Pcsx2 running slow and not using resources

[TkSilver]

So that means that no sandybridge laptop processor basically can run well pcsx2, except for a Core i7-2960XM that has a around 1600 passmark score? 

If i get a new laptop someday, would a i5 7500u without dedicated graphics be able to run ace combat and other ps2 games in native resolution at a decent framerate? It seems that the i5 7500u has a passmark score of 1923, link: https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu...Hz&id=2863

It will depend highly on the specific game, but games that are not highly demanding on CPU performce and titles not highly demanding of GPU power will run better then on your current system. Assuming that the laptop allows for ideal performance of the 7500u processor (that it is able to run at full boost clocks for a sustained period of time without power\heat causing throttling). I series chips are low power versions and I don't usually recomend them for heat\power limits that can cause them to perform poorer, in some implementations, then what their specs show they could. I won't say you need a desktop grade overclockable CPU in a laptop to be viable, but the HQ lines are normally better choices for sustained high CPU demanding activities (like emulation). Though it will depend on other factors like laptop design and whether or not you are also using power and heat reasources runnning the integrated graphics or if there are dedicated graphics. The hd 500 series integrated graphics are a dramatically more powerfull solution then the hd 3000 your current laptop is using and it will run more games at native with decent speed, but it atill might not be enough for AC4 which can be both CPU and GPU demanding depending on the mission and weather conditions.

Something like this https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Inspiron-756...B07793DRK9 laptop with an hq series procesor and dedicated graphics would be a generally better choice then a more expensive slimmer laptop with an i7 7500u and integrated graphics ultrabook.

[eduaavila]

not exactly. the GS% stands for a GS thread over the EE one.
means if your GS% only is around 100%, your GPU or your CPU may be the culprit.
if the ee% is around 100%, your CPU is likely to be the culprit.
if both are around 100%, it's likely a GPU problem.
"supposedly more powerful" doesn't mean anything since what pcsx2 needs spefically is STR.

64bits version-> not for the moment because it's useless. that would need a complete rewrite of the code for an overall 2-3% improvement.
more optimized to multicore cpus->maybe, but we don't know how. 1 core for the EE, another for the GS, last one for VUs, and ...
can you please tell us what we could thread on another core ? keep in mind it has to be prefectly synced with other threads to work smoothly without crashes

I would say to divide all the tasks through all cores using as much as possible, i've seen programs do it, but i think that doing that it would possibly be hard to syncronise everything. 

What about recompiling to 64 bit? I've found a pcsx2 website that says doing that could make the speed up to 2x as fast as the 32bit. (its in pcsx2.net btw). 
Would that help me get a better performance? How do i recompile it to 64 bit, i need what specific compilers and ides? Is it possible to recompile for windows or is it linux only? (i have another pc running linux, and i can install linux in this laptop if required)

[jesalvein]

I would say to divide all the tasks through all cores using as much as possible, i've seen programs do it, but i think that doing that it would possibly be hard to syncronise everything.

which tasks ? I listed what has already been done, what other task could be divided ?

What about recompiling to 64 bit? I've found a pcsx2 website that says doing that could make the speed up to 2x as fast as the 32bit. (its in pcsx2.net btw).

???
care to link the source here ?

[eduaavila]

It will depend highly on the specific game, but games that are not highly demanding on CPU performce and titles not highly demanding of GPU power will run better then on your current system. Assuming that the laptop allows for ideal performance of the 7500u processor (that it is able to run at full boost clocks for a sustained period of time without power\heat causing throttling).  I series chips are low power versions and I don't usually recomend them for heat\power limits that can cause them to perform poorer, in some implementations, then what their specs show they could.  I won't say you need a desktop grade overclockable CPU in a laptop to be viable, but the HQ lines are normally better choices for sustained high CPU demanding activities (like emulation).  Though it will depend on other factors like laptop design and whether or not you are also using power and heat reasources runnning the integrated graphics or if there are dedicated graphics.  The hd 500 series integrated graphics are a dramatically more powerfull solution then the hd 3000 your current laptop is using and it will run more games at native with decent speed, but it atill might not be enough for AC4 which can be both CPU and GPU demanding depending on the mission and weather conditions.

Something like this https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Inspiron-756...B07793DRK9 laptop with an hq series procesor and dedicated graphics would be a generally better choice then a more expensive slimmer laptop with an i7 7500u and integrated graphics ultrabook.

Yes, i had this issue of power limit throttling in my previous laptop (a dell that had a i7 4500u, it ran only at 1.86ghz), it died some months ago so i'm with that lenovo here. 
I will look more into the hq series then, i was thinking before in trying to get a laptop with a good battery life also, but maybe a hq would be good to work also. 
About that laptop that i'm using right now, i will try to recompile pcsx2 int 64bit, i only need the basic "how to" now.

[eduaavila]

which tasks ? I listed what has already been done, what other task could be divided ?
???
care to link the source here ?

Run all tasks in all cores, so the gs, the ee, and all would be running in all cores (example, gs is on cores 0,1,2 and 3, ee is on cores 0,1,2 and 3, etc). Not specifying wich core will use wich part of the emulator, but running all tasks in all cores at the same time. I dont even know if the developers could do that, but it could potentially make performance better, as if one of the tasks dont use all its resources, other can use in its place, instead of having 1 core at 100% usage and another one in 30% (for example). I know that this kind of task 'division' and paralel computing may not be simple to implement, but it could have positive results. 

The source (i finally got it out of my phone): https://pcsx2.net/developer-blog/228-pcs...ation.html

It seems that is also old tho. But they said that when people got more into 64bit they would make a 64bit version, and nowdays, even those really bad 1.2ghz celerons with something like 2-4gb of ram (celeron n3450 for example) that some laptops come with, use 64bit OS'es and the only 64bit architeture that is used nowdays, is the amd64/x86-64, all the other ones such as itanium died, so basically shouldnt they be working in the 64bit version? 

And is it possible to me recompile it to 64bit or the code is closed?

[TkSilver]

PCSX2 github page https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2 for all your pcsx2 code needs (well except compiled versions those are done by orphis' bot https://buildbot.orphis.net/pcsx2/)

Good luck getting it up and working as a 64 bit program, after that then it just needs to be rewritten to actually take advantage of any features you think x86_64 can offer). Just compiling it as a 64bit executable won't magically change anything without the code taking advantage of the benefits of the 64bit architecture.

[eduaavila]

PCSX2 github page https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2 for all your pcsx2 code needs (well except compiled versions those are done by orphis' bot https://buildbot.orphis.net/pcsx2/)

Good luck getting it up and working as a 64 bit program, after that then it just needs to be rewritten to actually take advantage of any features you think x86_64 can offer).   Just compiling it as a 64bit executable won't magically change anything without the code taking advantage of the benefits of the 64bit architecture.

I didnt read too much about it, but it seems it is made in assembly, is it? If its c or c++ it would be easier to work with, i really dont like (and dont have a too deep knowledge of) assembly. 

But thx for the link, i will take a look!

[jesalvein]

I didnt read too much about it, but it seems it is made in assembly, is it? If its c or c++ it would be easier to work with, i really dont like (and dont have a too deep knowledge of) assembly. 

But thx for the link, i will take a look!

there are quite a lot of assembly calls made in C++.
That link you gave is from 12 years ago. Pcsx2 changed a lot since.

And i don't believe we now aim at the same kind of emulator as we did 12 years ago ...

[fender178]

The real cores (if i'm not mistaken) are core 0 and core 1, cores 2 and 3 are the hypertreaded ones. 

So that means that no sandybridge laptop processor basically can run well pcsx2, except for a Core i7-2960XM that has a around 1600 passmark score? 

If i get a new laptop someday, would a i5 7500u without dedicated graphics be able to run ace combat and other ps2 games in native resolution at a decent framerate? It seems that the i5 7500u has a passmark score of 1923, link: https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu...Hz&id=2863

Not true at all. It depends on the game though as well. I played and finished both Persona 3 and 4 on a Dell Precision m4600 with a i7 2820QM and a workstation graphics card (Quadro 1000m) and it ran it fine at native resolution. And that Processor's STP score is 1553 (under 1600). and it's a quad core i7 sandy bridge as well. https://www.cpubenchmark.net/singleThread.html

[pandubz]

I would say to divide all the tasks through all cores using as much as possible, i've seen programs do it, but i think that doing that it would possibly be hard to syncronise everything. 

What about recompiling to 64 bit? I've found a pcsx2 website that says doing that could make the speed up to 2x as fast as the 32bit. (its in pcsx2.net btw). 
Would that help me get a better performance? How do i recompile it to 64 bit, i need what specific compilers and ides? Is it possible to recompile for windows or is it linux only? (i have another pc running linux, and i can install linux in this laptop if required)

PCSX2 can already run three emulation threads, one for the EE/IOP/VU0 (and all their submodules), one for MTGS, and one for VU1. The PCSX2 UI has it's own fourth thread. Any quad core (or higher) CPU can fully lever this. There isn't any more multithreading to do. The EE, IOP, VU0 and all the submodules on each of these all need to talk synchronously to each other. There's nothing in their workload that can just be broken off and run full speed ahead on a separate thread, because they are constantly communicating to each other. Doing so, even if properly synchronized, would just introduce more scheduler overhead for a net performance gain of slim to none, most likely actually a loss.

Retargeting for AMD64 has been discussed many times and consensus is there's little to nothing to gain, and a whole lot of effort towards that nonexistent benefit. The biggest blocker right now is a recompiler targeting AMD64, since the current one is targeting x86. GSdx would also need modifications, since it works with AVX and SSE instructions.