Looking to upgrade, need recommendations for full speed MAME titles

[RyuHayabusa78]

I'm looking to upgrade my MAME machine and I want to be able to play the more demanding games like Daytona USA, Ridge Racer, Rave Racer, and NFL Blitz at full speed, possibly the Atomiswave games just for Hokuto No Ken. I know that most of those games can be played through Nebula and Viva Nonno but I'd rather run it all through MAME for simplicity. I'm looking to spend around $400 for the motherboard, CPU, and RAM. I already have a case and HD to use. I don't want to buy something and it not be powerful enough. Also, I'm running an ArcadeVGA card. Any recommendations for that price range?

Also, for anyone who already has a PC capable of playing Daytona USA at full speed through MAME, does it look good or is it still glitchy? Thanks for any info.

[joeH]

CPU - i5 2500k  $ 229.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

MOBO - ASUS P8P67 Pro   $149.00 AR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131771

RAM - 8GB GSkill Ripjaws  $46.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314

Total:  $424.99

That is literally what my main computer has in it (well almost...I'm running 16GB of RAM), and it runs everything I've thrown at it full speed.  I have the processor running at 4.2Ghz with a simple bump in the multiplier to 42.  The 2500k is a VERY nice chip.  If this doesn't run something at full speed, it's due to a poor MAME driver that needs optimization, rather than this hardware not having the capability of running it.  

Edit...sorry, I haven't fired up Daytona in MAME in ages as I usually run it in a Dreamcast/NAOMI emulator instead. 

[05SRT4]

I have a Quad Core processor and a high end 1 gig video card and Blitz is still choppy in MAME for me. Ive heard of people with lower PC specs and they say it runs smooth. they didn't really elaborate on there specs though.

[joeH]

I have a Quad Core processor and a high end 1 gig video card and Blitz is still choppy in MAME for me. Ive heard of people with lower PC specs and they say it runs smooth. they didn't really elaborate on there specs though.

Really depends what you mean by a "lower PC spec".  MAME, I don't believe, can utilize 4 cores.  A dual-core chip running at 4Ghz will outperform a quad-core running at 3Ghz. 

[05SRT4]

I have a Quad Core processor and a high end 1 gig video card and Blitz is still choppy in MAME for me. Ive heard of people with lower PC specs and they say it runs smooth. they didn't really elaborate on there specs though.

Really depends what you mean by a "lower PC spec".  MAME, I don't believe, can utilize 4 cores.  A dual-core chip running at 4Ghz will outperform a quad-core running at 3Ghz. 

I didnt know that.
Thanks for that info JoeH

[ABACABB]

That is absolutley true about MAME only utilizing 2 cores.  Get the fastest dual core processor you can find.  I can play NFL Blitz at full speed (most of the time) and what I mean is the game runs great, sometimes when a play is over and I go belly-flopping on a downed opponent, I get a slight stutter but when the game is live and the play counts it runs smooth.  I am running MAME64 ver .141.  My processor is a Corei5 650 @ 3.2ghz w 6gb RAM.  As far as Daytona, I run it in a Model 2 emulator (Nebula) and it runs perfectly.  My frontend, GameEx, mixes both MAME and Model2 games in the same list so when you choose a game it picks whether it should run in MAME or Model2 and launches the game in the appropriate emulator.  Works very good and keeps your games together without having seperate lists for different emus.  Maybe this could help you out.

[BadMouth]

sock garden.  watch them grow.

[RyuHayabusa78]

Thanks for the info. One of the main reasons I want to run Daytona and the other Model 2 games through MAME is that there appears to be a problem with running Nebula Model 2 through an ArcadeVGA card. I have two gaming PCs, one mainly for consoles that I hook to my 51 inch HDTV and the other in my arcade cabinet, which runs through the ArcadeVGA card. The colors are all screwed when running Nebula through the ArcadeVGA card, and this appears to be a common problem. It works fine on my other PC, which uses an ATI Radeon Sapphire HD. Anyone else have issues with Nebula and the ArcadeVGA card or have any solutions?