Need Help With Buying or Building A Computer for MAME cabinet

[alfredbot9000]

I have been using Apple computers for the past 8 years, and have not kept up with the PC world for a while.  The last PC I can remember owning was a Pentium 3 or was it a 2.  I am looking for an inexpensive option for a MAME cabinet that I am building.  I need something that is fast enough to run the newest mame without the choppy audio and slow video (basing this off of donkey kong on a pentium4 1.8 ghz computer), and figure I need something that has at least 1-2 GB ram and a 64 bit dual core processor, but am not 100% sure.

I am looking to be able to play as many games as possible on a budget...I don't want to spend more than $400 (would like to keep it to $350 if possible).  I know nothing about building computers and just looked for some cheap prebuilt options.  Compaq and Acer were the cheapest fastest looking boxes I could find.  (i know nothing about all these new processors just know i'm running dual core on my mac so I figured a dual core on a PC is good too)

Here are 2 cheap options on found on newegg...are either of these any good for what I want or if someone could help me out with finding the parts I would need to build it myself I'm sure I could get it built.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883109010
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883103135

[paigeoliver]

Any reason why you limiting yourself to using the NEWEST mame version? Just dial back the version and the need for hot hardware goes away. Everything you want to play (other than those CHD games) will run full speed on a 500 mhz PC with 128 MB of RAM, just using an older Mame version.

Dual core doesn't really help with emulation, neither does scads of ram.

If your project is on a budget then the computer is NOT the place to spend big. Dollars spent on the PC provide the LEAST bang for your mame project buck. There isn't a significant difference in the number of worthwhile games a 500 mhz PC using mame .55 will run full speed and what a brand new gaming computer using the latest mame version will run full speed. Very few games of any substance have been added to the last, oh 70 versions of mame.

[alfredbot9000]

What version of Mame would I have to turn back to in order to play games like donkey kong, mario bros, golden tee, MKs, SFs, and the like?

Is it possible to play all of these on a P4 1.8 ghz with 256 ram?  I rolled back to version .118 and donkey kong still wouldn't run well.

[paigeoliver]

I like version .55 and never use anything higher than .70. The newer mame versions require so much more horsepower to provide the same results that it is almost comical.

The Golden Tees are one of the only worthwhile sets of games added to newer mame versions, but they don't require super hot hardware to play (that 1.8 should handle them with ease). My suggestion is try something in the .55 - .70 range (older is always faster) for everything other than the Golden Tee games, and use the first version that supports the Golden Tee games for those.

You can easily set this up in your front end to be transparent. The 1.8 ghz p4 is more than enough computer for a good mame cabinet. It is easily double what you need.

What version of Mame would I have to turn back to in order to play games like donkey kong, mario bros, golden tee, MKs, SFs, and the like?

Is it possible to play all of these on a P4 1.8 ghz with 256 ram?  I rolled back to version .118 and donkey kong still wouldn't run well.

[alfredbot9000]

I have some stupid questions for old versions of mame. 

1. can I use a hiscore.diff or anything like that to save hi scores?

2. i tried to set a version that old up today and got a message saying something about command prompt...is there a way to just click the exe file and run it like the newer versions?

3. is there a way to remove the nag screens and white boxes from these older versions?

[paigeoliver]

Yes, use the Mame32 version if you want a GUI, and yes.

What you want to download is Mame32, something in the .55 to .70 range, and then also download mame32 version .92 for the Golden Tee games.

Here is a link to the Mame32 archive, which contains all versions of the gui version of mame.

http://mame.joymonkey.com/mame32/index.html

I have some stupid questions for old versions of mame. 

1. can I use a hiscore.diff or anything like that to save hi scores?

2. i tried to set a version that old up today and got a message saying something about command prompt...is there a way to just click the exe file and run it like the newer versions?

3. is there a way to remove the nag screens and white boxes from these older versions?

[alfredbot9000]

thanks for your wisdom on this topic...is there a place to check out what versions support what games?

[paigeoliver]

The GUI itself will tell you what games it supports.

But basically .55 has everything in it you have ever heard of, except for Golden Tee and games that use hard drives (these are dicey even on new hardware anyway, and most of them use analog controls you won't have).

[darkero]

So if im looking to run Mamewah as my front end what version of mame should I run? looking to play MvC, SFIII etc.

[paigeoliver]

You can use Mamewah with any mame version.

Those game you just mentioned have been in Mame a long time.

So if im looking to run Mamewah as my front end what version of mame should I run? looking to play MvC, SFIII etc.

[Jdurg]

You can use Mamewah with any mame version.

Those game you just mentioned have been in Mame a long time.

So if im looking to run Mamewah as my front end what version of mame should I run? looking to play MvC, SFIII etc.

SFIII hasn't.  He'll need a new version of MAME for that.  At least 0.117 if my memory is correct.

[paigeoliver]

Ok, then by all means buy a brand new computer over a single game! 

You can use Mamewah with any mame version.

Those game you just mentioned have been in Mame a long time.

So if im looking to run Mamewah as my front end what version of mame should I run? looking to play MvC, SFIII etc.

SFIII hasn't.  He'll need a new version of MAME for that.  At least 0.117 if my memory is correct.

[darkero]

You can use Mamewah with any mame version.

Those game you just mentioned have been in Mame a long time.

So if im looking to run Mamewah as my front end what version of mame should I run? looking to play MvC, SFIII etc.

SFIII hasn't.  He'll need a new version of MAME for that.  At least 0.117 if my memory is correct.

Ok thanks for the info.

@ paigeoliver: I'm not buying a new computer. The comp. that is being used has alredy been built I was just asking what version of mame i needed to run.

[Jdurg]

Ok, then by all means buy a brand new computer over a single game! 

You can use Mamewah with any mame version.

Those game you just mentioned have been in Mame a long time.

So if im looking to run Mamewah as my front end what version of mame should I run? looking to play MvC, SFIII etc.

SFIII hasn't.  He'll need a new version of MAME for that.  At least 0.117 if my memory is correct.

If the game is that important to him, then yes, he'll have to. 

[paigeoliver]

I'd use the oldest version that supports your favorite game. You can also install multiple versions as well. I have 44 versions installed on one machine for testing purposes. Just put them all in the same folder and rename the exes like mame55.exe, mame61.exe mame117.exe and so on.

That trick will allow you to get the general awesome speed increases by using the older versions and still play those couple games from the newer versions that you just HAVE to play.

With most frontends you can make the multiple versions invisible to the end user.

[Jdurg]

I'd use the oldest version that supports your favorite game. You can also install multiple versions as well. I have 44 versions installed on one machine for testing purposes. Just put them all in the same folder and rename the exes like mame55.exe, mame61.exe mame117.exe and so on.

That trick will allow you to get the general awesome speed increases by using the older versions and still play those couple games from the newer versions that you just HAVE to play.

With most frontends you can make the multiple versions invisible to the end user.

That's a very good point that more people should be aware of.

[darkero]

I tried searching but didn't know where to look is there some sort of a change log that would tell me if .117 is infact the oldest version i can run SFiii on?


Thanks for the help guys!

[Kajoq]

Btw, it doesn't take that beefy a computer to run even mame .117.   I spent 100 bucks on a used Compaq PC with 2.4ghz P4 and 1gb of ram, it runs all of the CPS3 game (Street Fighter 3 games namely)

It can also run a lot of the japanese doujin games like Akatasuki Blitzkampf, Perfect Cherry Blossom, and Melty Blood at full speed