Editing Computer specifications

Most emulators tend to be CPU-dependent in general, meaning that their performance is greatly determined by the CPU's speed. The GPU on the other hand, usually serves as a graphics enhancer by allowing for higher resolutions, anti-aliasing, etc. If your CPU isn't fast enough, you will not likely to be able to emulate a system at full speed. At the very least, a Core i5-2500K or a Ryzen 3 1200 is recommended for high-end emulation (e.g. [[PlayStation 2 emulators|PS2]], [[Wii emulators|Wii]]). This page will explain and state other possible choices to take, provided that the above choices are not feasible.

==CPU==
===Megahertz Myth===
Whenever a CPU has a high clock speed (e.g: Pentium 4 580 @ 4 GHz), it does not always necessarily mean that it is powerful.<ref>http://www.computer-hardware-explained.com/megahertz-myth.html</ref> This is usually a common misconception, that stems from lack of detailed information on how a CPU works. However, it is true that a higher CPU clock speed guarantees improved emulation performance. While it is true that a high clock speed is one of the main factors for good CPU performance, it is not always the sole determining factor. For example, a Core 2 Duo E6600 @ 2.4 GHz will nearly always outperform a Pentium D 940 @ 3.2 GHz.<ref>http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=2097</ref> Even though the Pentium D 940 is clocked significantly higher, the Core 2 Duo E6600 is still faster due to the reduced amount of pipeline stages and a wider execution unit. This improves the amount of instructions it can output per cycle, which means better performance at a lower clock speed. In other words, the particular architecture of the CPU itself matters more than the clock speed.

AMD's FX (Bulldozer) CPUs also follows the aforementioned Pentium 4 (NetBurst) example, which has the same issue that the NetBurst-derived CPUs suffer from. They also share the same high clock speed traits, which might cause confusion and misleading performance conclusions. Because of this, it is recommended to completely avoid Bulldozer at all costs. To further discourage the use of  a Bulldozer-derived CPU; its single-threaded performance is somewhat lower when compared to an equally-clocked Phenom II or Core 2,<ref>https://www.overclock.net/photopost/data/1501987/b/b1/b16fb0b4_ScreenShot005.jpeg</ref> though the multi-threaded performance of Bulldozer far exceeds the fastest Phenom II or Core 2 offerings. The actual problem here is Bulldozer's under-average single-threaded performance that will not help in high-end emulation that uses 4 or fewer cores, and the fact that Bulldozer has a shared FPU between 2 cores. What this means, is that a FX-4350 would have 2 FPUs (1 FPU per 2 cores), and a FX-9590 would have 4 FPUs (1 FPU per 2 cores x 4). This will lead to weaker performance in floating-point heavy calculations, which is also another reason why it is not recommended. If you are still not convinced, have a look at the benchmarks.<ref>https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AunYlOAfGABxdFQ0UzJyTFAxbzZhYWtGcGwySlRFa1E#gid=1></ref><ref>https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AunYlOAfGABxdFQ0UzJyTFAxbzZhYWtGcGwySlRFa1E#gid=0</ref><ref>http://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-CPU-Benchmark-designed-for-PCSX2-based-on-FFX-2?page=107</ref><ref>https://forums.dolphin-emu.org/Thread-new-dolphin-cpu-benchmark-no-game-required?page=15</ref><ref>https://forums.dolphin-emu.org/Thread-new-dolphin-cpu-benchmark-no-game-required?page=15</ref><ref>http://translate.google.com/translate?act=url&depth=1&hl=pl&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.pl&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://pclab.pl//art55934.html</ref><ref>http://wccftech.com/ultimate-cpu-gpu-floating-point-performance-battle-amd-intel/</ref><ref>http://www.anandtech.com/show/7711/floating-point-peak-performance-of-kaveri-and-other-recent-amd-and-intel-chips</ref><ref>http://vr-zone.com/articles/ivy-bridge-e-i7-4960x-vs-amd-fx-9590-battle-2013-flagships/54295.html/2</ref><ref>http://www.extremetech.com/computing/159619-5ghz-showdown-overclocked-5ghz-amd-haswell-ivy-bridge/2</ref>

===AMD vs. Intel===
As of Ryzen (Summit Ridge), AMD's CPUs have similar single-threaded performance when compared to Intel's CPUs,<ref>https://i0.wp.com/www.solidsmack.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/AMD-Threadripper-single-thread-competition.png?ssl=1</ref> though it is still not exactly close to an equivalent Intel CPU of the same era. While Summit Ridge is slightly slower than an equally-clocked Kaby Lake in single-threaded applications, it remains as a good budget-friendly alternative for high-end emulation.

The release of Pinnacle Ridge has not brought any architectural improvements to Ryzen yet, apart from it being manufactured on a better process that allows for higher clock speeds. Due to that, the instructions-per-cycle performance remains the same as Summit Ridge.

Current processors manufactured by both Intel and AMD (including Rocket Lake and Alder lake from Intel and Vermeer from AMD) have significantly improved single-threaded performance compared to previous generations of hardware from both companies. Of these, the Alder Lake architecture displays the best single threaded performance, followed by Vermeer and finally Rocket Lake<ref> https://www.tomshardware.com/amp/features/intel-core-i9-11900K-vs-amd-ryzen-9-5900x</ref>.

===Emulation on a non-x86/ARM CPU===
CPUs that are not x86-based, or are not ARM-based <small>(smartphones can run emulators with varying degrees of success)</small>, are not very likely to be good enough for emulation in general. Certain emulators have been ported or programmed for some CPUs that are not ARM or x86-based, but those are generally very old and are possibly no longer in active development. IBM PowerPC CPUs for example, had emulators ported or even programmed for it. However, these are rather outdated emulators and are not recommended for emulation.

Some very specific CPU architectures such as the Elbrus, SPARC, MIPS, IA-64 (Itanium), Alpha, PA-RISC, and 68000, are heavily discouraged for emulation. This is mostly due to the lack of support and interest in them, which forces people that utilize these CPUs to resort to x86 emulation. While some of them may be capable of performing x86 emulation, not all of them have the necessary software or hardware capability to do so. Even such emulators that are native to their architecture are extremely hard to find, or non-existent. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to avoid using these CPUs in any way possible.

===Desktop vs. Laptop===
Laptop CPUs are typically much weaker than their desktop variants due to lower clock speeds and heat management requirements. They may also come with fewer cores when compared with their desktop variants with similar naming schemes, which may be confusing. Also, please be aware that different laptops with the same CPU may vary in actual performance due to the aforementioned restrictions, as well as manufacturer-implemented settings. This is strongly correlated with cooling capabilities, with thicker and larger laptops typically having better performance. As such, it is strongly recommended to pick a laptop with a decent cooling system if emulation is one of your primary goals.

A limited number of laptops have full desktop processors: however, due to thermal and power requirements, they are relatively heavy and in many cases noisy and expensive. As above, the constraints of a portable system often reduces the performance of the device, so such hybrid devices are not recommended.

===More Cores and Threads===
Emulators generally only utilize 2 cores, or with hacks, sometimes 3 or 4 cores. Thus, owning a CPU with 6 cores or more with Hyper-Threading/Simultaneous Multi-Threading, does not help or give the said CPU an advantage over a CPU with only 4 cores. Although, there are certain exceptions. One such exception is RPCS3, which can utilize more cores and threads by emulating the system's thread scheduler, that allows it to use as many cores and threads as the game makes threads.

While 2-core or 4-core CPUs with very high clock speeds are usually recommended for emulation, most CPUs nowadays feature more than 4 cores with even higher clock speeds. This in comparison to the previously released 6-core or 8-core CPUs with far lower clock speeds, is a fine improvement. Therefore, purchasing a 6-core or an 8-core CPU with said higher clock speeds would hold no disadvantages over a lower core-count CPU, as it no longer forces a clock speed reduction over a similarly clocked 2-core or 4-core CPU.

===Overclocking===
Not all CPUs can be overclocked, and the motherboard's BIOS must be additionally capable of supporting overclocking. The CPUs in particular that can be overclocked are the usually the ones that are labeled: OverDrive, FX, Extreme Edition, Black Edition, K, and X. Although, certain engineering or qualification sample CPUs that AMD or Intel has manufactured may also be overclockable, since they were used for testing purposes and were not meant for sale. If you are not sure what kind of a CPU you have, check if it has these overclocking labels. For Intel CPUs, their overclocking labels are OverDrive, Extreme Edition, K, and X. For AMD CPUs, their overclocking labels are FX and Black Edition.

Although, some special CPUs such as the Pentium E6500K, Pentium G3258, and all Ryzen CPUs are overclockable. But keep in mind that you have to be running the CPU on a motherboard that supports overclocking. The motherboards that tend to support overclocking features, comes with a chipset that also supports overclocking, which is required for the CPU to be overclockable. However, this only applies to the newer motherboards, not the older motherboards as they tend to vary from being overclockable to not overclockable. For Intel, the overclockable chipsets' name starts with an X or a Z. The other chipsets that were not mentioned, are not overclockable (B, C, H, and Q). For AMD, the overclockable chipsets' name starts with an X or a B. The other chipsets that were not mentioned, are not overclockable (A).

For older desktop motherboards with older chipsets, there might be overclocking available in the form of a front-side bus setting. Use that setting with caution however, as the front-side bus clock speed gets raised, so does the rest of the other components on the motherboard (which causes instability, data corruption, etc). Unless the motherboard has a PCI/AGP lock, it is advised not to use the front-side bus setting to overclock the CPU. In further depth, there is a safer setting that can be used to overclock without suffering from instability. Called the 'CPU BSEL Select' or similar, it was intended to manually select the proper front-side bus clock speed of the CPU. By using this method, it allows us to use it for overclocking whilst staying within the factory specifications of the motherboard. This does not affect the rest of the other components on the motherboard, as the front-side bus is not overclocked and is only following the rated speeds it can achieve. Therefore, it is safer than the dangerous front-side bus setting. Also, be aware that once the CPU has hit a certain clock speed, it may be no longer capable of scaling to higher clock speeds due to voltage issues. The reasoning behind this is because of how higher clock speeds require more voltage, and these non-overclockable motherboards have a high chance of not having the ability to directly modify the CPU's core voltage.

However, if there is no 'CPU BSEL Select', proceed with the front-side bus setting with caution. As a safety precaution, do whatever it takes to not allow the PCI bus' clock speed to reach above 40 MHz. This is because anything higher than the 40 MHz mark will have a very high chance of inducing instability and possible data corruption, or worse. This is also why the front-side bus setting is only recommended for motherboards that are equipped with a PCI/AGP lock, since they prevent the other components on the motherboard from being overclocked. Additionally, please be aware that your motherboard can only supply a limited amount of current before it hits its limits, which will then limit your CPU's overclocking ability. This is due to the weak voltage regulator modules that are not rated to supply a large amount of stable current to keep the CPU and the rest of the other components stable, which is common for motherboards that are not meant for overclocking. The CPU's potential overclock may also be limited by the power supply unit, so a better power supply unit with better efficiency and wattage rating may be required.

If you have a laptop, overclocking will be severely limited. Most laptops in circulation do not support overclocking, and may not be capable of handling the extra heat produced from an overclocked CPU. For the few laptops that can be overclocked through the BIOS, it is more or less the same as how a desktop would be configured to overclock the CPU. For the majority that does not officially support overclocking, it may be possible to overclock it in a different approach.

A common approach to overclock your laptop's CPU is to use third-party applications, such as ThrottleStop and CPUMSR. However, these applications only work with CPUs with an Extreme Edition/Black Edition/K/X label. Sometimes, special CPUs such as an engineering sample or a qualification sample may also be overclockable. And always remember this, do not overclock your laptop if you are not confident in its cooling system. If you are able to force the cooling system's fan to always run at its maximum speed, it is strongly recommended to do so. Avoid hitting temperatures higher than 100C/212F at all costs, even if the CPU is rated for a maximum of 105C/221F at the transistor-junction level.

For non-overclockable laptop CPUs, you might be able to overclock it in a different way. Certain third-party applications are capable of controlling a chip that generates the clock signal for the front-side bus' clock, which is called the phase-locked loop. This is extremely unsafe and may result in potential data corruption, as it follows the same principle of overclocking the front-side bus. All laptops in existence do not have a PCI/AGP lock either, so keeping the PCI bus below 40 MHz is advised. The applications that can control the phase-locked loop are: ClockGen, CPUCool, SetFSB, SoftFSB, SetPLL, and SysTool. However, there is a catch when using these mentioned programs; none of them supports every phase-locked loop in existence. This means that each one of them has a range of phase-locked loops they support, and you must use the correct matching program that has support for your phase-locked loop. There is also no auto-detection in these programs for the phase-locked loop, as they do not have a standardized way to report their manufacturer and model name, so be careful when selecting the correct phase-locked loop that resides in your laptop.

==GPU==
GPUs are basically just hundreds of under-powered CPUs on the same die, or better described as a massively parallel CPU with a core count that far exceeds most traditional multi-core CPUs.

The thing is, with 3D graphics, you can split the work up into hundreds of different parts and give each operation to a different core on the GPU to work on. Since it doesn't matter which order the pixels are rendered in, as long as they all get rendered for the same frame before moving on to the next frame.

File compression/extraction and bitcoin mining are also good examples of programs that can make use of parallel processing. However, most programs can not do this. Dwarf Fortress, for example, can't make use of a graphics card. This is because of how every calculation it does is dependent on the one performed before it. That obviously doesn't work if you try and do them all at the same time.

Pretty much any emulator is the same; it does not know what comes next until it has done what preceded it. It has to run off a single thread. It still needs some form of graphical output to output the final rendered 2D screen alone. This can be done via a GPU to put the 3D graphics on the screen, but any system capable of being emulated shouldn't be too taxing. This is called 'Hardware Rendering'. Alternatively, all of the graphics processing can be done on the CPU and will be more predictable/consistent for it, but that is also costly. This is called 'Software Rendering'.

Most 3D emulators have hardware and software renderers. Software renderers use more CPU power, which may mostly be slower. They may also run on their own threads separate from other emulator parts, which would likely reduce the performance loss, but the CPU must still be fast enough in the first place.

==Recommended Specifications==
For seeing recommended specifications for obsolete, non-active and older emulators, see [https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php?title=Computer_specifications&diff=77290&oldid=77289#CPU this page].
===[[Yuzu]]===
;Minimum:
*Windows: Windows 7 64-bit or later
*CPU: Intel i5-4430 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 or better
*GPU: Nvidia GeForce GT 1030 or better
*RAM: 8 GB or more
;Recommended:
*CPU: Intel i5-10400 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or better
*GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 4GB or AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 8GB or better
*RAM: 16 GB or more

===[[Cxbx-Reloaded]]===
;Minimum:
*Windows: 7 with Service Pack 1 (64-bit) or later
*CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 @ 2.66 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ @ 2.6 GHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 8300 GS or ATI Radeon HD 2350 PRO or Intel HD Graphics 2500 or better
*RAM: 2 GB or more
;Recommended:
*CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 @ 3 GHz or AMD Phenom II X2 545 @ 3 GHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 or ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT or Intel HD Graphics 3000 or better
*RAM: 4 GB or more

===[[Xenia]]===
:[https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary/wiki/Quickstart#system-requirements Official requirements page]
;Minimum:
*Windows: 10 (x64) or later
*Linux: Distributions using kernel 4.0 (64-bit) or later (you need to use [[Compatibility_layers|Proton]]. Also using Vulkan backend is more recommended compared to using [[Wrappers|VKD3D]] with D3D12 backend due to potential [[Wrappers|VKD3D]] uncompatibility issues)
*CPU: 64-bit x86 processor with AVX support with at least (4-cores, 4-threads) - ''(Intel Core i5-2500K or overclocked AMD FX-4350)''
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750Ti or AMD R7 260
*RAM: 4 GB
;Recommended:
*CPU: 64-bit x86 processor with AVX2 support with at least (4-cores, 8-threads) ''(Intel Core i3-10100f or AMD Ryzen 3 3300X)''
*GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1650 or AMD RX 580
*RAM: 6 GB or more
;Using [[Xbox_360_emulators#Enhancements|enhancements]] (2K 60FPS):
*CPU: 64-bit x86 processor with AVX2 support with at least (6-cores, 12-threads) or better ''(Intel Core i5-12400 or AMD Ryzen 5 5500)''
*GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3060Ti or AMD RX 6650 XT or better
*RAM: 8 GB or more

;See also [[Xenia#Linux_and_SteamOS.2FSteam_Deck|Xenia Linux and Steam Deck guide]].

===[[RPCS3]]===
[https://rpcs3.net/quickstart#requirements_desktop RPCS3 Official System Requirements page]
;<abbr title="For being able to run any games at all, no performance or stability guarantees">Minimum Requirements</abbr>
'''CPU'''<br/>
AMD - Any x64 CPU but CPUs without AVX2 and with less than 4 cores and 8 threads are expected to run very badly overall and CPUs with only 2 cores per CCX cluster are expected to run very badly overall<br/>
Intel - Any x64 CPU but CPUs without AVX2 and with less than 4 cores and 8 threads are expected to run very badly overall

'''GPU'''<br/>
AMD - OpenGL 4.3 compatible or newer (AMD Evergreen architecture, HD 5000 series or newer)<br/>
NVIDIA - OpenGL 4.3 compatible or newer (NVIDIA Fermi architecture, GTX 400 series or newer)

'''RAM'''<br/>
4 GB of RAM or more (4 GB is the absolute minimum requirement)

'''Storage'''<br/>
SSD or HDD storage for emulator data and games<br/>
512 MB for base emulator data, 5 GB for virtual console dev_hdd1 cache<br/>
<abbr title="* Average recommendation. Some games may require more, most games require less">128 MB for emulator cache and console user data per installed game.</abbr>

'''OS'''<br/>
Windows 10, Windows 11<br/>
Linux 5.4 (Older LTS), Ubuntu 20.04 or newer<br/>
macOS Monterey 12.0 or newer<br/>
FreeBSD 12.4 or newer<br/>

;<abbr title="For running all playable games with playable performance">Recommended Requirements</abbr>
'''CPU'''<br/>
AMD - 6 cores and 12 threads, 8 cores or more (AMD Zen 2 architecture or newer) '''*AMD Threadripper 1000 and 2000 series are not recommended'''<br/>
AVX-512 is also very useful, although it is not supported on newer Intel processors, but it is supported on newer AMD processors.

Intel - 6 cores and 12 threads, 8 cores or more (Intel Skylake architecture or newer)

'''GPU'''<br/>
AMD - Vulkan compatible with active driver support (AMD Polaris architecture, RX 400 series or newer)<br/>
NVIDIA - Vulkan compatible with active driver support (NVIDIA Maxwell architecture, GTX 900 series or newer)

'''RAM'''<br/>
8 GB of dual-channel RAM or more ('''Dual-channel memory is highly recommended over single-channel''')

'''Storage'''<br/>
SSD storage for emulator data, SSD or HDD storage for games<br/>
512 MB for base emulator data, 5 GB for virtual console dev_hdd1 cache<br/>
<abbr title="* Average recommendation. Some games may require more, most games require less">128 MB for emulator cache and console user data per installed game.</abbr>

'''OS'''<br/>
Windows 10 22H2, Windows 11 22H2 or newer<br/>
Linux 6.5 (Latest), 6.1 (LTS) or newer<br/>
macOS Monterey 12.6 or newer<br/>
FreeBSD 13.2 or newer<br/>

;Laptop PC Requirements
RPCS3 team recommend using a laptop equipped with an 8-core/16-thread 35W+ H-series CPU such as an Intel Core i7-10870H or an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, as well as having a compatible dedicated GPU (dGPU) with Vulkan compatibility. While being a tall order, this is the ideal spec and RPCS3 team cannot guarantee even remotely good performance with laptops equipped with as little as 4-cores.

RPCS3 team strongly recommend using RPCS3 with a desktop PC over a laptop. Should you want to use a laptop, these are the hardware requirements for an optimal experience.

;[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Rpq_2D4Rf3g6O-x2R1fwTSKWvJH7X63kExsVxHnT2Mc/edit#gid=0 CPU Tier List for RPCS3]
For information on DualShock 3 controller support, see [[SCP Driver Package]].

===[[PCSX2]]===
;See [https://pcsx2.net/docs/usage/setup/requirements/ PCSX2 docs: requirements]

;Minimum:
* OS: [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/blob/master/common/RedtapeWindows.h#L27 Windows 10 21H2 or newer (64-bit)]<ref group=P name=PCSX2x86>[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/releases/tag/v1.7.2485 32-bit architecture], [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/4329 SSE2 instruction], and [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/releases/tag/v1.7.3772 wxwidgets support] were dropped after stable release 1.6.0.</ref>, Ubuntu 22.04/Debian or newer, Arch Linux, or other distro (64-bit), macOS 11.0
* CPU: Supports SSE4.1 instruction<ref group=P name=PCSX2x86></ref>, two physical cores with hyperthreading, [https://www.cpubenchmark.net/singleThread.html PassMark Single Thread Performance rating near or greater than 1500] (Intel Core i5-670, Intel Core i3-2120 or AMD FX-4300)
* GPU: Support Direct3D11 (Feature Level 11.0), OpenGL 3.3, Vulkan 1.1 or Metal, 2 GB Video Memory, [https://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html PassMark G3D Mark rating around 3000] (GeForce GTX 750, Radeon RX 560 or Intel Arc A380)
* RAM: 4 GB

;Recommended:
* OS: Windows 10 21H2 or newer (64-bit), Ubuntu 23.04/Debian or newer, Arch Linux, or other distro (64-bit), macOS 11.0
* CPU: Supports AVX2 instruction, four physical cores with or without hyperthreading, [https://www.cpubenchmark.net/singleThread.html PassMark Single Thread Performance rating near or greater than 2000] (Intel Core i7-4770 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X)
* GPU: Support Direct3D12, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.3 or Metal, 4 GB Video Memory, [https://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html PassMark G3D Mark rating around 6000] (GeForce GTX 1650 or Radeon RX 570)
* RAM: 8 GB

;Heavy:
* OS: Windows 10 22H2 or newer (64-bit), Ubuntu 23.04/Debian or newer, Arch Linux, or other distro (64-bit), macOS 11.0
* CPU: Supports AVX2 instruction, four physical cores with or without hyperthreading, [https://www.cpubenchmark.net/singleThread.html PassMark Single Thread Performance rating near or greater than 2600] (Intel Core i7-6700K, Core i3-10100 or AMD Ryzen 3 3300X)
* GPU: Support Direct3D12, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.3 or Metal, 4 GB Video Memory, [https://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html PassMark G3D Mark rating around 6000] (GeForce GTX 1650 or Radeon RX 570)
* RAM: 8 GB

'''Note;'''<br />
Recommended CPU is based on moderately complex games but games that pushed the PS2 hardware to its limits may struggle on CPUs even at this level specially with software mode<ref group=P name=CPUintensive>[https://wiki.pcsx2.net/Category:CPU_intensive_games CPU-intensive games (PCSX2 wiki)], [http://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-LIST-The-Most-CPU-Intensive-Games CPU-intensive games (PCSX2 forum thread)] and [https://wiki.pcsx2.net/Category:Software_rendering_only_games Software rendering only (PCSX2 wiki)]</ref> on the other hand some release titles and 2D games which underutilized the PS2 hardware may run on CPUs rated as low as 1200 PassMark Single Thread Performance rating. (Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650, Core 2 Quad Q9550 or Core i3-540)<ref group=P>[http://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-LIST-Games-that-don-t-need-a-strong-CPU-to-emulate Games that don-t need a strong CPU to emulate for weak processors]</ref>

Recommended GPU is based on 3x Internal, ~1080p resolution requirements. Higher resolutions will require stronger cards; 6x Internal, ~4K resolution will require a [https://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html PassMark G3D Mark] rating around 12000 (GeForce RTX 2060, Radeon RX 6600 or Intel Arc A750). Just like CPU requirements, this is also highly game dependent.<ref group=P name=GPUintensive>[https://wiki.pcsx2.net/Category:GPU_intensive_games GPU-intensive games (PCSX2 wiki)], [http://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-LIST-The-Most-GPU-Intensive-Games GPU-intensive games (PCSX2 forum thread)]</ref>

<references group=P />

For information on DualShock 3 controller support, see [[SCP Driver Package]].
;See [[PCSX2#Windows_XP.2F7.2F8.1_Compatibility]] for older Windows compatibility.

===[[Mednafen|Mednafen PSX]]===
;Minimum:
*Windows: XP with Service Pack 3 (32-bit) or later
*Linux: Distributions using kernel 2.6 (32-bit) or later
*CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 @ 3 GHz or AMD Phenom II X2 545 @ 3 GHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5100 or ATI Radeon 9550 or Intel GMA 900 or S3 GammaChrome S14 or better
*RAM: 1 GB or more
;Recommended:
*Windows: XP Professional x64 with Service Pack 2 (64-bit) or later
*Linux: Distributions using kernel 2.6.39.4 (64-bit) or later
*CPU: Intel Core i3-560 @ 3.33 GHz or AMD FX-4170 @ 4.3 GHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 8300 GS or ATI Radeon HD 2350 PRO or Intel HD Graphics 2500 or better
*RAM: 2 GB or more

===[[PPSSPP]]===
;Minimum:
*Windows: XP with Service Pack 3 (32-bit) or later
*macOS: Lion (10.7) (64-bit) or later
*Linux: Distributions using kernel 2.6.39.4 (32-bit) or later
*CPU: Intel Pentium 4 3.4E (Prescott) @ 3.4 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 3200+ (Clawhammer) @ 2 GHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5100 or ATI Radeon 9550 or Intel GMA 3000 or S3 Chrome S25 or better
*RAM: 1 GB or more
;Recommended:
*Windows: XP Professional x64 with Service Pack 2 (64-bit) or later
*macOS: Lion (10.7.5) (64-bit) or later
*Linux: Distributions using kernel 2.6.39.4 (64-bit) or later
*CPU: Intel Pentium D 970 @ 3.8 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ (Windsor) @ 2 GHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GS or ATI Radeon X1600 or Intel GMA X4500HD or S3 Chrome 430 GT or better
*RAM: 2 GB or more
Enable the dynarec option for speedups.

===[[Cemu]]===
;Minimum:
*Windows: 7 with Service Pack 1 (64-bit) or later
*CPU: Intel Core i7-970 @ 3.33 GHz or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 @ 3.3 GHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 or AMD Radeon HD 7730 or better
*RAM: 4 GB or more
;Recommended:
*CPU: Intel Core i7-3970X @ 3.7 GHz or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X @ 3.7 GHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti or AMD Radeon R7 360 or better
*RAM: 8 GB or more

===[[Dolphin]]===
;Minimum:
*Windows: 10 (64-bit) or later
*macOS: Catalina (10.15) (64-bit) or later
*Linux: Distributions using kernel 4.4.6 (64-bit) or later
*CPU: Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770 @ 3.2 GHz or AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition @ 3.2 GHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 or AMD Radeon HD 7770 or better
*RAM: 2 GB or more
;Recommended:
*Windows: 10 (64-bit) or later
*macOS: Catalina (10.15) (64-bit) or later
*Linux: Distributions using kernel 4.4.161 (64-bit) or later
*CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K @ 3.4 GHz or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 @ 3.1 GHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti or AMD Radeon R7 360 or better
*RAM: 4 GB or more

See the [[Dolphin]] page for further recommendations, such as controller setups.

===[[Mupen64Plus]]===
;Minimum:
*Windows: XP with Service Pack 3 (32-bit) <small>(Needs msvcp120.dll and msvcr120.dll in the program's directory to run, also applies for XP x64 64-bit.)</small> or later
*macOS: Snow Leopard (10.6) (64-bit) or later
*Linux: Distributions using kernel 2.6 (32-bit) or later
*CPU: Intel Pentium 4 670 @ 3.8 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 4000+ (San Diego) @ 2.4 GHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti 4200 or ATI Radeon 8500 or 3dfx Voodoo5 6000 or Intel Extreme Graphics 2 or XGI Volari V3 XT or better
*RAM: 1 GB or more
;Recommended:
*Windows: Vista with Service Pack 2 (32-bit) or later
*macOS: Snow Leopard (10.6.8) (64-bit) or later
*Linux: Distributions using kernel 2.6.39.4 (64-bit) or later
*CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8200 @ 2.66 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+ (Brisbane) @ 2.8 GHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5100 or ATI Radeon 9550 or Intel GMA 900 or S3 GammaChrome S14 or better
*RAM: 2 GB or more

===[[Citra]]===
;Minimum:
*Windows: 7 with Service Pack 1 (64-bit) or later
*macOS: High Sierra (10.13) (64-bit) or later
*Linux: Distributions using kernel 4.15 (64-bit) or later
*CPU: Intel Core i3-4370 @ 3.8 GHz or AMD Athlon 240GE @ 3.5 GHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 8300 GS or ATI Radeon HD 2350 PRO or Intel HD Graphics 2500 or better
*RAM: 4 GB or more
;Recommended:
*Windows: 8 (64-bit) or later
*macOS: Mojave (10.14) (64-bit) or later
*Linux: Distributions using kernel 4.15.18 (64-bit) or later
*CPU: Intel Core i3-7350K @ 4.2 GHz or AMD Ryzen 3 2300X @ 3.5 GHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 or AMD Radeon HD 6990 or better
*RAM: 6 GB or more

===[[DeSmuME]]===
;Minimum:
*Windows: XP with Service Pack 3 (32-bit) <small>(Needs msvcp100.dll and msvcr100.dll in the program's directory to run, [https://imgur.com/a/fgWhs proof] also applies for XP Pro x64 64-bit.)</small> or later
*macOS: Leopard (10.5.8) (32-bit) or later
*Linux: Distributions using kernel 2.6 (32-bit) or later
*CPU: Intel Pentium 4 3.4C (Northwood) @ 3.4 GHz or AMD Athlon XP 3400+ (Barton) @ 2.3 GHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce2 MX100 or ATI Radeon 7000 or 3dfx Voodoo4 4500 or Intel Extreme Graphics 2 or S3 DeltaChrome S4 or PowerVR Kyro 2 or Trident XP4 or XGI Volari V3 or Matrox Millennium G450 or better
*RAM: 1 GB or more
;Recommended:
*Windows: Vista with Service Pack 2 (64-bit) or later
*macOS: Snow Leopard (10.6.8) (64-bit) or later
*Linux: Distributions using kernel 2.6.39.4 (64-bit) or later
*CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8700 @ 3.5 GHz or AMD Phenom II X2 B60 @ 3.5 GHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 8300 GS or ATI Radeon HD 2350 PRO or Intel HD Graphics 2500 or better
*RAM: 2 GB or more
Enable the dynarec option for speedups.

===[[mGBA]]===
;Minimum:
*Windows: XP with Service Pack 3 (32-bit) or later 
*macOS: Leopard (10.5) (32-bit) or later
*Linux: Distributions using kernel kernel 4.4.161 (64-bit) or later
*CPU: Intel Pentium 4 2.4A (Northwood) @ 2.4 GHz or AMD Athlon XP 2400+ (Thoroughbred-B) @ 2 GHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce2 Pro or ATI Radeon 8500 LE or 3dfx Voodoo5 5500 or Intel Extreme Graphics 2 or Matrox Parhelia-512 or PowerVR Kyro 2 SE or better
*RAM: 1 GB or more
;Recommended:
*Windows: Vista with Service Pack 2 (64-bit) or later
*macOS: Lion (10.7) (64-bit) or later
*Linux: Distributions using kernel 4.18.20 (64-bit) or later
*CPU: Intel Pentium 4 3.2C (Northwood) @ 3.2 GHz or AMD Athlon XP 3200+ (Barton) @ 2.2 GHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5100 or ATI Radeon 9550 or Intel GMA 900 or S3 GammaChrome S14 or better
*RAM: 2 GB or more

===[[BGB]]===
;Minimum:
*Windows: 98SE (16-bit/32-bit hybrid) or later
*CPU: Intel Pentium MMX (P55C) @ 200 MHz or AMD K6 (Little Foot) @ 233 MHz or Cyrix 6x86MX PR366 @ 250 MHz or IDT WinChip 240 (C6) @ 240 MHz or Rise mP6 PR366 @ 250 MHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA RIVA 128 or ATI 3D Rage PRO or 3dfx Voodoo2 1000 or Intel 82740 or Matrox Mystique 220 or S3 Savage3D or SiS 6326 AGP or Trident 3DImage 9850 or Rendition Verite V2100 or PowerVR PCX2 or better
*RAM: 128 MB or more
;Recommended:
*Windows: 2000 with Service Pack 4 (32-bit) or later
*CPU: Intel Pentium 2 450 @ 450 MHz or AMD K6-2 550 @ 550 MHz or Transmeta Crusoe TM5400 @ 700 MHz or VIA C3-800 (Samuel 2) @ 800 MHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 256 SDR or ATI Radeon 7000 or 3dfx Voodoo3 3500 TV or Intel Extreme Graphics or Matrox Millennium P650 or Trident Blade XP 9980 or better
*RAM: 256 MB or more

===[[higan]]===
;Minimum:
*Windows: 7 with Service Pack 1 (32-bit) or later
*macOS: Lion (10.7) (64-bit) or later
*Linux: Distributions using kernel 3.2 (32-bit) or later
*CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8700 @ 3.5 GHz or AMD Phenom II X2 B60 @ 3.5 GHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5100 or ATI Radeon 9550 or Intel GMA 900 or S3 GammaChrome S14 or better
*RAM: 2 GB or more
;Recommended:
*Windows: 7 with Service Pack 1 (64-bit) or later
*macOS: Mountain Lion (10.8) (64-bit) or later
*Linux: Distributions using kernel 3.18.124 (64-bit) or later
*CPU: Intel Core i3-2153 @ 3.6 GHz or AMD Athlon 220GE @ 3.4 GHz or better
*GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 8300 GS or ATI Radeon HD 2350 PRO or Intel HD Graphics 2500 or better
*RAM: 4 GB or more

==References==

{{reflist}}
[[Category:FAQs]]