Trying to achieve a flexible GroovyMAME setup

[Frantz Fanon]

Hi!

I'm currently in the planning stages of building my first MAME cabinet, to which the following vague specification applies:

• Accurate emulation
• Minimal input lag
• Interlaced and progressive NTSC video output on 15kHz CRT
• Compatibility with a wide library of games

To meet these wants, I decided early on that GroovyMAME is right for me. I've done quite a bit of research on this and tried to find others in my situation to see what their experiences have been, as well as current information on what is and isn't possible, but I'm still not sure what direction is appropriate for my needs. I apologise if my question is a bit on the large side - I'm rather inexperienced when it comes to consumer hardware in general, and completely new to MAME machines in particular - or if this thread is in the wrong subforum due to much of it falling outside of the GroovyMAME subject. I would be very grateful for any help I can get.

To further specify my application, I intend to build a new computer that will serve - running whatever OS works best - as the heart of my cabinet, but also for other things. This, I feel, constitutes the main complication to my situation; since I want to use the system for non-MAME purposes, among these recent and perhaps even near-future games (on both an LCD monitor and, in some cases - if at all possible - CRT), I believe it will require a modern GPU, which I understand would problematise my GroovyMAME configuration.

I have been able to identify three different solutions that appear feasible to me:

• Install a modern GPU, probably a recent GeForce GTX series model. Undertake the immense task of configuring GroovyMAME, Soft15kHz, PowerStrip and SwitchRes to function together. I understand this would ultimately limit the functionality of GroovyMAME in some way - which features would be absent compared to the conventional CRT_Emudriver solution?
• Install the same modern GPU, as well as an older one compatible with CRT_Emudriver. Configure the system with significantly less effort. Utilise CRT_Emudriver for MAME, and Soft15kHz for resource-intensive games that require the modern GPU. Is this solution at all possible?
• Install the same modern GPU. Use a downscaler such as an Emotia or a homebuilt FPGA solution to achieve various 15kHz outputs. Am I correct in supposing that this would limit accuracy, due to many native resolutions likely being unavailable as outputs from the downscaler?

Do I have any other options to achieve the level of flexibility that I'm pursuing? Which solution would you suggest? Is this a pointless endeavour altogether?

Thanks in advance, and, again, please pardon my ignorance. I don't usually post questions on forums like this, but this time I'm quite eager to learn. I've been staring at this problem for weeks now, so it's perfectly possible that I'm suffering internal screen burn-in and that this post is completely incoherent outside of my head - please let me know, and I'll attempt to clarify.

[Calamity]

Hi Frantz Fanon,

Do you feel something so special about Nvidia? I'm saying this because new CRT Emudriver supports up to the AMD HD 7800 series, and hopefully soon will cover the newer ones too.

(I'll write a longer answer when I have some time and a proper keyboard)

[haynor666]

It's better to create dedicated PC because it will be hard (if possible at all) to configure ATI card suitable for groovymame together with NVidia card for general playing. In theory it is possible to and second card, install custom modes and force groovymame to output all games let's say on display4 but then You will need enable test mode in Windows 7 and this might break other things. These days any cheap core2duo will be ok (about 100 USD). If You need very good modern machine I'll recommend G3258 overclocked to 4,0 GHz with any HD4xxx or even better if You are planning use DEmul, PS2 emu etc. Such PC will cost about 250 USD.

If You are planning using groovymame then only CRT driver and VMMaker not soft15kHz.

Wide range of frequiencies You can only get with PC CRT or Arcade CRT/TV. LCDs mostly does not work below 59 Hz.

[Frantz Fanon]

Do you feel something so special about Nvidia?

Not really, to be honest.

I'm saying this because new CRT Emudriver supports up to the AMD HD 7800 series, and hopefully soon will cover the newer ones too.

I wasn't aware of this... I should have looked closer at the change logs. The HD 7800 series might be just a little too weak for what I had in mind, but if R-series support may be on the horizon I'll be keeping a close eye on future developments. I suppose I picked a good time to join the community 

Thanks for your answer!

It's better to create dedicated PC because it will be hard (if possible at all) to configure ATI card suitable for groovymame together with NVidia card for general playing. In theory it is possible to and second card, install custom modes and force groovymame to output all games let's say on display4 but then You will need enable test mode in Windows 7 and this might break other things.

Yeah, I sort of had a feeling that the dual GPU solution appeared too fortunate to be viable in reality. Thanks for your suggestions!

[Calamity]

Yeah, I sort of had a feeling that the dual GPU solution appeared too fortunate to be viable in reality. Thanks for your suggestions!

Dual GPU solution is certainly possible, specially if you don't mix brands (say Nvidia for LCD, AMD for CRT) so drivers are kept separate.

The real point is whether this is a good idea at all.

Newbies in the arcade hobby make the same mistake as newbies in the aquarium hobby: they want to put all types of fish in the same tank.

I don't mean it's not possible, but by the degree of confusion your post suggests, my advice is to choose a low friction route and avoid yourself lots of frustration. In the future, you may want to go back to your original idea, once you know the details about CRT Emudriver, Soft-15kHz, Powerstrip, what cards are supported by each, etc. E.g. I don't think GroovyMAME is even worth at all without CRT Emudriver... which features would be missing? Almost everything.

[Frantz Fanon]

Yeah, I sort of had a feeling that the dual GPU solution appeared too fortunate to be viable in reality. Thanks for your suggestions!

Dual GPU solution is certainly possible, specially if you don't mix brands (say Nvidia for LCD, AMD for CRT) so drivers are kept separate.

The real point is whether this is a good idea at all.

Newbies in the arcade hobby make the same mistake as newbies in the aquarium hobby: they want to put all types of fish in the same tank.

I don't mean it's not possible, but by the degree of confusion your post suggests, my advice is to choose a low friction route and avoid yourself lots of frustration. In the future, you may want to go back to your original idea, once you know the details about CRT Emudriver, Soft-15kHz, Powerstrip, what cards are supported by each, etc. E.g. I don't think GroovyMAME is even worth at all without CRT Emudriver... which features would be missing? Almost everything.

Sounds sensible. A large part of my 'research' up until now has consisted of trying to confirm compatibility between the GPU I had in mind and the various utilities I considered. At this point I believe I've concluded that I have the following two options for what I hope to achieve:

• CRT_Emudriver
• A big old mess that I currently have little hope of understanding

For now I suppose I'll just remain carefully optimistic about your efforts to hack the newer Catalyst (Crimson?) drivers, as that seems like it might eventually provide me with, in your words, a low friction route.

Thanks again for your help, and for your service to the community (if that means anything coming from a newbie like myself  )!

[cools]

Newbies in the arcade hobby make the same mistake as newbies in the aquarium hobby: they want to put all types of fish in the same tank.

This is sound advice.

I wholehearted recommend taking the low friction route, putting together a straightforward 15KHz (or 31KHz) CRT cabinet with as much off-the-shelf as possible, then look at adding extra bits and bobs to it at a later date.

Otherwise you'll end up endlessly fighting and tweaking with things rather than getting down to playing games.