the alienware alpha for emulators?

[kenkraken]

do you think that's a great idea? i mean its a small pc which is great for cabinets

[smass]

Depends on your intended use.  If you are planning on newer console emulation it should be powerful enough for sure.  If you are building an 8bit or even 16bit focused game list, then its overkill for sure.  As far as size goes, if you are building a full size stand up cabinet size is not an issue.  If you are building your own system and mounting the components without a computer case, it would not take up much more room than an alpha anyway.  Plenty of folks use standard micro-atx motherboards and components in bar tops for instance.

So, it depends on your application.  And since I am a cheapskate at heart, if I needed a powerful system for the latest generation of console emulation, I would build a system before buying one personally.  That's not feasible for everyone I realize.

[BadMouth]

do you think that's a great idea? i mean its a small pc which is great for cabinets

Why is a small PC great for cabinets?
There are cubic feet of empty space available.
For a cab, I'd prefer to use something more standard so I can swap parts and upgrade later.


I bought an alpha to use as a console for the living room.
I haven't got around to installing any emulators on it though. 
Processor speed is king in emulation.  You can't just say Alpha or i3 or i5. 
They make faster and slower ones. Ghz matter.
I got a refurb one with an i3-4170 Processor (up to 3.7 GHz) with a wireless xbox controller for $363 before tax.
(probably about as cheap as I could have built a similar spec PC for by the time I bought the OS)

[JDFan]

I'd prefer to use something more standard so I can swap parts and upgrade later.

^this -- esp since most of the prebuilts use some cheaper things mixed in (ie. no name Powersupply with low specs or inferior rated Ram modules) so when time comes to upgrade you wind up also having to purchase new things you would already have if you had built it in the first place. I'd rather spend a bit extra on the original build and get high quality parts (ie. always spend a bit extra on a larger quality Powersupply than needed to have the expansion ability)

Unless you know exactly what you want the system for and are going to use it specifically for that and do not plan to upgrade as time goes by then something prebuilt that performs the job and is a bit cheaper is fine !

[dmckean]

Depends on your intended use.  If you are planning on newer console emulation it should be powerful enough for sure.  If you are building an 8bit or even 16bit focused game list, then its overkill for sure.  As far as size goes, if you are building a full size stand up cabinet size is not an issue.  If you are building your own system and mounting the components without a computer case, it would not take up much more room than an alpha anyway.  Plenty of folks use standard micro-atx motherboards and components in bar tops for instance.

So, it depends on your application.  And since I am a cheapskate at heart, if I needed a powerful system for the latest generation of console emulation, I would build a system before buying one personally.  That's not feasible for everyone I realize.

Probably, but everything would look really nice with HLSL or GLSL turned on. The Alpha could handle that without breaking a sweat.

[CheffoJeffo]

Ghz matter.

 

[paigeoliver]

No console past the Genesis has controls that translate well to an arcade control panel. The Snes adds shoulder buttons which are hit or miss depending on how they are used and after that everything went analog. Around that same exact time the Playstation was coming out arcade games stopped being about joystick titles and started being all about specialty controls which your cabinet won't have.

Guess what, those games that will actually control well with your panel were pretty much all running good on 1999 era hardware. As long as you don't sabotage yourself by trying to use something stupid like a raspberry pi, a mac or a modded Xbox then you can literally use just about anything you want.

Not sure why the PC being small makes it great for cabinets. Most of them have enough empty space inside for about 8 full sized towers.

[MaseMan]

No console past the Genesis has controls that translate well to an arcade control panel. The Snes adds shoulder buttons which are hit or miss depending on how they are used and after that everything went analog. Around that same exact time the Playstation was coming out arcade games stopped being about joystick titles and started being all about specialty controls which your cabinet won't have.

This is a good point. Some SNES games are really awkward to play, even if you have eight buttons and a stick on your control panel.

I've toyed with adding Playstation games to my rig, but not sure I'm going to bother. They probably won't "feel" quite the same on an arcade setup.

[monkeybomb]

I bought one in October for $389.  It came with a 2.9 GHz Intel Core i3-4130T Processor, 4GB DDR3 Ram, a 500GB HD and Windows 8.  I upgraded to 8 gigs of RAM, added a 1 tb SSHD and installed windows 7.  I think the most demanding emulated games I have tried are the dreamcast version of virtua fighter 3 on demul and Windwaker on Dolphin.  Both run great.  All the steam games I have tried run great, but I'm not an mmo guy.  It boots fast.  It came with a wireless xbox 360 controller and a wireless receiver for it.  The wifi card works better then anything else I have put in this spot under the television.  Overall I'm very happy with it and the processor shouldn't be difficult to change if there is ever a need.  Despite being happy with the computer, I don't think I could put it in my cabinet.

I'm not sure what you consider an arcade cabinet, but this only has an HDMI output for video and the video card can't be changed.  So I don't think you can use the Alpha with an arcade monitor without downgrading the video in some conversion.

It might be rare, but some cabinets (mine) do have limited space for a computer and the size of the alpha is appealing if I'm wrong about the monitor situation.

[kenkraken]

Depends on your intended use.  If you are planning on newer console emulation it should be powerful enough for sure.  If you are building an 8bit or even 16bit focused game list, then its overkill for sure.  As far as size goes, if you are building a full size stand up cabinet size is not an issue.  If you are building your own system and mounting the components without a computer case, it would not take up much more room than an alpha anyway.  Plenty of folks use standard micro-atx motherboards and components in bar tops for instance.

So, it depends on your application.  And since I am a cheapskate at heart, if I needed a powerful system for the latest generation of console emulation, I would build a system before buying one personally.  That's not feasible for everyone I realize.

thanks for the info but why did they used M-Atx motherboards and not itx? its smaller and have a pcie slot for gpu

[kenkraken]

do you think that's a great idea? i mean its a small pc which is great for cabinets

Why is a small PC great for cabinets?
There are cubic feet of empty space available.
For a cab, I'd prefer to use something more standard so I can swap parts and upgrade later.


I bought an alpha to use as a console for the living room.
I haven't got around to installing any emulators on it though. 
Processor speed is king in emulation.  You can't just say Alpha or i3 or i5. 
They make faster and slower ones. Ghz matter.
I got a refurb one with an i3-4170 Processor (up to 3.7 GHz) with a wireless xbox controller for $363 before tax.
(probably about as cheap as I could have built a similar spec PC for by the time I bought the OS)

the nuc is a better pc since it has better cpu? but i doesnt have a gpu (as in a dedicated gpu)
is the cpu far more important?

[kenkraken]

I'd prefer to use something more standard so I can swap parts and upgrade later.

^this -- esp since most of the prebuilts use some cheaper things mixed in (ie. no name Powersupply with low specs or inferior rated Ram modules) so when time comes to upgrade you wind up also having to purchase new things you would already have if you had built it in the first place. I'd rather spend a bit extra on the original build and get high quality parts (ie. always spend a bit extra on a larger quality Powersupply than needed to have the expansion ability)

i have good knowledge of pc and computers in general. why do i need to upgrade though? as far as i know, there is not new nes classics coming out so why upgrade? just wondering

Unless you know exactly what you want the system for and are going to use it specifically for that and do not plan to upgrade as time goes by then something prebuilt that performs the job and is a bit cheaper is fine !

[kenkraken]

Depends on your intended use.  If you are planning on newer console emulation it should be powerful enough for sure.  If you are building an 8bit or even 16bit focused game list, then its overkill for sure.  As far as size goes, if you are building a full size stand up cabinet size is not an issue.  If you are building your own system and mounting the components without a computer case, it would not take up much more room than an alpha anyway.  Plenty of folks use standard micro-atx motherboards and components in bar tops for instance.

So, it depends on your application.  And since I am a cheapskate at heart, if I needed a powerful system for the latest generation of console emulation, I would build a system before buying one personally.  That's not feasible for everyone I realize.

Probably, but everything would look really nice with HLSL or GLSL turned on. The Alpha could handle that without breaking a sweat.

should i get it or i7 nuc?

[kenkraken]

No console past the Genesis has controls that translate well to an arcade control panel. The Snes adds shoulder buttons which are hit or miss depending on how they are used and after that everything went analog. Around that same exact time the Playstation was coming out arcade games stopped being about joystick titles and started being all about specialty controls which your cabinet won't have.

Guess what, those games that will actually control well with your panel were pretty much all running good on 1999 era hardware. As long as you don't sabotage yourself by trying to use something stupid like a raspberry pi, a mac or a modded Xbox then you can literally use just about anything you want.

Not sure why the PC being small makes it great for cabinets. Most of them have enough empty space inside for about 8 full sized towers.

as in wire management and for making the cabinet lighter and easy to fix and to cool

[kenkraken]

I bought one in October for $389.  It came with a 2.9 GHz Intel Core i3-4130T Processor, 4GB DDR3 Ram, a 500GB HD and Windows 8.  I upgraded to 8 gigs of RAM, added a 1 tb SSHD and installed windows 7.  I think the most demanding emulated games I have tried are the dreamcast version of virtua fighter 3 on demul and Windwaker on Dolphin.  Both run great.  All the steam games I have tried run great, but I'm not an mmo guy.  It boots fast.  It came with a wireless xbox 360 controller and a wireless receiver for it.  The wifi card works better then anything else I have put in this spot under the television.  Overall I'm very happy with it and the processor shouldn't be difficult to change if there is ever a need.  Despite being happy with the computer, I don't think I could put it in my cabinet.

I'm not sure what you consider an arcade cabinet, but this only has an HDMI output for video and the video card can't be changed.  So I don't think you can use the Alpha with an arcade monitor without downgrading the video in some conversion.

It might be rare, but some cabinets (mine) do have limited space for a computer and the size of the alpha is appealing if I'm wrong about the monitor situation.

what about the nuc? what should i get?

[dmckean]

should i get it or i7 nuc?

It depends, do you want the Nvidia graphics?

[monkeybomb]

What do you want to play?

What kind of monitor are you going to use?

[thomas_surles]

not sure if the specs but you could play newer street fighters and mortal kombat games. that could be worth it if you are into fighting games. not sure if how many buttons those games need. I wish I could play mkx

[woosdom]

do you think that's a great idea? i mean its a small pc which is great for cabinets

I bought the Alienware alpha i5 version for $300. it plays everything very well.  I've been playing fallout 4 and Arma 3 on it.  I copied my hyperspin setup over to it and it has no problems playing emulators.  I was just playing Mario sunshine on it the other day.

let me know if you have any questions about a certain game or emulator.

[paigeoliver]

No console past the Genesis has controls that translate well to an arcade control panel. The Snes adds shoulder buttons which are hit or miss depending on how they are used and after that everything went analog. Around that same exact time the Playstation was coming out arcade games stopped being about joystick titles and started being all about specialty controls which your cabinet won't have.

Guess what, those games that will actually control well with your panel were pretty much all running good on 1999 era hardware. As long as you don't sabotage yourself by trying to use something stupid like a raspberry pi, a mac or a modded Xbox then you can literally use just about anything you want.

Not sure why the PC being small makes it great for cabinets. Most of them have enough empty space inside for about 8 full sized towers.

as in wire management and for making the cabinet lighter and easy to fix and to cool

I don't see how using a smaller PC case makes the cabinet have better wire management or easier to repair? If anything smaller PCs are harder to repair. I have put a lot of computers in cabinets and it is generally the smaller case ones that run hot in the cabinet, the full towers tend to run pretty cool. You can however shave an imperceptible 2 pounds off the weight of a 300 pound cabinet though!

[dmckean]

I don't see how using a smaller PC case makes the cabinet have better wire management or easier to repair? If anything smaller PCs are harder to repair. I have put a lot of computers in cabinets and it is generally the smaller case ones that run hot in the cabinet, the full towers tend to run pretty cool. You can however shave an imperceptible 2 pounds off the weight of a 300 pound cabinet though!

There's a lot of ways to take weight off a cabinet if you're building from scratch. Plywood instead of MDF, LCD instead of CRT, lightweight computer, LED strips instead of lamp fixtures, wiring it all up to run off a single laptop power supply. Pretty soon you've shaved 120 lbs off a 300 lb cabinet.

We also still have no idea what the OP wants to build.

[paigeoliver]

Oh I agree with you there, mostly, I mean I certainly wouldn't sabotage the quality of my cabinet by using an LCD just to make it lighter. I have however built with plywood on multiple occasions. Really though, once you use plywood instead of particle any other weight reduction is going to be almost impossible to notice.

I think a lot of people somehow over estimate how often they will need to move their cabinet and forget that dollies exist. I have 20 games in my basement and unless I am actively carrying one up the steps I could care less what they weigh. And if one is going up the steps that must mean I have money in my pocket.

I don't see how using a smaller PC case makes the cabinet have better wire management or easier to repair? If anything smaller PCs are harder to repair. I have put a lot of computers in cabinets and it is generally the smaller case ones that run hot in the cabinet, the full towers tend to run pretty cool. You can however shave an imperceptible 2 pounds off the weight of a 300 pound cabinet though!

There's a lot of ways to take weight off a cabinet if you're building from scratch. Plywood instead of MDF, LCD instead of CRT, lightweight computer, LED strips instead of lamp fixtures, wiring it all up to run off a single laptop power supply. Pretty soon you've shaved 120 lbs off a 300 lb cabinet.

We also still have no idea what the OP wants to build.

[kenkraken]

should i get it or i7 nuc?

It depends, do you want the Nvidia graphics?

would i need it?

[kenkraken]

What do you want to play?

What kind of monitor are you going to use?

this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Arcade-Monitor-Cocktail-cabinets-industrial/dp/B004QJ6EN8?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_sfl_title_2&smid=A21938RR3HEHTR

what's your opinion on it?

[kenkraken]

do you think that's a great idea? i mean its a small pc which is great for cabinets

I bought the Alienware alpha i5 version for $300. it plays everything very well.  I've been playing fallout 4 and Arma 3 on it.  I copied my hyperspin setup over to it and it has no problems playing emulators.  I was just playing Mario sunshine on it the other day.

let me know if you have any questions about a certain game or emulator.

is it better than a i7 nuc? isnt emulators CPU based?

[kenkraken]

I don't see how using a smaller PC case makes the cabinet have better wire management or easier to repair? If anything smaller PCs are harder to repair. I have put a lot of computers in cabinets and it is generally the smaller case ones that run hot in the cabinet, the full towers tend to run pretty cool. You can however shave an imperceptible 2 pounds off the weight of a 300 pound cabinet though!

There's a lot of ways to take weight off a cabinet if you're building from scratch. Plywood instead of MDF, LCD instead of CRT, lightweight computer, LED strips instead of lamp fixtures, wiring it all up to run off a single laptop power supply. Pretty soon you've shaved 120 lbs off a 300 lb cabinet.

We also still have no idea what the OP wants to build.

sorry, i had midterms. anyway, i thought smaller pcs were better but i guess not. im building a full size cabinet with a help from a carpenter.

[kenkraken]

Oh I agree with you there, mostly, I mean I certainly wouldn't sabotage the quality of my cabinet by using an LCD just to make it lighter. I have however built with plywood on multiple occasions. Really though, once you use plywood instead of particle any other weight reduction is going to be almost impossible to notice.

I think a lot of people somehow over estimate how often they will need to move their cabinet and forget that dollies exist. I have 20 games in my basement and unless I am actively carrying one up the steps I could care less what they weigh. And if one is going up the steps that must mean I have money in my pocket.

I don't see how using a smaller PC case makes the cabinet have better wire management or easier to repair? If anything smaller PCs are harder to repair. I have put a lot of computers in cabinets and it is generally the smaller case ones that run hot in the cabinet, the full towers tend to run pretty cool. You can however shave an imperceptible 2 pounds off the weight of a 300 pound cabinet though!

There's a lot of ways to take weight off a cabinet if you're building from scratch. Plywood instead of MDF, LCD instead of CRT, lightweight computer, LED strips instead of lamp fixtures, wiring it all up to run off a single laptop power supply. Pretty soon you've shaved 120 lbs off a 300 lb cabinet.

We also still have no idea what the OP wants to build.

i cant find crts localy and i cant ship it. what should i do? i found this?

http://www.amazon.com/Arcade-Monitor-Cocktail-cabinets-industrial/dp/B004QJ6EN8?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_sfl_title_2&smid=A21938RR3HEHTR

[paigeoliver]

Where do you live where you can't find a crt and how have you tried to find one?

[kenkraken]

saudi arabia. i hadn't search the poor side of jeddah yet but still the chances are slim.
http://www.amazon.com/Arcade-Monitor-Cocktail-cabinets-industrial/dp/B004QJ6EN8?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_sfl_title_3&smid=A21938RR3HEHTR