Wanna build a mame computer, what do I need?

Tech Talk
1

I wanna build a computer from scratch to run MAME, but I dunno what would be good.

Anyone have a MAME machine and wanna tell me what they bought?? Thanks! :slight_smile:

2

What do you want to play? Budget?

MAME will run on almost anything. It just depends on the games you want.

3

you need

mame
roms
computer

that’s all really. Mame will run on almost anything you throw it at…

4

I have a question. Would it be easier/better to run mame on linux, or on windows xp? those are my two currunt options I am looking at. I have mame on my mac and it runs fine, but I was looking to make a mame-specific box, and windows is pretty full of unnecessary stuff I won’t need. just wondering.

5

my mame PC I have set to run Mame32 on startup.

6

there are some very nice mame frontends for windows and linux

linux will undoubtedly be more stable, and after you set everything up once you’re almost guaranteed to have something very usable

i’d recommend linux if you plan on using this thing for video/audio as well, installing 2 programs will cover all your needs in those departments (mplayer and an audio app)

7

Thanks for your advice. I plan on using this system almost exclusively for Mame, with the exception being maybe mugen from time to time or something else simple like that. I have no real experience using front ends, though. I do like to use mplayer as a media player, at least for my mac, it seems to be pretty robust. Do you know if you can boot right to the mame front end with linux? I’d like to put this machine in a cabinet, and not mess with the keyboard unless I have to, after I’m done setting up.

8

well, linux is ur best bet then, win mugen is retarded and can’t handel itself. It randomly shuts down ALL the time.

9

ok, I have another question regarding Mame and game controller connections. Most of my sticks use a Dual shock PCB. I have one usb adapter that I use with my mac, but If I try to use 2 with mame, they both register as the same controller. is this an issue with PC versions of mame, or rather, windows/linux versions? I know mame on xbox is capable of recognizing seperate controllers/ports, so maybe this is just a mac OSX thing?

10

my two playstation usb adaptors register as different controllers in mame. It’s probally your USB adaptors you have. I use SmartJoy’s.

11

Run it on windows, it’s 302948g23094820 times easier to get working, and you have more options for frontends. That, and windows has better joystick support (well, maybe not better, but at least 1[03849309283509 times easier to get working).

Other than that, a shitty 200 mhz P2 should run just about all the cps2 and neo geo roms and pretty every other 2d rom with a few exceptions.

12

Thanks for the input. I do know that windows has great plug and play support for gamepads. I’m wondering what the Linux support is like, if anyone has general feedback on how they like it.