Frame delay system requirements

[Elaphe666]

I'm building a PC for GroovyMAME and I would like to know about system requirements. My idea is to use a i5 10400. This CPU will be more than enough to run all my favorite games at full speed. However, I've heard the frame delay feature is very demanding. Are there any benchmarks made so that I can know what to expect? The most powerful games in my favorites list are Cave CV1000, CPS3 and some STV games. Will I be able to use frame delay 1 or 2 with those? I don't want to set individual values for each game but find the worst performing game I want to emulate and set the maximum value of frame delay as a global setting.

[haynor666]

I'm using i3-12100F (about 3457 points for single thread on cpubenchmark.net) and some games even without frame delay will not work at full speed. i5 10400 has only 2567 points on cpubenchmark.net. Roughly the same ammount of points had G3258 overclocked to 4,2 GHz and it was not enough for many games even without frame delay.

I'll probably look for processor with more that 3500 points for single thread - https://www.cpubenchmark.net/singleThread.html#desktop-thread

Price/ratio is probably the best for i3-14100F but used 12100KF might even better choice if You are going to buy used processor.


Of course that depends what games You are going to play. Some games even if old are with netlist emulation and still very demanding. Recent Z80 core changes also slows some games a lot. Now in 2025 we have even new req for processors:

If you’ve been following along, you’ll no doubt realise that MAME development is off to a flying start in 2025. Perhaps the most exciting feature coming in the next release is a native recompiler for 64-bit ARMv8 systems. This includes Apple Silicon, recent Raspberry Pi models, and the most popular Android devices.

After several years, we’ve decided it’s time to start taking advantage of features of newer (or at least slightly less outdated) CPUs. Starting with MAME 0.274, official Windows binary releases will require so-called x86-64-v2 features. These features have been available in all popular x86-64 CPUs for close to a decade. They were introduced in the following CPU families:

Intel “Nehalem” (2008), or “Silvermont” (2013) for low-power CPUs
AMD “Bulldozer” (2011), or “Jaguar” (2013) for low-power CPUs
VIA “Nano C” and “Eden C” (both 2015)
If you still want to run up-to-date versions of MAME on older systems running Windows, you’ll need to compile it from the source code.

[Elaphe666]

Last week I benchmarked a computer with a 10400 CPU and I see I can play all the games in my collection at full speed, even with framedelay 1 (only excluding a bunch of them).

0-222% -> 0
223-249% -> 1
250-285% -> 2
286-333% -> 3
334-399% -> 4
400-499% -> 5
500-666% -> 6
667-999% -> 7
1000-1999% -> 8
2000% and over -> 9

shienryu   153.23%
svg   175.53%
psyvarrv   182.68%
vr   193.62%
xiistag   194.25%
stealsee   198.42%
shikigam   201.66%
gdarius2   208.79%
vf   225.96%
ftimpcta   227.92%
raystorm   249.91%
adillor   250.21%
timecris   297.41%
outrun   300.56%
rsgun   304.23%
sexyparo   316.19%
ridgerac   316.99%
tbyahhoo   323.68%
fantjour   328.63%
tekken3   329.43%
kov2p   329.63%
tektagt   333.79%
martmast   337.96%
shangon   345.98%
tnzs   353.63%
prikura   359.47%
theglad   360.37%
fhawk   367.96%
raycris   371.87%
gekiridn   378.11%
fgtlayer   378.33%
rvschool   378.55%
bublbob2   384.57%
lightbr   389.12%
gunlock   405.88%
ridgera2   406.02%
orunners   409.83%
danceyes   438.73%
kungfum   444.30%
dariusg   448.81%
scfinals   450.15%
dmnfrnt   475.39%
brvblade   491.88%
elvactr   501.84%
hyprduel   512.02%
doapp   516.73%
ga2   528.17%
ptblank   528.80%
p47aces   581.24%
galpanis   591.36%
offroad   595.46%
galpani4   596.25%
nebulray   601.09%
mwalk   612.19%
desertbr   621.57%
bldyror2   632.74%
nbbatman   689.63%
abcop   716.33%
hamaway   723.76%
kov   736.05%
ddp3   753.40%
hvysmsh   754.76%
gunbird   768.00%
orlegend   768.57%
s1945   770.11%
ket   776.00%
boogwing   777.72%
espgal   778.87%
shdancer   781.62%
tengai   792.52%
dynagear   800.79%
aburner2   817.07%
airass   820.35%
grdians   821.78%
ddp2   828.96%
futari15   829.18%
galpans3   837.84%
samuraia   875.66%
asurabld   879.18%
zerotm2k   901.54%
asurabus   911.52%
gunforc2   923.31%
orleg2   927.86%
rfjet   929.56%
nslasher   934.42%
rdft   939.33%
goldnaxe   941.10%
asterix   945.84%
ssridersabd   956.73%
bssoccer   966.63%
viprp1   967.87%
wrally   968.45%
tmnt22pu   969.85%
nost   973.94%
inthunt   975.60%
batsugun   982.52%
mslugx   996.91%
rtypeleo   997.58%
aliensyn   1001.99%
gunforce   1007.80%
espgal2   1013.18%
vasara   1017.17%
mslug3   1018.87%
batrider   1029.16%
fixeight   1045.93%
mslug2   1046.10%
swcourt   1050.40%
tkdensho   1050.96%
sengoku2   1058.84%
nemesis   1058.91%
svc   1062.30%
dfkbl   1068.02%
eswat   1068.90%
ssideki   1070.87%
bjourney   1072.32%
garou   1078.67%
lastbld2   1086.39%
tophuntr   1086.97%
bmaster   1090.66%
lresort   1093.11%
vasara2   1096.80%
s1945p   1099.31%
samsho2   1100.67%
kof98   1101.73%
tinklpit   1103.59%
roboarmy   1105.89%
lastblad   1107.52%
viewpoin   1120.57%
mysticri   1121.61%
cyvern   1123.50%
shocktr2   1124.60%
wjammers   1129.00%
ninjamas   1129.43%
aof3   1132.25%
baddudes   1132.41%
kizuna   1132.66%
funkyjet   1134.18%
mmpork   1135.04%
mslug   1135.09%
cyberlip   1138.69%
dogyuun   1140.40%
neodrift   1145.47%
wakuwak7   1147.97%
mmaze   1148.33%
uccops   1148.81%
spinmast   1149.01%
ncommand   1154.83%
bgaregga   1162.71%
aodk   1167.36%
roughrac   1172.39%
ironclad   1173.18%
simpsons2p   1174.12%
trally   1176.25%
pulstar   1177.65%
phelios   1179.52%
socbrawl   1181.35%
shocktro   1182.25%
magdrop2   1187.73%
moomesa   1189.47%
sengoku3   1193.32%
mushisam   1194.78%
androdun   1197.45%
secretag   1199.46%
dsmbl   1199.90%
dsaber   1201.39%
strhoop   1202.49%
ddragon   1211.50%
dynduke   1215.65%
outzone   1217.41%
kof97   1219.53%
bbakraid   1219.88%
b2b   1220.21%
samsho   1222.41%
hook   1223.89%
robocop   1225.26%
rotd   1231.28%
loht   1233.41%
tumblep   1236.46%
salamand   1239.62%
zupapa   1240.36%
parodius   1255.52%
ddragon2   1259.33%
gpilots   1260.06%
nam1975   1271.53%
mushitam   1276.45%
sonicwi2   1278.44%
kingdmgp   1282.95%
varth   1286.81%
rdft2   1287.17%
sfiii3n   1289.56%
blazstar   1290.69%
bublbobl   1296.16%
mmaulers   1312.70%
sstriker   1313.72%
contra   1315.60%
marble   1318.92%
flicky   1339.26%
gogomile   1346.24%
dimahoo   1354.77%
psychos   1368.12%
wingforc   1379.54%
sfa3   1389.52%
cninja   1397.13%
ddsom   1417.46%
viostorm   1417.55%
nspirit   1417.63%
denjinmk   1422.20%
dbreed   1431.16%
thundfox   1432.43%
stonebal   1438.12%
mvsc   1440.40%
gwar   1444.50%
csclub   1451.84%
metamrph   1453.45%
progear   1454.85%
prmrsocr   1458.91%
sailormn   1459.90%
batcir   1464.88%
fshark   1467.71%
gradius3   1471.29%
rallybik   1480.64%
hharry   1491.97%
ibarablk   1502.01%
mystwarr   1503.85%
opwolf   1503.97%
xmultipl   1504.67%
shadoww   1535.44%
tp84   1538.43%
pinkswts   1544.68%
1944   1549.00%
pbobble   1553.68%
deadconx   1560.24%
tail2nos   1572.24%
blktiger   1577.43%
cameltry   1578.85%
liquidk   1583.76%
s1945iii   1589.96%
19xx   1597.48%
dondokod   1602.76%
shinobi   1611.07%
galmedes   1625.11%
dragnblz   1630.25%
hotdogst   1631.48%
rodland   1636.13%
ddtod   1647.79%
gnbarich   1652.31%
truxton2   1653.22%
othunder   1674.70%
avsp   1686.34%
ecofghtr   1696.69%
s1945ii   1703.78%
gunbird2   1707.03%
polepos   1714.62%
cabal   1727.99%
rtype2   1729.71%
growl   1737.12%
rbisland   1746.81%
armwar   1751.30%
gtmr2   1758.63%
selfeena   1771.11%
vulcan   1772.03%
ryujin   1779.90%
dino   1787.93%
snowbro2   1795.63%
tetris   1807.90%
wof   1825.31%
rtype   1845.27%
stdragon   1859.25%
punisher   1867.28%
blstroid   1873.42%
dynablst   1873.54%
kod   1873.96%
dietgo   1875.05%
sf2ce   1881.33%
swatpolc   1887.44%
gtmr   1910.89%
crimec   1936.04%
sf2   1936.72%
nemo   1943.80%
mgcrystl   1951.37%
tigeroad   1960.03%
aliens   1986.80%
bbmanw   1992.50%
toki   2026.82%
1943   2031.04%
1943kai   2031.05%
mia   2049.76%
snowbros   2098.19%
strider   2111.36%
forgottn   2117.78%
3wonders   2181.18%
donpachi   2187.12%
captcomm   2199.27%
streetsm   2236.39%
esprade   2289.77%
tmht2p   2299.53%
willow   2325.32%
prehisle   2325.81%
ffight   2341.68%
pang3   2343.35%
pow   2346.12%
ghouls   2355.18%
squash   2367.64%
ddonpach   2372.80%
rygar   2384.99%
solomon   2386.43%
knights   2413.89%
msword   2418.20%
cawing   2424.16%
pnickj   2437.61%
zeropnt   2448.80%
1941   2463.54%
gng   2465.21%
timeplt   2499.10%
gaia   2521.63%
unsquad   2581.35%
calibr50   2640.76%
spang   2674.16%
pang   2685.27%
mtwins   2702.06%
gunsmoke   2705.12%
topdrive   2749.28%
bloodbro   2769.56%
mercs   2827.14%
suratk   2828.07%
sonson   2829.78%
dkong   2848.75%
bang   2926.83%
berzerk   2969.65%
bjtwin   3044.89%
commando   3115.64%
smissw   3154.96%
sabotenb   3287.49%
galpanic   3358.52%
biomtoy   3612.06%
kicker   3836.28%
joemacr   4676.76%
charlien   4998.49%
klax   5103.58%
osman   5541.95%
gberet   5654.19%
puckman   8317.03%

[haynor666]

For STV/Saturn games I'm using emu4crt (fork of mednafen). Many games works faster and better in this emu for example Radiant Silvergun.

For games that runs from 100% to 300% it's better to observe speed during playing. Some games might have speed hick ups even if runs far above 100%. Good example s Pig Newton with net list emulation.