PC recommendations for emulation

[gblock]

Yo all.

I'm looking to upgrade my PC soon (hopefully).  I am going to primarly use it for emulation(like I do my current PC), but I want to make sure that I'll be able to run the harder to run ones better than I can now(Saturn, PS1, N64, MAME-the ones that have CHD, or more graphically advanced).

What would you recommend as minimum specs?  The entry level Dell model I'm looking at, has the following specs:

Inspiron 518Intel® Pentium® dual-core processor E2200 (1MB L2, 2.2GHz, 800FSB)

Memory: 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz (2 DIMM) ( I can add another 1GB to make it: 3GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz (4 DIMM) for another $50 )
 
Video Card: Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3100

I figured those are the most important specs for emulation.  If I went with the upgraded Memory, the cost would be $379(probably $400-$420 including taxes and shipping).

Any thoughts or suggestions?
 

[darkNiGHTS]

I suggest getting a basic graphics card, it will do wonders for your system.  I'd recommend one like this.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121250

And upgrading the RAM yourself, you can get 1GB for $20 and save $30 which would pay for the graphics card.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104029

Other than that your system should be good, processors aren't really that important anymore when it comes to emulation.

[mr.giggity]

Definately get a graphics card, onboard video is generally pretty pissweak especially for DC emulation

[jem]

Video card seconded. 

[SKullinator]

I was going to say, just get anything as long as its dual core 2ghz+, not celeron and has 2gb of ram (although the more the merrier), and a not on board gfx, you'll be good. With a machine like that you'll beable to emulate anything, run any program, and play almost any game for the next couple years. I'm sure you can find something like that for under 500$

[gblock]

I was farting around on newegg and came across this:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883107720

With the upgraded graphics card that DK recommended, would this setup be good to go?

Edit:  Or if I'm gonna go all the way with this one, recommend me a good graphics card that stays under $75 that would be good(I could always buy the tower and get the card later).  If I'm vesting in the system, might as well get better parts

[mr.giggity]

I wouldn't recommend a HP. Besides it still has only onboard graphics, even though its a geforce chipset. You'd be much better off getting a stand alone card

[darkNiGHTS]

I was farting around on newegg and came across this:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883107720

I'd go with that, that's a really good deal.

I wouldn't recommend a HP. Besides it still has only onboard graphics, even though its a geforce chipset. You'd be much better off getting a stand alone card

Why not?  All desktops in that range use just about the same parts and he's going to upgrade the graphics.

If you're looking in the under $75 range for graphics cards, you'll see a huge improvement over the more basic ones.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121274

[mr.giggity]

In my experience Hp's have a terrible bios. I think he'd be better off building his own. It'd be cheaper, far more customisable and most importantly - better. but that's only my opinion

[gblock]

I would build my own, but my pc building skills are that of a monkey, if not worse.

I'd actually just upgrade the one I have now, but it's going on 2 years old and I can only put another gig of RAM in (putting it at 2 gb) and I'm not sure if it could handle one of those new graphics cards.....

[mr.giggity]

I'm not sure if it could handle one of those new graphics cards.....

Hehe, they're very simple. Plug N Play. Got a friend that could build it for you?

[darkNiGHTS]

In my experience Hp's have a terrible bios. I think he'd be better off building his own. It'd be cheaper, far more customisable and most importantly - better. but that's only my opinion

Yeah, but in that price range you're not going to be able to get something that good

Hehe, they're very simple. Plug N Play. Got a friend that could build it for you?

He's talking about putting a newer graphics card in his older system.  That wouldn't really work as it most likely only has an AGP slot which is too slow to really do much.  I could help you build a system  (parts and stuff) on the cheap if you wanted, I built my brother's PC for $300.

[gblock]

Let's see...emulation machine.....

1) Processor
2) Hard Drive
3) Graphics Card
4) Sound Card
5) Tower
6) DVD drive/writer
7) RAM/memory
8 ) USB ports, Fans, internet port

Did I miss anything DK?

I'm set on a monitor, 19 inch Dell widescreen LCD w/ DVI input(which I can't utilize with this PC lol) and everything else(keyboard, mouse and speakers...although if you could point me in the right direction of some better and decent priced pc speakers(good for movies and music) I'd appreciate it to

If you're willing to show me the parts, I could give it a shot( I have a friend that can help me put it together, possibly).  Try to keep it around $400 total, but I could go as high as $500, since I could technically buy it piece by peace if needed. Or since it's all on Neweggers, if you felt like spending the time.  You could show me the part for a budget model $300-$400, then a "upgraded model" $400-$500.

Thanks again for all the help dudes greatly appreciated

[SKullinator]

dont forget the motherboard, and you gotto make sure its compatible with the processor and ram that you buy. If your getting parts, I'd also suggest tigerdirect.com. I've bought alot of parts from them and their prices are pretty hard to beat. One of my buddys got quad core processor, 4gb of ram, and a motherboard for something like 400$.

I also wouldnt rule out the preassembled like hp. For cheaper system I think its probably cheaper to do it that way, you only really start to save alot on mid-high end machines.

[wickidweasel]

If your system is 2 years old other than maxing out the cpu and ram theres probably nothing emulated worthy of a new system. It doesnt have to have the latest greatest graphics card but you could always max out graphics with whatever spare slot you have if you have onboard graphics you could always alocate more ram but for emulation its really not needed.