Some Games Running Slow

[MattyMame]

I hope someone on here can help me.

Certain games run quite slow on my computer. Such as Double Dragon, NBA Jam etc. Games like pac man and frogger are ok.

My system runs Windows XP and is PIII, 501Mhz, and recently upgraded from 256 to 512 ram. I also have tried a 128mb video card. Not sure what else to do??

I know this has nothing to do with GameEx itself (I have registered) but I don't know where else to turn.

[Ricci]

Well, IMHO, in the old days, you might have gotten away with your setup (true early arcade games). For the longest time, I ran all MAME on older PC's due to the fact that they were not memory hogs or video hogs. With the games that you mention, however, i would suggest running them on a faster processor. Those games, in particular, eat up video. My main machine for GAMEEX is a 2.4 processor, with 128, but my test machine is a 3.0 with a 256 card, and there is quite a difference. With the media that I have loaded, I also have a gig+ memory, but it is your call as to what you need. I always follow the tried and true rule..more memory and faster processor speed is better!! Hope that helps!

[shbon]

You've reached the limit for a PIII 500, I think. As Ricci mentions, it's capable of playing all the 70s/80s classics (and simple older console emulators), but not the more modern games. If you're more interested in the modern games you might need to save up your pennies/cents.

FYI. In MAME, if you load a game and then press F11 you'll see the framerate the game is playing at. On a PIII, for something like Galaxian, the framerate will be quite high, but for something like Metal Slug it won't be.

I ran the classic games on a PIII until recently. I've just built a cheap P4 2.8/1Gb RAM/256mb graphics using second-hand bits from ebay. It plays pretty much all MAME games (all the ones I've ever played anyway) at full frame rate now. As a bonus, GameEx runs sweetly also.

Be aware though, there are always new 'PC breakers' around the corner. Future Pinball is pretty ace, but the P4 above, can't play it properly at anything above 800x600 in the medium settings...

Shaun

[night]

i remember playing 1942 and bombjack in mame when i had a p120 mhz. and they ran at full speed but wont dare to try running those games with the newest mame version on such machine today.

becouse m.a.m.e.`s goal are compatibleness not speed and ALOT of speed have been lost over version to version but alot more accurate emulation.

so if dont have the money to upgrade your pc i would say rollback mame version to where your decired games still works and you should gain some FPS that way.

the downside are you will lose alot of better and more acurate games and mby as well some neet features ...

and if you have the roms for the newest mame build you might need to rollback your roms as well..

[hansolo77]

I still play the 19xx games and I'm running an AMD Sempron 2600+ with the latest build of mame (.106 something). It runs fine and I've not noticed any slowups...

[night]

I still play the 19xx games and I'm running an AMD Sempron 2600+ with the latest build of mame (.106 something). It runs fine and I've not noticed any slowups...

my post was refering to older machines below the 1 ghz barrier for mame

[hansolo77]

oh yeah.. guess I read your message to fast.. you did say "newest mame on such machine today".. I guess I saw "newest mame on the machines today"... hehe.

[MattyMame]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Looks like I'll have to bite the bullet and get a newer machine. What do you recommend?

The "latest" games I want to be able to play are NBA Jam, Street Fighter 2, Mortal Combat, etc.

[rygars#1#fan]

In my cocktail cab i am running a Pentium4,1.7ghz,512mb ram,64meg video card.All your mentioned games run perfectly-along with every other mame game.Although this cab is only for mame not any other emulater.I picked the computer up on ebay for less than $200 bucks(bargain).

Hope this helps?

[night]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Looks like I'll have to bite the bullet and get a newer machine. What do you recommend?

The "latest" games I want to be able to play are NBA Jam, Street Fighter 2, Mortal Combat, etc.

my oppion are a cpu over the 1ghz and min. 512 mb ram i would say 1024 mb ram if you run windows XP

but i doubt the prices are alot differents for a 1.8ghz to a 2.8ghz cpu so look for what you can get for the cheapest price without breaking your budget

[Ricci]

Personally, depending on where you are at, one of the Dell's (B110) for 299.00 (with monitor, keyboard) would be a great start and will allow for future upgrades. I just bought another one of these, and just upped the memory and video card, and it runs like a champ!