• MAME Arcade Cabinet
    4 replies, posted
I've been wanting to build an arcade machine for about an year or so, but unfortunately I lacked the funds, knowledge and time to build one for scratch. So I settled on the next best thing, which is taking an old arcade, removing everything inside of it and sticking a computer inside. The hardest part and possibly the most expensive part was finding a cabinet. I started by searching on OLX (think craigslist, but shittier) for an old cabinet, but the sellers were asking about 400€ for each cabinet, and I just couldn't spend that kind of money. So I talked to my grandpa, who talked to one of his friends who owns a bar to see if he could hook me up with a cheap arcade. And guess what, he did have a spare cabinet and gave it to me for FREE! [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/tH4fi3h.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/acE1doK.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/0PnBZxY.jpg[/IMG] The second step was to remove EVERYTHING inside the cabinet, that means that the main board, transformer, screen, speakers and a multitude of wires had to come out. I spent about a day unscrewing and cutting stuff. The screen was a bitch to take out, because it was screwed in so tightly. And it was also clear that someone had been tinkering with the arcade before me, because there were clear signs of repair. Also, there were waaaay too many zip ties. I had to cut through dozens of them. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/CUcdKdl.jpg[/IMG] [U]My sister inside the hollowed out arcade[/U] The third step, which I've sort of completed, but not quite, is getting a pc inside the cabinet. I dug out an old CRT monitor which fit the screen hole perfectly, didn't need to saw anything. Then I got out an old HP laptop from 2001, just to test the screen and stuff, but I quickly saw that it didn't have nearly enough power to drive the machine, so what do I do? I get an old windows98 pc, of course, but there was one problem: It didn't work. After about one hour tinkering with it, I got it too work, and that was a huge victory for me, because I had never opened up a PC before. I downloaded (read, pirated) a copy of Windows XP and installed it. The computer is working fine, but mostly everything is incompatible, the soundcard is busted and it can't even run MAME properly, so I need a better computer. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/FcnbFXI.jpg[/IMG] Fourth step: Get an [URL="http://www.ultimarc.com/ipac1.html"]Ipac from Ultimark[/URL] and wire the buttons and joysticks. I'll probably have to buy new buttons and joysticks though, because the each player only has 2 buttons and one of the joysticks is kind of broken... And if I end up buying the new buttons I'll also have to saw a new board for them, because I can't reuse the controller board that's in the arcade. Fifth step: Install lots and lots of things on the computer! I'll have to install MAME, a front-end, emulators, download ROMs, configure controls, copy games from steam... It'll be crazy, but in the end I'll have a complete and fully functional arcade machine
Looks sweet! Seems like it takes quite some time to get a fully functioning arcade cabinet if you want to do most from scratch.
[QUOTE=Bokito;44478308]Looks sweet! Seems like it takes quite some time to get a fully functioning arcade cabinet if you want to do most from scratch.[/QUOTE] Yeah, it does take quite a while, but I love messing with this kind of stuff.
Maybe you could consider some awesome fluorescent acrylic: [video=youtube;BW0mA6HIBdc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW0mA6HIBdc[/video]
You're very resourceful! I love how it looks. I wanna make a racing cabinet sometime soon that plays emulated Gran Turismo 4 and other racing games. Have you thought about buying 2 fight sticks and integrate them into it? It seems easier and you'll get more buttons
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