU or computer a little, but to the point of actually frying a CPU? Definitely not...
In other words, you can continue using Dolphin on your MacBook if you want, as long as you can cope with decreased performance when it gets too hot...