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Starting Over
#389513 - 01/11/21 07:22 AM
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I'm happy to see that this community is still going strong. I think it's been over 10 years since I've been around.
So the old computer running everything in my arcade cabinet is out of commission for good. Got a lot out of it, but it was time. Now I need to start all over, and I really have no idea what the best option would be.
I guess I should list a few things that I already have, hopefully these can all be used again. The original system was built in 2005.
The monitor is an old school Wells-Gardner model #27D9200.
The arcade controls are run by an I-PAC. I don't know for sure which version, but I think it's the #2. Whatever was the current version in 2005 is most likely what it is.
I know this doesn't matter too much right now, but the ROM set I have is version 0.115.
So the main question is, what kind of system should I buy that will comfortably run everything above. I'm not going to play anything too new on this thing, mainly just older arcade games, with maybe an older Nintendo or Sega emulator here and there.
I'm hoping there's a very quick answer to this. Like, maybe there's a small system that comes pre-loaded with a front end, and all I need to do is plug in this or that, and load in the games, and that's that.
Thank you so much in advance!
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Re: Starting Over
[Re: Jerry]
#389534 - 01/11/21 05:19 PM
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>
> I know this doesn't matter too much right now, but the ROM set I have is version 0.115.
>
I'm sorry I cannot really help you out here, but this piece actually does matter. A lot. 115 was released back in 2007, so roughly 13+ years ago. A lot has changed in MAME since then, and I doubt anyone is willing or able to help you out with a version that's so outdated. So a first step might be getting the latest current MAME version, and the roms that go with it.
Again, sorry I am not able to help you out further.
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Re: Starting Over
[Re: mhoes]
#389536 - 01/11/21 06:17 PM
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Thanks. Yeah, I figured it was very outdated.
After searching around a little, I'm leaning toward getting a Raspberry Pi already configured with Retropie and everything else.
Just need to figure out if I can simply get a VGA/HDMI adaptor for my old monitor, plug it in, and have it work. I do think the I-PAC will work as before, hoping it will map out all of my controls again, and it should work as long as I configure it within Retropie.
> >
> > I know this doesn't matter too much right now, but the ROM set I have is version
> 0.115.
> >
>
> I'm sorry I cannot really help you out here, but this piece actually does matter. A
> lot. 115 was released back in 2007, so roughly 13+ years ago. A lot has changed in
> MAME since then, and I doubt anyone is willing or able to help you out with a version
> that's so outdated. So a first step might be getting the latest current MAME version,
> and the roms that go with it.
>
> Again, sorry I am not able to help you out further.
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Re: Starting Over
[Re: Jerry]
#389539 - 01/11/21 08:14 PM
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I'm where you are, my cabinet is old enough I can't even tell you mame version but I can say it has a o/c'd amd thoroughbred 1700 to 2100 and it was only about a year old chip when I built it so that tells you how old it is! Lol
I picked up a used i5 computer off of ebay for 75.00 bucks with 4 gig men and 1 ter. Hard Drive and plan on using that.
Using the original tv I installed back then and an original i-pac.
My winter project once I get motivated....
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Only here to annoy...
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Re: Starting Over
[Re: Renegade]
#389551 - 01/12/21 02:15 PM
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I took this approach with a refurbished i5 Compaq off Newegg and I had the same intentions. Today that machine has 20g of Ram, Win 10 and a video card. I am guessing I put another $65-$75 into it but now it plays everything.
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Re: Starting Over
[Re: Classic80sGMR]
#389552 - 01/12/21 03:39 PM
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> I took this approach with a refurbished i5 Compaq off Newegg and I had the same
> intentions. Today that machine has 20g of Ram, Win 10 and a video card. I am guessing
> I put another $65-$75 into it but now it plays everything.
Yeah, that's pretty much the way to go. The general MAME dev suggestion is any relatively recent i5, a decent amount of RAM so that Windows doesn't pitch a fit, and if you want to run with shaders enabled (which OP probably doesn't due to having a proper CRT), a half-decent graphics card.
Nothing even approaching top-of-the-line is necessary. There's a huge performance gulf between "games that are playable on halfway-modern PCs" and "games that require more horsepower than a PC will likely ever have", so optimize for the former and not the latter. Nevertheless, it's important to not buy some worthless shit-box of a machine like a Raspberry Pi or a Core 2 Duo either.
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Re: Starting Over
[Re: Jerry]
#389587 - 01/17/21 12:33 AM
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I just ran into a similar situation with an old MAME config running on Win98 that finally took a dump.
Snagged a Dell Optiplex755 off ebay w/8GB RAM. Have it running Linux Ubuntu v20.10 and MAME .220 -- and using my 20year old X-Arcade TankStik still.
Runs great!
Good Luck.
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Re: Starting Over
[Re: MooglyGuy]
#389603 - 01/18/21 08:39 PM
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> Yeah, that's pretty much the way to go. The general MAME dev suggestion is any
> relatively recent i5, a decent amount of RAM so that Windows doesn't pitch a fit, and
> if you want to run with shaders enabled (which OP probably doesn't due to having a
> proper CRT), a half-decent graphics card.
Even a modern on-board video chipset will handle shaders fairly well if you're not going 4K, possibly even 1440 (which is something I should actually test out now that I think about it) and has been able to for about.. oh.. 10 years roughly. I was quite shocked to see that Intel's video was capable of decent MAME shader performance on the Sandy Bridge chips. Even a seriously underpowered 3GB GTX 1060 could hold up just fine with MAME.
i5 or Zen 3-based AMD equivalent, 8-16GB of RAM, and a reasonably good video system that can actually talk to the monitor.
> Nothing even approaching top-of-the-line is necessary. There's a huge performance
> gulf between "games that are playable on halfway-modern PCs" and "games that require
> more horsepower than a PC will likely ever have", so optimize for the former and not
> the latter. Nevertheless, it's important to not buy some worthless shit-box of a
> machine like a Raspberry Pi or a Core 2 Duo either.
Yeah. MAME-based Dreamcast/NAOMI, as one example, likely won't be playable any time soon so don't even try to optimize for that. You just find the most intensive thing on the MAME list that you want to run and optimize for that; as long as you're getting a steady 60 there, you're good to go.
The hard part is getting modern video hardware to talk to an arcade monitor.
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---
Try checking the MAME manual at http://docs.mamedev.org
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Re: Starting Over
[Re: MooglyGuy]
#389616 - 01/19/21 09:06 PM
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>
> Yeah, that's pretty much the way to go. The general MAME dev suggestion is any
> relatively recent i5, a decent amount of RAM so that Windows doesn't pitch a fit, and
> if you want to run with shaders enabled (which OP probably doesn't due to having a
> proper CRT), a half-decent graphics card.
>
> Nothing even approaching top-of-the-line is necessary. There's a huge performance
> gulf between "games that are playable on halfway-modern PCs" and "games that require
> more horsepower than a PC will likely ever have", so optimize for the former and not
> the latter. Nevertheless, it's important to not buy some worthless shit-box of a
> machine like a Raspberry Pi or a Core 2 Duo either.
What ? NOW he tells me ? And I just bought a 64 core AMD Thread-ripper for my dedicated MAME cabinet ! Darn it !
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