Absolute cheapest emulation PC

[Mohenjo]

So im looking to build a PC for emulating games. I want the cheapest i can get, lets say max budget of 300. i would like to emulate up to ps2/gamecube games. Also would like mini itx if possible. I was thinking of getting an APU, Would that be good enough?

[Benergy]

16 minutes ago, Mohenjo said:

So im looking to build a PC for emulating games. I want the cheapest i can get, lets say max budget of 300. i would like to emulate up to ps2/gamecube games. Also would like mini itx if possible. I was thinking of getting an APU, Would that be good enough?

You would ideally want a discrete GPU (even a cheap one, e.g. 370/750ti).

An APU will the run games OK, but your FPS will sometimes tank and be very inconsistent.

 

(a G3258 and a 370 would be a good bet)

[Burusutazu]

You need at least dual core intel cpu capable of high clocks, so a i3, while an i5 is reccomended. You also need a dedicated graphics card that is better than intergraded intel graphics (the stronger it is, the more improvements you can do to the visuals.)  A 750ti is perfect. So if you need a monitor and periferals with this build its nigh impossible. I'll mess around on pcpartpicker though and find out.

 

Here is the Dolphin benchmark spreadsheet.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkEUvobPn_DcdEo2aEhhdUpnU01tYUtNM3ZVX2d6SkE&usp=sharing

[Benergy]

22 minutes ago, Mohenjo said:

So im looking to build a PC for emulating games. I want the cheapest i can get, lets say max budget of 300. i would like to emulate up to ps2/gamecube games. Also would like mini itx if possible. I was thinking of getting an APU, Would that be good enough?

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/wfNwMp

$299 lol

[Nathat23]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($71.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H-A Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($26.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($34.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R7 250X 2GB Core Edition Video Card  ($83.88 @ OutletPC)
Case: Rosewill FBM-02 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($21.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $294.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-11 13:32 EDT-0400

[Kobathor]

Raise the budget a bit?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3260 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($53.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H-A Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($39.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($30.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($34.88 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: XFX Radeon R7 250X 2GB Core Edition Video Card  ($83.88 @ OutletPC) 
Case: Rosewill SRM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($29.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($63.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Total: $337.71
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-11 13:48 EDT-0400

These are all new parts. You could probably find an old case, HDD, SSD, PSU, or RAM laying around to put in it, or buy older components. But this is my list!

[Kobathor]

Just watched a GHGTV on the Intel Compute Stick. If you're just running N64 emulators and such, the Compute Stick can handle it:

 

 

The Compute Stick is usually around $130 or so. It's out of stock on Newegg, but my local Micro Center has more than 8 in stock.

[Mohenjo]

1 hour ago, Kobathor said:

Just watched a GHGTV on the Intel Compute Stick. If you're just running N64 emulators and such, the Compute Stick can handle it:

 

 

The Compute Stick is usually around $130 or so. It's out of stock on Newegg, but my local Micro Center has more than 8 in stock.

saw the vid too, but n64 isnt enough for me, i want that full gamecube experience. 

[Kobathor]

13 minutes ago, Mohenjo said:

saw the vid too, but n64 isnt enough for me, i want that full gamecube experience. 

He mentioned the Gamecube. I dunno though.

Look at the PC I listed and see if you like it. Again, a spare HDD, SSD, RAM, PSU, case ect can make it a lot cheaper.

[Mohenjo]

3 minutes ago, Kobathor said:

He mentioned the Gamecube. I dunno though.

Look at the PC I listed and see if you like it. Again, a spare HDD, SSD, RAM, PSU, case ect can make it a lot cheaper.

i got a spare HDD but thats about it

[Kobathor]

2 minutes ago, Mohenjo said:

i got a spare HDD but thats about it

Yeah.

I chose the G3260 over the G3258 cause it's cheaper right now on Superbiiz. Micro ATX is cheaper than Mini ITX for LGA 1150. The 250x was just because it was cheap, but you can replace it with the likes of a used 750ti/760.