(will it work) AMD Phenom II X4 810 2.6GHz
#1
I should mention that I'm new and this is my first post. So hello and thanks for the awesome emulator!

I'm currently running on ancient hardware, one of my computers is a Dell Latitude C610 laptop with only a Pentium 3 1ghz. I've not even tried to run PCSX2 on this computer, it would be stupid to do so. The other PC I have is a Dell Optiplex GX280 with Pentium 4 2.8ghz (single core) and a intel integrated graphics chip. Clearly crappy. But I did get Kingdom Hearts and Jak and Daxter to run from 50% to 100% speed depending on the situation. Shocker there.

But I'm extremely outdated anyways. I am going to build a new desktop PC this December and just wanted to share the specs i'm considering and see if pcsx2 will run any games on it decently-

Keep in mind that I DO indeed know that the developers of this emulator and users highly recommend Intel due to the optimizations in that brand. I wanted a nice affordable quad core though that I could use with Dolphin (GC/Wii) and other things. Intel tends to be way out of my price range. If you know of an intel quad core at a similar price to the one below and really good, please tell.

AMD Phenom II X4 810 2.6GHz (stock speed apparently)- $144
ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GT 512MB (considering a Radeon 4850)- $92
G.SKILL 4GB DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800- $52
Seagate Barracuda 250GB hard drive- $45

How well could I be able to play some games with the specs above? I realize requirements vary from game to game, but generally speaking, could I get a high enough framerate on many or most games at all?

I have the rest of the components already picked out like motherboard, psu, and other stuff I would need. My budget would be somewhere in the $500-$600 range and I want the biggest bang for the buck. I'd like a quad core processor for use with the Dolphin emulator and other things that use that power, although I realize pcsx2 only uses 2 cores currently.

I am quite strapped for cash, so this is about all I can afford for something generally powerful for today's standards. I would listen to any suggestions though as long as the price was similar to above. Keep in mind, that I'd like to get a quad core if possible for other reasons besides pcsx2.

Thanks for all the help in advance! If you need any more info about anything, I'll do my best to tell. And i'll take any advice about purchasing, as long as its in the price range I specified. Thanks again.
System- Custom Build
CPU- Intel Core i5 4670K @4.2ghz
Memory- 8GB DDR3
Video Card- EVGA Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB
OS- Windows 10 Pro x64
Reply

Sponsored links

#2
A lot of games will get full speed or close to it on a processor like that... but then again, a lot of games won't. I honestly haven't taken a look at a lot of quad core chips, so I don't exactly know which would be good overclockers... but that may be a good route to go down if you're really strapped for cash.

If you do go that route, remember research is everything. Research the processor, research the motherboard, research the steps you need to take, the cooler, etc. If you do all that, you can generally end up getting a system worth $100+ more than it's original worth in speed upgrades.
[Image: 2748844.png]
Reply
#3
I have a friend who is helping me with the components who understands my financial problem and is a computer building expert. He's built like 20 PC's and does it as a side job. I've never build one before myself.

Like I said, I could probably go with a core2duo and get better speeds at a similar or lower price, and I know PCSX2 doesn't use but 2 processors (at least, now anyways). I would be using the other two cores for future support in general apps/games, and most importantly, Dolphin the Wii/GC emulator. My processor/gpu has the potential to run Wii games at full speed and in high definition.

I guess I should mention some of the games i'd be interested in playing on PCSX2-

- Jak and Daxter (already 50%-70% speed on a pentium 4, integrated GPU)
- Jak 2
- Jak 3
- Kingdom Hearts (50%-100% on P4, integrated gpu)
- Kingdom Hearts 2
- Final Fantasy X (tried on P4 with integrated gpu, graphical errors made unplayable)
- Final Fantasy XII

I'm interested in platformers, RPG's, or the like of them. I don't expect to be able to play intensive games like God of War, Ico, or Shadow of the Colossus very well, but they'd be nice if I could.

I should also note that I wouldn't be against overclocking the CPU if it increased speed considerably and didn't fry anything. I've never overclocked before (Dells generally don't allow that) and I'm unaware of how much these X4 Phenom II's can handle it without overheating or whatnot.

EDIT- I DID find an Intel core2quad processor for just slightly more, but I'd have to switch motherboards from the one I chose. Is this any good compared to my AMD choice-

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6819115057

I'd appreciate opinions about the processor itself too, as in how well it performs against the AMD in OTHER games and apps.
System- Custom Build
CPU- Intel Core i5 4670K @4.2ghz
Memory- 8GB DDR3
Video Card- EVGA Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB
OS- Windows 10 Pro x64
Reply
#4
I'm sorry for bumping this, but I found another option that has some potential. It's the AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition processor. Runs at a stock speed of 2.8ghz, but has been easily overclocked to 3.4ghz without even using a different heatsink from the included one. They can be overclocked even higher with a better heatsink and such. The Black Edition has an unlocked multiplier which would let you overclock the CPU quite easily and hassle free. Here's the Phenom II X3 I have in mind-

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6819103649

It's quite inexpensive too. $119 feels friendlier than $144. Especially since this X3 is clocked at a higher speed per core than the X4. Then there's the fact that the X3 series are actually quad cores with one core either removed or disabled. They either do this because the chip is defective OR just to repackage as an X3 for less money. The neat case is that there is a 50/50 chance that the 4th core is actually still perfectly functional. You can even unlock it by having the right motherboard and an bios update to select the ability to have the 4th core. Like I said, only a 50% chance that it will unlock, but even without that 4th core, it's a very good processor with very good overclocking abilities. I'm almost convinced that this is what I should get. I've already found a motherboard that can be used to unlock the 4th core if needed-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6813128394

I also learned that Dolphin doesn't use any more than 2 cores as well as PCSX2. Apparently there was some false info flying around in regards to it being able to run more than 2 cores. So getting a full blown quad core may indeed not be helpful to emulation at all.

I would indeed overclock to 3.4 (600mhz improvement) if it is considerably faster.
System- Custom Build
CPU- Intel Core i5 4670K @4.2ghz
Memory- 8GB DDR3
Video Card- EVGA Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB
OS- Windows 10 Pro x64
Reply
#5
Yes, anything over the 3ghz threshold will give you really good results. Know that if you unlocked the 4th core and it is a working one, you'd probably need to aim at a lower clock speed (more cores running = more heat). That said, a tricore would work perfectly fine for both emus.
[Image: 2748844.png]
Reply
#6
That's great to know, and thanks for being understanding and helpful! Smile

I may NOT unlock the fourth core at all, but knowing that it's possible is nice. I might try to unlock it just to see if my PC supports it, and then just disable it when I don't need it. I doubt I'd use all four cores much if at all, but if I can use it, that would be a nice little feature if I ever needed that tech. And I DO realize that the 4th core may not even exist or work properly. A 50% chance really, so quite a gamble. Good think I don't really need it at the current moment (not much that takes true advantage of quad yet)! If I need a quad later, and can't use mine, I can upgrade my CPU with this same motherboard if needed. Tongue

From what I hear, it's totally possible to overclock the Phenom II X3 720 to 3.4ghz without even any hassle. Still runs just a bit over 30 degrees C. Don't even need anything but the stock heatsink. It's very possible to overclock it even more.

It's very nice to know that this system will run PCSX2 and Dolphin fine in many games. I've finally found a processor that seems to fit all my needs. I'm going to assume the new Phenom II series are a fair bit better with these emulators than old ones. I had heard AMD's were slower or inferior in general when running PCSX2. Nice to know that some are good enough.
System- Custom Build
CPU- Intel Core i5 4670K @4.2ghz
Memory- 8GB DDR3
Video Card- EVGA Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB
OS- Windows 10 Pro x64
Reply
#7
I have a Phenom II X3 clocked at 3.4 ghz currently. I have a Zalman cooler on it tho as the standard heatsink fan is trash. I was getting temps up to 48C and now with this cooler i got it's 42C MAX at 3.4 ghz. You don't have to OC to get 60FPS with this emu tho.

Should probably mention the speeds...i get 60 FPS in Shadow of the Colossus no problem, so i bumped up the internal rez to around 1250x1250 and it looks ACE and i get 60FPS still. The only other game i've tried is Metal Gear Solid 3 and it runs nicely at 60FPS BUT there is slowdown even when the emu is stating 60FPS.

My specs:

Phenom II X3 @3.4ghz
9800GT
4GB PC6400
Reply
#8
Wow! You actually get 60fps in Shadow of the Colossus? That's pretty impressive since the reports i've read usually state that the game is quite demanding. I am considering your model of graphics card as well. It's between the geforce 9800GT or the Radeon 4850 (I think that was the model). It's nice to know you can get around 720p HD resolutions when using this card and still have full speed.

BTW- May I ask of some of the other types of games you run and their average speeds? It's ok if you don't want to, but thanks if you do! Smile

I'm going to also assume BOTH emulators have not reached their speed peak yet. As in, there might be more optimizations to go to get games running fullspeed or whatever. For example, the Jak games and Ratchet games share engines so I hear. Jak and Daxter runs full speed with minimal issues even on a slow dual core. Not sure about the other two sequels. Yet, I hear the Ratchet games (not including Size Matters) have issues with running on pcsx2. I'm going to assume that the devs are sort of "just getting started" in regards to development. I imagine more improvements can be made in the future.

I'm not sure if i'd be able to get another heatsink. The Zalman ones at least, are rather more expensive than i'd like. $54 or so. I'll look at others and see what's up though. To be fair though 48 degrees C isn't too bad when i've seen quad cores reach like 70 or more. The Pentium 4 my mother uses goes up to 70 degrees C or so. Which is even worse than most of today's tech.
System- Custom Build
CPU- Intel Core i5 4670K @4.2ghz
Memory- 8GB DDR3
Video Card- EVGA Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB
OS- Windows 10 Pro x64
Reply
#9
I game at 1920x1080 on max settings with XMen Wolverine, Brother in Arms Hells Highway, GRID, PURE, Bioshock, Batman Dark Knight demo, GTA IV and Crysis Warhead (at 1280x720, enthusiast).

I get over 30FPS in all without AF, AA enabled. The Phenom II X3 is the best processor you can get for the money, it even beats the X4 in some benchmarks. Highly recommended!! Biggrin
Reply
#10
(08-24-2009, 07:57 PM)3face Wrote: I game at 1920x1080 on max settings with XMen Wolverine, Brother in Arms Hells Highway, GRID, PURE, Bioshock, Batman Dark Knight demo, GTA IV and Crysis Warhead (at 1280x720, enthusiast).

I get over 30FPS in all without AF, AA enabled. The Phenom II X3 is the best processor you can get for the money, it even beats the X4 in some benchmarks. Highly recommended!! Biggrin

Sorry but... facepalm. omg.
Reply




Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)