Jet Get Radio!!!! post here when you get something new!

CathalDublin

Picked this up, anyone else have one? There’s a hack to boot batocera from the usb port, not sure if I want to risk bricking it yet

tonyotonyo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120036950#Comment_120036950

Is this an arcade for ants?!

CathalDublin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120038804#Comment_120038804

If you know, you know.

tonyotonyo

I know!

tonyotonyo

https://ibb.co/rkgcdpc

Stuff :)

geotrig

Are You mysticmonk or whatever you went by?

tonyotonyo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120076556#Comment_120076556

Puzzlepriest's the name!

A good chunk of that arcade stuff I collected for others on here, but some nice things like the sega metal header, an atari hall effect joystick and some unusual artwork things mixed in.

o1s1n

Not sure if anyone has tried one of these before, but I picked up a 3 in 1 power supply for the Megadrive/32X/Mega CD from these guys to replace my broken Trio Linker Plus.

Works a treat if anyone wants to get rid of the three massive Sega PSU wall warts this setup needs.

https://en.retrogamesupply.com/products/power-supply-all-in-one-for-sega-megadrive-genesis-mega-cd-32x

Inviere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120084626#Comment_120084626

Yeah I've something similar, super handy. Replacing antiquated power supplies is something I'm mindfully of these days, not only for prolonging the life of the hardware, but actual safety reasons. Many of them are probably fine, but it's just something I'm mindful of.

o1s1n

It's not a bad idea at all to start replacing them at this stage, I did notice my trusty old childhood Megadrive PSU was starting to cause some image interference.

Any spot in particular you get them from or are they just generic ones? I think I still have my Super Famicom running on a Megadrive 1 PSU so should probably look at updating that.

Inviere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120085270#Comment_120085270

I've gotten a few from this lad - https://en.retrogamesupply.com/collections/nintendo/products/power-supply-all-in-one-for-nintendo-famicom-disk-system & can't fault them at all

tonyotonyo

Delayed present but nifty. Darius 2 has the strange mechanic of being able to zoom in on the screen because it's based on a two monitor arcade cabinet called Sagaia. Big fish in a big cabinet.

Only half remember johnny bazookatone but solid game?

https://ibb.co/rs5t45N

https://ibb.co/Jd9vFR1

They definitely had a three screen Darius out in Bray at one point.

Jack burton

Got a tip about a charity shop with a mega drive mini off a friend.

€25 so happy to finally pick one up

Jack burton

I also got a few UV LED bulbs for my garage and have to say they make everything look the part of an arcade

I have normal lighting there too I switch off but just wondering, after a few years would these bulbs fade my artwork?

KeRbDoG

'M4 Board' for the Amstrad CPC

A year ago an Amstrad 464 was thrust in my hands by Ciderman, in unknown condition. After a lot of tinkering, Z80 replacement/tester and Discord help from Noel of Noel's Retro Lab using his diagrom, it was highly likely that the custom gate-array was at fault and there isn't a readily avaiable replacement yet so that machine went to gather dust...but then I had a want to experiance the 464 again like I did in a mates house so started to look for another. Lots in the UK but not worth the customs fun but I found a Schneider version (Wikipedia has info to why it wasn't Amstrad selling them there) from Germany.

About the same time I started to search for a SD loading method and boom, the 'M4 Board' popped up from Duke of Spinpoint.org. Supply chain issues meant he didn't have any stock but I was on a waiting list. A week ago I got a tap that he had them again and ordered one up. Borrowed image below as I forgot to take a photo; The CPC Reset button seems to have been knocked off mine, ho-hum.

It has wifi so you can start games from disk images from your phone which is nice. The less typing you do on the keyboard the better. Yes, you can do 100% of this from the MiSTer but the MiSTer can't give you the really crappy audio from the built in speaker in the 464 :D

Roland On The Ropes and Harrier Attack brought back memories.

Steve X2

A couple of bits in today.

Amiga Demoscene vinyl.

And my Cyberpunk mini alley arrived after a 6 month Kickstarter delay. I went for the retro arcade version and will be updating quite a few bits that are in it. I'll see about a small LCD screen for the mini arcade at some stage in the near future. But the artwork will be getting reprinted and cut on my Cricut very soon as the default is not great. Then a few 3D printed addons to enhance the look and I'll be happy to stick it up on my bookshelf.

This is the idea behind it.

o1s1n

That is too cool!

I've seen a lot of Harry Potter bookshelf alleys like that on Etsy but this is far, far cooler.

Does it plug in or is it battery powered?

Steve X2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120159663#Comment_120159663

They have it setup with battery power and recommend one of those AA battery replacement power supplies if you want it powered all the time. They should have just done it properly with a dual power option for it as it wouldn't have taken much work.

I'll either just be lazy and get the AA PSU thing or rewire it for a power supply and maybe a lithium battery pack. It seems they have it running at 5-6v, so it should be easy enough to change things over.

TechnoFreek

Ultimarc psx to VGA cable with audio breakout

KeRbDoG

Picked up a Nintendo Switch mainboard for a second console I had that allows alt. software to be ran :D it's now a emulation powerhouse!

KeRbDoG

Picked up a Game Boy DMG-001 which has a bad screen, so will look to upgrade it with an IPS LCD. Was going to replace the shell but its in decient shape after 30ish years :)

80s Synth Pop

Recently added a couple of Japanese systems. FM Towns Marty and a Sharp X68000.

Looking to set them up with modern peripherals and wondering if anyone had any experience?

The Marty I've the doc brown cd emulator and have pre ordered the Caius RAM, SCSI expansion cards and "thing" floppy emulator. That (I think) is all I need.

The X68000 I have no clue at all.

It only has dual floppy disk at the moment. No hard drive. Maybe there is a floppy emulator and maybe some CF type adapter for the hard drive? I'm reading about different midi card add-ons for different music?

The case design and graphics capabilites were amazing for something from the 80s. Japan had really cool "PC" hardware for the time while we were stuck with crappy amstrad and ibm compatible PCs with basic green screens :D

Lemming

Picked up a loose copy of TMNT: The Hyperstone Heist for Sega Megadrive for buttons from a local retro game shop last week. I don't normally buy loose carts but for £30 it was too good to pass up given the stupid, stupid prices found on ebay. I have it on Steam (via both the Sega classics - courtesy of workshop mods - and the Cowabunga collection) and also a Dreamcast fan-made copy (uses beats of rage) but nice to have an original legimate copy. Need to get a repro manual & case now (even the real deals command daft prices online).

Also got a C64 mini for the birthday, courtesy of the missus. My dad was confused when I plugged in at the family home to play Impossible Mission; wanted to know what film I was watching. Definitely need to load more games onto it; some Last Ninja & Bubble Bobble shall be first ports of call I think.

Inviere

Finally took the time to build my new PC. My old 7700k was really starting to show its age. Went with a 13700k, ddr5, and a couple of nice m.2 drives. Amazing how little cabling there is to do now that sata is gone. Also went with a Noctua air cooler this time (NH-U12A), for simplicity. First time on air cooling in quite a few years, and good lord the silence is bliss. I was mulling between a 7800X3D and the 13700k, and just leaned towards team blue because I got a good deal and couldn't really wait around on it much longer.

In testing it....Mario 3 has never looked so good....

Joking aside, I had a quick blast of some higher end PS3 games there...no comparison really, blows the 7700k away as you'd expect.

DaveyDave

Yeah cable management is simple these days. Even budget cases make it easy. My first build was in an Antec 900, the 'cable management' was two holes side by side in the middle, it was pretty pointless. It didn't help the board I was using had the 24 pin at the back side between the PCI and CPU, plus the 3 hard drives and a DVD drive.

Just checked prices there, you'd get a 2TB WD Black Gen4 for ~€130 so even in a budget build you don't need a HDD. A decent budget board will have 2 slots so you can expand in future. Outside of people hoarding games that's plenty.

I prefer the simplicity of an air cooler. When I overclocked my Core 2 Duo E4300 from 1.8Ghz to 3Ghz with an affordable Xigmatek Dark Knight cooler I didn't feel the need for more and there was always higher end coolers from Noctua or Scythe.

Lemming

The evolution of case design - even in the last four or five years - has really raised the bar on what is possible without having to splurge the cash on a top-end case when it comes to access or cable management. Was well impressed with the missus new case when I built up her new PC a few months ago. That being said, I have gone down the water cooling rabbit hole a few years now and can't see myself ever going back to air coolers. So much quieter (not to mention asthetically pleasing to look at; the bank statement afterwards less so ... ).

o1s1n

Built my missus a PC a couple of years ago and I couldn't believe how much empty space there was inside the case once it was finished. Was the first PC I've put together in years and years, think mechanical HDD and CD/DVD writer years ago (!), so I'd no idea how small everything had gotten really.

Only thing that takes up actual space is the GPU.

Quigs Snr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120337439#Comment_120337439

Can you recommend a good one me for me. Looking for a new, not too pricey case and psu for my niece and I have no idea what is good these days. The bargain bin one I used in her original build a few years back has disintegrated

Lemming

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120337897#Comment_120337897

Well, my missus got a Fractal Design case (Meshify; XL variant iirc) - her requirement was that she wanted space to be able to add water cooling when she wanted to go down that root but for now just using air cooling, along with having tons of space for hard-drives (she has a few for her work ... ). The case can literally be disassembled every which way which was quite impressive. You can get smaller meshify models and tbh I can imagine they'll be similarly well thought out. I think hers was around the £200 mark; smaller ones will obviously be less, and a cursory glance on scan.co.uk shows prices ranging around £80-150 depending on what you go for that isn't the XL model for that particular range of case. Before the Fractal Design case, the missus had a Thermaltake case before that; decent case and well ventilated. Not as good in the cable management stakes as what is expected now since the case model was probably in excess of five years old. That case was around the £120 mark.

Just avoid a case that has glass with fans directly underneath/behind the glass. It may all look pretty but the airflow will be pants next to something covered in mesh (for example).

By contrast, my current case is a Lian Li O11 Dynamic XL and cost a lot more than the Meshify at £315. Very much designed with water cooling in mind since the front and side are tempered glass, and the PSU & any 2.5/3.5mm hard drives sit behind the motherboard out of sight. It's a smaller case in some respects than the Meshify XL, but I could quite merrily use the Meshify for water cooling too; I just like the aesthetics afforded by the O11 more.

PSU-wise; how long is a piece of string? It will depend greatly on the hardware going into the PC. Couple of things to bear in mind;

1. Don't cheap out on the PSU; this thing can smoke every other component in your PC if it throws a fit. You don't need to go mad either selecting a 1000w+ platinum rated monster costing a few hundred yoyos.
2. Get a PSU that is Bronze/Silver/Gold/Platinum/Titanium rated; they tend to be better quality and will have minimum rail voltage throughput levels (hence the rating codes). Aim to give yourself around 150-200w of overhead on whatever wattage requirements you think your niece's PC needs to run. The price points will increase with rating levels as well as wattage. For help; here's a list of PSUs ranked by reliability relative to where they sit in the marketplace price points:

https://cultists.network/140/psu-tier-list/

I swear by Seasonic PSUs; their core business is power supplies and they know how to make them with rail voltage levels that just do not fvcking move under load; they also have decent warranties on them (for example my PSU has a 12 year warranty). That being said, there are more than a few capable offerings out there from the likes of be Quiet, Corsair, Thermaltake, etc. etc. Pick a price point you are happy with vs. the needs of the PC and accounting for overhead and then check against the above list for a sanity check.

Quigs Snr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120338248#Comment_120338248

Wow, thanks for that Lemming.

I think I will just replicate our missus setup exactly.

Lemming

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120338279#Comment_120338279

Apologies for not giving a more concise "pick X" answer. If you are undecided between case or PSU options, feel free to message me.

Inviere

I'm also a Fractal Design fan. This build went into a Meshify 2 Compact, lovely small footprint for a mid tower, looks great and a pleasure to work in.

Just on aircoolers, the noctua I'm using is noticeably more quiet than my previous aio water cooler. Sure, aesthetically they add a bit more mass and aren't as hidden as a radiator, but performance wise and noise wise, a good air cooler will potentially rival (or even beat) an aio.

o1s1n

Hah, that's gas, the case I used was also a Fractal Design Meshify Compact. Design wise it's nice and modern without looking like a space ship.

Only complaint I have is the power button on the front is way too sensitive, cats keep standing on the case and pressing it!

I'd hear cursing and swearing coming from the front room only to hear vague references to a save state in a game not having been reached yet and the cats had turned off the PC again. 😂

DaveyDave

The Fractal is one that gets mentioned over and over for good reason. Don't know exactly how prices compare but I have a Corsair Carbide 275R which didn't break the bank, they have a mesh like front panel model for better airflow but I don't have any issues with the normal panel. I've used several of their cases for my own and in friends builds.

Gamers Nexus on YouTube do an annual case review and have a budget section, worth checking the video out to get an idea of what's worth looking at. I think some of the same cases have won again this year for still being solid options.

I also use Corsair PSUs, my current one should probably be replaced as it's 12 years old but it's still going. My original one died and they replaced it under warranty with a better model.

Inviere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120339534#Comment_120339534

I also used a Corsair PSU in this build. A nice chunky one, for if the day ever arrives that a nice gpu won't cost four digits (not holding my breath.) Until then, my 1080Ti can hold the fort. But PSU wise, I've used EVGA and Seasonic in the past for other builds....never cheap out on a psu.

Inviere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120339402#Comment_120339402

I became a fan after choosing a Fractal Design case for my Unraid server, absolutely lovely build quality. I've never used the Meshify Compact, but the Meshify Compact 2 has a nice sturdy power button anyway. That new North case they've released is absolutely beautiful too.

Colonel Panic

The last Gamecube memory card I'll ever need.

Can't test it because I put my last spare SD card in the Wii U to jailbreak it.

DaveyDave

Held off for the Steam Spring sale with the €50 voucher I got for my birthday last month. Outside of the first L4D and Max Payne these are all new to me. Curious to see what does and doesn't work on the Steam Deck! Although I played Max Payne way back in 06/07 so it's basically new to me.

o1s1n

You haven't played through the Half Life games? Wow you're in for a treat!

If I were you I'd start with the first Half Life and then work through HL2 and all of the episodes. Best games in that list.

DaveyDave

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120372117#Comment_120372117

I haven't! I've been meaning to for years I just don't game on the PC that often. Looking forward to finally sitting down to play them.

CiDeRmAn

I'm caught deciding on a PSVR2 vs a Steam Deck... This troubles me because I had decided on the former, but there are so many great games to play on the Steam Deck!

Damn you!

Too many choices!

PS VR2: State of the art VR with a couple of stunning games to show it off

Steam Deck: A massive library of classic, new and retro titles, many of which I already own in my library....

Bugger....

Inviere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120375087#Comment_120375087

PSVR2 for me there, it's a different (albeit currently small) library and experiences you can't get any other way. The Steam Deck, while great, offers you a way to play games you already own and can play anyway.

Colonel Panic

I have a Steamdeck and I’m still trying to justify the purchase and that’s putting me off a PSVR2.

I popped into GameStop last Sunday to buy one and the salesperson talked me out of it!

He said that the games were good but if there wasn’t one or two you HAD TO play to wait. Damn him and his logic.

johnny_ultimate

I was disappointed by Half-Life 2 on Steam Deck. Doesn’t feel great with the standard controls as the lack of any kind of aim assist is punishing in it when playing with analogue controls - it’s very much a PC game in that sense. You might fare better if you get on with gyro aiming or its touchpads - but I’d recommend linking it to a display with a mouse and keyboard for the best experience. Should still run great because of its age.

Lots of other games, including FPS games, do run fantastic on Deck.

Mucashinto

Ooh, Steam Deck for me and atm with the 10% off it's the best deal in modern gaming imo. I had a perfect use case for it as I'd no other modern handheld and a gaming monitor with nothing going into it - most people wouldn't be bothered with connecting it to a screen I imagine but I love being able to jump into a quick game on a separate screen.

If I bought a VR unit atm I'd think I'd just follow the pattern of using it exclusively for about a month before gradually putting it away until something big came out/got ported to it. I'd also have to move furniture around! I'd like to see Sony prove their commitment to it a bit first as well tbh, they're charging enough for it!

Most people recommend going for the 256gb but I'd say 64gb all the way. As long as you have a decent sized SD card lying around you'll be a long while before you're short of storage and by then a (genuinely easy) upgradeable 1tb SSD will probably be less than 100e the way prices are going. Certainly one purchase I have zero reservations about buying, would just like to see a sizeable software update soon with the VRR they've been promising.

DaveyDave

I have both and I think I made a mistake getting VR at launch.

PSVR is lacking games right now, don't buy one just yet. Outside of GT7, Resident Evil Village and something else that slips my mind it doesn't have a strong lineup. Apparently the Horizon game is just boring climbing for 90% of the game and you don't get to explore the world much and not the system seller it was hinted at. In fairness, if you didn't have the original VR the lineup isn't as bad if the likes of Rez or Moss are new to you.

Lack of VR1 backwards compatibility is mind boggling and a huge negative. A lot of people didn't get into VR then and gaming has grown massively since then, it would be great for people to pick up the decent titles from last gen.

A lot of the games are like tech demos rather than full games so there's not a lot of substance there just yet.

Granted I've only played GT7 and Rez for the moment so I'm not interacting with a virtual game world or using the VR controllers and using my hands. I'm going to pick up The Walking Dead Saints and Sinners soon as apparently that's a very good game and should have better immersion than just sitting there driving with a Dualshock in hand. Eye tracking is cool in Rez though. Apparently Resident Evil Village is a genuinely good experience in VR.

Also if you wear glasses everything outside of looking straight ahead looks crap and it's not Foveated rendering, something to do with the curvature of the lenses and the type of OLED panels used. If I'm driving in GT7 and look in the corners of my screen at the mirrors they're out of focus, I have to move my actual head. Definitely need to look at VR lens inserts.

Also disappointed to hear Dark Pictures Switchback VR is apparently crap, really enjoyed Until Dawn Rush of Blood last generation :(

Inviere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120375474#Comment_120375474

It's a brand new product though, the software will come. Whether it'll deliver on software is a different story, and there's still only a handful of VR games I'd call must-have's, to this day. It's a niche investment really.

Ciderman already has a gaming pc, so unless he really wants to play his games on the move, then the steam deck is a great option.

I'm not sure I'd choose either in your shoes Cidey, I know I said the PSVR2 but how about a 3rd option...get yourself a MiSTer setup in that cab of yours man.

johnny_ultimate

I’m completely sold on VR, but I still don’t have any real interest in PSVR2 for now. The fact that there’s little in the way of announced games other than ports is just underwhelming. Heck, even Half Life Alyx - which I already own and have played through - would be enough of a killer app to get me interested based on the improved tech alone. A new Asobi Team game would be a killer app. But there just needs to be a better sense of what the future holds for it. Sounds like a fantastic headset though, especially for anyone jumping into VR for the first time.

To me the biggest bonus of the Steam Deck is just having a capable, portable gaming PC that isn’t the same PC I use for work every day 😅

CiDeRmAn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120375541#Comment_120375541

Honestly, I haven't turned that pc on since 2021!

I really should!

Inviere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120376214#Comment_120376214

If you feel the Steamdeck would take its place, then its a no brainer