Dolphin, the GameCube and Wii emulator - Forums
LoZ: Wind Waker runs slow. - Printable Version

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+--- Thread: LoZ: Wind Waker runs slow. (/Thread-loz-wind-waker-runs-slow)

LoZ: Wind Waker runs slow. - Baddy - 11-10-2014

Hey guys,
I recently set up Dolphin on my PC.
When I tried to run Legend Of Zelda: Wind Walker, it ran around 20-25 FPS.
So I went ahead, read up about speeding up Dolphin, tried a few guides, but nothing helped.
I kept an eye on my CPU, GPU and memory usage, if something bottlenecks. Hardware doesn't seem to be the problem either.
Then I tried a couple of other games to see, if it's just Wind Waker that actually causes trouble.
Comes out:
- Every Wii game runs 60 FPS without a sweat. (I capped it at 60.)
- Every Gamecube game runs at 20-25 FPS.


Do I have to go for different settings for GC games?
I would be honestly confused, since I don't see what I COULD change that would make a difference between Wii and GC.


Quick hardware overview:
- Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400
- GTX 760
- 8GB ram


Here are two screenshots of my tests, showing you FPS, CPU, GPU and memory usage.


The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GameCube):

[Image: yueaqij.jpg]


Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii):

[Image: goHlrap.jpg]



Config and Graphics settings in Dolphin:


[Image: EMzJPVa.png] [Image: ZXNSLa4.png] [Image: omAyz3y.png]

[Image: NiRzjF0.png] [Image: e5GErNd.png] [Image: 9tpaBjL.png]

RE: LoZ: Wind Waker runs slow. - KHg8m3r - 11-10-2014

First off, love the Gurren Lagan Smile

As for Dolphin, get the latest dev build from here: https://dolphin-emu.org/download/ It is faster, more accurate, and more stable than the version you're on. Then do everything below.

Next, set your fullscreen resolution to auto, and then set the Internal Resolution to a number, like 2.5, 3, or 4. Why? Because 1) It will make the games look nicer because it's rendering at a higher resolution, and 2) setting the IR to Auto multiples can sometimes (as in rare occasions but still possible) cause issues.

Then, set the framelimit to auto, as some games don't run at 60 fps, but instead 30 fps (they were built that way on the GC/Wii).

Finally, have you set a high performance GPU profile for Dolphin? Read part 2 to see what I mean, as it will make sure your GPU is giving it all the power it can since Dolphin sometimes doesn't kick GPUs into high performance: https://forums.dolphin-emu.org/Thread-unofficial-laptop-performance-guide

Another thing to keep in mind is that your CPU is getting old. Dolphin relies on fast single-core speeds. If you can, overclock your CPU. If not, it may be time to look into getting an upgraded motherboard and i5-4690K (you can keep the GPU and hard drive, maybe the RAM, and possibly the power supply/case/extras if you built this computer yourself. If not, then just the GPU and hard drive)

RE: LoZ: Wind Waker runs slow. - Baddy - 11-10-2014

(11-10-2014, 04:17 AM)KHg8m3r Wrote: First off, love the Gurren Lagan Smile

As for Dolphin, get the latest dev build from here: https://dolphin-emu.org/download/ It is faster, more accurate, and more stable than the version you're on. Then do everything below.

Next, set your fullscreen resolution to auto, and then set the Internal Resolution to a number, like 2.5, 3, or 4. Why? Because 1) It will make the games look nicer because it's rendering at a higher resolution, and 2) setting the IR to Auto multiples can sometimes (as in rare occasions but still possible) cause issues.

Then, set the framelimit to auto, as some games don't run at 60 fps, but instead 30 fps (they were built that way on the GC/Wii).

Finally, have you set a high performance GPU profile for Dolphin? Read part 2 to see what I mean, as it will make sure your GPU is giving it all the power it can since Dolphin sometimes doesn't kick GPUs into high performance: https://forums.dolphin-emu.org/Thread-unofficial-laptop-performance-guide

Another thing to keep in mind is that your CPU is getting old. Dolphin relies on fast single-core speeds. If you can, overclock your CPU. If not, it may be time to look into getting an upgraded motherboard and i5-4690K (you can keep the GPU and hard drive, maybe the RAM, and possibly the power supply/case/extras if you built this computer yourself. If not, then just the GPU and hard drive)

So I have downloaded and installed the latest dev build and set internal res to x2.5 and framelimit to auto.
I ran Wind Waker again and it capped out at 30. It feels way more fluid and is definitely playable! So thanks for that. Big Grin

Now to the GPU profile: I don't have a laptop and I know that I set all those settings to high performance. Do I still have to do what is listed in that guide?

RE: LoZ: Wind Waker runs slow. - KHg8m3r - 11-10-2014

I'm glad its all working Smile
(just so you know, 30 fps is the max for Wind Waker)

As long as you have the power management for the GPU set for maximum performance, you'll be good.

Also, you can go above 2.5x IR, because then going higher gives you downsampling (things look even crisper)

RE: LoZ: Wind Waker runs slow. - Baddy - 11-10-2014

(11-10-2014, 05:30 AM)KHg8m3r Wrote: I'm glad its all working Smile
(just so you know, 30 fps is the max for Wind Waker)

As long as you have the power management for the GPU set for maximum performance, you'll be good.

Also, you can go above 2.5x IR, because then going higher gives you downsampling (things look even crisper)

Alright, thanks for the help! I really appreciate it. (: