Hey guys... Looking up upgrade my mame cab computer... need suggestions.

[Howard_Casto]

Ok so the old mame cab is waaay past due for an upgrade.  I think I have a 8 year old pc in there!  I want to be able to run the newer pc fighters like mortal kombat and injustice but unfortunately I don't have a lot of money to throw around right now. 

I was browsing through tigerdirect and found this:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8528954&pagenumber=2&RSort=3&csid=ITD&recordsPerPage=5&body=REVIEWS#CustomerReviewsBlock

So it's essentially a amd APU rig.  The thing is I don't know anything about APUs in regards to what it's equivalent is in a cpu/gpu combo. 

I know that MKKE needs at least a AMD X2, 2.8 ghz processor and a radeon hd 3850 to run.  It's recommended you run a Phenom X4 965 3.4ghz and a hd 6950. 

From what I can tell this apu is somewhere in the middle?  Is this correct? 

Any other suggestions would be helpful as well, but remember this is for a mame cab, not a pc gaming rig, so I won't be running fps and ect.... just maybe some of the "high end" emulators and the occasional pc game like the ones mentioned. 

[ark_ader]

Get this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1510057

[Howard_Casto]

Nope can't spend that much.

[ark_ader]

OK cheapo how about this?

[DaOld Man]

Why not just use a motherboard without the case? That should save you some moola.
Im thinking about upgrading my grand daughters mame machine (A Little Rage), and am thinking of going with one of the little ITX boards. They have built in CPU and are fairly cheap.

[pbj]

I got some open box compact Gateway desktop off Cowboom for about $150 shipped, retailed around $400-500.  Came with a Windows 7 license, mouse, and keyboard.  They are ALWAYS running discount codes, so sign up for the e-mails.

I tossed a $30 low profile video card in it that didn't require another power supply and it'll run anything MAME except Gauntlet Legends.  Also needed a $10 USB wifi dongle.

That was as cheap as I could squeeze it. 

 

[Howard_Casto]

Well usually they throw the case in for free with these bundles... it doesn't really cost you anything.  This particular pc is pretty ancient so everything has to go... motherboard, harddrives, memory, probably even the power supply (I don't think it would run a new gpu).   I mean the old case would probably work, but the pc isn't broken or anything so I would need a case to put it in anyway.

I will probably upgrade my gorf machine with the old one.  It's running dos on a 300mhz Celeron if you can believe that.... it would be nice to actually run Gorf on Gorf at full speed.    Actually that one just needs the boards fixed and a new harness... but I never seem to have the money to do it. 

Anyway... thanks for the tip pbj, I'll check out cowboom. 

Btw ark I'm not being cheap because I want to.  It's the end of the year so I don't have a lot of money atm and every time I do have the money I don't seem to have the time, this is a good time of year to upgrade, so I'll just have to do it cheaply for now. 

[ark_ader]

Well if we are talking Gorf, locate a cheap spares laptop or CoinOPS.  I found a Xbox at my local goodwill for $13.

[fallacy]

Why buy a new mame machine? Build a new gaming machine and use your old machine for your mame machine.

You also need a decent Graphics card to run Mortal Kombat like a GeForce GTX 560 TI or better.

[Generic Eric]

Why buy a new mame machine? Build a new gaming machine and use your old machine for your mame machine.

+1

You also need a decent Graphics card to run Mortal Kombat like a GeForce GTX 560 TI or better.

His must be OK if he is doing those mods

[Howard_Casto]

Because my old machine isn't powerful enough to run MK, at least at max settings anyway.  It's probably due to the video card I'm using though... it's purposefully low-end to keep power consumption down. 

I don't do pc gaming at all, so there really wouldn't be any point in putting the most powerful machine at my desktop.  I've fell into that trap before and it's why my mame cab is continuously out of commission.  You download the latest pc game/emulator.  It runs on your desktop because it's middle of the road. (I never by top of the line anymore, it's a total waste of money) It doesn't run on your mame cab because it's slightly older.  So you play it on your pc hoping to upgrade your cab "someday"  well someday comes and you are done with that arcade title or emulator and have moved onto the next.

[knave]

Ok, I'll play

I'd get "This" for $139

And throw a cheap $40 Graphics card in it.
(you will need a low profile bracket)

Poof MAME PC for under $200

If you need a faster PC (I didn't look up the intel equivalent) there are several other options for both PC's and Graphics cards.

[ark_ader]

Ok, I'll play

I'd get "This" for $139

And throw a cheap $40 Graphics card in it.
(you will need a low profile bracket)

Poof MAME PC for under $200

If you need a faster PC (I didn't look up the intel equivalent) there are several other options for both PC's and Graphics cards.

+ 1 

I have a dc7700 with BIOS update for a Max of 8gb. Stick in an ati  5750 low wattage gpu  and you are golden.

[Howard_Casto]

I really do appreciate the help guys but some of you seem to be forgetting that one of my requirements is to run Mortal Kombat

recommended sys req for MK:

i5-750 core quad @ 2.66 ghz or AMD Phenom II x4 965

Technically you can get away with a core 2 duo but you are dangerously close to the minimum requirements, which actually have slowdown issues on some of the stages.  (I know even mine chugs a bit on the Desert).   MK is an odd one.  There is a lot of real time calculations and random particle effects (character damage, sand in the desert ect) so the processor is almost as important as the video card. 

Also win 7 64bit is pretty necessary. 

Refurbished is also a big no-no in my book.  I want to upgrade this thing and forget it for a while so dealing with other people's problems isn't such a good idea.

It's a good suggestion, but not quite there.  I'm not in a hurry atm... gonna wait for a sale.  I still have all of my Xmas games to go through, so I'll get serious about this probably towards the end of January. 

[ark_ader]

I really do appreciate the help guys but some of you seem to be forgetting that one of my requirements is to run Mortal Kombat

recommended sys req for MK:

i5-750 core quad @ 2.66 ghz or AMD Phenom II x4 965

Technically you can get away with a core 2 duo but you are dangerously close to the minimum requirements, which actually have slowdown issues on some of the stages.  (I know even mine chugs a bit on the Desert).   MK is an odd one.  There is a lot of real time calculations and random particle effects (character damage, sand in the desert ect) so the processor is almost as important as the video card. 

Also win 7 64bit is pretty necessary. 

Refurbished is also a big no-no in my book.  I want to upgrade this thing and forget it for a while so dealing with other people's problems isn't such a good idea.

It's a good suggestion, but not quite there.  I'm not in a hurry atm... gonna wait for a sale.  I still have all of my Xmas games to go through, so I'll get serious about this probably towards the end of January.

 

[CCM]

I really do appreciate the help guys but some of you seem to be forgetting that one of my requirements is to run Mortal Kombat

recommended sys req for MK:

i5-750 core quad @ 2.66 ghz or AMD Phenom II x4 965

Technically you can get away with a core 2 duo but you are dangerously close to the minimum requirements, which actually have slowdown issues on some of the stages.  (I know even mine chugs a bit on the Desert).   MK is an odd one.  There is a lot of real time calculations and random particle effects (character damage, sand in the desert ect) so the processor is almost as important as the video card. 

Also win 7 64bit is pretty necessary. 

Refurbished is also a big no-no in my book.  I want to upgrade this thing and forget it for a while so dealing with other people's problems isn't such a good idea.

It's a good suggestion, but not quite there.  I'm not in a hurry atm... gonna wait for a sale.  I still have all of my Xmas games to go through, so I'll get serious about this probably towards the end of January.

Well, you obviously know what you need...   check out the site below and pick the parts you want.

http://pcpartpicker.com/

[Howard_Casto]

Well no I don't.  I asked about APU's and what their equivalent CPU/GPU combos are but everybody just started posting links to random pcs.  I don't know what I need, rather I know what won't work. 

[404]

Well no I don't.  I asked about APU's and what their equivalent CPU/GPU combos are but everybody just started posting links to random pcs.  I don't know what I need, rather I know what won't work. 

I am a die hard AMD guy. I have always felt that they offered the best bang for the dollar pound for pound but I'll be brutally honest, I don't liked the APU units. both in terms of cpu and gpu performance i think they just lack in every aspect.

[JDFan]

Well no I don't.  I asked about APU's and what their equivalent CPU/GPU combos are but everybody just started posting links to random pcs.  I don't know what I need, rather I know what won't work. 

I am a die hard AMD guy. I have always felt that they offered the best bang for the dollar pound for pound but I'll be brutally honest, I don't liked the APU units. both in terms of cpu and gpu performance i think they just lack in every aspect.

Same and agreed -- I always hated the APUs due to them always matching the CPU to a lower end GPU than what is needed for gaming since they mostly are originally designed for low power consumption on a laptop. And then you wind up putting in a discrete GPU anyway and wasting that portion of your purchase. Then your also stuck wasting the original PSU because any decent GPU you add requires more power than the cut down one they used in the build since the APU was designed to conserve power and they save a couple bucks by using a little 200W PSU in the original build. 

[Howard_Casto]

Well for pc gaming I get that sentiment, but I'm not talking about pc gaming, I'm talking about an emulation rig.  Right now, believe it or not, APUs are considerably cheaper than CPUs.  Also from what I've been reading so long as you get a ati card (no problems there, it's what I always get) you can actually set APUs in a crossfire-like setup... with your external video card complimenting the built in one. 

[ark_ader]

Well no I don't.  I asked about APU's and what their equivalent CPU/GPU combos are but everybody just started posting links to random pcs.  I don't know what I need, rather I know what won't work. 

I am a die hard AMD guy. I have always felt that they offered the best bang for the dollar pound for pound but I'll be brutally honest, I don't liked the APU units. both in terms of cpu and gpu performance i think they just lack in every aspect.

I disagree.  I have recently bought an A10 4600m Trinity CPU laptop with APU and it runs everything and anything I throw at it, including bare metal ESXi VMs.  For the price it is totally cost effective, and makes Intel look two years behind.  Don't get me wrong i7 CPUs rock especially the NUC, but I think these Piledriver and the recent Bulldozer CPUs have the most bang for the buck.

[404]

didn't try any of the more recent stuff. The FM1 and early gen FM2 stuff was still disappointing IMO.