There are many players enjoying PCSX2.
There are many players enjoying PCSX2.
I've been experimenting with the PCSX2 PlayStation 2 emulator for quite some time, starting around 2009. Despite moving to a more powerful laptop, I haven't seen much improvement in how well the games run. The performance remains largely unchanged across most PS2 titles. In the attached files, you'll find comparisons showing similar results. If you want details about my machine's specifications, those that affect PCSX2's speed are listed below.
Generally, the games I play on PCSX2 feel extremely fast in menus but lag significantly in gameplay—slow rather than laggy. This could stem from my processor's base clock of 2.3GHz, which falls short of the minimum required by PCSX2 (around 2.6GHz). I've tested it on an HP Compaq dc7600 with a 3.0GHz Pentium 4, but performance didn't improve much. The machine has two GPUs, though one is dedicated; whether that counts as dedicated depends on the specs.
I've adjusted many emulation and DirectX settings without noticeable gains. Only "Scooby Doo! Night of 100 Frights" ran smoothly, with only minor fluctuations. All other titles are either unplayable or inconsistent.
If you have any tips, I'd appreciate it. I'm keen to try running games on my computer, even though I already have a working PS2. It's just a nice challenge!
PCSX2 favors processors with strong performance per core. None of these chips belong to that category. I’ve heard the Pentium G3258 can handle emulation well.
+1 for your avatar, That album is awesome --- With emulators its always a case of trying settings till you get it working well, Two different computers may need different settings to get playable framerates.
It seems the i7-5820K might not be ideal for your needs. You're considering it mainly for video editing, which could influence your decision.
It's essentially a waste of money otherwise. However, it works well for video editing. Despite having six cores, it maintains the high performance of consumer i7s in terms of IPC, making it more than sufficient compared to less powerful options.
I haven't explored every configuration or combination. There are likely many more options I haven't tried. Emulation demands significant processing power, even with less capable hardware now. It's fascinating how it functions. I suppose I'll just keep experimenting. I also find it intriguing which games perform better. I don't understand why, but there must be a reason. Regarding the album in my avatar, unless you mean Hybrid's Reappear Here, I think you're probably thinking of Disappear Here. Either way, both are excellent.
The choice of getting the i7-5820K instead of the regular i7-4790K or an i5 processor comes from my plans for video editing and rendering. Without that focus, I’d have opted for an i5. Regarding IPC, I’m not sure what you mean—call me naive if you think so!
Yes, you can measure the number of instructions executed per cycle. This involves monitoring the processor’s performance metrics and comparing them to expected values for your architecture.
Generally, people just look at single-thread tests to see how they perform