Author Topic: A question about using a PC for my MAME cabinet (Read 16972 times)

yotsuya · « **Reply #40 on:** April 30, 2012, 04:06:03 pm »

Power Supply Unit.

ArcadeSeeker962 · « **Reply #41 on:** April 30, 2012, 04:08:21 pm »

Okay, thank you for clearing that up for me.

yotsuya · « **Reply #42 on:** April 30, 2012, 04:10:38 pm »

No problem.

I'm actually going to be building a JAMMA power supply distribution station this week. Why? For fun.

kahlid74 · « **Reply #43 on:** April 30, 2012, 04:25:33 pm »

Quote from: elkameleon on April 30, 2012, 03:18:18 pm

Whats the case for? cheap PSU? $:-\$

It came as part of the package and I prefer the computer mobile in my cabs. I like the ability to remove all components when moving, which my cabs seem to get moved a lot.

AlanS17 · « **Reply #44 on:** April 30, 2012, 04:37:01 pm »

Quote from: ArcadeSeeker962 on April 30, 2012, 04:02:30 pm

What's a PSU? I apologize, I just don't know all of the technical terms.

PSU = power supply unit. It's what converts the electricty from the wall into something that the computer can use.

ArcadeSeeker962 · « **Reply #45 on:** April 30, 2012, 04:42:40 pm »

Quote from: AlanS17 on April 30, 2012, 04:37:01 pm

Quote from: ArcadeSeeker962 on April 30, 2012, 04:02:30 pm
What's a PSU? I apologize, I just don't know all of the technical terms.
PSU = power supply unit. It's what converts the electricty from the wall into something that the computer can use.

Okay, thank you for the explanation.

Brian74 · « **Reply #46 on:** May 02, 2012, 05:56:06 pm »

Before I upgraded my pc I was running a 3.0ghz Pentium D (Dual Core) with 2 gigs of ram running a 9500 gt video card. I would run things for the most part but there was lag and shutter. So a few months back I upgraded the cpu to a intel core 2 duo e8400 wolfdale 3.0ghz. I got this one because I read that it was good for overclocking. I did notice a big difference. So this past weekend, I dropped just over 300.00 and upgraded ed my ps and video card. I bought a corsair 700 watt ps and a nvidia geforce 550 ti. All I know is, my pc kicks ass! It runs this now that it would not before and Im still not done upgrading. It has a 775 socket so I can still upgrade to the Intel Core 2 Extreme. It also has sli to run 2 video cards. All I know is, I wouldn't be happy buying a off the shelf pc when you are limited to upgrading them. Just my .2 cents

not_so_handy · « **Reply #47 on:** May 03, 2012, 12:45:52 pm »

also remember when considering the amount of ram your putting into the machine that if your using XP as the operating system that it will only read 3.2gigs as a max. No need to waste money on buying more then it will support.

smalltownguy · « **Reply #48 on:** May 03, 2012, 01:50:11 pm »

Sorry I'm late to the party here, but I'll try to help.

All your talk about getting into a 'Dell' or 'core i3' tells me you might be shopping out for a new desktop PC for this? Don't! You'll spend a ton of money on something you don't really need.

Aside from the aforementioned Soul Calibur III, which we've already discussed may not be playable in anything other than a playstation, what other games are you trying to play?

Let me steer you towards something with an intel e8400 or e8500 in it. You'll get really good bang for your buck if you get into one of those Core 2 Duo's and overclock it to 4.0ghz.

If you don't want to roll your own on the overclocking thing, then fine. Spend 3x more money, and buy into a core i5 2500k or core i7 2600k. Just be sure you get the 'k' versions of the processors, because once you get a taste of a fast processor, you'll want to make it go faster....faster.....faster....

Tell us what games you want to play, and I'll build a rig for ya

ArcadeSeeker962 · « **Reply #49 on:** May 03, 2012, 02:59:32 pm »

Quote from: smalltownguy on May 03, 2012, 01:50:11 pm

Sorry I'm late to the party here, but I'll try to help.

All your talk about getting into a 'Dell' or 'core i3' tells me you might be shopping out for a new desktop PC for this? Don't! You'll spend a ton of money on something you don't really need.

Aside from the aforementioned Soul Calibur III, which we've already discussed may not be playable in anything other than a playstation, what other games are you trying to play?

Let me steer you towards something with an intel e8400 or e8500 in it. You'll get really good bang for your buck if you get into one of those Core 2 Duo's and overclock it to 4.0ghz.

If you don't want to roll your own on the overclocking thing, then fine. Spend 3x more money, and buy into a core i5 2500k or core i7 2600k. Just be sure you get the 'k' versions of the processors, because once you get a taste of a fast processor, you'll want to make it go faster....faster.....faster....

Tell us what games you want to play, and I'll build a rig for ya

I'm back, I just needed some time to study the Project Arcade Book Version 2, but I understand how this all works more now. Thank you for the advice. I don't know how to overclock Core 2 Duo, but thank you for the advice though. For the games I'll be playing, here's the list:

Centipede
Crazy Kong
Donkey Kong
Dragon Buster
Frogger
Galaga
Galaxian
Gaplus
Gyruss
Jump Bug
Millipede
Ms. Pac-Man
Pacman
Street Fighter II: The World Warrior
Super Street Fighter II: Turbo
Super Breakout
Scramble
The Glob
Time Pilot
Xevious

smalltownguy · « **Reply #50 on:** May 03, 2012, 03:01:34 pm »

Pretty much any computer made in the past 8 years will handle that workload. Seriously.

ArcadeSeeker962 · « **Reply #51 on:** May 03, 2012, 03:08:07 pm »

Quote from: smalltownguy on May 03, 2012, 03:01:34 pm

Pretty much any computer made in the past 8 years will handle that workload. Seriously.

Thank you for the help. My father was originally planning on looking for an older PC to use for the MAME cabinet anyway, so I change my mind. Thank you all for your help, now that I have made my decision.

lordnacho · « **Reply #52 on:** May 03, 2012, 03:21:02 pm »

Since it looks like you'll be getting a tower and putting it into the cabinet once you build it. Remember you need good airflow or pc temps will rise and parts could overheat or just shorten the lifespan.

Just as an example, when I built my home theater pc and put it into my tv stand(which is open in the front and closed in the back, I saw temps steadily rise and not even under any load. So just something to remember in building the cabinet. Browse around the project threads and you'll see how everyone else vents theirs. When using a pc case, you'll want to line up the intake fans near a vent, so it gets fresh air. And in theory some exhaust vents higher up, since hot air rises.

Dervacumen · « **Reply #53 on:** May 03, 2012, 04:30:50 pm »

Quote from: ArcadeSeeker962 on May 03, 2012, 02:59:32 pm

Quote from: smalltownguy on May 03, 2012, 01:50:11 pm
Sorry I'm late to the party here, but I'll try to help.

All your talk about getting into a 'Dell' or 'core i3' tells me you might be shopping out for a new desktop PC for this? Don't! You'll spend a ton of money on something you don't really need.

Aside from the aforementioned Soul Calibur III, which we've already discussed may not be playable in anything other than a playstation, what other games are you trying to play?

Let me steer you towards something with an intel e8400 or e8500 in it. You'll get really good bang for your buck if you get into one of those Core 2 Duo's and overclock it to 4.0ghz.

If you don't want to roll your own on the overclocking thing, then fine. Spend 3x more money, and buy into a core i5 2500k or core i7 2600k. Just be sure you get the 'k' versions of the processors, because once you get a taste of a fast processor, you'll want to make it go faster....faster.....faster....

Tell us what games you want to play, and I'll build a rig for ya

I'm back, I just needed some time to study the Project Arcade Book Version 2, but I understand how this all works more now. Thank you for the advice. I don't know how to overclock Core 2 Duo, but thank you for the advice though. For the games I'll be playing, here's the list:

Centipede
Crazy Kong
Donkey Kong
Dragon Buster
Frogger
Galaga
Galaxian
Gaplus
Gyruss
Jump Bug
Millipede
Ms. Pac-Man
Pacman
Street Fighter II: The World Warrior
Super Street Fighter II: Turbo
Super Breakout
Scramble
The Glob
Time Pilot
Xevious

I run those with no problem on a Pentium III 800MHz machine. Free on CL or maybe $25.

ArcadeSeeker962 · « **Reply #54 on:** May 03, 2012, 04:36:30 pm »

Quote from: lordnacho1 on May 03, 2012, 03:21:02 pm

Since it looks like you'll be getting a tower and putting it into the cabinet once you build it. Remember you need good airflow or pc temps will rise and parts could overheat or just shorten the lifespan.

Just as an example, when I built my home theater pc and put it into my tv stand(which is open in the front and closed in the back, I saw temps steadily rise and not even under any load. So just something to remember in building the cabinet. Browse around the project threads and you'll see how everyone else vents theirs. When using a pc case, you'll want to line up the intake fans near a vent, so it gets fresh air. And in theory some exhaust vents higher up, since hot air rises.

Is tower another term for an older PC? Thank you your advice, I'll check out the project announcement threads and look at how other people cooled off their PC's.

smalltownguy · « **Reply #55 on:** May 03, 2012, 04:37:56 pm »

'Tower' just signifies the case that the PC comes in. Most times people refer to 'tower' to include the entire desktop PC case and all the components inside it.

It does not signify age.

ArcadeSeeker962 · « **Reply #56 on:** May 03, 2012, 04:47:03 pm »

Quote from: smalltownguy on May 03, 2012, 04:37:56 pm

'Tower' just signifies the case that the PC comes in. Most times people refer to 'tower' to include the entire desktop PC case and all the components inside it.

It does not signify age.

Okay, thank you for clearing that up for me.

Quote from: Dervacumen on May 03, 2012, 04:30:50 pm

I run those with no problem on a Pentium III 800MHz machine. Free on CL or maybe $25.

Thank you for recommending a good PC. I've been putting together all the advice from all the threads I have made, so that I can finalize my plans. Then, me and my father are going to sit down and discuss the advice that has been given to me to finalize the plans. When I'll be buying the used PC is unknown, but I'm guessing it'll be in the winter time, because the process to the assembly of my cabinet will be a step-by-step project.

smalltownguy · « **Reply #57 on:** May 03, 2012, 04:56:12 pm »

Yes, get the cab done first. Do NOT drop the PC in until the very last moment.

If you dont wait and make it playable too early, you will never finish it.

Mark Thomas · « **Reply #58 on:** May 03, 2012, 05:05:34 pm »

Quote from: smalltownguy on May 03, 2012, 04:56:12 pm

Yes, get the cab done first. Do NOT drop the PC in until the very last moment.

If you dont wait and make it playable too early, you will never finish it.

This is excellent advice

ArcadeSeeker962 · « **Reply #59 on:** May 03, 2012, 05:12:26 pm »

Quote from: Mark Thomas on May 03, 2012, 05:05:34 pm

Quote from: smalltownguy on May 03, 2012, 04:56:12 pm
Yes, get the cab done first. Do NOT drop the PC in until the very last moment.

If you dont wait and make it playable too early, you will never finish it.

This is excellent advice

I agree as well. I'll keep updating my thread and reading Project Arcade Version 2 as well, to make sure I have all the information I need to build the cabinet. After the cabinet will come the assembly of the control panel, and then the old PC will be the last step.

AlanS17 · « **Reply #60 on:** May 03, 2012, 05:47:42 pm »

Yeah, those games will play on anything. The machines I built nearly 10 years ago could play those games without a hiccup.

ArcadeSeeker962 · « **Reply #61 on:** May 03, 2012, 07:01:06 pm »

That's neat that emulation has come that far(and even further!) to make playing arcade games playable on older computers. I remember the first computer our family owned. It was a Compaq, and it looked so much older than the computer I'm using today. The family computer I'm currently using is has Dell Hardrive with a Sceptre computer monitor. The combination works well, but I'll make sure that I buy a used Intel Computer for my my MAME Cabinet. Thank you all very much for steering me in the right direction.

krick · « **Reply #62 on:** May 04, 2012, 12:57:01 am »

I don't think anyone mentioned this in the thread so far, but current versions of MAME are quite a bit faster on Intel processors than AMD processors. I'm not sure why, but it's just the way it is. Maybe the compiler just generates code that's better optimized for the Intel architecture. Who knows.

You'll also want to run a 64-bit operating system for additional performance in MAME. Up to 30% more in certain games. This means that if you're using windows, you'll want to run Windows XP 64-bit edition, Windows Vista 64-bit edition, or Windows 7 64-bit edition. XP 64-bit edition is hard to find, so you'll most likely want to go with Windows 7 64-bit edition.

ArcadeSeeker962 · « **Reply #63 on:** May 04, 2012, 01:47:50 am »

Thank you for the advice. I'm going to sort out all of this information with my father(along with everything else from other threads I created), so that way I can finalize my plans.

Mark Thomas · « **Reply #64 on:** May 04, 2012, 06:39:51 am »

Quote from: krick on May 04, 2012, 12:57:01 am

I don't think anyone mentioned this in the thread so far, but current versions of MAME are quite a bit faster on Intel processors than AMD processors. I'm not sure why, but it's just the way it is. Maybe the compiler just generates code that's better optimized for the Intel architecture. Who knows.

You'll also want to run a 64-bit operating system for additional performance in MAME. Up to 30% more in certain games. This means that if you're using windows, you'll want to run Windows XP 64-bit edition, Windows Vista 64-bit edition, or Windows 7 64-bit edition. XP 64-bit edition is hard to find, so you'll most likely want to go with Windows 7 64-bit edition.

Wow I never knew this

not_so_handy · « **Reply #65 on:** May 04, 2012, 09:04:49 am »

i would be leary about going on CL for getting a computer especially an old pentium 3. First off you dont know how people have treated the computer and how many viruses have been on that computer causing issues with ram and the hard drive. Even if you format the drive it could still run like garbage. I would go to a computer store and look at referbished machines there. You can find a single core pentium 4 for pretty cheap at most mom and pop computer stores that will run much better then something found on CL. Not saying that everything on CL is junk but you will have better luck with a computer store.

smalltownguy · « **Reply #66 on:** May 04, 2012, 10:02:32 am »

Quote from: not_so_handy on May 04, 2012, 09:04:49 am

i would be leary about going on CL for getting a computer especially an old pentium 3. First off you dont know how people have treated the computer and how many viruses have been on that computer causing issues with ram and the hard drive. Even if you format the drive it could still run like garbage. I would go to a computer store and look at referbished machines there. You can find a single core pentium 4 for pretty cheap at most mom and pop computer stores that will run much better then something found on CL. Not saying that everything on CL is junk but you will have better luck with a computer store.

Hah..I'd buy a Pentium III machine off CL any day of the week. If there's one actually still RUNNING out there, you know it's bulletproof. It'll outlast today's crap when that dies.

Seriously, though, if you're going to go to a store and buy a PC used, you're gonna get raped. Please just let me give you a computer. I have like a dozen of them sitting in my garage - pay shipping and it's yours.

not_so_handy · « **Reply #67 on:** May 04, 2012, 10:16:40 am »

running and running well are two different things.

I didnt know mame ran better on windows xp 64 bit though. I may have to give that a try.

ArcadeSeeker962 · « **Reply #68 on:** May 04, 2012, 10:59:38 am »

Quote from: not_so_handy on May 04, 2012, 09:04:49 am

i would be leary about going on CL for getting a computer especially an old pentium 3. First off you dont know how people have treated the computer and how many viruses have been on that computer causing issues with ram and the hard drive. Even if you format the drive it could still run like garbage. I would go to a computer store and look at referbished machines there. You can find a single core pentium 4 for pretty cheap at most mom and pop computer stores that will run much better then something found on CL. Not saying that everything on CL is junk but you will have better luck with a computer store.

Thank you for the advice. It's still unknown at this point whether I'll buy a PC online or from a local store, so I haven't made a decision yet. Plus, I'll be using a front end with my MAME software, so I want to make sure that everything works together. Also, since krick said that running Windows 7 is a good choice for MAME, I want to make sure everything's compatible with a used Pentium PC.

Quote from: smalltownguy on May 04, 2012, 10:02:32 am

Hah..I'd buy a Pentium III machine off CL any day of the week. If there's one actually still RUNNING out there, you know it's bulletproof. It'll outlast today's crap when that dies.

Seriously, though, if you're going to go to a store and buy a PC used, you're gonna get raped. Please just let me give you a computer. I have like a dozen of them sitting in my garage - pay shipping and it's yours.

It's okay, I can look for whatever you all recommend online, thank you for the offer though. Does CL stand for "Craig's List"? If so, I heard that there's a lot of scams that happen on there. Due to the fact that I'm getting mixed opinions, would ebay or amazon be a better website to buy a used Pentium PC from? I'm sorry, I'm just getting confused.

GregD · « **Reply #69 on:** May 04, 2012, 11:44:45 am »

I wouldn't try to run Windows 7 on a Pentium 3 pc. I also wouldn't bother with a Pentium 3 pc. The advice given was to say that most of MAME will run on a Pentium 3 processor. I don't think anyone is recommending that you use one. Pentium 4 pcs and Core 2 Duo are out there for very short money. If I was buying a pc I would make sure it is a dual core processor. The PC will also determine which front end you can use. Don't try to run Hyperspin on a pc that isn't dual core.

smalltownguy · « **Reply #70 on:** May 04, 2012, 11:50:20 am »

Greg, based on what I've read here the OP isn't too tech savvy, so we all need to scale down our nomenclature a bit.

Mark Thomas · « **Reply #71 on:** May 04, 2012, 11:51:24 am »

Which of the 64bit operating systems would be the prefered one of choice for Mame 143?

ArcadeSeeker962 · « **Reply #72 on:** May 04, 2012, 02:34:42 pm »

Quote from: GregD on May 04, 2012, 11:44:45 am

I wouldn't try to run Windows 7 on a Pentium 3 pc. I also wouldn't bother with a Pentium 3 pc. The advice given was to say that most of MAME will run on a Pentium 3 processor. I don't think anyone is recommending that you use one. Pentium 4 pcs and Core 2 Duo are out there for very short money. If I was buying a pc I would make sure it is a dual core processor. The PC will also determine which front end you can use. Don't try to run Hyperspin on a pc that isn't dual core.

Thank you for the advice. I'll take a look at the Pentium 4 PCs and Core 2 Duo.

Quote from: smalltownguy on May 04, 2012, 11:50:20 am

Greg, based on what I've read here the OP isn't too tech savvy, so we all need to scale down our nomenclature a bit.

What's an OP? I never heard of that acronym before...

ArcadeSeeker962 · « **Reply #73 on:** May 04, 2012, 03:45:11 pm »

Since Dell PC's aren't recommended, I chose a Compaq PC. Is this a good choice?

http://www.amazon.com/HP-Compaq-D530-Desktop-Computer/dp/B00367I4R0/ref=sr_1_124?ie=UTF8&qid=1336160578&sr=8-124

It was hard to find one on Amazon, so here was what I found. If any one recommends going on the HP website for a refurbished PC, please let me know.

kingjorf · « **Reply #74 on:** May 04, 2012, 04:13:40 pm »

Quote from: ArcadeSeeker962

What's an OP? I never heard of that acronym before...

OP just means Original Poster (in this case, you)

ArcadeSeeker962 · « **Reply #75 on:** May 04, 2012, 04:33:00 pm »

Quote from: kingjorf on May 04, 2012, 04:13:40 pm

OP just means Original Poster (in this case, you)

Okay, that's what I thought it meant. Thank you for clearing that up for me.

kahlid74 · « **Reply #76 on:** May 04, 2012, 05:09:26 pm »

That looks to be fine for what you're looking to run on it. I would do a quick check against that model number on google and see if any recalls have been placed against it or if any capacitors/transistors have blown out on it.

ArcadeSeeker962 · « **Reply #77 on:** May 04, 2012, 06:43:32 pm »

Quote from: kahlid74 on May 04, 2012, 05:09:26 pm

That looks to be fine for what you're looking to run on it. I would do a quick check against that model number on google and see if any recalls have been placed against it or if any capacitors/transistors have blown out on it.

Glad that I picked the right one.

Anyhow, thank you for the advice, and I'll look for recalls and any capacitors or transistors have blown out on it.

ArcadeSeeker962 · « **Reply #78 on:** May 04, 2012, 06:59:36 pm »

I took some more research, and I found a search result on Google that listed that the PC I chose is known for Capacitor problems, so that won't be my choice. However, I found this one:

http://www.amazon.com/HP-Compaq-dc5700-Factor-Desktop/dp/B004GVSRHC/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1336172075&sr=8-7

I did some research, and it looks like a good choice. What do you think? I'll also be playing Q*Bert and Space Invaders on it as well.

MTPPC · « **Reply #79 on:** May 04, 2012, 11:06:14 pm »

How about this?

http://www.gearxs.com/computers/HP-Compaq-DC5000-Series-Microtower-PC---Intel-Pentium-4-3.0GHz--1GB-DDR-40GB-HDD-DVD


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