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Are all the extra computer accesories necessary?

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ddrtist:

Haha I am a tech, so I usually gank replaced parts if customers no longer want them.  The 7900GTX is pretty nice, but I had my mind set on using a 27" TV with component, because I had heard dreadful things about some arcade monitors and how difficult they can be.  I have also heard many many reliability issues after a year or so with them. 

The DVI->component converter I bought is on monoprice.com.  It is a nifty piece of hardware, but the only cards that support it are the ATI Radeon ~8000 up to around the 9800s.  I went with the 9550 256MB because it seemed to be popular amongst people building their own cabs.



RayB:

I don't know where you're getting your info. "heard this", "heard that". I'm running a 1ghz system with 64mb ArcadeVGA (or is it 32mb??), an old Sound Blaster live card, 128 mb of RAM, 30 gb hard drive, 19" arcade monitor and Windows 98. Just about the only thing underpowered in this set up is the 1ghz processor. I'd bump it up to 2ghz if I could. MAME is really not very demanding other than raw CPU power.


Turnarcades:

Gotta disagree. I've regularly got a clean install on P3's between 600-1000Mhz, running most pre-chd games without trouble, using a pre-0.106 build. I've found RAM makes more of a difference, but even at this low speed CPU standard, 256mb is enough for MAME and a lot of other platforms, though larger roms (NEO-GEO) do take a little while longer to load.

wbassett:

I also agree you don't need a power house for 98% of the roms out there.  In my cab right now is an AMD Thunderbird running at 1.2Ghz and 256meg of ram.  All but the most CPU intensive games work perfect.  I'm swapping it out with an Intel 3.33Ghz and 2GB of ram only because someone gave it to me free because they said it was broke.  One new CPU fan later and a hard drive I had laying around and presto!  I have a new Mame system!

deadsoulz:

You already have the ultimate Arcade from mameroom, why not splurge and buy  2 or 4 player control panel kit from mameroom.com, and do it right.  I am at the same stage as you, just got my mameroom quad Ultimate Arcade II kit.  Bought an, IPAC-4, Happ 3" Trackball, Slikstik Tornado Spinner, ArcadeVGA V2 PCIE, 2 x HAPP Perfect 360 controllers for player 1 and 2, 2 x Competition 8-way for player 3 and 4, 1 x Sanwa 4 way, got all my happ competition buttons, a Smart Power Strip so I can let my cabinet easily go to sleep/wakeup, using an core2duo 1.8ghz with 2gb of memory and 2x 500gb hard drives in raid 1(mirror).  Now I just need to find me a 2.1 speaker system and find a good source for a Nieman/Billaps 27" Arcade monitor and I will be set, unless I am forgetting something.  Either way I want to be as authentic as possible, I have built 3 slikstik machines for work/boss, and I thought Its about time I build one for myself.

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