| The goal was to make the most affordable MAME cabinet possible. I spent $39 for the main cabinet, $291 for the electronics, $20 for the speakers, $6 for the extension cord, $3 for the threaded inserts on the back plane, and $48 for thestand. My out-of-pocket cost was $407. The value of the freebees I already had for the project were $157, so the total price of components is $564. Even with shipping, taxes, and other supplies, the Penny Arcade 2 is well under the $750 goal I had set for the project.
The 533MHz EPIA processor is able to keep up with most of the games I have played. Some very graphic-intensive games can drag slightly. Upgrading to the 1GHz processor board would give even better performance. This is by no means the ultimate design. Ideally, the monitor would be larger, the controls farther from the screen and include more buttons and features like a trackball or a flight yoke. But, for most of the old classics, this does just fine. The woodworking on this project requires only a small amount of experience. The hardest part is cutting the sides. This project requires a table saw, jigsaw, and power drill. If you are interested in detailed plans and descriptions, let me know. If there are enough requests, I'll write it up. |
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