Main > Main Forum
What's the cheapest you've made a MAME cabinet for?
(1/5) > >>
Sir Auros:
Either converted an existing cabinet or built one from scratch.  Just interested in seeing what the cheapest price anyone here has built one for.
AlanS17:
Breakdown:

Data East (Bad Dudes) cabinet with coin door $50
monitor $150
controls $35
computer (free)
j-pac $60
misc parts $50
speakers $50

That's just materials, though. I did buy new bits and tools. I didn't include these in the price, tohugh. I'll have them from now on and can use them for anything else. But I probably spent a LOT on tools... Didn't keep track.

Otherwise I have about a $400 machine!  ;D
I should call it BudgetMAME

(Of course, they've never finished and upgrades are in the works... more $$$)
CthulhuLuke:
My cabinet's been suuuper cheap to get a playable copy.  Although if I ever buy a new PC and a new TV for it, the price will jack up another 500 probably -__-  but that won't be until I stop being a bum.

No game cabinet  - Free
Working Happs Coin Door - Free
17" Pc Monitor - Free
300mhz server computer with 12gb hard drive - Free
Ghouls N Ghosts Marquee - $13
Trackball w/usb mouse interface - $150
2 joysticks 26 pushbuttons ~ $ 80
I-pac - $60
2 MadCatz Psx Pads - $12
Wires and quick disconnects - $20
Dreamcast + 50 backups - *previously owned*
Psx - to - DC convertors ~ $30  *previously owned*
Cheap Melamite wood - $15
Dreamcast VGA adapter - $10

Total - about $ 350

Well actually the only things I paid for was the Ipac, the marquee, and the dreamcast vga adapter.  Everything else I got for my b-day and christmas, including all the wires and solder.  So I'd say at most I myself have spent 100 bucks on my cabinet and it's fully working with PC and Dreamcast.  The price will go way up when I finally get a TV with s/video input and a nice 1ghz computer to put in there, and make sure the case is nice and small so that I can shove it all in and put the coin door in place.  Once I do that *haha, it won't be for a LONG time, probably not until I move out or something* I'll close it all up again, with the monitor glass over it and everything, and have it be better than before.
PS: how did I get all that free shiat, be friendly.  I just got to be pretty good friends with this arcade manager, and I got 2 japanese arkanoid spinners, 2 coin doors *spliced them together to make one working coin door*, and an entire free cabinet with a power supply in it.  The server came from a friend who had like 3 of em, but they're 50lbs which is bs, and they are SUCH a pain to move.  The pc monitor was my bro's old monitor, and it works great.  http://www.geocities.com/cthulhuluke/Cabinet/updatepics.html  if you're too lazy to search my site for the link of pure pics.
   -Luke
anthony691:

--- Quote from: CthulhuLuke on May 11, 2003, 06:07:47 pm ---
Dreamcast + 50 backups - *previously owned*


--- End quote ---

I am going to think that you mean 50 backup Dreamcasts, and NOT pirated games?

J/K
paigeoliver:
If you look very carefully you can make a working mame cabinet for under $100.

First you must get a cabinet for no more than $25. And it MUST have usable controls on it. $25

15" Pc monitor - Find one at the thrift store. $10-$15

PC speakers (Used) $5

Gamepad for hacking $5 (Used or new)

That leaves you with $50 to buy a cast off Pentium MMX era computer that should be able to run quite a few games.


Now this won't be a GREAT Mame cabinet, but it will work. Add $75 to $100 to get a decent 19" display and it will be MUCH better. If you can find a 13" cocktail case with controls and glass intact then that 14"-15" PC monitor will be all you will need.
Navigation
Message Index
Next page

Go to full version