How can I fix slow Dolphin?

[Quest MKW]

Hello all,
I have recently attempted to play Mario Kart Wii with the Ishiiruka build of the Dolphin Emulator. The system menu works just fine. On the startup screen for MKW, the framerate has been fine (constant 60), but once I get into the game selection screen (VS, Time Trial, etc.) it slows down to 30-40 then when I actually start a race it drops as low as 19. How can I fix this? I have tried various settings that I've seen recommended but none of them have proven beneficial. My PC specs are:

OS: Windows 10 Home, version 1703 build 15063.483
Processor: AMD A8-5500 APU w/ Radeon HD Graphics 3.20 GHz
6.00 GB Ram (5.19 Usable)
64-bit OS, x64-based processor

I hope my PC isn't took weak or anything for Dolphin to run at full speed. I got it new in December 2014 with Windows 8.1 installed.

 

[migles]

Processor: AMD A8-5500 APU w/ Radeon HD Graphics 3.20 GHz

lol....
i guess you got a laptop right?
get a real pc...

 

[Quest MKW]

lol....
i guess you got a laptop right?
get a real pc...

It's a PC.

 

[migles]

It's a PC.

get a GPU.

 

[Deleted User]

Sorry but your pc isn't good enough. I recommend you to buy a real wii. It's cheap. And also it's the most fun way to play the games. Because it's on the real hardware.

 

[Quest MKW]

get a GPU.

I think it's AMD Radeon HD 7560D

 

[SANIC]

Try setting the the video settings from DirectX 9 to 12

 

[Deleted User]

Try setting the the video settings from DirectX 9 to 12

I don't it even support directX 12.

 

[Quest MKW]

Try setting the the video settings from DirectX 9 to 12

I don't it even support directX 12.

I'm already using 12

 

[BlackWizzard17]

Get a 1050 or 1050ti if you don't want to spend much on a new gpu.

 

[Quest MKW]

I'm already using 12

I don't know if downgrading would work?

 

[bananapi761]

Low framerates in the menu is understandable for that game, but you could try Ishiiruka Dolphin, it tended to speed up Mario Kart Wii a good bit for me.
EDIT - Whoops, you are already using it.

 

[Quest MKW]

Low framerates in the menu is understandable for that game, but you could try Ishiiruka Dolphin, it tended to speed up Mario Kart Wii a good bit for me.

Yeah, it's not making a difference

 

[TotalInsanity4]

I don't think it's his video card, his CPU just is really bad

You can try dropping the resolution, though

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Hello all,
I have recently attempted to play Mario Kart Wii with the Ishiiruka build of the Dolphin Emulator. The system menu works just fine. On the startup screen for MKW, the framerate has been fine (constant 60), but once I get into the game selection screen (VS, Time Trial, etc.) it slows down to 30-40 then when I actually start a race it drops as low as 19. How can I fix this? I have tried various settings that I've seen recommended but none of them have proven beneficial. My PC specs are:

OS: Windows 10 Home, version 1703 build 15063.483
Processor: AMD A8-5500 APU w/ Radeon HD Graphics 3.20 GHz
6.00 GB Ram (5.19 Usable)
64-bit OS, x64-based processor

I hope my PC isn't took weak or anything for Dolphin to run at full speed. I got it new in December 2014 with Windows 8.1 installed.

AMD APUs are terrible. The GPU in them is okayish, but the CPU is too slow for anything more than basic computing tasks like web browsing and email.
You can try to mess with the settings, like disabling fog, that should speed it up a bit but might cause heavy graphical glitches that make it unplayable. But I don't think you are going to get 60 FPS.
You should have gotten an Intel based PC.

 

[spotanjo3]

Hello all,
I have recently attempted to play Mario Kart Wii with the Ishiiruka build of the Dolphin Emulator. The system menu works just fine. On the startup screen for MKW, the framerate has been fine (constant 60), but once I get into the game selection screen (VS, Time Trial, etc.) it slows down to 30-40 then when I actually start a race it drops as low as 19. How can I fix this? I have tried various settings that I've seen recommended but none of them have proven beneficial. My PC specs are:

OS: Windows 10 Home, version 1703 build 15063.483
Processor: AMD A8-5500 APU w/ Radeon HD Graphics 3.20 GHz
6.00 GB Ram (5.19 Usable)
64-bit OS, x64-based processor

I hope my PC isn't took weak or anything for Dolphin to run at full speed. I got it new in December 2014 with Windows 8.1 installed.

Get a used Wii at Pawn shop for 30 dollars. I have seen it.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

TotalInsanity4 and Jdbye are correct, the APU is the issue here. APUs have notoriously awful CPUs, for one, and AMD CPUs also have relatively low IPCs (or, at least, their older ones. Ryzen improves this, making them better for emulation). Combined, you have just about one of the worse setups for Dolphin. What this means, essentially, is that no matter the settings (or even getting a dedicated GPU, as some others suggested) Dolphin will run like ass for you.

Unfortunately, your mobo uses the FM2 Socket, meaning your only choice to upgrade (to something remotely usable) would be to the Athlon X4 760k. I actually had to do this for my work desktop, before I swapped the mobo entirely, which definitely improved performance over the APU I had. That would improve performance to a point, but would also require you to buy a dedicated GPU.

I can tell you first hand the x4 760k is super cheap, I bought mine off ebay for $30 total, so that's good. The next choice is to get a dedicated GPU. Just about anything from the last 6 or 7 years now should work just fine, but I would suggest maybe the GTX 1050 (about $120-$150, depending on what manufacturer you buy from), which will work wonderfully for Dolphin at higher graphical settings. Unfortuantely, recent AMD GPUs are sort of hard to come by MSRP now thanks to cryptocurrency miners snatching them all up, but just about any AMD GPU since the HD 5xxx's would work well for Dolphin.

That, IMO, is about the absolute best you could do to increase performance. No other settings change would likely give you better performance.

 

[Quest MKW]

I didn't realize my PC was that bad! I thought it was a pretty high end one but I'm probably remembering wrong. It must have been one of the cheapest new PCs my parents could find. I have noticed that when I watch people play certain PC games, they seem to run quite a bit more smoothly on their PCs than on mine. One even ran a bit more smoothly on my freakin school laptop. Sounds like replacing that mobo would be kind of a hard job, and many other upgrade options seem like they would be super expensive. TBH I don't think using Dolphin is worth it until I get a better PC, and I don't even know when that would be because I usually keep electronics for pretty long and don't buy new ones too often. I'll probably just have to save up for a Wii if that's what I ultimately wish to spend $50 or whatever on. I'm only 15 and don't have a job yet so maybe I could get one and make enough that way. If I were just given $200 or so by someone there are better things I'd wish to use it for than a Wii (or something for the PC that would make Dolphin run better).

 

[TotalInsanity4]

Honestly a motherboard replacement is just a matter of taking out 9 screws, unplugging somewhere between 2 and 10 cables, removing the motherboard, and then doing that but in reverse

That's not counting CPU/memory install, but that's dead simple

 

[Quest MKW]

I'm not very experienced so I always know that the last thing I want to do is take apart my PC by myself and risk breaking something and ruining the PC, perhaps rendering it unusable. Doesn't sound likely here but I never like taking chances like that. I tried taking apart a PS3 controller to try and fix it (sounded like any easy fix) but I didn't have the right screwdriver for one screw, and when I put it back together I wasn't able to get it back together properly and it felt very strange to use. And plus I don't know if I'd even have the money to buy a whole new motherboard and I also don't want one that is incompatible with my PC that would mess it up or make it not work right/at all.