how much have you spent on your cab?

[shardian]

I just find this whole thread humorous. Why? because I have  several games that come to a total cost of a mere fraction that you guys spend on one machine!

Every time I see someone on here throwing a $600 pc into a frikkin wood box I feel like giving you the "shoulda had a V8" head smack.

[Ginsu Victim]

That's why I used a free PC in mine. I wasn't going to buy a new setup just for a cabinet.

Oh, and Minwah:
I'm in the US. Oklahoma to be precise.

[protokatie]

minipac and controls from ultimarc.....150
computer and monitor........................Free from my boss
Coindoor/mech...................................about 50 after shipping
speakers............................................Free from my boss
Labour to have it built........................50 from a former roommate*
Wood/paint/etc..................................Guessing about 100-150*

* Denotes things that havent happened yet, but will in the next few weeks.

So in total about 350-400, not too shabby for someone on a budget who is doing this more or less from scratch. It may cost me less, as the guy who runs the bar next to where I work is going to email the company that installed his arcade machines and ask if they have any old upright cabs that they were going to get rid of or would sell for cheap.

[CrazyKongFan]

I forgot to add in mine that I'm not done yet. I've stripped the paint on one side (it still has the 2084 logo on the side from when it was originally Robotron) It's damaged, so I'm not sure if I'm gonna strip it off completely, or touch it up. I also need a marquee, some locks and a coin mech. I'd like to get some leaf switch buttons too, right now I'm using microswitch ones. It's playable now though, so I think that's why I haven't worked on it more...I usually end up playing it instead

[Minwah]

Every time I see someone on here throwing a $600 pc into a frikkin wood box I feel like giving you the "shoulda had a V8" head smack.

Well the way I look at it is there is no such thing as overkill in terms of PC's. I mean, I would rather spend more and have a PC last for 5 or 10 years, than spend next to nothing and struggle to run anything a year later.

Exibit A: look at all the people who are struggling to play Donkey Kong etc. on 2+ ghz PC's.

[paigeoliver]

As long as you don't try to do software upgrades on a completed machine then the hardware you put in it will last until it fails.

I am very much against doing any software updates on a completed machine. It has the potential to break everything.

I don't mind a $600 PC in the cabinet if the rest of the machine is equally awesome. But most people would be a hell of a lot happier with a $100 PC and a $600 monitor. Unfortunately I usually see the reverse situation.

[Ginsu Victim]

I agree. I have FastMAME .84 in mine, and it will stay that way unless I get new hardware.

[CrazyKongFan]

Exibit A: look at all the people who are struggling to play Donkey Kong etc. on 2+ ghz PC's.

Yep, I have a 4 year old 2.6ghz PC with XP, and I'm not sure what my MAME cab has, but it's probably better than the 2.6ghz one, since it's less than a year old, running Win 98, and on either one, DK stutters really bad

[Minwah]

As long as you don't try to do software upgrades on a completed machine then the hardware you put in it will last until it fails.

I agree with that, but sometimes software updates are hard to avoid. eg I recently found input probs in polepos with my primary Mame version (v0.99)...so have gone to v0.123 for that one. Polepos now has discrete sound code so would probably not run well on a lower spec machine.

I am very much against doing any software updates on a completed machine. It has the potential to break everything.

True!

I don't mind a $600 PC in the cabinet if the rest of the machine is equally awesome. But most people would be a hell of a lot happier with a $100 PC and a $600 monitor. Unfortunately I usually see the reverse situation.

Again, I agree!

[northerngames]

I just find this whole thread humorous. Why? because I have  several games that come to a total cost of a mere fraction that you guys spend on one machine!

Every time I see someone on here throwing a $600 pc into a frikkin wood box I feel like giving you the "shoulda had a V8" head smack.

I just put a x1950 pro agp in mine and I tell you from a 128MB DDR arcadevga to a 512MB DD3 x1950 pro opens a new world of gaming on arcade cabs.

I dont have a ps3 or 360 and after getting that card in the cab and playing resident evil 4 on a 6 button layout and company of heroes and various other great games with a trackball I am glad I built it with some horsepower and dont have any regret for not buying a 360 or ps3 instead.

I also run a dremcast wich has an unbelieveable display on a 15K monitor.

if your maming a cab for mame only that I could see as over kill for a $600.00 PC beuase it is not really needed but if you use it for all around gaming then a decent pc is needed and worth every penny for the results.

[shardian]

Exibit A: look at all the people who are struggling to play Donkey Kong etc. on 2+ ghz PC's.

Yep, I have a 4 year old 2.6ghz PC with XP, and I'm not sure what my MAME cab has, but it's probably better than the 2.6ghz one, since it's less than a year old, running Win 98, and on either one, DK stutters really bad

I can't figure out if you guys are serious, or being sarcastic! Odds are the reason your DK is screwed is because you are using the most recent version of MAME. Use 0.54 or something old like that to run classic games.

[Ginsu Victim]

That's totally serious. With the current mame, it takes a good machine to run DK now.
I run .84 on my cabinet, so DK runs fine where it counts, albeit with incorrect sound.

[northerngames]

anyone tried these stuttering sounding games with a up to date sound card?

for instance my current sound is 16-bit 46KHZ where my new card on they way is 24-bit HD with 196KHZ

I'm not sure if it will help or not and that is why I ask but I know my sound quality all around will be dramiticly improved overall.

[paigeoliver]

Just roll your mame version back about a zillion versions and watch all your performance problems vanish.

Very few games of substance have been added to mame since the .55 era, and version .55 runs like a bat out of hell on 10 year old hardware, it was a very stable version, and all the games that you want to work actually work in this version (it isn't one of those, "Oops, Galaga is broken in this version, etc" versions).

[rackoon]

FEEL MY PHYIC MIND RAGE WAVE HIT YOU SOON WITH EVIL INTENT!
I spent tons of money on my cab because it makes me feel good and helps me remember the good old days of childhood; even if they were not really that good

[ivwshane]

So far? Way more than I was planning but it's too late to turn back now! (damn you ggg!)
I already had the wood and most of the tools and who knows how much paint and art will be:o


(best viewed in firefox)

Code: [Select]

UltraStik 360 Oval Top with USB cable Color: Black 2x $59.00 $118.00

UltraStik Button / Encoder Harness 2x $8.00 $16.00

Electric ICE™ Lightable Horizontal Pushbutton - Microswitch None 14x $2.25 $31.50

RGB-Drive™ Pushbutton Lighting module
- Configuration Installed RGB LED, Resistors and 24" 4-conductor cable 14x $3.95 $55.30

Micro-Leaf™ Arcade Pushbutton Switches 14x $2.75 $38.50

LED-Wiz™ 32-port USB Lighting and Output Controller
- Device Number 1 (Use if FIRST or ONLY device of this EXACT type) 1x $44.95

LED-Wiz+GP™ 16 Output + 16 Input, Output and Gaming Controller
- Device Number 2 1x $39.95

Electric ICE-T™ Deluxe RGB Arcade Trackball V2.0
- Trackball Size 3 inch
- Default Port & Cable Type USB
- USB Device Number 1 (Use if FIRST or ONLY of this EXACT controller) 1x $116.95

Electric ICE™ Lightable Horizontal Pushbutton
- Microswitch Cherry™ w/ RGB-Drive and 2' cable 4x $6.49 $25.96

1.125 Inch Wood Boring Bit 1x $2.99

Samsung 27" HDTV 4:3 1x $399.99

40-0055-00 DOOR ASSY,SMALL, 2 SLOT, $.25
PLASTIC (HP) MECH 1x $68.20

42-0517-07 Reject Button Assembly - Red 2x $4.80 $9.60

49-1000-00 Retainer for Video Game Marquee 1x $13.35

Triple red leds 2x $3.49 $6.98

3/4" White T-Molding 40x $0.37 $14.80

Whiteside Slotting Cutter 1/16" 3-Wing 1x $17.95

Whiteside Slotting Cutter Arbor 1/4" Shank, 2-3/8"OL 1x $9.95

One day glass 25 5/8" x 23 7/8"
Shape: Square/Rectangle
Glass Type: Tempered
Glass Thickness: 3/16"
Glass Tint: Solar Gray (Light Gray)
Edgework (Step 1): Seamed Edge 1x $51.67


Sub total $1069.24


[wbassett]

Where did you get the Samsung 27" HDTV 4:3 and what are the dimensions of it?

I assume this has a VGA input in addition to the HDMI inputs.  How do you like it so far and have you used any light guns with it yet?

[ivwshane]

I bought it new at circuit city:o (it was $400). I would have preferred a real monitor but no one carried (as in had in stock) the one I wanted (billabs).

I have not tried it with a light gun yet (I'm trying to avoid playing with it till I'm done). And no vga connectors.
While the little tests I have done with it looked fine to me, I would highly recommend just getting an arcade monitor. You will have a much easier time mounting it.
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-TXS2782H-Slim-Fit-HDTV/dp/B000F2R5MY


The moiring is due to the camera not the tv.

[wbassett]

I don't want to take this thread off track... but could you take a closeup shot of the inputs?  I'd like to be able to connect a PS2 as well as a Mame PC.

As far as mounting, I like what you did but I most likely would keep it in the case and set it in the cab that way.

[Namco]

Cab - $200
Controls - $60
iPac - $50
Artwork - $300
Paint, Wood, Tools - $200
Monitor - Free
Computer - Was free, until I upgraded it - $100
=====================================
$901, but that's a rough estimation. Maybe it was more, maybe it was less. I spent a lot on artwork and tooling up. If I were to build another one, I could do it for around maybe $400 or $500. However by the time I build another one, the US dollar will be nearly useless, so make that $1600 in future US monopoly worthless paper, or $120 in Euros 

[ivwshane]

I don't want to take this thread off track... but could you take a closeup shot of the inputs?  I'd like to be able to connect a PS2 as well as a Mame PC.

As far as mounting, I like what you did but I most likely would keep it in the case and set it in the cab that way.

Keep in mind that keeping it in the case will make your cab quite wide (mine cab is at 30", with the tv it would probably be at least 32").


There are also s-video inputs on the side of the tv as well.

[Flake]

Well mines not 100% completed yet but its getting up there. 

Killer Instinct cabinet at auction (monitor doesnt work and no game board)   $78
Computer bought off E-bay (Pentium D 2.8 GHZ, 3.25 GB Ram, 250 GB HD, NVidia 8400GS - hate this card)     $420
Klipsch Promedia 2.1 off E-bay  $88
Toshiba 27" Flat-screen CRT found on Craigslist w/component inputs (that consequently are useless at this point due to video card)$150
Tools/supplies such as paint, bondo, sanding pads, marquee light from Lowes   $136
2P control panel from Arcades R Us w/ upgraded spinner and plexi overlay (havent received it yet - last major piece) - not sure if I should post cost
Rom set $40
Smartstrip $40
Winzip software (wouldnt have purchased but for this project) $30
T-molding $16
Marquee (not yet ordered) $30
DVI to component adapter (which turned out to be worthless - see comments about NVidia card)  $18
Maximus Arcade (not activated yet though) $25

Total cost $1,071 without adding in control panel cost but I'm sure you can ballpark that one.

Bottom line is I think I'll end up about $100 over budget cost.  Plus taking me WAY more time than originally anticipated but I do enjoy it (think the wife is about sick of it though - hehe).

[kagaden]

- Street Fighter III 3rd Strike (CD-Rom Version)
- Hanaho Showcase Cabinet
- 34" Sharp Image Monitor
- 360 Perfect Optical Sticks
----------------------------------------
$795

- Shipping, Delivery, and thank you party for friends
----------------------------------------
$300

- Sandpaper
- Novus (for control panel scratches)
----------------------------------------
$35

- NovaMatrix LED w/ molex adaptor
- Wire stripping tool
- New coin door bulbs
----------------------------------------
$32


Total = $1162

Playing street fighter at work during breaks... Priceless.

[Loafmeister]

Since my wife can read, I refuse to commit to any numbers that could incriminate me in a divorce court.