I started playing with Batocera last week using some old hardware

[ClassicGMR]

First - I must say it is so much better than RetroPie.

 

So I am sure most of you already know what it is. It's a gaming build in Linux. I found it is a very, very, VERY stripped down Linux build. It's almost not even worth doing an SSH into the system as you really can't do anything at command line level. I did use FTP over WiFi to transfer files but that got cumbersome. I found it much easier to use a USB stick and the Files GUI from the main menu. I do like the Bezel Project availability and you can log in to Screen Scraper right from the interface. The main attraction to Batocera is how well it runs on old hardware.

 

So I started with an Intel NUC NUC8i3BEH1 I had lying around. 8th Gen i3-8109u upgraded to16GB RAM and a 480gb SSD. I took out the M.2 to use in a current build and had the SSD just sitting on my desk. Not old really but definitely not a gaming powerhouse. In its previous life it was an entertainment server for my friend for a few years. The fan died in it so he bought a new mini pc and gave this back to me. $9 repair. It runs PS2, Gamecube and Dreamcast full speed. Not one issue with those systems or older. Full MAME library using 0.78. What really surprised me was the Steam integration. I installed Balaltro, Slay the Spire and Free Stars (Ur-Quan Masters) for starters. Nothing major but fun games on Steam. Runs like a dream. I blew $28 on an 8bitDo controller just for it.

 

No surprises yet right? Here's where it gets fun for me. I have had an old Lenovo IdeaCentre B320 downstairs for years. My wife's grandparents used to use it but it got too slow for them. 21.5” LCD, i3-2120 cpu, upgraded to 8gb RAM and a 240gb SSD because, at the time, it made the system bearable. Glad it was already upgraded.  This. Thing. Is. GORGEOUS.

 

 

Gamecube runs at 55-60 FPS as does PSP. Dreamcast seems to run full speed. PS2 is not playable though. There's a good 3-5 second delay between launching a game and being able to play it. The same goes for exiting a game. In the menu and in the game itself it is amazing how well this runs. The LCD is a nice, bright 1080p screen with front firing speakers! That same 8bitDo controller works with zero delay as far as I can tell. I can make every Hot Shots Golf shot so that tells me all I need to know about lack of the input lag.

 

I have 3 old Raspberry Pi setups in the house that I haven't updated in years. 2 I haven't even booted in years. I think I may revisit them and see how a 3B+ likes Batocera.

 

Windows emulation is still my mainstay. Nice to have an option for all this old stuff lying around. Everyone gives me their outdated stuff because they don't know what to do with it. I just haven't gotten around to going to the E-Waste pickup in a while. I know there's a few laptops down here somewhere running at least Dual-Core processors...

[Draco1962]

I have a Lenovo ideacentre AIO 510-23ISH:

• CPU  Intel® Core™ i5 i5-7400T
• 23" 1920 x 1080p Touchscreen
• 8 GB DDR4-SDRAM (SODIMM)
• 1TB M.2 SSD
• 320GB HDD
• DVD±RW Optical Drive
• GPU NVIDIA® GeForce® 940MX
•  2 USB 3.2 & 3 USB 2.0  Ports
• Gigabit Ethernet
• Bluetooth 4.0
• WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
•  Memory Card Reader
• Combo Headphone & Microphone Connectors
• Camera 720p
• Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC

I also have a Lenovo ideacenter C40-05  AIO Type F0B5:

• CPU AMD A6-7310 Processor (A6-7310)
• 21.5" 1920x1080 Touchscreen
• 8GB DDR3L 1600 RAM (SODIMM)
• GPU AMD Radeon R4
• 1TB HDD 7200RPM
• DVD±RW Optical Drive
• HDMII In and Out  Ports
• 2 USB 3.0 & 3 USB 2.0  Ports
• Gigabit Ethernet
• Bluetooth 4.0
• WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
• Memory Card Reader
• Headphone & Microphone Connectors
• Camera 720p
• Linux Mint 22.3 XFCE

I had thought of projects for the first, but I am probably going to sell them as I have way too many PCs around and need to clear some space and put some money back into the piggy bank!

[ClassicGMR]

Interesting to see an AIO with a GPU! Didn't think any manufacturer did that.

 

I was going to give the Lenovo to my son for the grandkids to play games on. They all have their own PCs though. Then I figured I would try and sell it off but the hardware is incredibly old ... like me.

 

I think I am going to keep it for camping trips. I have a massive Jackery 1000w battery backup for my wife's CPAP in case the power goes out. Between that and the van having 120v outlets I could easily use it for playing or even watching movies one night for a few hours. We're always looking for something to do at the campsite when we have extended stays.

[Draco1962]

I am considering the 510 for my sister but I am torn between it and an old Asus laptop I have acquired. The old niche tech like this doesn't sell for much these days and refurb/flip often ends up financially upside-down, even if you max out the supported RAM, swap for an SSD - either at today's prices, especially!

Will you be able to leverage the DVD for movies or play movies from detatched storage via Batocera or does it come with VLC and necessary codecs preinstalled?

[ClassicGMR]

I haven't tested it yet. I do know the dvd drive works but just based on what I am reading Kodi is hit or miss at best playing dvd media. Every site suggests ripping movies to MKV format and playing them from the internal drive or USB.

 

I just put the AIO away last night and it's not in a convenient spot to get at. I think I'll dig it out next week and try it.

[ClassicGMR]

On 3/30/2026 at 2:48 PM, ClassicGMR said:

I just put the AIO away last night and it's not in a convenient spot to get at. I think I'll dig it out next week and try it.

You now... I never got around to trying DVDs on this. I am getting a dumpster next week now that the roof is finished. I cannot wait to throw out half the house and put my office together. Then I can get at it again.

 

Meanwhile I have a new toy - Microsoft Surface Pro - i5-7300u w/ 8GB RAM running Batocera and Steam. Well it's 3 weeks old "new". I love what it can do. I paired it with an 8BitDo controller and took it to Foxwoods. We spent 3 nights there for her birthday and this was perfect to just slide into the suitcase. Plays PS2 and Dreamcast with zero issues. I expected it to overheat since there is no built in active cooling but it never did. Amazingly sharp too!

 

I have a MAJOR computer addiction! 🤣

[Draco1962]

I doubled the RAM to 16GB, replaced the HDD in the Lenovo ideacenter C40-05  AIO Type F0B5 (AMD) with a budget 512GB SSD and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC from an abandoned project. 

I sold it at a slight loss to a friend who's wife needed a terminal for her laser engraving station. The RAM and SSDs changed it from dodgy slow to acceptable boot. It will be good for its intended purpose.

I like the Surface Pros, having used them as a tech at my last job. Very versatile!

[ClassicGMR]

And the beat goes on!

....

I unearthed my old HP 2760p laptop/tablet hybrid. i7-2640M @ 2.8GHz, 256GB SATA III SSD, 8GB DDR3 RAM, 720p display. Installed Batocera 43.1 on it and transferred the files from my handy dandy drive. I found it is faster to just keep the USB drive aside with all the files since I seem to be doing this a lot lately. As an aside - 43.1 will now merge the new files from USB to the internal drive automatically! Nice feature.

Runs up to PS1. Not bad at all for a 2nd Gen system. I know she won't do more but I have to say what it does run looks really nice on the 12" screen. To think a month ago I had this in the e-waste pile bound for the recycling. Even splurged an extra $25 for a brand new battery. I wish laptops still did the internal keyboard light. You can see it at the top of the bezel in the picture. It's such a cool little gadget.  

Up next! Intel BOXNUC8i7HNKQC1 I got extremely cheap! $100 but I fixed it easily. I just have no plan on what to do with it yet... I couldn't resist that damn LED skull!

Then I have a GMKTec G5 (N97, 12GB RAM, 256GB SSD) I am going to install INSIDE of my older X-Arcade Tankstick.

[Draco1962]

15 hours ago, ClassicGMR said:

And the beat goes on!

....

I unearthed my old HP 2760p laptop/tablet hybrid. i7-2640M @ 2.8GHz, 256GB SATA III SSD, 8GB DDR3 RAM, 720p display. Installed Batocera 43.1 on it and transferred the files from my handy dandy drive. I found it is faster to just keep the USB drive aside with all the files since I seem to be doing this a lot lately. As an aside - 43.1 will now merge the new files from USB to the internal drive automatically! Nice feature.

Runs up to PS1. Not bad at all for a 2nd Gen system. I know she won't do more but I have to say what it does run looks really nice on the 12" screen. To think a month ago I had this in the e-waste pile bound for the recycling. Even splurged an extra $25 for a brand new battery. I wish laptops still did the internal keyboard light. You can see it at the top of the bezel in the picture. It's such a cool little gadget.  

Up next! Intel BOXNUC8i7HNKQC1 I got extremely cheap! $100 but I fixed it easily. I just have no plan on what to do with it yet... I couldn't resist that damn LED skull!

Then I have a GMKTec G5 (N97, 12GB RAM, 256GB SSD) I am going to install INSIDE of my older X-Arcade Tankstick.

That is awesome! Love the repair-reuse! 

I sold the Lenovo ideacenter C40-05  AIO Type F0B5 to a friend of mine after a little cleanup. I added a WiFi 6/BT 5.3 dongle to it after he got it home and it would not connect to his router - old Realtek card with the AIO compatibility issue. His wife is using it with a laser engraver and Cricut setup, so speed and mass storage is not an issue, although it does launch much quicker with the 500GB SSD + Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC I installed. I took a little bit of a financial loss, but my buddy has helped me with a few chores about the house here and there that required an extra back and muscles I don't have, so well worth it considering I haven't had to pay someone else to do it.

For the Intel BOXNUC8i7HNKQC1 are you able to upgrade the RAM? I wonder how it would fare as a DIY Steam Machine using Bazzite? Since it is AMD Vega GPU, SteamOS would probably not work out since it does not have support for older AMD GPUs, but Bazzite does!  See what I am doing here?

[ClassicGMR]

[Draco1962]

1 hour ago, ClassicGMR said:

Are you gonna try it?