Help build my MAME PC / Is Directron good?

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A

amnesiac

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
15,781
1
71
First: I'm building a MAME/Emulator box for my living room. It will end up being hefty enough that I'll probably ditch my current PC for parts and use the living room box for general use instead.

Proposed specs -- let me know what you think, and if I should make any changes:

Case: Silverstone SST-LC03B HTPC case (matches my components :cool: )
Power Supply: "TT-350SS" Silent 350W PS
MB: Abit AN-7
Proc: Athlon 2500+ XP (Barton)
Heatsink: Zalman 6000cu
RAM: 512MB PC2700 (Samsung)
Video: ATI Radeon 9600 + Component video adapter
HD: 160GB Maxtor


Second: I priced these items at Newegg like I always do. I've ordered literally thousands upon thousands of dollars from Newegg and have yet to have a problem. Since they were out of that particular case, I looked around and found that Directron has it for cheaper, with cheaper shipping and no tax. Piling the rest of the items in the cart showed an even greater savings (incl. tax/shipping, nearly $100). Is there any reason I shouldn't abandon Newegg this time around?
 
X

xenocyd3

Banned
Jul 28, 2003
862
0
0
directron is good. i ordered from them over 10 times


they are kinda stupid though'

i ordered a RMA from them and then i canceled it then they refunded me all the money and they wouldnt accept the money back and i got over $450 in gear for free
 
M

MAME

Banned
Sep 19, 2003
9,281
1
0
if you want to chat on aim, pm me your screen name and I'll answer your q's
 
M

MAME

Banned
Sep 19, 2003
9,281
1
0
first and foremost:
if this is just for MAME:
vid card is too good
hd is too big
 
A

amnesiac

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
15,781
1
71
Originally posted by: KK
MAME PC??? What's this thing supposed to do?

KK
Click to expand...

Emulate virtually every single Arcade ROM on the planet. As an added bonus it will run NES, SNES, SMS, Genesis, 32x, SegaCD, Gameboy, and pretty much any other console ROM. :)
 
Kelemvor

Kelemvor

Lifer
May 23, 2002
16,928
8
81
Nice Pics Mame. I've always wanted something like that. But then I don't know how often I'd actually use it. My only experience with Mame is on my PC using the keyboard. Is it all that different using the actual jotsticks and such?

Of course if you want all the games, you'd have to have front plates that you can swap out to have a big Ball for Centipede, the dial control for some games, the 4 controllers for playing gauntlet, and things like that. But for most, a jotstick and a bunch of buttons is probably good enough.

Man, as I'm writing this I'm having flashbacks of the old karate game where you just had two joysticks and no buttons and moving them in combinations did moves. I was so good at that game. heh.

Anyway, if that's just going to be a Mame box, it seems like pretty major overkill.
 
Nitemare

Nitemare

Lifer
Feb 8, 2001
35,461
4
81
Originally posted by: MAME
first and foremost:
if this is just for MAME:
vid card is too good
hd is too big
Click to expand...

I entirely agree. Everything you have is pretty much overkill. Directron is a nice company as well
 
nakedfrog

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
63,317
19,696
136
Another vote of confidence for Directron, good prices, never any problems. Got my Z-Alien case from them for about $60 cheaper than any other place I could find, and it still included the power supply.
 
F

flot

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2000
3,197
0
0
Cross-post from the other MAME thread...

I built one, from scratch, and it is a dead ringer for an old school Ms. Pac Man machine.

Definitely worth doing. People always do a double take when I tell them I made it myself... actually they usually just sort of nod, and then I'm like "no, really, that used to be 3 sheets of plywood" and then they freak out.

I'd definitely recommend trying to get as close as possible to a "real" cabinet look... the ones that people do that have a 15" monitor sitting on a shelf with a computer underneath it... not cool.

The only thing I don't like about mine, is that because I used Pac Man as a template, I only have a single joystick... I bought an ipac controller and buttons, joystick, etc, from happ controls, and bought enough to do a dual-joystick 6 button arrangement... but all I really wanted it for were some mean games of Ms. Pac and Galaga, so I decided to stick true to the original. I don't have any special woodworking skills, most of my previous woodwork was a handful of subwoofer boxes for friends - this was basically the same, just much bigger and less sealed. :)

Oddly, I can't seem to find a photo of my cabinet online - but will try to post one soon. I built everything from scratch, but got the layout for the sides of the Ms. Pac Cabinet from a PDF file online - it was a 40 page PDF that you printed out and then taped together, and then traced onto your sheet of plywood... other than that, it was easy. Of course... I used 3/4" MDF braced with 2x4s for everything so my cabinet weighs about... 150-200 lbs - but it is EXTREMELY solid and can be moved easily on a dolly.

Edit: Found some pics of the nearly completed cabinet:

MAME Cabinet Assembled
MAME Cabinet Insides

Edit 2: A couple notes, the coin door is an original I got off ebay for about $30, then sanded and refinished in rustoleum hammered grey, and it looks and works great. The actual construction time for the cabinet etc was about 6 solid days of work, but I got the first 70% done in 3 days and then the remaining 30% has taken me over a year... I'm still trying to find the side art I want, and I have some other minor things I'd like to work out - just have too many projects. Total cost at home depot was probably about $100, custom arcade parts probably $170, and then the computer and 21" monitor. The finishing touches are going to be expensive, the side art may run as much as $100-150, and then other minor things I'd like to touch up etc... but overall, it was a great project and pretty cool even in it's not-quite-finished state.
 
ElFenix

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,407
8,595
126
directron has the dirtiest, cheapest office i have ever been in

<--- picks stuff up will-call
 
A

amnesiac

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
15,781
1
71
Originally posted by: FelixDeKat
HTPC>MAME

IMO Directron is fly-by-night. Go w/the Egg.
Click to expand...

And spend $100 more?


Also, the reading comprehension level of this board is tanking like the Exxon Valdez.

It's a MAME PC, not an arcade cabinet. I even mention the case I'm using. :)

Also, the hard drive isn't changing; the Maxtor I already have in my possession I got for $25.
 
ElFenix

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,407
8,595
126
Originally posted by: FelixDeKat
HTPC>MAME

IMO Directron is fly-by-night. Go w/the Egg.
Click to expand...

directron is hardly fly by night... they've been around for years
 
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