Micro PC - i5: best OS & Launcher for emulation ?

chubsta

I am on the look out for a small-form-factor pc purely for emulation, I want to be able to run Mame stuff such as Gauntlet legends, as well as dreamcast and Gamecube - I would be very interested to hear of your experiences with these emulators if you get a chance, currently I am looking at a Bean Canyon by Intel...

HurricaneFan

You could dabble with windows and something like launchbox or hyperspin to control individual emulators.

dankcushions

retropie windows isn't supported - i'd just go https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Debian/

UDb23

@dankcushions said in Micro PC - i5: best OS & Launcher for emulation ?:

i'd just go https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Debian/

I see it can be run also from a bootable USB stick, that could be my initial test, thanks.

UDb23

@chubsta said in Micro PC - i5: best OS & Launcher for emulation ?:

very interested to hear of your experiences with these emulators if you get a chance, currently I am looking at a Bean Canyon by Intel...

Will surely update this thread with results. Of course an Intel NUC would be the top but to me it isn't worth the (high) cost just for emulation.

Clyde

A dedicated solution without a desktop: https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/18810/retropie-installation-on-ubuntu-server-x64-18-04-1

I started to build it for my MSI Cubi 3 Silent mini PC (bought for 320€ in fall 2018), but then I decided to make the Cubi my main desktop system running Kubuntu 18.04 with a dedicated user account for Retropie and other retrogaming.

UDb23

@Clyde thanks for the tip.
Today I started playing with the new toy; as it came with Win10 I updated drivers and did some testing with Dolphin (first time I use this emulator).
First results.
Ikaruga plays really well (even at 2x IR and AA2x) on my 1920x1080 monitor.
Just played first level: both OpenGL and DX11 provide continuous solid 60 fps. DX11 shows minor graphical glitches. Sound is perfect. Really fun game btw with the "white" and "dark" enemy/shots logic.

Then I decided to stress the Tiny PC to the maximum: Star Wars Rogue Leader; likely the most complicated and taxing GC game to emulate. At minimum settings you get around 44/55 fps average; somewhat slow when many objects are on screen and some audio stuttering. Almost playable but slow; didn't expect integrated graphics HD 4600 to run it well.

Next I'd like to try Mame2015 (on Retropie/Ubuntu); many classic arcade games are accurate and still playable on that release. Interestingly mame basically only uses CPU so the i5 should perform well.

Considering I paid less than 200 euro including shipping I'm pretty satisfied so far. :-)

UDb23

@Clyde said in Micro PC - i5: best OS & Launcher for emulation ?:

MSI Cubi 3 Silent mini PC

Looks similar concept as the Lenovo Tiny, but yours is 7th gen: what processor ?
Opinions on Batocera ?

grant2258

get launchbox install windows your done (i use bigbox for my barcade) of course keep retropie on you raspberry pi

HurricaneFan

@grant2258 What theme do you use with big box?

grant2258

I was thinking of changing to Unified but am still using the switch theme its clean and simplistic not theme for people that want bells and whistles

Clyde

@UDb23 said in Micro PC - i5: best OS & Launcher for emulation ?:

Looks similar concept as the Lenovo Tiny, but yours is 7th gen: what processor ?

i3-7100U @ 2.4 GHz, the smallest option for the Cubi 3, but I didn't regret it yet. The i5 variant did cost significantly more when I bought it (approx. +80€ then, now approx. +40€).

The greatest thing about the Cubi 3 Silent is that it's completely fanless, but even with all four cores running at 100% for an hour while compiling, it only went from approx. 45-50°C idle temp. to approx. 70-73°C at a room temperature of 22°C with a maximum temp. of 100°C according to MSI.

After using a normal sized PC for many years, it took some time to get used to the absolute silence of the beautiful little box and its internal ssd. 😯😊

Opinions on Batocera ?

The Linux distribution? I don't know it at all, sorry. I'm a (K)Ubuntu guy since December of 2006. Retropie and KDE Neon (since last week) are my only affairs with other distributions since then.

UDb23

@Clyde said in Micro PC - i5: best OS & Launcher for emulation ?:

The greatest thing about the Cubi 3 Silent is that it's completely fanless, but even with all four cores running at 100% for an hour while compiling, it only went from approx. 45-50°C idle temp. to approx. 70-73°C at a room temperature of 22°C

Sweet, great choice.

I never could stand noisy PCs. My main PC (has some years now but still performing top) is an i7 mid tower I assembled myself with corsair silent case and (as much as possible) silent fans . Even in choosing my GPU I kept an eye on Decibels :-))

Clyde

@UDb23 Same here, my big PC is silenced as much as I could, but even very silent fans are not completely noiseless. A fact that becomes apparent when you switch on your new mini PC and something inside you thinks "wait, is it on or not?" Then you realise that you heard something the whole time that you now don't.

It's the same like the faint humming you hear in Star Trek ships since TNG, or the tram line I lived next to for six years. Sometimes you will notice the noise, only to recognise that you don't hear it most of the time. 😊

Have fun with your Tiny. I'm looking forward to more reports.

UDb23

Update on windows testing: latest Dolphin version slightly improves performance (option to use multiple cores seems to help).
P.N.03 and Gauntlet Dark Legacy at 2xIR (720p) without any noticeable slowdown.

Retroarch:
latest Mame (.207) core: Raiden Fighters Jet runs flawlessly :-)

Clyde

@UDb23 said in Micro PC - i5: best OS & Launcher for emulation ?:

Update on windows testing: latest Dolphin version slightly improves performance (option to use multiple cores seems to help).
P.N.03 and Gauntlet Dark Legacy at 2xIR (720p) without any noticeable slowdown.

How does the original arcade version of GDL run?