What to Grab to build a mame PC

[kluber]

Hi,
I'm restoring an arcade, and for now I'm going to put a xbox with a xbox to jamma adaptor in there (with coinops). But I know myself, and soon enough I'll be wanting to put a pc in there also. I've read tons of posts and some tutorials about that but none quite answers my question.
I would like to know what software I need to get and what hardware you advise me to get to interface the pc with the jamma plug, that I would like to keep, or do you advise me to quit the jamma plug alltogether?
I know I'll be needing the mame emulator, the roms, the chd's (this is where it gets confusing) and finally the frontend of my choice.
The thing is, mame has several versions, do the roms and the chd's need to change with each version?
Hopefully someone can bring light to my doubts, thanks!

[Drnick]

If you want to be able to still use Jamma then you should interface to pc with a Jpac,  http://www.ultimarc.com/jpac.html
If you are not worried about being able to continue using jamma then go with an Ipac, Personally I would go down the Jpac route.

Hardware, This is an open ended question, I would go with get the best you can afford. Anything from a 386 upwards is capable of playing mame, but the older the hardware the older the version you would need to run and the less true the emulation. I would advise you get a decent Dual Core system with 4GB Ram and there is very little in the latest set that is emulated properly that you would not be able to play at full speed. (Gauntlet Legends and Blitz need a really powerful pc to run).

Software  - you need would be an Operating system Windows XP or Windows 7 (I favour XP) (32Bit or 64 Bit, If you have 4GB always go 64Bit).
Mame - version depends on the hardware you pick, get some decent hardware and use the latest version 1.46 or the last version which was 1.45, Don't bother with the 1.4xa b c etc as they are just minor updates, I always wait until a full stable version is released)
Roms - Yes these change per version (Normally due to a new rom dump or a name change) although many many many stay the same. I can't help on where to get them from but Google be your friend. Best bet is to find a complete set to match the version of mame you are planning on running. (Also you will want to read up on clrmamepro which can help rebuild/verify mame sets)
CHD's - These also change per version although once again many many stay the same between versions. (CHDMAN is a useful utility)
A CHD is basically an image of a storage device that the original machine used to run.  A lot of more graphically intense games will use these, I think there are about 450 games that use CHD's (Including clones). Without the CHD the original rom would be unplayable. Some of the CHD's are quite small and some of them are Many GB,  In short the newer the game the more likely it is to need a CHD to play.
Frontends - There are many, I use Hyperspin but others us Mala or GameEx   

I don't know if the above was much help but I thought I would chime in.

[kluber]

About the hardware I pretty much understood, what dazzles me the most is the mame roms and chd's a full set of those is around 300gb or plus! And then a new version comes up, bow, more 300gb...

Thanks for your enlightment.

[Drnick]

That is where Clrmamepro and CHDMan will help you, it will save you from having to get all 300GB every time.  About 95% or more is not changed with new versions.  So you run your set through the software and then you only have to get those that have changed.

As for the size issue you could just not bother with CHD's or do what I did and only get those that you know will work 100%.  You will save yourself loads of room by forgetting DDR, Beatmania, Drummania, Keyboardmania, Guitarfreaks and stuff like that. The ones that I have only come to about 25GB & Mame @ 29GB so only about 55GB total.

I hope that helps a little bit more

[kluber]

Yeah, I really dont need those games, just plain old arcade games.
Helpfull answer!!