Opinions on last items to purchase

[Madman]

I am building the ultimate arcade II and am close to finishing...
Can you guys make suggestions on the following items???

1. Trackball at least 3 inches
2. type of encoder to purchase
3. min speed pc (I'll build it myself)
4. video card
5.best front end to use

Thanks!!! I can post pics of what is done so far if anyone is interested

[Madman]

Does anyone use the 3" Inch trackball from happ? If so how is it? Is it easy to mount?

[u_rebelscum]

First question...

1. Trackball at least 3 inches  ( Does anyone use the 3" Inch trackball from happ? If so how is it? Is it easy to mount? )

The happs 3" (normal or golden tee), betson 3", and wico 3" are great aracde quality trackballs.  All can use the happs 3" mounting plate or mounting kit.  I like all three.  

Use the search to find discussions on the differences (you might need to go to advanced and increase the max number of days to ~260).

Personally I don't like the feel of the happs high ball trackball (different from happs high lip and normal TBs), but haven't played with this model mounted on a CP yet.  Others have said they don't like it either, but I'm sure some people do like it.

[SpamMe]

Well I can't really say what works and what doesn't from firsthand experience, but I'm partway through my project, and I can tell you about the decisions I've made so far.

1) Trackball: Crayola Trackball mouse. $19.99 on ebay plus about $6 s&h (or thereabouts).
2) Ultimarc I-Pac2 (will control 6 buttons per player, 2 8 way joys, 2 player start buttons, and some various admin buttons. ~$50
3) AMD 1700xp (got it as a package: CPU, 512 2100 Ram, HSF, mobo used for $113
4) Radeon 8500 64mb non LE version ($55 shipped)
5) I like 3d-arcade so far, but I havn't had a chance to use it on this system (runs just fine on my normal desktop, but it's a bit faster all around than what I'll be using in the cabinet)

Running progress log here: http://www.ebold.com/~spamme/log.html

[TalkingOctopus]

1) I use the 3" happ w/ the mounting plate and am happy with it.
2) I used the hagstrom ke-72-t.  It has 72 programmable inputs and mouse support.  It is one of the more expensive encoders.
3) I use a spare 733 Pentium 3 and it runs almost all of the games.  However, if building from scratch  I will second the athlon XP.  The processors are really cheap right now.  You can get an 1800 for about the same price as a 1700 from www.newegg.com.
4) I use a radeon 7500 w/ s-video to a 27" sharp TV.  The tv-out quality on ATI cards is leaps and bounds better than Nvidia's.  
5)  I'd recommend mamewah http://mamewah.mameworld.net/

[paigeoliver]

Any 500+ mhz computer will play almost all the games full speed with maybe a dozen exceptions (the hard drive games, Stun Runner, Prop Cycle, everything on Mortal Kombat and Hard Drivin' hardware, and Cruisin' USA.)

Video card really doesn't matter. I have used everything from onboard shared memory video to GeForce 2 cards with Mame, and they all seem exactly the same. This isn't 3D you are dealing with, so your video card really doesn't matter that much.

I have one of the 3" Imperial/Wico PS2 trackballs, it is pretty nice, but I don't have it installed in anything at the moment.

The only professional encoder I have ever used is the I-Pac. One of the inputs on it died after 6 months, but besides that it has performed very well.

The first machine I ever put together that used a front end used ArcadeOs, the next machine used AdvanceMenu, and the last machine used MameWah.

[Madman]

Thanks for the info!!!! this is what I have so far..

3" trackball from Happ with mounting plate
WG9200 monitor
P4 1.6 gig
arcadevga card (I will at least try it then go with ati if problems)

still undecided on the encoder...... is the hagstrom bettter than the Ipac? Will the mouse input work with the happ trackball?


Thanks!
Dan

[Lilwolf]

arcadevga IS an ATI... but with a hacked bios.  So you will do good with it.

but whats your monitor?  Arcade CRT?  then DEFINATELY do a arcadeVGA.  SVid monitor?  Any ATI with TV-out will do... pick based on the 3d games that you might want on it someday.  VGA?  Then go with nvidia... better chance to get some of the 3d emulators working well.

[Tiger-Heli]

>1. Trackball at least 3 inches

Would recommend either the Wico ($50) or the Betson Refurbised ($50? with built in PS/2 interface).  If you already have the Happ, it's okay too!  Recommend www.oscarcontrols.com USB mouse hack (on the order page.)

>2. type of encoder to purchase

http://www.fraggersxtreme.com/arcadepanels/encoder/  I'm not too fond of Hagstrom (good quality, but $$$$).  For lots of inputs, look at the MK64 or I-PAC/4, otherwise, look at the KeyWiz or I-PAC/2.

>3. min speed pc (I'll build it myself)

A Duron 850 Mhz will play 85% of the stuff, but with the price difference, would go with an XP 1700 to XP 2400 if starting from scratch.

>4. video card

With the WG, I would try the Arcade VGA, otherwise, an ATI Radeon 7000 is probably fine

5.best front end to use

I really like www.mameworld.net/emuloader/ but it's windowsy.

Raging Dragon (or the new name), Mamewah, 3d Arcade are other good options.

[paigeoliver]

A Duron 850 Mhz will play 85% of the stuff, but with the price difference, would go with an XP 1700 to XP 2400 if starting from scratch.

Mame has about 2350 unique games. Of which 85 percent would be 1997 unique games.  So I challenge you to come up with 353 unique titles that won't play on a Duron 850.

Heck, I challenge you to come up with 53 titles that won't play on that processor. I think if you tried you would find that the actual number of games that require more processor than that is about 20, which would mean that a Duron 850 can play 99 percent of the games.

It is only a small point, but a very important one. As a 600-800 Mhz $100 surplus computer will play 99 percent of the titles out there, and that extra $300-$2000 people might spend on a faster computer is largely wasted.

Your money is best invested into more and better controls. Getting a 3 GHZ computer over a used 700 Mhz adds $300-$1000+ to the cost of your project, and only adds 20 games to what you can play.

While adding a good 4-way joystick adds 160+ unique titles, and costs about $20.

Adding a trackball adds around 100+ unique titles, and costs around $50-$150.

Even specialty controlllers like positional guns, yokes, steering wheels, and spinners buy more games for your dollar than a faster PC does.

[Tiger-Heli]

Hi Paige,

Figured you'd pop in, and your points are well taken, but since I own the Duron 850. . .

>Mame has about 2350 unique games. Of which 85 percent would be >1997 unique games.  So I challenge you to come up with 353 unique >titles that won't play on a Duron 850.

353 sounds high.  85% was just a rough figure, though.

>Heck, I challenge you to come up with 53 titles that won't play on >that processor. I think if you tried you would find that the actual >number of games that require more processor than that is about 20, >which would mean that a Duron 850 can play 99 percent of the >games.

Couple of qualifiers here - I recently upgraded to the Duron 850, and I mostly play older games.  I think the unplayable number is closer to 53 then 20, though but 53 might be close.  Cruisin and the .chd games are unlikely.  I would guess MK and some of those type would be bad.  I will probably grant you that the 53 would be including games that I have to back down from frameskip 0 to play and there's probably less than 20 that aren't playable if you can live with FS 5 or 6 or more.

>extra $300-$2000 people might spend on a faster computer is >largely wasted.
>Your money is best invested into more and better controls. Getting a >3 GHZ computer over a used 700 Mhz adds $300-$1000+ to the cost >of your project, and only adds 20 games to what you can play.

I didn't say a 3 GHZ computer or $300 - $2000, I said an XP 1700 - XP 2400.  A Duron 850 new is $29 on pricewatch.  An XP 1700 is $46 and an XP 2400 is $74.  So we are talking an extra $17 to $45 for a noticeable difference in performance.  I already had the Duron.  If someone gave me a Duron PC, I wouldn't upgrade it, but if I were building from scratch, I wouldn't start with a Duron either.

>Even specialty controlllers like positional guns, yokes, steering >wheels, and spinners buy more games for your dollar than a faster >PC does.

Agreed, point taken