PCSX2: Is it worth it?

[Kurugi]

I'll go ahead and put forward my specs just to get the formalities out of the way since I know people will ask:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core @3.0 GHz
4GB RAM
Nvidia GeForce GTS 250 video card
Windows 7 Premium 64-bit

I'm using version 0.9.7 of PCSX2. I won't go into details about what plugins/settings I'm using because frankly that's not my problem. I've tweaked the settings and plugins to the best I have been able to and I can get the games to run fine. My problem comes when I get to the actual gameplay and find I have major slowdown. Tweaking the settings helped with this somewhat (especially in cutscenes and the like) and I can run the game fast enough to be able to play it, but the slowdown is still extremely annoying. I'm pretty sure it's also the cause of the sound being pretty garbled.

I'm pretty certain that my processor is the bottleneck. I don't have the best processor in the world, but I don't think it's even a year old. I also don't have it overclocked. I have a gadget on my desktop that monitors how much of my CPU I'm using at a glance, and when running PCSX2 (been trying to play MGS2 and RE4, have the same issues of slowdown in both games) my CPU usage maintains around 70-95% pretty much constantly. Menus run fine, and I've gotten cutscenes to run perfectly fine, but the actual gameplay is where I'm experiencing the slowdown.

I could try overclocking my CPU a bit to see if it runs any smoother, but I don't really want to do that. I don't want to overclock just to be able to emulate PS2 games, especially when my CPU is already close to full throttle already when trying to play. I just don't know if it's worth it.

What ticks me off is the games seem to work great with no major graphical or audio issues, yet my computer just seems barely under the threshold to be able to play the games smoothly. I realize emulating takes a bit more than running a game normally, but I find it lame that I can run pretty much any game from the last year at the highest graphical settings without my computer missing a beat, but I can' emulate games that are over half a decade old.

I can emulate Dreamcast pretty much perfectly as well. I played Code Veronica for a couple hours the other day without experiencing slowdown in the slightest, and even though the Dreamcast is a bit older than the PS2 I still consider them in the same generation of consoles.

Should I try overclocking my CPU?

[Wyrm]

Im not really sure, personally ive never tried a ps2 emulator (im more into older consoles like 64, snes, psx, etc) but have you tried disabling the soud? That helps on my epsxe, and Desmume (ds). Also, dl the newest drivers for you gfx card, and update directx (unless you have most current version, i think 10 is newest for win7). Other than that, its your processor. However, dont accept this/these answers immediately, let a few other, more experienced, members give their input as well.

[Kurugi]

Disabling sound doesn't fix the slowdown, neither did updating my gfx driver and I know I recently updated directx. My computer BSOD'd the last time I ran RE4 though, something about not receiving a clock invterval within a certain amount of time or something, so I think I'm done trying to do PS2 emulation. I'd rather not blow up my computer trying to get this to work, lol.

Unless someone knows what my problem is and can recommend something I can get on board with.

[meganova]

Which game was it? don't compare between Dreamcast and PS2 emulators, as both are technically different, although the actual consoles are from the same generation.

Check this FAQs as well.

[Kurugi]

RE4 caused me to BSOD. I dunno if the same thing would have happened in MGS2 as well. Both games are supposed to be fully compatible going by the list for PS2. As far as that FAQ, I've already looked at it. I said I had an AMD Athlon 64 X2 and that processor is listed in the "Will work at a playable speed" category, and technically I guess I *can* play the game, it's just choppy and sluggish and honestly I wouldn't *want* to play it like that.

[Inferno.]

AMD Athlon X2... It would depend on which one, you know. Since there are high end models and low end models, the "will work at a playable speed" category is probably for Black edition or as close to 6000+ models as possible. No doubt you have a 4000+?

[Kurugi]

Nope. It's a 6000+ @3.0 GHz. I built this computer myself, it's not even two years old, and it's pretty darn good if I do say so myself. Not top of the line, but definitely well above average.

[Bennieboi20]

im downloading RE4 now and gonna see how it runs on my specs ive gotten most games to work fine ill try it without over clocking 1st and then over clock and see how it goes specs are in the sig

[meganova]

Did you use the latest Beta? Post your settings as well.

[Bennieboi20]

I'm using version 0.9.7 of PCSX2

he stated he was using 0.9.7 unless you mean there has been an update since then? but yeah post your settings and plugins

[Bennieboi20]

Just downloaded the game and ran it, runs completly fine with my specs not over clocked ethier so im not sure what your issue is possibly your plugins id say

[Kurugi]

Well you have a triple core CPU while mine is just a dual core so that might be making the difference for you. I didn't post my emulator settings because I'm fairly positive that's not my issue. I know how to set up an emulator and I've read a few FAQs and recommendations for settings and plugins, and tweaked them myself and tried all of the plugins to achieve the best result, which I have.

The only thing it might be is my sound plugin. I was using the SPU2 plugin because Pete's and the other one caused distorted sound in cutscenes and caused the game to freeze with a cd/? icon in the top right corner, but when I used SPU2 this didn't happen and the sound quality was much better. I tried disabling sound completely like was suggested but that didn't stop the slowdown either (and if I had to play without sound to run properly I probably wouldn't end up playing at all anyway).

I don't remember my exact settings for SPU2 though, and I can't look them up because as soon as my computer blue screened while playing RE4 I immediately deleted PCSX2. As I said I would like to get this working if there's an apparent fix, but I don't want to jeopardize my computer in the process if there's not.

[Bennieboi20]

well its possible that it could be the difference but then again im sure it can only take advantage of 2 cores? i could be wrong in that sense i use SPU2 sound and GSDX plugins direct 3D 10 hardware mode and i use the native resolution for the sound interpolation 3 module 2 1x reverb time stretch and stereo im unsure why you bluescreened tho was you over clocking at the time?

[Kurugi]

No my CPU is not overclocked. It's 3.0GHz stock. I've tried 3D 10 Hardware and 3D 9 Hardware, native turned on and off and a few other things. Changing my video plugin settings never seemed to do anything about the slowdown. I don't think I really changed any of the sound settings though, so I might try that. Like I've said I'm kind of apprehensive of doing anything else with PS2 emulation since I bluescreened.

Edit: Just tried those settings and I still get slowdown.

[Kouen Hasuki]

I never used to have that much of an issue when I used to run a 2.2Ghz Pentium Dual Core E2200, Same Goes for the E4600 I had or even my Current Core 2 Quad Q8300.

Have you installed the AMD Dual Core Optimiser Driver?