Small Windows XP computer for MAME?

[robertsig]

I semi-built an arcade machine in 2011 using a Zotac Geforce 9300 mini-itx motherboard, Windows XP, CRT monitor and a variety of arcade controls.  The knowledge I gained in this forum since then has waned a bit.  It's been working for a while.  Because of programming, USB drivers/controls and such, I need to keep this install of WinXP intact.  I do have a solid image-backup of the SSD drive.

The motherboard has been a little flaky, so I want to buy a replacement SMALL computer from eBay that can run Windows XP.  This motherboard was a mini-ITX.  If I could do it over, I'd go even smaller.  I'm not sure if Intel made NUC's in the Core2Duo days.  I don't recall if integrated computers of that size were even a thing back then.

So that part I forgot was-- people here recommended at the time I get an NForce chipset because the graphics worked best with MAME.  Maybe it was refresh rating changing depending on the game - I no longer recall.

Is that still the recommendation for Windows XP era hardware?  Or would any ol' graphics card from that era be fine?  And of course, I welcome recommendations on something pre-built and  < mini-ITX in size.

[Fursphere]

Because of programming, USB drivers/controls and such, I need to keep this install of WinXP intact. 

I'm curious what you are hanging onto for the arcade cabinet that needs Windows XP?  Is it a special video card to drive a CRT or something?

XP went end of life 11 years ago.  You're going to have to go eBay spelunking (or local computer surplus house?) to find hardware that'll work with XP.

Its really simple to start fresh these days for an arcade cabinet build out with modern hardware.

[nitrogen_widget]

what specifically is holding you to XP?
what is you main output?
are you doing anything fancy with an arcade monitor?

if i had to do XP i'd go with tiny XP or just linux myself.

i don't think you will find much smaller than matx for xp.

i've got linux installed on some thin clients running mame and other emulators with some decent hardware.
can play some cave games with frame skip even.

[robertsig]

Everything works and there was some INI files and such I had to create/edit for my USB arcade controls.  It just works.  I don't want to re-map all those controls again to figure out switches and buttons.  Plus WinXP is much easier to replace the LUNA so it boots into my menu.

[Fursphere]

If you're just talking about MAME INI files (config files), those are portable to another install of MAME with almost zero effort.

[Zebidee]

Everything works and there was some INI files and such I had to create/edit for my USB arcade controls.  It just works.  I don't want to re-map all those controls again to figure out switches and buttons.  Plus WinXP is much easier to replace the LUNA so it boots into my menu.

This makes no sense.

Every week or so someone posts like this. They are usually either going back to a cab they built a decade or so ago, or they were gifted something. They want to redo the cab anew, but with WinXP because everything "worked" and they know XP like an old friend. It was great for its time.

Except that XP is outdated and nobody designs stuff to work with it anymore. Why would they? This includes MAME and the CRT_emulator/Groovymame software, assuming you actually want the best emulation possible.

Speaking of INI files, with Groovymame I barely need them anymore, at least for the display. GM just picks the best video modes and refresh rates anyway. You might be able to just port your USB controller INI files directly over to the new OS, and even if you can't the extra work involves to remap seems minimal. I don't know what a LUNA is, but it seems to concern booting directing into a front end menu, which is east to do in Win7 or 10.

I myself have been in a similar place, wanting to go back to WinXP, despite the driving force of logic. Initially I setup dual boot systems (XP/Win7), but eventually I just dropped the XP from my setups because there was no point holding on anymore. The only way is forward. Even Win7 is old, but at least it is still supported by the main software and hardware that we use for this hobby.

There are step-by-step guides on here for Windows 7 or 10. They walk you through setting up for use in a cab environment.