Nintendo GameCube emulation

[FireBone]

i can be a beta tester
i like test new games
when start the Project?

 

[Slougi]

The Geeforce 4 is actually.. a less powerful chipset than the Geeforce 3. A few people at ID left a very long rant about it on a Game Developers forum. They still like Nvidia's drivers etc, they just don't like they misleading numbering system and confusing conventions used for there new chipsets. A GF4 is actually less powerful than a GF3 however, that's the real thing. Marketing perhaps, no idea. <shrugs>

As for emulating a GameCub requiring a powerful card, yep it likely will require a powerful 3d acelerator card, and a few other things as well.

Cyb

That would be the gf4MX, which are just pumped up gf2's. The regular ones (gf4ti 4200-4600) are more powerful than the gf3

 

[Epic64]

I'm with Quvack on this one. It's way too early for GC emulation although I spose gathering the info is OK . Anyway pc's aren't powerful enough to be able to emulate the hardware just yet.

 

[Kakarot]

It'd be interesting to see but I really doubt it to be possible on today's computer's and even if it was the framerate would remind me of Mario 64 on my old computer (0.15 FPS) so it wouldn't even be enjoyable. Seriously think about the specs. Take the main cpu for example:it is a 485 Mhz RISC prosessor! Wich means in short multiply that by 1.75 and you get the equivilent performance of a CISC prosessor found in pc's and the Xbox. It's general archetecture and way it handles memory using the TS1 Ram (I think that's what its called) and Dram simply cannot be reproduced on a pc. There so much more but I won't put you all to sleep now (if you aren't already) so I'll stop here. Before I stop. I have to show any Xbox fanboys some numbers that are gonna hurt becaue its the truth.

PS2 = 294 x 1.75 =
XBox = 733 Mhz
GC= 485 x 1.75=

Tell me which is more powerful (cpu). Unless my math is fuzzy I think you'll know too

 

[crhylove]

yes but,

the gfx. i mean, there's no comparison. what do you do with xtra cpu power in a console? compile the linux kernel?

i'm not an ms fanboy, i hate ms, but as usual they threw so much money at something that they are dominating the competition. in the end the backlash is going to be phenomenal, but for now, go ahead and buy a gc, and then sell it for 1/4 the price on ebay when you've upgraded to an xbox, or by then an xbox 2 or whatever.

:devil:

 

[Reznor007]

It'd be interesting to see but I really doubt it to be possible on today's computer's and even if it was the framerate would remind me of Mario 64 on my old computer (0.15 FPS) so it wouldn't even be enjoyable. Seriously think about the specs. Take the main cpu for example:it is a 485 Mhz RISC prosessor! Wich means in short multiply that by 1.75 and you get the equivilent performance of a CISC prosessor found in pc's and the Xbox. It's general archetecture and way it handles memory using the TS1 Ram (I think that's what its called) and Dram simply cannot be reproduced on a pc. There so much more but I won't put you all to sleep now (if you aren't already) so I'll stop here. Before I stop. I have to show any Xbox fanboys some numbers that are gonna hurt becaue its the truth.

PS2 = 294 x 1.75 =
XBox = 733 Mhz
GC= 485 x 1.75=

Tell me which is more powerful (cpu). Unless my math is fuzzy I think you'll know too

PS2 has the most powerful CPU, but because it has no hardware T&L, it drops behind the others. Gamecube is slightly more powerful than Xbox CPU wise.

 

[Kakarot]

the gfx. i mean, there's no comparison. what do you do with xtra cpu power in a console? compile the linux kernel?

I've looked at what each can do graphically and they are very equal except each has a good edge over the other in a certain category.

GC Advantage: GC can disply 8 similtaneos textures per object xbox can only do 4 (in hardware)

Xbox Adavntage: Xbox has almost a 100Mhz clock speed advantage in its GPU over the Gamecube.

Now let's not forget the extra cpu power. Correct me if I am wrong but if one really wanted to you could use that extra power to perform calculations in software rather than hardware to make up for that lack of speed in the GPU?
The difference between the Gamecube CPU and Xbox CPU is around an equivalent of 120Mhz so if developers felt like using that extra cpu power to match the Xbox (GPU) they would still have around (equivalent) 20Mhz of clock speed left plus texture displying abilites that are twice as good. If my theory holds true (and I'm pretty sure it does).

PS2 has the most powerful CPU

How so? I do admit it must be more powerful than sony makes it out to be since the games look as good as they do now on that aweful hardware.

Back to emulation of the Gamecube I believe that time is better spent on an Xbox emu rather than a PS2 or GC emu. Since it is more practical for obvious reasons.

Thats all i got to say about that. Whew!

 

[crhylove]

advantages of xbox emu.

seriously, if you're going 2 3rd gen emu, then xbox is the way to go.... reasons:

1. Most popular (and becoming more so).
2. Most like a computer already (nforce is available on many mobo's now.)
3. Allowing people to pirate microsoft is ethical.
4. Screw Microsoft

Ok, i've said my piece. Virtual C++ will come in the mail in the next few days (and i already code a bit, though nothing this ambitious), so let's get started.

crhylove

 

[Reznor007]

How so? I do admit it must be more powerful than sony makes it out to be since the games look as good as they do now on that aweful hardware.

The main core of the PS2 CPU is a MIPS R5900, along with 2 powerful vector math units.

The vector units have a ton of math processing power. The combination of the 2 vector units and the MIPS core make it the most powerful CPU out of the new consoles. A good example of the power is that in some games, EA uses 1 of the vector units to encode the game audio into DTS audio format for surround sound. However, on most games, they use both vector units for geometry transformations and special effects(particles etc.), which brings the CPU down to the level of the other consoles. Gamecube and Xbox have geometry transformation support built into their graphic processors, and it frees up the CPU for other game stuff(AI, physics, etc.).

 

[flow``]

1. Most popular (and becoming more so).
2. Most like a computer already (nforce is available on many mobo's now.)

heh. **** that

if we based emulation on rule #1, no one would give a **** about emulating older consoles.. in other words - pre-ps2

if we based it on #2, the xbox would be the only candidate

? - i lack a lot of info on the newer consoles [plus the fact, i dont really give a hoot about any of them]

anyway.. the big n [or sony or ms] would launch a massive campaign to stop the emu development by whatever means necessary..​

 

[crhylove]

well...

i was just stating some reasons. not the reasons for coding all emulators ever. those reasons apply for any emulator, things like:

great games,
the challenge,
the revival of a "dead" system,
etc.

well, maybe not the last one.

but i was just saying specifically emuing the xbox would be great over ps2/gc for those reasons listed.

i have more reasons now that i think about it.

linux people hate microsoft, and might join in and help code the thing solely to piss redmond off.

saving all the chinese children slave laborers by circumventing the purchase and therefore sale of many xbox consoles, by being an alternative to the actual console.

blowing the lid off the realm of what's possible with computers, again.

pushing the technology envelope in computers (people will upgrade to successfully emulate the xbox, hell i'm upgrading to run 1964...)

creating a new development community, spurring a new generation of coders and hackers.

getting those ugly green and black boxes out of the living room.

using whatever controller you want, from whatever country (see recent /. article)

there's dozens of other reasons to do this. if i had the money to rip apart an xbox, i'd start working on it right now. someone wanna buy me an xbox to destroy?

:devil: petting zoo?