Johnny Johnson Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Iâ??m a newbie when it comes to GameEx, actually when it comes to emulators as well. I would like to build a custom HTPC and install GameEx on it for MAME and other emulators, as well as some other multimedia (music, movies, etc.). This would be the only function of the PC. I do not need it to play Blu-ray. Are there any recommendations out there on what kind of case, motherboard, CPU, video card, sound card, etc. to buy? I would like to do this relatively inexpensively if possible. Should I get a case with remote control support? And is it easy to have the PC boot up directly to GameEx?Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkenobi Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 The GameEx forums are primarily focused on this front end, however we do tend to help out with other software and hardware when possible. I highly recommend checking out the BYOAC forums for better information on system specifics. Also, you might want to try checking AVSForum as well. They discuss HTPC's quite a bit.That being said, it really depends on what systems you want to emulate as to what your system requiremensts will be. If you want the latest and greatest console emulation (PSX, Saturn, GameCube, Dreamcast, newer?), then you will need a better system than if you are strictly looking at classics (NES, Atari, C64). You would probably want to consider a moderately powered dual core machine if you want the former whereas you could get buy with a P4 equivalent for the latter. Now, if you want MAME to be able to play the newest CHD titles correctly, you are looking at a super beast! You will need a 4+ GHz dual/quad core system. At that point, you might want to throw BD in there since it won't be that much more expensive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Johnson Posted December 23, 2009 Author Share Posted December 23, 2009 Thank you for the info. It appears that AVSForum has a ton of information on the topic. As far as what I would like to emulate, I would say pretty much everything from the classic consoles (NES, Genesis, N64, Dreamcast) to semi-recent arcade games (sounds like CHD games are out of the question for my budget constraints). I would also like to watch and record TV as well. My budget for all of this though is under $500. I was on Newegg and came up with this configuration. Will this handle it and/or is this a decent configuration? Also, are there any additional components I would need for the HTPC?CaseApevia X-Master BK/500 ($69.99 w/$30 MIR)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811144231MotherboardGigabyte GA-MA785GM-US2H MicroATX ($79.99)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128394CPUAMD Athlon II X2 240 Regor 2.8GHz Dual-Core Processor ($58)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103688MemoryG.SKILL 4GB (2x2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 ($90.99)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231166Hard DriveHITACHI Deskstar 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s ($84.99)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145304TunerHauppauge WinTV HVR-1250 Hybrid ($48.99)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116028Optical DrivePioneer DVR-118LBK ($29.99)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827129043Total cost is $462.94 before rebate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkenobi Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 I'm not sure what the requirements are for Dreamcast, but you might be a little low on CPU power for that one. I'm running a Athlon 3200+ on my cabinet and I can run some CHD games in mostly full speed, but there are some slowdowns. I can't even come close to any of the seattle based games though. As for the DVR function, you should be aware that playing a game might interfere with recording video. I don't know for sure, but it just seems like you might have problems with either encoding (if that card isn't 100% hardware) or hard drive access (for the CHD games anyway). Just something to keep in mind. I'm considering building an HTPC myself, but I'm looking at one based on the 330 Ion. I was all gung hoe to build over the holidays, but then just found out that Comcast stopped broadcasting unencrypted signals recently. Not sure if the project is a go anymore... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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