Begginer questions, help needed!

[twaters]

Ok so im looking to build a large desktop CP for fighting games with a pc built into it. I currently have a via mini-itx M1000 based pc thats not really doing anything. I was just wondering if this would be enough to power most of the fighting games in mame, im not worried about the chd stuff but just all the fighting games like KOF and samurai showdown etc, those games and the metal slug stuff. The pc will be running a stripped version of xp, although i have been thinking of putting linux on it, would there be any sort of performance increase on linux?

If it works out that the 1ghz mini itx isnt powerful enough i have a few options

1. go for a full sized atx board something around 3000+ amd 64 this will be harder to fit into the cp but wont be much of a problem and also gives me better media playing options and i could possibly get media center and make it into a pvr as well

2. use a modded xbox, this would be good because xbox software is great they have an awesome media centre and tons of emulators, but im not so sure about the state of their mame emulator(because i never tried it) also these things are quite old hat now is the version of mame still being developed?

As well as that decision i was wondering if i use mdf for the CP and store it in my garage would it be sufficiently wet out (i live in the south of england) to make the wood warp?

Thanks
Toby

[ninnghizidha]

1GHz works great for most fighting games, except Mortal Kombat and those 3D-Fighting Games.

Linux doesn't make better performance, it just gives you far more control over the OS itself. Its not about speed.

[PCtech]

http://arcadecontrols.com/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=14155

This might help....good luck!

[twaters]

yeah i checked out that thread on mame specs but its a couple of years old, the only way i can really be sure that it will work is when i get home in a couple of weeks. but i probably will just end up getting some nice new parts which should make it nice and smooth and i can have it doing server duties as well. i should have plenty of room for a full atx board and the works inside the cp due to the fact that im basing it around the slikstik fighter cps, i just have to worry about air flow. Thanks for the help

[Glaine]

And keep in mind that which ver of Mame has alot to do with how much you can do smoothly. I like Mame somewhere around .85 if I recall right. They latter added things to the graphics of games like the Marvel Vs. games that will considerably slow you down. Try several versions and see what you're happy with.