Building a PC for MAME, Need some suggestions

[needlesmcgirk]

So the cabinet is just about complete.  Finished painting it over the weekend and just need to do the finishing touches now (bezel, marquee, etc.).  I also need to build the computer to run MAME on and I could use some suggestions.  I'm experienced with building PCs, I'm not sure what's all important for running MAME other than a good, fast CPU.

CPU/Motherboard: Right now I am looking at getting an AMD 64 processor (probably 2.2 ghz) on a solid 929 socket motherboard.  Is there any reason to spend twice as much for dual core?

RAM:  I'm thinking 512 MB will be enough.  Should I get more?

HD: I have an ATA 60 GIG hard drive.  Will a newer SATA or SATA HD run MAME better at all?

Video Card:  I am really not sure here.  MAME doesn't use hardware acceleration so I'm thinking about just getting a very cheap, generic card.  Suggestions?

Sound Card:  I will probably just use the onboard sound, but maybe I will get a SB Live card anyway, but I don't think it will be necessary.

Also I am going to be running this on XP.  I need to figure out which front end gui to run.  It will be on a TV and MAME32 isn't going to cut it with that low TV resolution.

Thanks so much for all your help!

[Xam]

So the cabinet is just about complete.  Finished painting it over the weekend and just need to do the finishing touches now (bezel, marquee, etc.).  I also need to build the computer to run MAME on and I could use some suggestions.  I'm experienced with building PCs, I'm not sure what's all important for running MAME other than a good, fast CPU.

CPU/Motherboard: Right now I am looking at getting an AMD 64 processor (probably 2.2 ghz) on a solid 929 socket motherboard.  Is there any reason to spend twice as much for dual core?

RAM:  I'm thinking 512 MB will be enough.  Should I get more?

HD: I have an ATA 60 GIG hard drive.  Will a newer SATA or SATA HD run MAME better at all?

Video Card:  I am really not sure here.  MAME doesn't use hardware acceleration so I'm thinking about just getting a very cheap, generic card.  Suggestions?

Sound Card:  I will probably just use the onboard sound, but maybe I will get a SB Live card anyway, but I don't think it will be necessary.

Also I am going to be running this on XP.  I need to figure out which front end gui to run.  It will be on a TV and MAME32 isn't going to cut it with that low TV resolution.

Thanks so much for all your help!

CPU should be fine...course more is always better. I was running MAME (ver 106 I think) on an AMD 1.2 and had no problems. I don't think MAME is currently taking advantage of the dual core capabilities...I could be very wrong here.

RAM should be ok at 512...again...more is never a bad thing. I had 1 gig in my AMD mentioned above.

Video card...make sure to get at least a 128k thoguh I have heard of people running lower...not sure what chipset is good...I think something like the ATI 9600's have good results with MAME.

Hope this helps,
Xam

[needlesmcgirk]

Thanks for your help!  Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[TOK]

I don't think MAME will do anything with Dual Core. You're better off getting a faster standard processor. I have two machines, one has a 2ghz AMD, the other has a 2ghz Pentium and both run great.
I prefer older builds of MAME though (.99). The newer the version, the more CPU power you will need.

[Crax]

Video card...make sure to get at least a 128k thoguh I have heard of people running lower...not sure what chipset is good...I think something like the ATI 9600's have good results with MAME.

128MB.  Would be pretty hard to find one with 128k and wouldn't work too well for you 

[pointdablame]

To really answer this question, you should tell us what you plan on playing in this cab.  If all you're playing is classics, you're overspending and wasting money.

If you want to play as many newer games as you reasonably can, or are using the cab for other high end emus like Dreamcast or PSX, or for higher end PC games, then that changes the entire equation.

Your PC specs look fine to play almost all of the games in MAME.  You'll be able to play some CHDs and most newer stuff will run well (out of the games that can run well at all).  Jumping to a gig of ram might help on some of the larger roms, but if this is strictly a Mame box, you probably won't see a big difference.

Dual core isn't a big deal with Mame as mentioned.  Clock speed is the more pressing factor, so getting a faster CPU may help you, but it won't help you much BECAUSE its a dual core... it'll just be since the chip is faster.

Video card is again, highly dependent on what you are doing.  A classics only machine can probably run on any damn video card that you can find that works, including one that you pillaged from an old machine.  For newer games, PC games, other emus etc, something with 128mb ram is probably a safe bet... again depending on what you plan to play.

[needlesmcgirk]

Thanks for the help!  I was under the impression that video cards weren't even used in MAME at all, but I'm sure it doens't make much difference for what I want to do anyway.  I want to play the classsics, but I also want to play the Street Fighters, Mortal Kombats, TMNT, etc, and maybe even Gauntlet Legends if that is actually running well in MAME yet, but its really not that important.

I'm really curious if Hard Drive speed matters at all.  Like if I should bother getting a SATA or SATA II drive or just stick with the 60 gig ata drive that I already have.

[pointdablame]

Hard drive speed will not make much of a difference at all in my experience.

The games you mention (besides Gauntlet Legends which I am unsure of) have been running full speed for quite some time.  The Mortal Kombat series can give some troubles to certain (older) systems, but it should run fine on what you are building.

You could probably get away with an even older system but seeing as you are buying new anyway, you may as well buy something like what you are asking about.  No need to go any crazier though if you ask me.  If you had an older 1ghz range system sitting around, I'd tell you to install Mame .55 and see if you can't play everything you'd be interested in, but you may want a new system for whatever reason.

[ahofle]

Dual core isn't a big deal with Mame as mentioned.  Clock speed is the more pressing factor, so getting a faster CPU may help you, but it won't help you much BECAUSE its a dual core... it'll just be since the chip is faster.

Are you guys sure about this?  Those new Core 2 Duo chips are apparently the best performing processor when it comes to MAME, and yet their clock speeds are relatively the same or slower (2-3 Ghtz) as standard single core processors.

[pointdablame]

Last I heard, Mame was still single threaded and could only use one core at a time.

They're very good processors though, so I'm sure they run Mame very well.  Then again, I use older versions of Mame mostly, so who the heck knows.

[Xam]

I don't think MAME will do anything with Dual Core. You're better off getting a faster standard processor. I have two machines, one has a 2ghz AMD, the other has a 2ghz Pentium and both run great.
I prefer older builds of MAME though (.99). The newer the version, the more CPU power you will need.

Good point...forgot to mention this.

Xam

[Xam]

Video card...make sure to get at least a 128k thoguh I have heard of people running lower...not sure what chipset is good...I think something like the ATI 9600's have good results with MAME.

128MB.  Would be pretty hard to find one with 128k and wouldn't work too well for you 

LOL! Well...if you want to go overboard with it!

That's why I work auto parts and not computer parts.

Xam

[Hockeyboy]

Glad I saw this thread - I was just wondering the same thing myself.

I was looking at one of those entry-level Dell's to get started - for $359 you get this:

AMD Sempron 3400+ CPU
NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE Integrated Graphics GPU
512MB Single Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz - 1DIMM
80GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
16X DVD-ROM Drive

No monitor, no speakers. I guess I'd probably want to get a different video card so I can output my signal to whatever video component I decide on, unless I stick with something like an LCD monitor??

Also, I've never had anything but Intel chips - is that Sempron decent enough to run MAME?

[tranq]

I'm running an almost five-year-old dell with integrated.  It's only 48 or 64mb, max, and most anything up till at least MACROSS PLUS works.  But, like most everyone here says, I'd suggest an arcade vga.  Until I get a new comp, I can't, though.

[miles2912]

Glad I saw this thread - I was just wondering the same thing myself.

I was looking at one of those entry-level Dell's to get started - for $359 you get this:

AMD Sempron 3400+ CPU
NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE Integrated Graphics GPU
512MB Single Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz - 1DIMM
80GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
16X DVD-ROM Drive

No monitor, no speakers. I guess I'd probably want to get a different video card so I can output my signal to whatever video component I decide on, unless I stick with something like an LCD monitor??

Also, I've never had anything but Intel chips - is that Sempron decent enough to run MAME?

You will have a hard time beating that for a MAME machine.  I am using an old 1.4ghz machine and it works fine.  I can't play CHD games but no biggie.  The only draw back to the dells is that it might be a bit tricker to tap into the power switch if you want to run a relay - for example.  If you are just planning on plugging it in and not doing any mods.. go with a dell.  I would guess that a lot of us that build an arcade game from scratch would have no problem building a pc from scratch.

Don

[tranq]

I've heard from many people about them building their own, and there is a Fry's, locally, so have thought about it.

[Hockeyboy]

^^^^^

Thank you, Don. 

I have no problems building my own computer (have built 6 or so from scratch) but just figured for the price I could go with this pre-built and hack into it as needed (i.e. power switch).

I wasn't planning on playing any CHD games anyway - just the classic arcades, some newer, some Daphne, maybe a couple Neo-Geos that I like to play.