Computer Hardware Choices – Parts for a DIY Arcade Machine
What Computer Parts Do I Need For a Great Home Built Arcade Machine?
So I finally picked up my parts the other day! Woot! This means I can finally start moving forward with the project again. I had been stuck on the “Plans” article for awhile because without having the monitor I would be using I couldn’t finish the measurements for the design.
Now that I have the parts I will be using I wanted to take a moment to discuss why I purchased the specific parts I will be using.
Computer Parts List for DIY Arcade Machine
- Motherboard - INTEL BLKD945GCLF MITX ATOM CPU
- Memory - Crucial Technology 1GB DDR2 PC2-6400 240
- Video Card - EVGA e-Geforce 6200 PCI Graphics Card
- Hard Drive - Western Digital 5000AAKS 500GB SATA II 7200 RPM 16MB
- Power Supply - AGI 350W P4 Power Supply W/2 SATA Connection
- Operating System - Windows XP Home OEM SP3
- Surge Protector - Tripp Lite Protect It! TLP606B 6 Outlet
- Speakers - Cyber Acoustics CA-2016WB Speakers
- Montor - ACER V173B 17" LCD Monitor
Hardware I Still Need to Order
- Trackball Mouse - Kensington Orbit Optical Trackball Mouse 64327
- Small “Miniature” Keyboard - Adesso Mini Multimedia Black PS/2 Internet Keyboard ( MCK-91 )
- USB Gaming Controller - Logitech Precision Plug and Play Gamepad (Blue)
So as you can see I have the bulk of the parts I need to workout the measurements for my Arcade Machine design. I still need to order the mouse and keyboard that will be using with this system, but for now I can use spare ones I have lying around for building, and testing purposes.
I also needed to pickup a USB Gaming Controller for wiring my Arcade Controls. I have a great idea that I have been messing around with for this, so I want to read some reviews on which Gaming Controllers people think are the best. (Yet are still affordable)
NOTE: Also notice that I do not have a CD or DVD ROM drive listed in my parts. I have access to spare drives I can use for my installation, and once Windows is on the system I will be transferring the bulk or my ROMs and Emulators via the network to save myself time and energy. You will NEED a ROM drive of some kind to install your operating system, so if you do not have a spare one lying around make sure you purchase one when you get your parts.
PC Hardware Considerations for a DIY Arcade System
Motherboard - INTEL BLKD945GCLF MITX ATOM CPU
The motherboard I will be using in the system is the Intel Bulk D945GCLF Mini ITX Motherboard. This is a great motherboard for a small DIY Arcade system because it is a Mini ITX motherboard that measures roughly 6” by 6” inches.
The CPU is the Intel ATOM Processor which comes built onto the board. It is a 1.6 ghz CPU which should be fine for almost any type of emulation. I remember running Emulators on my old 533 HP PC, and my crappy 486 Thinkpad Laptop.
This motherboard has Onboard Audio and LAN. Supports one stick of memory, and has one PCI expansion slot. Overall this is a great little board for the price and costs about $75 dollars for the motherboard and cpu combo.
Memory - Crucial Technology 1GB DDR2 PC2-6400 240
For RAM I went with a 1GB module of Crucial DDR2. Crucial is a really solid brand and has a good reputation for producing quality memory. The motherboard I am using requires DDR2 memory so that is why I choose DDR2. PC2-6400 indicates 800mhz memory which is the fastest common DDR2 memory (Excluding DDR2 1066 which isn't as common as 800).
The 1GB memory capacity should be more than enough for Emulating any old Console or Arcade system, including Playstation and Nintendo 64. Older systems did not utilize this much memory, as it has only become common place in the past 2 or 3 years.
Video Card - EVGA e-Geforce 6200 PCI Graphics Card
Because onboard video is usually fairly limited I have opted to go with a PCI Video Card to expand the video memory and capability of the system. Even though Emulators do not require much in the way of graphics, I recommend that if you are building an Arcade Machine you utilize some type of video card. Since the Emulators requirements are low you do not need to blow your bank on the card.
I went with the EVGAGeForce 6200 PCI Card. I am not a big fan of EVGA as their customer service is hit or miss, and quality goes up and down depending on the model of your video card. But I was hard pressed to find a PCI video card to use with this motherboard as it does not support PCI-E or AGP, so I decided to go with this card.
Clock speed and video memory are negligible with a video card in a system like this. The main thing we are going for is hardware that will provide dedicated video and take additional load off the processor. Even with low video requirements onboard video is never great for gaming so I do not recommend using it.
Hard Drive - Western Digital 5000AAKS 500GB SATA II 7200 RPM 16MB
For the hard drive I will be using a Western Digital 500gb Serial ATA hard drive. I have opted for Western Digital because they have a higher reliability rate than Seagate from the numbers I have seen based on customer returns.
I am going with SATA to make use of the faster transfer rates. This is mainly because the price difference between IDE and SATA is only a few dollars, and because the motherboard I am using only has one IDE port, but has two SATA ports.
Also the price difference between a 320gb drive and 500gb drive is only about $6 dollars so it makes more sense to go with the larger capacity. With Emulators for the original Nintendo and SEGA systems ROMs are only a couple K each, so they do not take up much hard drive space.
But once you have hundreds of Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64 ROMs, and Playstation ISOs that space starts being used up fast. Having a larger capacity hard drive is always a good idea when you will be storing thousands of files on it.
Power Supply - AGI 350W P4 Power Supply W/2 SATA Connection
The PSU I am going with is an AGI 350 watt power supply. It has SATA connections to power my hard drive, and the wattage is sufficient to power all my hardware including the low end video card.
Make a note that higher end video cards and CPUs require more power. Depending on your setup you may need to go with a 400 or 500 watt PSU or higher. The Intel ATOM CPU and 6200 Video Card do not draw much power from the system so I will be fine with a 350 watt Power Supply.
Operating System - Windows XP Home OEM SP3
For the OS I am going with Windows XP Home. It is about $50 cheaper than XP Pro, and XP Pro does not offer any advantages for an Emulation System.
It is also compatible with many of the Emulators out there, where Vista can be hit or miss depending on the software you are running. I also know XP works well with the menu software I will be using to create a custom interface for my Arcade Machine.
And the biggest benefit is that it is so much cheaper than Windows Vista. I also saved money buy purchasing an OEM copy which can be bought with a computer hardware purchase.
Speakers - Cyber Acoustics CA-2016WB Speakers
The speakers I am using are just an inexpensive pair of Cyber Acoustic speakers. They are USB powered, and have decent a sound for the size and price.
I will be taking these speakers apart so I just wanted to get something cheap, incase I mess up.
Montor - ACER V173B 17" LCD Monitor
I discussed all the considerations for my monitor in a previous article. If you are interested in checking it out, click on the link below.
Using an LCD Monitor for a DIY Arcade Machine
Tripp Lite Protect It! TLP606B 6 Outlet Surge Protector
I will be using a surge protector to plugin the monitor and the system (power supply) within the Arcade Cabinet I build. This way there is only one power cable coming out of the system and it looks more professional.
This will also protect my equipment for over voltages and surges. The surge protector is black so the power cable coming out the system should match the overall look as the system itself will be black.
HARDWARE I STILL NEED TO ORDER:
Trackball Mouse - Kensington Orbit Optical Trackball Mouse 64327
The trackball mouse I have selected was one of the best ones I came across for the design I have in mind. I am planning on mounting the mouse directly through the controller with as little modification to the mouse as possible.
This mouse is very symmetrical so it should be easier to mount through the controller. It is also less expensive than some of the other mice I researched.
Small “Miniature” Keyboard - Adesso Mini Multimedia Black PS/2 Internet Keyboard ( MCK-91 )
I am going with this keyboard mainly for the size. I am looking for a keyboard that is smaller than normal so that I can incorporate it into the design of the system. I want to make it so the keyboard folds out of the Arcade Machine for the times I need to work on the computer, or set things up.
USB Gaming Controller - Logitech Precision Plug and Play Gamepad (Blue) - x2
The last item I am going with is a Logitech Gaming controller. I went with a cheaper model because I do not need the dual analog sticks found on most new controllers.
I will also be taking this item apart to build it into the Arcade System so I wanted to go with something inexpensive but that had good reviews. The controller had a four star rating on Amazon.com and was one of the best that I came across for being a Logitech controller and having for a cheap price.
NOTE: Make sure to get a controller with an "8 way D-Pad".
PC Light Kit - Buying Locally
I will be getting a light kit for illuminating the Marquee on the system. I plan to design a custom marquee and would like to get a white light kit to go behind it. I have not given this part a lot of thought yet so where I get for this is currently up in the air.
Conclusion
This is the basic hardware configuration I will be using in my DIY Arcade Machine. This is by no means a definitive guide as to what is “required” to build your own Arcade machine. You can probably get by with older hardware, or get even better parts if you plan on using it for more than just old Arcade and Console systems.
My main goal here is to create a very functional Arcade machine that will run Emulators great while still staying within a reasonable budget for those who want to build an Arcade machine but can’t blow the bank doing it.
The Right Display for a DIY Arcade Machine
Monitors, LCD, or TVs… What’s the Best Choice?
Sorry for the infrequent posts lately. There have been two main factors that are currently keeping me from moving forward with the DIY Arcade Machine. The first being financial because the economy has been so crappy lately and the other biggest factor being the difficulty in finding a display.
Now normally this would not be an issue, but remember that for the first arcade machine I wanted to go with something compact to build a miniature arcade machine. Because of this I have been having a really hard time finding a small display.
Now I know I said my next post would incorporate some of the plans I have been working on so that people could use my designs to work off of if they wanted to. The only problem is without the display I can’t really work out any measurements on my designs.
So I wanted to post an article about what I have been running into with different considerations people should make when they are choosing a display for their arcade machine. So let’s take a look at the differences in CRT monitors, LCD monitors, TVs, and the pros and cons of each in deciding what is best for each individual project.
CRT Monitors
CRT Monitors are the standard boxy displays you find on older computers. CRT stands for Cathode Ray Tube which is the technology that drives a CRT monitor. A CRT works by shooting electrons at the screen to create images. Because of the way CRT monitors work they were well known for having a faster response time than LCD monitors. This is no longer the case as LCD technology has improved quiet a bit in the past few years.
The benefits of using a CRT monitor would be that because most people are replacing them with LCDs you might be able to get one for free from someone if they are getting rid of it. They would be more “authentic” in their design to what is actually used in arcade machines and with older units it was not uncommon to find them in sizes smaller than 15”. (Which would be nice for a miniature design.)
The cons with some older CRT monitors are that older units may not display as high a resolution as newer monitors. This would affect your system more in Windows than while using your emulators as older gaming system utilized lower resolutions and the emulators run at these resolutions unless you change your display options in the settings. Another con is that older CRT monitors display fewer colors than new monitors, although once again older systems used fewer colors, so both these considerations would mainly be noticeable in Windows and not while your emulators are running.
The biggest con is that finding a new CRT monitor now a days is a difficult task and finding one smaller than 15” inches is next to impossible unless you are looking into a specialty monitor. A lot of these are used in medical or industrial applications and are outside of a reasonable price range. (Although these seem to have the best response times, color depths, and small size ranges.)
Another con with CRT monitors is their weight. Because a CRT is a giant glass tube, they usually weigh anywhere from 25-50 lbs adding to the overall weight of your system.
PROS
- Fast response times
- Good color depth
- Varying sizes
- Might be able to get one for free from Craigslist
CONS
- Weight: They are heavy!
- Specialized small CRTs are expensive
- It’s hard to find “new” CRTs in stores
- Older CRTs do not support higher resolutions and color depths.
- Do not support DVI video connections.
LCD Monitors
LCD monitors are the standard display most people use as of this article. (2008). They have many advantages over CRT monitors because they are inexpensive, most have a great response time, the color depth is rich and vibrant, and they are light weight.
The only problem with an LCD monitor is finding sizes smaller than 17”. Because LCDs have become the norm and most consumers are looking for bigger and bigger displays a lot of manufacturers have stopped producing smaller units. Finding a 15” is very difficult and anything smaller is next to impossible.
I have come across a few smaller LCDs online, but once again these are used for specialty applications like displays in cars. Because of this they tend to use connections other than standard VGA or DVI that is commonly used for computer displays. They can also be fairly expensive because they are designed for special uses.
Cons with LCDs are mostly found in older units, and these are commonly response time, contrast ratio, and dead pixels. If the response time is low you will get something known as ghosting where you see trails on the display when objects are moving fast. This is a real bummer in games where it is most noticeable. A low contrast ratio affects how accurate your colors are display, and how true “blacks” are. With a low contrast ratio blacks can look more like grays and colors feel washed out.
Dead pixels can be a real drag because it is when pixels in the display actually burnout and display as black on a colored screen, or they get stuck on one color which can be very noticeable on black screens. I have an old LCD monitor that has 1 green pixel, and when Windows boots, it is all I can look at.
Overall I think an LCD would be a great option for my project because they are light weight, and support most current display standards. They usually cost about as much as a CRT would cost if you could find one (new), and it would free up space inside my arcade cabinet that would otherwise be taken up by a CRT display.
PROS
- Light weight.
- Support most modern video standards, resolutions, and color depths.
- Newer LCDs feature great response times and contrast ratios.
- Support for VGA and DVI connections.
- Price is about the same as a new CRT.
CONS
- Small LCDs utilize non-standard video connections.
- Small LCDs are usually more expensive than a larger LCD display.
- Older LCDs suffer from slow response times, and low contrast ratios.
- Possibility of dead pixels.
TV’s
The last consideration I had made for the project was using a portable TV display. It is easy to find small tube TVs for relatively cheap, it would meet the size requirements I am shooting for, and I know they are available locally so I could save myself money on shipping.
There are several considerations to make with the idea of using a TV though. First off is that a TV display is usually a relatively low resolution. This means that while the emulators would play fine on the TV (since old video games were originally designed to be displayed at these resolutions anyway.) anything I did within Windows would look terrible.
Keep in mind that your operating system will be set to at least 1024 by 768. Some people might say “hey, you could always set it to 800 by 600” but we need to keep in mind all the display factors involved with the OS. 800 by 600 on a 7-10” screen is going to leave little if any room for icons on a desktop. Plus if we make a custom interface which I would like to do, you will also be limited in the room you have to work with. So because of the size of the display, the display requirements of the operating system, and various other considerations I have pretty much ruled out using a portable TV display.
There are two other brief considerations I want to mention regarding portable TVs. The first is the interface connection on this type of display. Most of these TVs use an RCA video connection if they do support video in. To use a display like this it would need to support video in. Most video cards that support video out via RCA do not output a signal until the operating system kicks in. This means that if we have the display hooked up to the PC we will not get video until the system has loaded into Windows. So if anything goes wrong during the POST and we need to troubleshoot the system we would be unable to do so unless we hooked up another display. (CRT or LCD)
The second consideration is that these types of displays have relatively poor color depth compared to LCD displays or CRTs. With older game systems this is not a problem because as I mentioned before these games were originally designed to be displayed on TVs. But this is another consideration for anything custom we want to do within the OS. Whether it is a custom boot screen, background, screen saver or interface. So we might put a lot of work into designing something really nice for our arcade machine only to have it look half ass because of limited color depth on a TV.
PROS
- Light weight.
- Inexpensive
- Easy to find. Can be purchased locally to save on shipping.
CONS
- Utilize non-standard PC video connections.
- Limited video standards, resolutions, and color depths.
- Usually display at best 800 by 600 with most being much lower.
- May not have a video-in connection which is required for the project.
Conclusion
As you can see there are a lot of factors that go into choosing and then finding the proper display for a project like this. With a standard sized arcade machine finding a display would be relatively simple and I would already have what I need. But because I will be building a miniature arcade machine finding the perfect display has been a much harder undertaking than I originally expected.
I hope this article has given people some ideas for considerations to look at when they are planning their own arcade machine.