Guys and gals,
For running Dolphin, how does the Ivy 3570k compare to the Sandy 2500k? Or how about an i7 vs an i5?
Trying to decide how to upgrade my Phenom 2. Hoping to pick something that can properly run Dolphin with a modest overclock. Thanks!
If you're looking to get a GPU upgrade too, get the 2500k and spend the extra money towards a good GPU. Dolphin isn't really reliant on the GPU as much as the CPU, but a good OC'd 2500k can rival a 3570k at stock. Of course when you OC the 3570k the OC'd 2500k will fall behind, but with Dolphin it's not exactly a huge deal. Remember, Dolphin uses two cores. Possibly more if you're messing with some HSP LLE audio stuff, which most people don't do since the default audio settings sound good enough.
But a better GPU will help you raise the internal resolution and you can force AA through your GPUs control panel to limit the load on your CPU.
So...the sensor bar is optional if playing with a Wiimote on the pc? I need to go out and buy a bluetooth adapter at Best Buy (make sure it is one that is supported) and if I had to I was going to buy a sensor bar. But if I don't need it...
You don't need it unless the game relies on the pointer. Skyward Sword is almost unplayable without the sensor bar, for example.
Thanks for the quick reply. I watched the Turbo boost monitor while playing RE4, and whenever the clock went up to 2.8 i got solid 30fps with no hickups. Too bad that the workload fluctuates so it would go to 2.1 and back up again various times, making for some pretty low fps at times. Still playable though.
Also the workload on the 2 cores seems to be very uneven. Most of the time one core had a full workload while the second one got a meager 20%.
You're on a laptop right? It's probably downclocking itself to protect the parts. Have you tried elevating it off the surface or a cooling pad? It'll help prevent this and should give you a more stable clock speed when using Turbo Boost.
And yeah, the workload will be uneven. At most, Dolphin uses 2 cores, so one core will usually be doing most of the work while the other supplements it when necessary