Help With HTPC Build for replacing all Consoles

[PeculiarSatyr]

So my wife is a neat freak and doesn't like all of the cables/controllers that come with the 9 consoles I have in the entertainment center....Basically if I want to play a game I have to go through a cabinet with all the cables/controllers and then put them away when I'm done. This has resulted in me not playing video games very much at all.

 

I'm thinking about selling a few of the consoles to fund a nice HTPC to run emulators (most likely RetroArch or if anyone has other suggestions let me know) and Steam games. I'd probably get a couple Blissboxes so I could use genuine controllers.

 

I'm considering 3 options and I'll list them in order of most attractive currently for me to least. Oh yeah, gonna use Windows 10 most likely.

 

1: Building a FANLESS Intel Nuc

Basically getting an Intel i5RYH board and installing it in an Akasa Max S chassis. Then throwing in 8 gig of ram and a 1TB SSD. The case is basically designed to act as a heat sink. If overheating isn't a problem this would essentially be a pretty nice HTPC with basically no moving parts other than ability to have an optical drive.

 

2: Buying a NUC i5RYH and throwing in the ram/SSD then installing windows. The CON is that I've heard of people saying the fan on some NUCs can spin up to super loud speed without much load.

 

3: Buying a small case and basically building a NUC. Pro would be that it would be a lot easier to make sure that overheating isn't an issue.

 

If anyone has any advice, comments, pictures, etc on the topic I'd love to hear them. To end the post here is a picture of the Akasa Max S which I think is a really nice looking case!

 

[Keatah]

Been working this way for years. Once you get the hang of it and get everything rolling, you'll never look back. The convenience and reliability really shines. And you can do mame with it too. Just put the necessary TLC into configuring things and developing an understanding of how it all fits together.

 

Don't limit yourself to one or two emulators, embrace whatever it takes to run whatever games you want to run. Organize your roms with moderate discipline, just separate them by system. And maybe make sub-collections. Become familiar with the file system you're using.

 

Understand and use the emulators' config files as much as you can. Know how to enable and use the tv effects controls.

 

Keep your background tasks to a minimum. And always remember this is an emulation computer. Don't fill it with other crap. And back-up your system as it grows. And grow it will. In time it will become the center of all things "classic".

 

There's hundreds of hardware combinations to pick from so one recommendation is likely as good or bad as any other. Consider a bliss box, or other adapters like stelladaptor, then you can still use an original controller if you like. Whatever you prefer.

Edited November 9, 2015 by Keatah

[Keatah]

So my wife is a neat freak and doesn't like all of the cables/controllers that come with the 9 consoles I have in the entertainment center....Basically if I want to play a game I have to go through a cabinet with all the cables/controllers and then put them away when I'm done. This has resulted in me not playing video games very much at all.

 

Mine is like that, too. But in the end it resulted in a nice little emulation box completely replacing some 30-odd consoles and the excessive paraphernalia needed to support them. I've really saved hundreds of hours by not having to clean, maintain, and organize all that stuff. Not to mention not having to spend time tracking down spares and parts.

 

You save time by not having to set-up and tear-down a system. Retrieve controllers. Make connections and hook ups. You needn't fuss with marginal hardware. And best of all you don't spend time searching for a game. No mounds of cartridges to wade through. You can even segue from system-to-system, game-to-game, just about instantly. One moment I'm playing Galactic Invasion on Astrocade, the next I'm doing Tac/Scan arcade. In 5 more seconds I could get Star Raiders going if I wanted to.

 

Try that with real hardware! Unless you have an arcade cabinet going, an Astrocade, and an Atari 400, all hooked up at once, carts inserted and ready, and your A-B switchbox armed; it might not happen. Or you could have multiple-monitors and all systems ready and running.. Too much trouble I think.

 

And you can play homebrews that are freely given away in the message forums. Your system can also become a repository for scanned documentation too!

 

I'm just doing a plain-jane mini-itx in a non-descript STB style case right now. And it is, of course, subject to change and upgrade at any time.

Edited November 9, 2015 by Keatah