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Thread: [GUIDE][PCSX2] How to Setup and Speed Up PCSX2 9.7/9.8

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    Default [GUIDE][PCSX2] How to Setup and Speed Up PCSX2 9.7/9.8

    This guide works for both 9.7 and 9.8 as the GUI used for both versions are identical.


    PCSX2 is the leading PS2 emulator, able to run commercial games on today's computers. The version used for this guide is the recent 9.7 beta build, which has many things added changed to make it much more versatile and compatible with mid-range Dual Core systems and higher.

    Getting Started


    First, make sure that you have the latest DirectX runtime and drivers for you video card:
    Download Links:
    Links are hidden from guests. Please register to be able to view these links. And then download the emulator and bios:
    Download Links:
    Links are hidden from guests. Please register to be able to view these links. Once all this is done, start the emulator to continue and follow the guide.


    The Guide


    Now that we have our emulator setup, it's time to start configuring it. The settings this guide will show you how to play most games while keeping the emulator stable and without crashes or game glitches.


    Plugin Setup


    On first boot up, it will request directories to ISOs and the BIOs, for now you can keep these blank and continue on, but make sure you choose a bios (preferably the USA one) before continuing, but the screen that is most important through the sequence is the plugin selection. When it comes to selecting the plugins, make select them as follows:



    If you are on an AMD CPU, change the Gsdx plugin to the SSE2 version, as SSSE3 and SSE4 versions do not work with any CPU except Intel E and Q model Quads (and ix processors). Once setup as seen, click "Configure" next to the Gsdx plugin to go to the video settings screen:




    If you think you have a mid range video card, leave it as it is. If you have a video card similar or on par with an ATI 48xx model, you can change the D3D internal res to something higher to get "HD" graphics. If you are using an operating system before Vista/7, click the Renderer box and change it to DirectX 9.

    If you want to change control settings, click the Configure button and change the controls as you wish. Once these steps are done, press OK to exit the first-time guide and enter the emulator.



    Core Emulator Settings


    This part is quite long winded, so I created screenshots for each part to help make this guide quicker to follow. First we open the Configuration menu for the emualtor by going to Config > Emulation Settings. Once done, you will see a screen showing the current processing type the emulator is set to. Make sure it is setup like this:



    Once this is done, click VUs on the bar at the top to see this screen:



    Set it up exactly does in the screenshot. As you can see, the recommended options are in bold, this means that if a game crashes or glitches, these options could be the culprit, remember this.
    NOTE: SuperVU has always seemed more stable, but if you want speed over compatibilty, change to MicroVU.


    Click on the next option on the bar to show the next things we can configure:



    I say can because there is nothing really to configure, but the PAL frame rate can be change to 60 (as it is in the screenshot) to gain the same speed in games as NTSC ones. If you are okay with the normal speed of PAL games, ignore this and carry on to the next screen.
    NOTE: The framerate is locked in PCSX 9.8, but can still be changed by going into PCSX2_vm.ini in the "inis" folder and changing it under "frameratePAL".




    This screen is the most important, as this is where things can be cut back to gain speed in games, but could also break them. The settings in this screenshot are very stable and will not cause problems for most games, so change them to match the screenshot. If a game you are trying to run has loading or graphical problems, check back here and try messing around with the different options to see if anything changes. VU Cycle Stealing can sometimes cause weird frame skipping in some games (Kingdom Hearts II and Final Fantasy X-2 which I've seen so far), so if this happens to you just try lowering the cycle stealing.

    And last but not least; Game Fixes:



    You do not need to change anything unless the game you are playing is one of the ones listed on a particular fix. With PCSX2 9.8, game fixes are automatically enabled depending on the game.

    Your emulator is now ready!



    Loading an ISO


    Loading an ISO is easy: all you have to do is go to the CDVD option and click "Iso", then click ISO Selector and browse for your ISO. Any previously loaded ISOs will be selectable in the ISO Selector menu.



    The PCSX2 Compatibility Wiki

    Download Links:
    Links are hidden from guests. Please register to be able to view these links. If you come across games that are running great or full speed, please add to the the PCSX2 wiki, this will help others find out what games work and with what builds. So please take a few seconds to add games if they are working.

    And that's it, good luck and happy gaming!
    Last edited by Tezuka101; 21st-June-2011 at 11:57.

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  3. #2
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    There are some settings on 0.9.8 which are not existed/implemented on 0.9.7, to avoid confusion , try to include 0.9.8 screenshots, or change the current screens.

    you can gain better speedup by using Native resolution, and game fixes shouldn't be enabled unless needed by the game.

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    Good point, I'll change the screenshots now.

    EDIT: All PCSX2 9.8 changes have been added (excluding the first startup).
    Last edited by Tezuka101; 21st-June-2011 at 11:54.

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    Nice guide, thanks Tezuka. I'll add it to our indexes

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    Nice tutorial. I will need to try this out tonight. I have a decent system and I hope I can get it to run some PS2 game at a playable framrate.


    Need New Sig


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    Do you think I can Run PS2 Emulators with this?

    Time of this report: 6/21/2011, 11:58:48
    Machine name: KNIGHTWOLF-PC
    Operating System: Windows Vistaâ„¢ Home Premium (6.0, Build 6002) Service Pack 2 (6002.vistasp2_gdr.101014-0432)
    Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
    System Manufacturer: Gateway
    System Model: T-1628
    BIOS: BIOS Version 90.03
    Processor: AMD Turion(tm) 64 X2 Mobile Technology TL-60 (2 CPUs), ~2.0GHz
    Memory: 2430MB RAM
    Page File: 1284MB used, 4737MB available
    Windows Dir: C:\Windows
    DirectX Version: DirectX 11
    DX Setup Parameters: Not found
    Diag Version: 7.00.6002.18107 32bit Unicode

    Card name: ATI Radeon X1270
    Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
    Chip type: ATI Radeon Graphics Processor (0x791F)
    DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
    Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_791F&SUBSYS_0565107B&REV_00
    Display Memory: 1342 MB
    Dedicated Memory: 383 MB
    Shared Memory: 959 MB
    Current Mode: 1280 x 800 (32 bit) (60Hz)
    Monitor: Generic PnP Monitor
    Driver Name: atiumdag.dll,atiumdva.dat,atitmmxx.dll
    Driver Version: 7.14.0010.0503 (English)
    DDI Version: 9Ex
    BGRA Supported: Yes
    Driver Attributes: Final Retail
    Driver Date/Size: 6/14/2007 02:58:54, 2860544 bytes
    WHQL Logo'd: Yes
    27 Years and Still Playing....

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dark_Laguna View Post
    Do you think I can Run PS2 Emulators with this?

    Time of this report: 6/21/2011, 11:58:48
    Machine name: KNIGHTWOLF-PC
    Operating System: Windows Vistaâ„¢ Home Premium (6.0, Build 6002) Service Pack 2 (6002.vistasp2_gdr.101014-0432)
    Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
    System Manufacturer: Gateway
    System Model: T-1628
    BIOS: BIOS Version 90.03
    Processor: AMD Turion(tm) 64 X2 Mobile Technology TL-60 (2 CPUs), ~2.0GHz
    Memory: 2430MB RAM
    Page File: 1284MB used, 4737MB available
    Windows Dir: C:\Windows
    DirectX Version: DirectX 11
    DX Setup Parameters: Not found
    Diag Version: 7.00.6002.18107 32bit Unicode

    Card name: ATI Radeon X1270
    Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
    Chip type: ATI Radeon Graphics Processor (0x791F)
    DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
    Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_791F&SUBSYS_0565107B&REV_00
    Display Memory: 1342 MB
    Dedicated Memory: 383 MB
    Shared Memory: 959 MB
    Current Mode: 1280 x 800 (32 bit) (60Hz)
    Monitor: Generic PnP Monitor
    Driver Name: atiumdag.dll,atiumdva.dat,atitmmxx.dll
    Driver Version: 7.14.0010.0503 (English)
    DDI Version: 9Ex
    BGRA Supported: Yes
    Driver Attributes: Final Retail
    Driver Date/Size: 6/14/2007 02:58:54, 2860544 bytes
    WHQL Logo'd: Yes
    Not at a very good speed.

    My laptop (Acer Aspire 5535, AMD Athlon X2 1.9GHz, 3GB DDR2, ATI HD3200 graphics can only pull 30 FPS in FFX)

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    Okay, Thanx, I guess I'll Wait For Tax Season...
    27 Years and Still Playing....

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dark_Laguna View Post
    Okay, Thanx, I guess I'll Wait For Tax Season...
    Why? You can get a used PS2 for next to nothing, have someone on here mod a memory card for free...

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    Even with those specs, I would give it a try anyway just to see how it goes. The architecture of the Turion is apparently far better when it comes to processing than the Athlon I CPUs. Hey, it will also help me find the minimum specs for PCSX2 (which I can then add to the guide).

    Quote Originally Posted by Inferno. View Post
    Why? You can get a used PS2 for next to nothing, have someone on here mod a memory card for free...
    I don't want to put words into the guy's mouth, but the convenience of having a PS2 emulator is quite the pro compared to having a PS2 which, as you said, could be bought for almost pennies.

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    I'll Download them Now and I'll Try it out and let you know ^ _ ^

    IF I can help in some way that Always Changes my Mind....

    It says at This Website my Performance is Rated at 3.2GHZ
    Last edited by Cookie Monster; 21st-June-2011 at 20:04. Reason: double posting isn't allowed, use ther EDIT button.
    27 Years and Still Playing....

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    I am not at my computer now, but can I get a quick opinion about how my system will run this

    AMD 2.4 ghz quad core (9750)
    4GB DDR2 ram
    Gforce 9800GT (512)


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    WHat about Running Actual PS2 Game Discs How do we do that?
    27 Years and Still Playing....

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    Quote Originally Posted by Steven View Post
    I am not at my computer now, but can I get a quick opinion about how my system will run this

    AMD 2.4 ghz quad core (9750)
    4GB DDR2 ram
    Gforce 9800GT (512)
    It should run fairly well, if not full speed. You may come across problems with a few games speed wise, so you may need to fiddle with the speedhack settings to get it to work correctly.

    Quote Originally Posted by Dark_Laguna View Post
    WHat about Running Actual PS2 Game Discs How do we do that?
    Go to Config > Plugin/BIOS Selector and under CDVD, change it to cdvdgigaherz. After you have done this, click OK to close and save settings. Once you have done that, go to CDVD and where it says "Iso" and "Plugin", make sure "Plugin" is ticked. Go back into CDVD and go to Plugin Menu > Plugin Settings, then just change the source drive to whatever drive the disc is in. Now go to System > Boot CDVD (fast) to begin the game.

    I would have added this to the guide, but I have heard that reading directly from disc hinders performance, but it could be just false. I guess I'll add this to the guide.
    Last edited by Tezuka101; 21st-June-2011 at 20:07.

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    it is true what you heard it does run slower reading from an actual disc your best off ripping your own image guide here
    Last edited by Bennieboi20; 22nd-June-2011 at 18:46.
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