Pi Zero MAME/FBA performance, vs Pi 1/2/3

dankcushions

currently, the MAME/FBA wiki and compatibility lists doesn't have too much info about the Pi Zero. eg, the mame 0.78 compatibility list only has columns for pi 1, 2 and 3.

the zero has a 1GHz CPU, which is above the pi 2 (900MHz), but is the weaker CPU model of the pi 1, so i'm guessing performance would be around (overclocked) pi1 levels, rather than the pi2? can any pi zero users confirm?

if so, we could safely rename all the compatibility list 'Rpi 1 status' columns to 'Rpi 1/0 status' ? also, am i right in thinking that lr-mame2003 and lr-fba-next are beyond the pi zero, and they are better suited to the faster mame4all-pi and pifba cores?

dankcushions

@suprjami pretty much answered this for me in reddit :)
https://www.reddit.com/r/RetroPie/comments/53ntb8/can_anyone_direct_me_to_a_beginners_guide_for/d7x92sn?context=3

Yeah the lr-mame2003 I've played runs crap on a Zero, even with overclocks.
The Zero has the single ARMv6 core of the Pi 1. It's literally just a Pi 1 with a better fabrication process to produce ARM cores which run faster than the Pi 1 did.
The Pi 2 has the quad-core ARMv7 CPU, it's light years better than a Zero.

suprjami

@dankcushions To answer these directly:

if so, we could safely rename all the compatibility list 'Rpi 1 status' columns to 'Rpi 1/0 status'?

Things which work on Pi 1 will work on Pi Zero.

Things which work on Pi Zero will not necessarily work on Pi 1, as the Zero is faster.

The Pi 1 runs by default at 700MHz ARM, 250MHz core/GPU, and 400MHz SDRAM.

The Pi Zero runs at 1000MHz ARM, 400MHz core, 300MHz GPU, and 450MHz SDRAM.

I've owned several Pi 1 boards and I could overclock all of them to 900/400/400 reliably. I have spoken to people on Reddit whose Pi 1 could not get past 850 MHz ARM. There's still a slight difference between a Pi 1 and a Pi Zero at those speeds.

also, am i right in thinking that lr-mame2003 and lr-fba-next are beyond the pi zero, and they are better suited to the faster mame4all-pi and pifba cores?

Yes. The Zero can't even run CPS1 games full speed in lr-imame4all. Trying in lr-mame2003 and lr-fba-next results in heavy slowdown and sound shuddering. Both mame4all and pifba play CPS1 fine.

As someone who discovered RetroArch a few years ago and decided I never want to touch a native emulator again, the experience with a Zero is really disappointing. I don't know how people tolerate building handhelds with them.

dankcushions

@suprjami thanks. yeah, since there's no stipulation of overclocks in the compatibility list, i think they really need a separate column for pi zero.