Main > Main Forum

Help me buy a good MAME system

Pages: << < (8/13) > >>

IntruderAlert:


--- Quote from: paigeoliver on April 05, 2005, 05:31:22 am ---
--- Quote from: SOAPboy on April 05, 2005, 05:13:09 am ---
--- Quote from: paigeoliver on April 05, 2005, 03:59:03 am ---
--- Quote from: CPickler on April 04, 2005, 07:35:16 pm ---This makes me feel inferior.

I am running a P3 for my MAME system.  It's an old box I had lying around that used to be the music server for my fraternity.

I thought that most MAME games would run on a P3 with 128 MB RAM quite well.

Am I wrong?

--- End quote ---

No, you aren't wrong. A 128MB P3 with the proper mame version (somewhere around .70 would be correct for a P3), will run roughly 98 percent of the games in Mame full speed.

The problem is that people won't stop talking about that other 2 percent. Half of that other 2 percent won't run on ANYTHING. Of the remaining ones roughly 75 percent require specialty analog controllers that most people won't have.

The list of games that need big hardware is pitifully short, and almost ALL of them are analog games. In basically EVERY case you gain more games by investing in more controller types than you do by investing in a faster computer.

Invest in a spinner, a true analog joystick, a trackball, even those little analog SNAP joysticks for the sports games, rotary joysticks, 4-way joystics, or a steering wheel. Each and every one of those controls enables more games than a faster processor does.

--- End quote ---

So, What exactly does it take to get Killer Instinct 1 and 2 running at 95%-100% speed..
Other than blitz, those are the only ones i know of people trying to get running right.. oh well maybe street figher 3 or whatever..



--- End quote ---

Who knows, I never even bothered trying them. I already have 90,000 other games I don't have time to play, so I am certainly not going to start sweating over a few non-unique titles.

I have always figured that eventually the computer in my main cabinet will crap out. When it does then the replacement computer will certainly play all those games that everyone today is struggling with. I waited for STUN Runner, I'll wait for those.  The hardware will catch up, the hardware will always catch up.

--- End quote ---
So what about the people who's computer has already crapped out?


pointdablame:


--- Quote from: IntruderAlert on April 05, 2005, 08:36:29 am ---
So what about the people who's computer has already crapped out?


--- End quote ---

You still don't need a NEW system.  If you're system craps out (or has) maybe you could take your current main computer and use that for your MAME system... and upgrade your main computer.

Or an even cheaper thing to do is just buy a used system or parts that are slightly out of date.  Yes you could spend $150 on an Athlon64, but you could get a nice Socket A motherboard, a 1800-2100 Athlon XP, and 512 of ram for that same $150 (or less).  Or you could very easily find a complete used computer in that same price range.

I love building computers, and if you have the cash.. go for it.  But I do agree with paige to an extent... it's definitely not necessary

Nocturnaloner:

I guess there's always sort of a conflict between those who feel that MAME is only for the classics, versus those who want every game to run smoothly.  Gross generalization, but you get the point. 

I just bought an upgrade kit, and I "settled" for an AthlonXP 3200+ (up from an Athlon 1.33ghz), even though $25 more would've gotten me into an A64, because I set a spending limit and stuck to it.  I'm sure it'll play Area 51 though, and I'm also going to check out Daphne and Zinc.

pointdablame:


--- Quote from: Nocturnaloner on April 05, 2005, 05:43:50 pm ---I guess there's always sort of a conflict between those who feel that MAME is only for the classics, versus those who want every game to run smoothly.  Gross generalization, but you get the point. 

I just bought an upgrade kit, and I "settled" for an AthlonXP 3200+ (up from an Athlon 1.33ghz), even though $25 more would've gotten me into an A64, because I set a spending limit and stuck to it.  I'm sure it'll play Area 51 though, and I'm also going to check out Daphne and Zinc.

--- End quote ---

see but that's the thing.. .you CAN'T play ever game.  I don't care what system you have.. you just can't. The debate is really about those who DEMAND to be able to play as many games as possible even if a $2000 computer can only play a dozen or so more games than a $300 computer.  I'm not directing that directly at you... I know you were generalizing like you said.. but the point still stands

CHD games and a rare handful of games that take a lot of PC power are the only things you add.  Now if you plan on doing more than MAME, I can see the point in it.. but if you are strictly MAME only... it really is overkill

CheffoJeffo:

Another thing to keep in mind is that performance is going to change with each new release ... games that you might be gearing your system towards today might be slower or even unplayable in the a future (hence, so many people locking in on particular versions).

It's a moving target and the target doesn't always move in the direction you might think.

Cheers,

JAKD

Pages: << < (8/13) > >>

Go to full version