Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: electricd on September 02, 2005, 10:17:52 am
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Hello,
I am building 2 idenitcal computers to use for MAME only. I have 2 new AVGA video cards and will be using D9200 32" monitors. Other than that, it is a blank canvas. Can anyone please send me thier recommendations for a rock solid machine that will play 90% of the games? I would truly appriciate it. I will be building from scratch, so model numbers for parts would be handy! Thanks!
ED7
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You'll want two Area-51 ALX systems from Alienware. They should run close to 90% of the Mame library and are also good for email and websurfing.
They're pretty quiet, too. ;)
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Id like to spend "a little" less than that! I guess I should have said that. I am of course on a shoestring budget! Thanks for the input though!
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Id like to spend "a little" less than that!
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Well let me show you what i am looking at, and you tell me what you think (perhaps I should have started that way to begin with!)
Mobo/Processor/Ram:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1524424&Tab=0&NoMapp=0
Then adding an 80GB IDE, and DVD drive...what do you think?
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That should be fine... I'd add a bigger HDD so you can add PSX ISOs to the mix without worry of running out of space. You should be able to get a 200 or so gig for not much more than the 80gb.
If you're going to have an optical drive, get a cheap DVD burner... Then you can ghost the drive to DVDs after you get everything configured the way you want it, and after any later upgrades.
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You can probably get a good motherboard for about $50 less. Check newegg or gameve (they changed their name.) Newegg is Caesar's wife--they haven't screwed up yet with me. Gameve is more of a tricky situation. I don't know if their stuff is stolen or what. Outstanding prices, horrible service. Caveat empor.
For a little perspective, my Athlon64 motherboard from Chaintech (znf-150) was $70. It's a rocket and runs anything. Full setting KOTOR is the best test. If you stay out of 64 bit, you can do much better than tiger.
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That should be fine...
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Yea, Im doing Mame only, so thats all I am concerned with. Thanks for all your input!
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Any reason to add 512MB of memory as opposed to just 256? Remember I am ONLY doing MAME. Thanks!
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Any reason to add 512MB of memory as opposed to just 256?
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Any reason to add 512MB of memory as opposed to just 256?
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I am building 2 idenitcal computers to use for MAME only. I have 2 new AVGA video cards and will be using D9200 32" monitors.
I am of course on a shoestring budget!
Two 32" D9200's ?
That's quite a shoestring!
Cheers.
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Thats why im on the shoestring! Can't afford much when you drop $1800 on the monitors alone!
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Take your computer budget.... and buy the best computers you can buy. Thats all you can really do if your on a budget.
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goto www.pricewatch.com and look around.
for 90% of the games will run on a 2ghz machine and slower... probably in the 1.4 or so...
to get 95-97% your looking at a 3.4ghz machine.... and 97-98 if you use Zinc for those games... And don't forget... 1- 2% of the games will not run on any computer at all.
But its amazing how many games play great without a super computer...
I would personally look at the fastest AMD XP processor. But if you went with a AmD64 you will have an extra coolness factor :)
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goto www.pricewatch.com and look around.
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You know, 64 megs was plenty to run even early 90's capcom and neo geo games...
The only thing that sucks up ram is running a recent OS like XP.
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You know, 64 megs was plenty to run even early 90's capcom and neo geo games...
The only thing that sucks up ram is running a recent OS like XP.
True, but did you know it costs more to buy (retail/new) a 128MB stick of PC100 SDRAM than it costs to buy 256-512MB of PC3200 DDR? by like 2x.. soo you can only go so far back before its costing more :) But if you got a cheapo computer sitting around then your good to go. The only thing that rules out really old ones is the lack of an AGP slot for the ArcadeVGA cards