Totally new to building. Have a cabinet to convert. Help please:)

[Dannyo8]

I want to make an arcade cabinet this is what I have and what I've been told.
I have the pc with mame. I have a fully functional mortal kombat 2 cabinet. I also have 2 of the Xbox 360
Street fighter sticks that work with mame. What I want is the cabinet with a pc hooked up to the existing monitor, using my own speakers from the pc. Have all sticks and buttons removed from cabinet and have the street fighter sticks set on top so I can swap out my steering wheel when I want. I have been told to do this I need to installed a VGA 3000 video card in my pc and also a J-PAC. Is that all I would need to do this? How do I hook it all up?
I'm pretty handy with putting things together I just kind if need a step by step from start to finish to install it. Thank you:)

[welshjpc]

Hello mate, I'm new to this too but it's pretty straightforward really, You have a controller that works? then you don't need a I Pac / J Pac.

Don't know what connection you have for the monitor, I've installed a PC monitor into my cab to save all that. You can pick up an amp for about £8GBP that will connect the PC to the existing speakers which will save some additional hassle unless you really want the PC speakers.....

I'm learning by just making stuff up, let's wing it together! What's the worst that can happen? 

[Cynicaster]

If you want to use a real arcade monitor with a PC, you’ll need a special video card that can send the right signal to it.  Plenty of info here on that.

Speakers are easy, just figure out a way to mount them. 

If the controllers you plan to use already work in MAME, there is no need for any further devices like JPAC, IPAC, etc. 

I’ve never used one of those Xbox fight sticks but I think most people here would probably urge you to just build a control panel or use the control panel that’s already on the cabinet (assuming the sticks and buttons work).  You’re probably going to have a hard time mounting those Xbox sticks in such a way that they’re a) firmly fixed to the cabinet, b) easily swappable, and c) don’t look like complete ass. 

If you don’t care about c), then the problem just got a whole lot simpler. 

PS—if you do decide to use the existing control panel, then in that case you will need a keyboard encoder (such as IPAC) to convert the button presses into keystrokes that MAME can work with. 

Good luck!

[Dannyo8]

The Xbox sticks have a lot of weight to them and mounting holes on the bottom if I ever need them.
What I would do is remove the mk 2 board, install the vga 3000 into the pc. Then how does it connect to the monitor? Any cables I need to buy? And after that, will the monitor still work after the mk board is removed, like it will still power on from the cord and switch on the cabinet?

[brad808]

The Xbox sticks have a lot of weight to them and mounting holes on the bottom if I ever need them.
What I would do is remove the mk 2 board, install the vga 3000 into the pc. Then how does it connect to the monitor? Any cables I need to buy? And after that, will the monitor still work after the mk board is removed, like it will still power on from the cord and switch on the cabinet?

You will need a vga breakout cable. You can buy or make one easily. Then one end will connect to the video card and the other end will connect to the video input pins on the monitor. Some diy will be needed for this part.

The monitor will still work without the mk boards just won't show any image. The switch and power should work fine.


Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

[Dannyo8]

Ok thanks. I will buy the vga 3000 and the breakout cable. One thing that I don't get is the description
"Requires PCI express slot in host PC" I have a dell I bought about 5 years ago. Would it have whatever that is?
I need to wait for the card to get back in stock in the meantime.

[PL1]

"Requires PCI express slot in host PC" I have a dell I bought about 5 years ago. Would it have whatever that is?

It requires a PCI Express x16 or PCIe x16 slot


Look at your motherboard.




Scott