Computer building - How am I doin'?

[Lakersfan]

This is for a MAME cabinet that I've been working on... I've built a PC before, so that's not a big concern. My concern is whether these parts are all compatible with each other. My intention is running Mame games (obviously) and the CHDs that are playable. I'll probably throw Daphne in there as well as possibly a few NES/SNES/N64 games via emus. My wife gave me a $300 budget but I think she'll let me go a bit higher if I  loud enough.

This is what I have so far:
MB -
GIGABYTE GA-G31MX-S2 LGA 775 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128061  - $79

Processor -
Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 2.33GHz LGA 775 Processor http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115030 - $175

RAM -
CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Desktop Memory http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146580 - $25

Power/Case -
Silver Steel MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case 450W Power Supply http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811190104 - $50 <-- is 450W enough??

I'll steal a HD from my current computer to save some money. Am I missing anything? I want to get the Arcade VGA2 PCI-Express for it...

Opinions are welcome! Thanks!
-LF

[vorghagen]

OK, first off the big one. Your processor and RAM choices will fit into that mainboard no problem. You probably already know this but I've seen plenty of people buy a motherboard and processor then realise they have different sockets. 

The core 2 duo 2.3ghz should be more than enough to run all but the most demanding MAME games, but there will still be some of the more recent CHD games that will be unplayable. There's not much you can do about this.

Same with the RAM, of course more is always better but 1GB will do you fine for now.
450W for a power supply is plenty for what you have there. The power requirements only really head north once you throw a high-end video card, a decent sound card and a whole bunch of high power USB devices onto it. Since I assume you'll be using the onboard audio (all you'll need) 450 is enough.

The only remaining thing is to make sure the hard drive you choose has enough space for your OS, MAME, the roms, and the CHD files. The space they need can add up pretty quickly if you're using an older drive.

Good luck with your project.
-V

[Dervacumen]

You may be able to save a few dollars by foregoing the computer case and just mounting the components somewhere inside your cabinet.  Won't save you much, only a little.  Other than that, what vorghagen said.

[u_rebelscum]

The core 2 duo 2.3ghz should be more than enough to run all but the most demanding MAME games, but there will still be some of the more recent CHD games that will be unplayable. There's not much you can do about this....

And some of the more recent non-CHD games won't run either.  If you look at these benchmarks, you'll that the two CHD games tested (blitz & gauntleg) are not the slowest of the group.  When people word it like quoted, other people incorrectly think it's the CHD that's slowing things.

It would be less misleading to drop the CHD part and just say:

"There will still be some of the more recent games that will be unplayable."


Besides that, good info vorghagen. 

[Lakersfan]

Hey thanks guys. It's nice to have another's opinion before I dive in.

Your processor and RAM choices will fit into that mainboard no problem. You probably already know this but I've seen plenty of people buy a motherboard and processor then realise they have different sockets.

Thanks I was pretty sure, but I wanted the reassurance.

As far as ditching the case, I had thought about that but I really wasn't sure how well things (such as the Arcade VGA card) would hold into place without the case keeping it secure.

It would be less misleading to drop the CHD part and just say:

"There will still be some of the more recent games that will be unplayable."

I guess I figured that. This is going to sound weird, but as long as the majority of people can't play those games then I'm fine not playing them  . If I get a PC that will hold up for a while then I'm fine.

Thanks guys.
LF

[Green Giant]

You could save yourself a few bucks by buying a case off geeks.com. 

Something like this http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=CS51WBK&cat=CAS would power all your needs.

[Lakersfan]

The more I can save, the better. Plus that case looks 10 times better than the one I found and it has more wattage. 
Thanks!

[MrMojoZ]

 

The wattage of a powersupply is only as good as the quality of the powersupply. A 500w generic piece of crap powersupply won't perfom as well as a 300w quality powersupply. You get what you pay for here.

[Lakersfan]

What's a good quality power supply that's a good deal? I'm not familiar with the different brands of power supplies...

[tristan]

Look for something with lots of amps on the 12 volt rail. Most power supplies have more than enough 5 volt power. I tend to use the Thermaltake TR2's for basic computers without a lot of devices pulling power. You could get something with a Dual 12V rail for a bit more and pretty much be set no matter what you plug in:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153023

[kelemvor]

A good power supply can be important but if it's a barebones system with no video card, no major external cards or drives, then it really doesn't make much difference most of the time.  No need to go over 300-400 or so most of the time so don't worry about finding a huge wattage rating for a Mame machine.

[Lakersfan]

@tristen: Thanks for the suggestion. The one you have is only $39 with a $10MIR. That's not bad at all if it's considered a higher quality brand.

@kelemvor: Thanks for the tip. The only video card I'll have is the Arcade VGA2. Otherwise the PC will be solely dedicated to my cabinet. No drives needed (after initial set-up) aside from the HD.

[pdehn]

kelemvor is definitely correct in that you don't need some expensive massive wattage power supply - most MAME machines are about as bare as it can get in terms of power requirements. That said, it should probably be stressed that this doesn't mean to simply buy the cheapest power supply you can find. It's worth spending at least a bit of money on a power supply that isn't bound to fail in 3 months, taking the rest of the computer down with it.

I'm partial to FSP for lower-end requirements due to good experience in the past, but there are quite a few good brands out there...Seasonic, Sparkle, Silverstone, PC Power & Cooling, and a bunch of others. Its a fairly sure bet that if its a good buy, there will be some reviews saying so - never hurts to put the model in google before buying if you're not sure.

Thermaltake isn't a brand I know too much about, but from what I've read and seen so far, they're putting out some rather good quality stuff.



Cooling is the other major concern I have in something like a MAME cabinet - most cabs tend to have the computer tucked away in some enclosed section that just traps heat, while frequently running 24/7. I personally favor just mounting the components directly inside the cabinet instead inside a case, inside the cabinet. A couple motherboard standoffs and well placed L-brackets for the power supply and hard drive works well at keeping everything in place for me. Airflow is key - make sure you have at least some air circulation to the computer, putting it in multiple layers of cases is going to make that harder to effectively do.

Another option would be to buy a motherboard tray (something like this) - gives you plenty of open space, but you still have a rigid frame to ensure something like your Arcade VGA card stays securely in place. It also takes out the work of measuring and determining all the points to drill for mounting motherboard standoffs to your case.

[AtomSmasher]

A good power supply can be important but if it's a barebones system with no video card, no major external cards or drives, then it really doesn't make much difference most of the time.  No need to go over 300-400 or so most of the time so don't worry about finding a huge wattage rating for a Mame machine.

The power supply is the most common component to break in a computer.  Every cheap one I've ever bought hasn't lasted more then a year or two, and I even had one go up in smoke (literally) a minute after I plugged it in.  Lets just say I've learned my lesson and will never be using a cheap power supply again.  If you do decide to use a cheap one, then at least when your computer fails in the near future you'll know what is most likely causing the problem.

[metahacker]

how about a 2.66 c2d instead of the 2.33, revision SLA9V

i bet it will easily run 3.2 ghz without much work at all

for psu there are a lot of options

i have had good results with antec, pc power & cooling, enermax... the brands pdehn mentioned are also very good but stay away from the FSP 300W passively cooled , i used one of those and it could not handle my piddly athlon 2200 w/ 1 hdd, no cd, nv 7600.. running 2D gui stuff.. stopped booting until i pulled the card and put a ti4600.. the bigger one should be fine.

something like this thermaltake
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153052
or the one listed above (better price but will be louder)
would be just fine

or this coolermaster $45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171018


u want 1 x 120mm fan to keep it quiet and make it more reliable since the fan is spinning much slower

something like this would be a bit better
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371002

and then something like this would be awesome
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194003
modular power cabling (plug in cables w/ connectors) so you dont have to have any extra wires other than what you are using

[MrMojoZ]

The power supply is the most common component to break in a computer.  Every cheap one I've ever bought hasn't lasted more then a year or two, and I even had one go up in smoke (literally) a minute after I plugged it in.  Lets just say I've learned my lesson and will never be using a cheap power supply again.  If you do decide to use a cheap one, then at least when your computer fails in the near future you'll know what is most likely causing the problem.

 

[Lakersfan]

Great info gang! This is the kind of info I was looking for!!

how about a 2.66 c2d instead of the 2.33, revision SLA9V

Is it worth the extra $20 bucks?

@pdehn- I'm actually considering setting it up without the case. The cabinet I have has an attachment that can hold the system board, then I can just mount the rest. I just was considering using a PC case because it was more "streamlined" and secure within the cabinet. Heat is a concern, as we have hot summers in the high desert...