My arcade project has taken a turn I wasn't expecting when I started buying parts. This has left me with problems running front-end video and newer games. I need advice on how to proceed.
I started out with plans to build a cab from scratch (or rehab an empty cab), put in an LCD and a modern CPU to handle all my pc gaming from retro to modern. I built the CPU first, including a GTX960, which does fine for my needs. I got hyperspin up and running and all was well. When I started searching for cabinets, I found a konami 4-player cab in good strutural shape, but needed some repair and all new artwork. It also included a CRT in very good shape to my surprise. This is where things go downhill.
I thought the easy solution would be the arcade VGA. After more troubleshooting than I expected, It looks great while running mame. The problem is that the videos on the front end are slow to load and I get terrible slowdown on even the NES emulator. I then tried soft 15khz but I don't have an EDID dongle so I couldn't go any further.
So here is my crossroad:
-I could keep the arcade vga, build/repurpose a low end cpu for the cabinet and move my new cpu to the entertainment center. This would likely require me to choose a less flashy front end (at least remove the videos)