What kind of PC for MAME + Hyperspin + HyperLauncher?

[gedman]

[Disclaimer: I'm new to MAME and building custom control panels.  I'm almost done asking my newbie questions. I promise!  ]

What machine specs do I need for a Windows PC running MAME (no other emulators), 50 MAME ROMs, HyperSpin and HyperLauncher?

I read that MAME can run on a pretty weak Windows PC, but that HyperSpin needs a pretty powerful PC. I read it on the internets, so it must be true!

Advice?

Gedman

[Titchgamer]

Mame can run on very low spec machines. It can also totally kill resources depending on what you want to play!

Old classics pac man etc will run well on low specs.
But if you plan on running anything like Tekken or Time crisis that kind of era you practically need a super gaming rig

Hyperspin is much the same in that it will work ok on lower specs but you need more resources when you add hd video clips, animated themes etc etc.

If you want a good pc that runs most stuff go with a dual core processor and a decent GFX card that should see off most games you would throw at it.

[mourix]

I run hyperspin smoothly on a CRT with a Core 2 Duo E6600, which was pretty high end 10 years ago If you go full HD, you want something like a modern dual core pentium. 

[SuperGojira2001]

Just get a Core 2 Duo PC or similar for $50.

[clok]

I have asked the same question here about every 2-3 years as I move onto other projects and eventually get pulled back to MAME machines and upgrading or building a new one. I had in the early days  some Old AMD athlons running early MAME just fine. I had a E8400 Overclocked  to 3.6 and (remember this is a MAME  version from 5+ years ago) almost everything ran fine. War Gods was my Benchmark back then, along with Gauntlet Legends, both which ran very close to full speed on teh E8400 (but only when it was OC'ed).  There where a couple of 3D games which did not (some flying bicycle game i forget the name of). I currently have a  2500 (none K version) which i bought here  for $130(ish?) from a member who had quite a few for sale 2-3 years ago. Which if i remember right played most everything (again in the Version of mame 2-3 years ago). I have also built a small machine with an intel G3258 4 Pentium  3.2 (MB and CPU is about $100) a core 2 DUO which  seems to handle pretty much any game in MAME quite well.  This last one is my File server/Multi Media machine with a 5TB USB drive with MAME and emu's plugged in with a couple 360 gamepads. Most used machine in my house, streaming KODI to one of the TV's and MAME to another, would recommend this build if you are starting from scratch. But as most said, almost any machine made in the last 10 years will play 90% of mame games, some 3D and pretty new stuff maybe wont play full speed, but with all the games that do, you should find something to play. I have built a few Rasberry PI machines too.. there is not much they wont play either. Hit a 2nd hand store, they almost always have a few $50 PC.. unless they have something from the early to mid 90's still on the shelf you will be able to play most MAME stuff with anything they have. good luck and enjoy!

[n3wt0n]

I built a new PC for my machine as I didn't want to deal with the potential issues a really old machine that had unknown mileage could pose. I chose the G3258 and it runs almost everything I have wanted to play while using the on board graphics. It also runs Hyperspin set up with low res video snippets without missing a beat. But, like Titchgamer said, it will completely depend on what era of games you want to play because sometimes it takes a pretty serious setup to emulate the newer 3D and higher resolution games.

[ark_ader]

I have asked the same question here about every 2-3 years as I move onto other projects and eventually get pulled back to MAME machines and upgrading or building a new one.

Why is that?  Do these requirements change?  Does the subject need a dedicated forum?

Yet we see the same old answers. Year in, year out. How much does it cost these days to do a search for this old and worn out topic?

Maybe we can bundle it up with the other boring questions like: " Do I need a $1000.00 PC to run MAME, or is it OK for me to put a 4K monitor to play Donkey Kong?"

Does the search button need to be bigger?

Seriously.

[Titchgamer]

I have asked the same question here about every 2-3 years as I move onto other projects and eventually get pulled back to MAME machines and upgrading or building a new one.

Why is that?  Do these requirements change?  Does the subject need a dedicated forum?

Yet we see the same old answers. Year in, year out. How much does it cost these days to do a search for this old and worn out topic?

Maybe we can bundle it up with the other boring questions like: " Do I need a $1000.00 PC to run MAME, or is it OK for me to put a 4K monitor to play Donkey Kong?"

Does the search button need to be bigger?

Seriously.

[CheffoJeffo]

I have asked the same question here about every 2-3 years as I move onto other projects and eventually get pulled back to MAME machines and upgrading or building a new one.

Why is that?  Do these requirements change?  Does the subject need a dedicated forum?

Yet we see the same old answers. Year in, year out. How much does it cost these days to do a search for this old and worn out topic?

Maybe we can bundle it up with the other boring questions like: " Do I need a $1000.00 PC to run MAME, or is it OK for me to put a 4K monitor to play Donkey Kong?"

Does the search button need to be bigger?

Seriously.

I really do feel pity for those who go out of their way to perform a personal slight, than taking the effort in joining the conversation and creating some useful dialogue which would benefit the persons' perusal of this topic.

[equlizer]

2nd gen i3 2120, 8gig ram (cause it was cheap), 500gig ssd (got that cheap too), 750Ti video

[mourix]

To be fair, the requirements do kinda change over time as accuracy goes up and more recent games and consoles get emulated. But that applies only if you want to play the newer stuff.

PC power does increase a lot faster than MAME requirements though. What needed a really high end Core 2 Duo in 2008 can now be done with the cheapest Core i3.

[ark_ader]

To be fair, the requirements do kinda change over time as accuracy goes up and more recent games and consoles get emulated. But that applies only if you want to play the newer stuff.

PC power does increase a lot faster than MAME requirements though. What needed a really high end Core 2 Duo in 2008 can now be done with the cheapest Core i3.

But the i3 has been around for several years now. I can understand if a new processor comes out like a, Atom for mobile computing, but the original argument exists.  We have gotten to the point where cheap or free PCs have eclipsed year 2000 hardware, which can run Hyperspin and Hyperlauncher without effort. The subject of what PC?  has been stuck here: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=14155

Is there a reason that people do not read this section, and why comments are not updated or moved to this part of the forum?

Maybe this question should be directed to the moderators? 

The last post in that sticky section was 2003.  14 years?  Who updates what around here?  Is it the Wiki guys?  Who?

[CheffoJeffo]

Maybe we should sticky this and retitle it "What's the best PC for Mame".   

[NIVO]

gedman, what do you have available to you around the house as a spare pc? you might have everything you need.