Quad core Emulator PC. Have questions,

[HesCalledTheStig]

I go to a lot of estate auctions and business close out auctions.  I have acquired a good amount of older PC's and PC components.  I want to build an emulation machine to play some older console games.  I have put together a system with the following parts:

 

Motherboard:  Gigabyte P43-ESG3

CPU:  Core2Quad Q8400 @ 2.66ghz

RAM:  6GB DDR2

SSD: Corsair 120GB

HDD: Seagate 1tb 7200rpm

PSU: Corsair VX450W 450w

GPU: PNY GTX 750ti

CASE:  Ugliest one I could find

 

What emulators would you recommend with the provided specs?  I want them to run well, so nothing that will JUST run with my configuration.

[Br3tt96]

Dolphin emulator 

[HesCalledTheStig]

1 minute ago, Br3tt96 said:

Dolphin emulator 

I was considering this but was unsure whether it would actually run properly. 

[Br3tt96]

Just now, HesCalledTheStig said:

I was considering this but was unsure whether it would actually run properly. 

Well... Not all emulators are going to run smoothly

[Mira Yurizaki]

If PCSX2's system requirements are any indication, you should be able to run 6th generation console emulators with that setup. As for the emulators themselves:

• Higan - Supports NES, SNES, Master System, GB, GBC, and GBA. Some version support the Genesis and TurboGrfx16
  • This is an accuracy focused emulator, so if you need something that's more performance oriented:
  • FCEU for NES
  • SNES9x for SNES
  • Gens for Genesis/Master System
  • mGBA for GB, GBC, GBA (VisualBoy Advanced has a security flaw)
• Project64 - N64
• ePSXE - PS1
• PCSX2 - PS2 (It might do PS1, but I'd rather go with ePSXE)
• Dolphin - GCN and Wii.

[HesCalledTheStig]

1 minute ago, Br3tt96 said:

Well... Not all emulators are going to run smoothly

Right.  That's why I'm trying to figure out which will run the best with my hardware. I'm good with older systems that will run smooth at a constant FPS over newer systems that will tend to have huge frame drops.

[HesCalledTheStig]

4 minutes ago, M.Yurizaki said:

If PCSX2's system requirements are any indication, you should be able to run 6th generation console emulators with that setup. As for the emulators themselves:

• Higan - Supports NES, SNES, Master System, GB, GBC, and GBA. Some version support the Genesis and TurboGrfx16
  • This is an accuracy focused emulator, so if you need something that's more performance oriented:
  • FCEU for NES
  • SNES9x for SNES
  • Gens for Genesis/Master System
  • mGBA for GB, GBC, GBA (VisualBoy Advanced has a security flaw)
• Project64 - N64
• ePSXE - PS1
• PCSX2 - PS2 (It might do PS1, but I'd rather go with ePSXE)
• Dolphin - GCN and Wii.

I had never heard of Higan before.  I'll have to check that one out.  I like the multiple system support. I'm leery about PS2, GC and Wii emulation.  The 750ti feels like its just wont be powerful enough for smooth emulation.

[Mira Yurizaki]

36 minutes ago, HesCalledTheStig said:

I'm leery about PS2, GC and Wii emulation.  The 750ti feels like its just wont be powerful enough for smooth emulation.

It wouldn't hurt to try anyway.

[88pockets]

I suggest Launch Box and its full-screen mode big box.  

https://www.launchbox-app.com/big-box

 

You can also run retropi, for some older N64 / PS1 and older from a raspberry pi or do the same thing with CoinOps for the original Xbox, must be modded.

 

Emulators are fun and set up the perfect experience is great, but it is quite a time consuming, my suggestion if you don't care to set all that up is to just find the ROM you need get the appropriate/suggested emulator and enjoy gaming, instead of figuring out the best experience to browse through all the roms.

 

Check out MetalJesusRocks YouTube Channel and you may see its best to play these games on the OG consoles for the purist experience, in fact, some really look better on an old CRT TV.  

[88pockets]

52 minutes ago, M.Yurizaki said:

If PCSX2's system requirements are any indication, you should be able to run 6th generation console emulators with that setup. As for the emulators themselves:

• Higan - Supports NES, SNES, Master System, GB, GBC, and GBA. Some version support the Genesis and TurboGrfx16
  • This is an accuracy focused emulator, so if you need something that's more performance oriented:
  • FCEU for NES
  • SNES9x for SNES
  • Gens for Genesis/Master System
  • mGBA for GB, GBC, GBA (VisualBoy Advanced has a security flaw)
• Project64 - N64
• ePSXE - PS1
• PCSX2 - PS2 (It might do PS1, but I'd rather go with ePSXE)
• Dolphin - GCN and Wii.

I didnt bother to read all the suggested emulators, but the one's I saw I do concur with.  Good list

[HesCalledTheStig]

7 minutes ago, 88pockets said:

I suggest Launch Box and its full-screen mode big box.  

https://www.launchbox-app.com/big-box

 

You can also run retropi, for some older N64 / PS1 and older from a raspberry pi or do the same thing with CoinOps for the original Xbox, must be modded.

 

Emulators are fun and set up the perfect experience is great, but it is quite a time consuming, my suggestion if you don't care to set all that up is to just find the ROM you need get the appropriate/suggested emulator and enjoy gaming, instead of figuring out the best experience to browse through all the roms.

 

Check out MetalJesusRocks YouTube Channel and you may see its best to play these games on the OG consoles for the purist experience, in fact, some really look better on an old CRT TV.  

I subscribe to MetalJesusRocks actually!  Had forgotten all about his channel.  I like the idea of setting up one PC to run several consoles and possible play some older PC games as well.  Setting everything up deoesn't bother me at all.   That's half the fun.  I just want to be able to put all this older hardware that I have to use.  Its really not worth much to sell anymore.

[88pockets]

1 hour ago, HesCalledTheStig said:

I subscribe to MetalJesusRocks actually!  Had forgotten all about his channel.  I like the idea of setting up one PC to run several consoles and possible play some older PC games as well.  Setting everything up deoesn't bother me at all.   That's half the fun.  I just want to be able to put all this older hardware that I have to use.  Its really not worth much to sell anymore.

Ya at this point any LGA 775 or newer machine can serve some purpose and if its free I'll take it.  In fact, i just remembered the old white iMac from '07 i need to copy data off of, I may make that a Linux game box or Windows 7 machine, MacOS from that generation is pointless for me anyway. 

 

Check out an emulator called Arch, it has the ability to run a bunch of older system and has the XMB UI from the PSP and PS3 (which I think is a decent UI) or again Launch Box, with the right set up and $20 to buy the big box full-screen mode it's a pretty cool set up.  Plus it is still in active development with a good community.