HTPC Build/Emulator Hardware Requirements

[Erika]

Hey guys! 

 

I've found some discussions from the past about the computer specs necessary to run various emulators smoothly, but most of them are from several years ago.  Likewise, it seems like a lot of people are either trying to get the most out of a very old system or to maximize all the settings/graphics on a very high end system.  The hardware people utilize for their builds always varies dramatically, making it difficult for me to get a baseline understanding of what a recommended PC build would entail hardware wise in 2015.  

 

What I'm hoping to do is put together a PC that is able to run all the systems/emulators I have well, without breaking the bank.  Ideally, I'd like to spend no more than $300 - $500 in total.  Which, I know, isn't a huge amount.  I've built a number of PCs in the past, but never with the primary focus being on emulation.  

 

My goal is to be able to run systems as new as the Dreamast(Null DC, Demul), GameCube(Dolphin, Ishiiruka build if necessary), and PS2 (PCSX2).  But, if this is not possible on a budget as limited as mine, they can be eliminated as options (I just want to see what's physically possible).  At the very least, MAME, MESS, Retroarch, SSF, Fusion , and 4DO would be ideal (preferably, with some shaders being utilized here and there).  I know that each and every emulator has different hardware requirements, and I've read through as many as I can find, but I'm still having a hard time understanding what the ideal budget friendly build should look like.

 

What I do know is this.  All details aside, I'm going to need a fairly fast processor (3GHz to 4GHz or so ideally).  But, I also know that clock speed is only one of the factors when it comes to processors, and that newer processors are far more efficient than older ones.  I also know that the GPU is not nearly as important, but I'm not sure what I can get away with here.  Would a newer Intel processor with integrated graphics be powerful enough to eliminate a dedicated GPU? Or if not, am I going to be able to get away with some $60 GT 730, or am I going to need something much more powerful like a GTX 760?  Ram wise, I'm thinking that 4GB of DDR3 should be sufficient, but I could be wrong.

 

Anyway, sorry for the massive text wall....    What kind of builds are you guys running?  What kind of emulators do you run, and do they run well?  I'd love to get some input on what kind of specs you think I'll need for this build, or any input at all really.  If you were trying to put a build together on my budget, how would you do it?   

[Honosuseri]

Hello

From my understanding most emulators don't use more than two cores. Intel CPUs do have better single threaded performance than AMD, so intel would be the way to go. When I started tinkering with HyperSpin at the start of the year, I was toying with the Intel Pentium K (G3258) and then overclock it. I'm now just waiting on the i3 Skylake CPUs and see if they respond to BCLK overclocking. The i3 has hyperthreading so is a "faux" quad core and will run modern PC titles better than a standard dual core CPU. I just want to out gun the current consoles @1080P and be able to rewind the clock to play classic titles too.....oh and some HTPC duties with KODI.

I knocked together a system from spare parts to get started on learning HyperSpin (I've already been using emulators for years). It's running an AMD Phenom 555BE (dual core OC'd @4Ghz) with 6GB of DDR3 RAM and started life with a 1GB Nvidia GTX460 (now a 4GB GTX960). Dolphin is the emulator that I'm not happy with the performance. MAME, retroarch (it covers many many systems) etc run very well. It's the more "modern" consoles like the Wii (i.e suped up Gamecube) it's struggling to emulate well.

My friends are urging me to build something small and console like. Mini-itx mobos are tiny and should include wifi and bluetooth which is great but I worry too small a case will limit my storage and options. I want to have a 128-250GB decent value SSD for the OS, a dedicated HDD for Hyperspin (and it's media) and then another larger drive (3-4TB) for the ROMs and also I need to backup. I can't emphasize enough how fast your storage get's filled up with this hobby

DDR4 prices are very close to DDR3 now it's being "phased out". I'd just settle on 8GB, with the life-time warranty owning DDR4 will be more useful to you down the road. I would say start with the integrated graphics and get your really retro stuff sorted, you can add a GPU later. I wouldn't bother with anything lowend, 750Ti minimum for me. I ignored the 950 as it is too dear for a cutdown 960. I got a 4GB GTX960 for the price of a 2GB version and got Metal Gear PP bundled with it. I've seen PC games get close to 3GB of VRAM used, so I don't regret buying the 4GB model despite everyone harping on about the 128Bit memory interface. Bottom line it outperforms the PS4 and Xbone and Nvidia's Shadowplay to record and the Gamestreaming to other devices are a nice perk.

I did have a pig of a time with controller mapping on Demul. I now use a Dual shock 4 pad with the free DS4Windows software running in the background. The touchpad works which is great if you want to emulate the Nintendo DS. The software allows lots of tweaking, even down to the lighting on the LED bar. The PC thinks it's a 360 pad, you soon get used to the button prompts being letters rather than shapes though. My version of RetroArch seems to hate the DS4 pad though and hangs once you have mapped the gamepad buttons, I'm sure it could be resolved but the other emulators work just fine so I'm ok with it for now.

Best of luck with your build. I hope you get more advice to speed you along and that my experiences have been of some help. Happy Spinning

[Erika]

Hey, Honosuseri!  Thanks for taking the time to respond in such a thoughtful and detailed manner.  Your information/experience really helped me narrow down the type of hardware I'll likely need for my current build.  I should probably mention that I'm running most of my systems at, or close to, their original native resolutions.  So, even for higher end systems like the Dreamcast, GameCube (I have no plans to add the Wii into the mix) or Playstation 2, I won't typically be doing any up-scaling or using high-res textures (I expect this will cut down on the hardware required somewhat substantially).  Currently, the main components of my projected build look something like this:

 

Processor: i3-4170 (3.7 GHz) - (Even though this processor is locked down, and I don't think I can overclock it, I believe that the speed will be adequate to run everything.  I considered getting an older CPU, and overclocking it up to or past 4.0 GHz, but I honestly think the single thread speed improvements that a modern Intel processor will offer outweighs the overall clock speed.  That's my current theory, at least.  Also, an i3 rather than an i5 because I doubt any of the emulators I'm using will make very effective use of more than 2 physical cores).

GPU: GTX 750Ti - (I honestly think that it MIGHT be possible to run everything older than the Dreamcast with the integraded Intel HD graphics in my processor, but not any of the newer systems.  I think you are right about not going any lower than a 750Ti, Honosuseri.  I think it might be possible to, but it's probably not worth the risk.  I honestly expect Dreamcast to be the most demanding, since I'd like to use Demul for many of the games... And I know it can be a beast.)

RAM: 4GB - 8GB DDR3 - (I'm pretty sure I can get away with just 4GB, and also that I won't need DDR4.  PCSX2 doesn't seem to even need 4, and Dolphin recommends 2GB or more and explicitly says that the speed of the ram has no effect.  So my plan is, start with 4, and add another 4 if necessary).

PSU: 500W - (This is simply to accommodate the power necessary for the GPU.  Preferably, from a reputable PSU company like Corsair or some such).

Storage: 4TB 7200RPM HDD - (This is adequate space to hold my entire build.  Even though I'd love to have an SSD for the OS, my budget simply doesn't permit it at this point).

 

Unfortunately, with the other necessary components to put the machine together, I estimate that this build is closer to $600 - $700 rather than my original price limit of $500.  So, I'll either have to find a way to bring the cost down, or scrounge together some more dough.  

 

I plan to order the parts and put the system together soon.  When I do, I'll update this thread with the results.