Rpi3b+ vs. X5-z8350 for emulation

[Psynaptik]

Hi all,

Done a fair amount of searching but can’t really find any concrete answers. I hope this is the right r/ to ask on.

Nutshell: Rpi3b+ overclocked or an X5-z8350 mini PC for emulation - worth the price difference?

Will be going in a two player bartop arcade, so don’t want a full size PC.

(Prices in GBP).

An Rpi3b+ is 35. Extra heat sink and fan cooling is 10. 128gb da card about 25. Can probably source power plug and cable from old phone stuff for free. Total approx 70.

So for a little bit more (80) I can get this mini PC : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fanless-x5-Z8350-Graphics-Desktop-Computer/dp/B07GVG3Q4Z/ref=sr_1_6?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1546044787&sr=1-6&keywords=mini+pc

For a bit more (115) I can get this one with added bonus of space for SATA drive rather than using USB or an extra SD Card, plus 4GB ram instead of 2GB ram: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07C4HF94G/ref=psdc_428651031_t3_B07GVG3Q4Z

I have lots of SATA drives hanging about up to 500gb so external storage not an issue with these interms of size (would speed be all that bad doing this?)

So, will those mini PCs perform significantly better than the overclocked Rpi3+? How much performance will I get from it? Dolphin GC/Wii? Dreamcast ready? Some 3D MAME? (Too much dreaming? )

If performance is much better, then slight difference in money is worth it.

Main interest is MAME (console a bonus but not essential). I particularly like fighters and shmups, but also in all the rest of it.

Also not sure if Retropie is best for this? I’ve used attract mode on a vertical MAME cab I made with limited success (games work fine, menu looks like toilet - can’t get skins to work. But hey - I don’t play the menu!). I’m aware of recalbox, Lakka, and that Retropie can be installed on a PC, but am open to suggestions.

Thanks in advance, and hope the answers help others as well!