Options for a Midrange+ System (Games, Improvements)

[PlumberOfDeath]

I'm setting up a casual use home arcade box with an old gaming machine, specs below. I've tried several games and, while some play, most are too slow to be very playable. I'm including my configuration in hopes of getting some suggestions on improving performance, but I'm mostly looking for recommendations for games that run well on a midrange+ system. Oh, and if there are some quick hardware improvements, such as a > $150 video card, such suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks!

Games I've tried:
Marvel Vs Capcom 2 (plays fine)
Mega Man (any) (plays ok)
Tekken 5 (barely playable)
Viewtiful Joe 2 (too slow)
Grand Theft (anything) (too slow)
Grand Turismo (like molasses)


Config:
GSdx 0.1.16 gsdx-ssse3-r4600
Renderer: Direct3D11
Resolution: Native

Hardware:

PCSX2 0.9.8.r4600 - compiled on Apr 27 2011

Host Machine Init:
Operating System = Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Edition Service Pack 1 (build 7601), 64-bit
Physical RAM = 8191 MB
CPU name = Intel® Core™2 Duo CPU E6850 @ 3.00GHz
Vendor/Model = GenuineIntel (stepping 0B)
CPU speed = 3.004 ghz (2 logical threads)
x86PType = Standard OEM
x86Flags = bfebfbff 0000e3fd
x86EFlags = 20100000

x86 Features Detected:
MMX.. SSE.. SSE2.. SSE3.. SSSE3

Reserving memory for recompilers...

Loading plugins...
Binding GS : A:\Consoles\PS2\pcxs2-0.9.8\plugins\gsdx-ssse3-r4600.dll
Windows 6.1.7601 (Service Pack 1 1.0)
ATI Radeon HD 5800 Series (8.17.10.1103)
Binding PAD : A:\Consoles\PS2\pcxs2-0.9.8\plugins\lilypad-r4600.dll
Binding SPU2 : A:\Consoles\PS2\pcxs2-0.9.8\plugins\spu2-x-r4600.dll
Binding CDVD : A:\Consoles\PS2\pcxs2-0.9.8\plugins\cdvdGigaherz.dll
Binding USB : A:\Consoles\PS2\pcxs2-0.9.8\plugins\USBnull.dll
Binding FW : A:\Consoles\PS2\pcxs2-0.9.8\plugins\FWnull.dll
Binding DEV9 : A:\Consoles\PS2\pcxs2-0.9.8\plugins\DEV9null.dll

[smartstrike]

Minumum Req. ASS
C2D at 3.0 Ghz and gddr2 equivalent Video card
Recommended Req. :FAILED
i5 or i7 at 3.2Ghz and gddr5 equivalent video card
Maximum Req. :FAILED
i7 Extreme series unlocked by 5Ghz and gddr5~ Super-OC edition video card or Nvidia GTX-Ti Super-OC edition and excess of 256-bit bandwidth
Priority Req. ASS
*If your desktop/laptop's has a C2D,Core-i BUT it's video card is a Intel-GMA,Gxx express chipset,Sandy Bridge's intergrated video card or other built-ined
VGA that takes priority of a failure system requirement.
**If your desktop/laptop's video card is gddr2,gddr3,gddr5 or other best video card BUT it's CPU is a Dual/quad-core less than 2.66Ghz, a
Pentium 3,4 or AMD athlon 64,486,586,Intel-Atom,ALL types of Netbook or other single-core
CPU that takes priority of a failure system requirement.

that video card is already in recommended status there is no need to change it however that CPU needs to be change to 2nd gen i5 or i7 at 3.2~Ghz.
to meet the overall recommended requirement..and may improve slighty on GTA and Tekkens

[rama]

Ehr, this looks like a good system to me.
Make sure you have the recommended speedhacks enabled.
Tekken5 and GT4 should run near full speed with that machine.

[PlumberOfDeath]

Sadly, my motherboard doesn't support a much faster CPU and I'm not sure it is worth just jumping from a E6850 to a E7* or E8*, which is as far as I can go.

Part of my question was intended to be along the lines of 'is there a listing of games based not just upon support but system requirements?' I can accept not having the best machine for the job but it would be nice to know which games might be worth trying and which would be out of the park.

[rama]

There's a thread somewhere on the forum that talks about lower demand games.
My point though is that yours is fast enough for most titles.

[Bositman]

And here is the list: http://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-LIST-Game...to-emulate

[PlumberOfDeath]

Thank you!

As to the 'recommended speedhacks'- is that enabling Automatic Gamefixes (which it is)? Or are there further (tested) adjustments that could be made on a game by game basis? If so, I looked around the forum and the wiki but maybe I missed it.

[Bositman]

Nope game fixes are very specific fixes for certain games which break lots of others so they should only be on when playing one of the games they were designed for (so leaving them to automatic should do it). Recommended speed hacks are the speed hacks which have the [recommended] text besides them

[recoder]

Reccomended Speedhacks

PCSX2 0.9.8 --> Config --> Emulation Settings --> Speedhacks --> the one with [reccomended]

(A detailed guide)

[PlumberOfDeath]

Thanks, I've enabled the speedhacks and have been able to squeeze m'be a few more frames per second out.

The 'low cpu' list was particularly useful. Since this is a in an arcade cabinet, I was specifically looking for well performing 2D games, side scrollers, and shoot 'em ups.