Been lurking and learning, finally ready to start

[digitaldemigod]

Hey everyone,

I've been coming to the site since probably late 2005. I bought the Project Arcade book and read it all but need to read it again. I had drawn up some plans and started readying a PC to use and then I got swamped with a lot of other things.

Well I'm finally ready to start.

What I am planning to do first is get the PC and software side of everything working first. Then I'll build the cabinet.

I'll be using a

• Dell XPS B933r Pentium 3
  80gb hard drive
  512mb ram
  32mb geforce card (came with system, I have to go through my box o' video cards and see what else I can throw in there)
  802.11g wireless connection
  21" Dell (Sony Trinitron) monitor
  Logitech speakers + sub
  X-Arcade Dual Tank Stick (I'd like to eventually build my own controls, but for now with my level of knowledge I think I am better off premade so I don't spend more money due to making mistakes)
  

My goal for the cabinet is to be able to walk up to it and have a large list of classic arcade games from the 80s and 90s, the occasional console game from the NES/genesis era, as well as the ability to play older PC games like Shadow Warrior, Doom, Heretic, Duke 3D, and Quake. With the wireless connection this will also allow it to act as one more PC in my currently 5 pc/laptop LAN.

I've been thinking about how to go about adding fans or cooling ducts of some kind. I think the thing that will be the hardest for me is that I want to have everything wired to turn on with one button press (although turning it off when there's a PC that needs to be shutdown properly is the issue with that). Also toying with some type of battery backup UPS system inside. A lot of this I guess I will have to determine once it is built and the pc and monitor are inside.

I have some more research to do on the software side. Right now I have Windows 2000 installed on the computer. MAME runs fine, but other things like Duke Nukem 3D etc don't. So I don't know if it's better to put XP on there (which can make this pc run a little slow) or win 98 which is more prone to crashing.

[unclet]

Welcome to BYOAC !   


You can use a "Smart Strip" (or something similar) to have everything turn on/off when your computer turns on or off.   Then you only need to extend your computer's power button to be located on your control panel by wiring a normal Happs pushbutton to the two wires which control your PC's power button. This way, if you push the Happ pushbutton then your PC will turn on, which will then turn everything else on (if you use something like a Smart Strip).  Also, since you simply splices the Happ's pushbutton wires to the wires going to your PC power button you can still push the power button on your PC to turn on/off your PC as well.

Now, you could do something like this as well ..... if you do not want to buy a Smart Strip

http://skennys-arcade.blogspot.com/2007/05/switching-power.html


good luck

[digitaldemigod]

Thanks for that link, I think that definitely looks like the option I want to go with.

Also tonight found out that the specs on the computer are a little less than I thought. It's got an 866mhz P3 and 256mb of Ram. The Ram is rambus though, and I think it would be a bit expensive to get a pair of 256mb sticks. I think the system has enough power for what I want to do with it anyway. Probably the newest game I would ever play on it would be Quake 1.