Windows 7 Ultimate x64
4GB DDR2 1066 RAM
Intel Core 2 Quad CPU @ 2.4GHz
ATi HD 4870 1GB GDDR5 RAM
2x640GB HDD @ 7200RPM

I'm wondering what settings I should use for my set-up. Currently I'm trying to emulate everything I can. I know I can easily do PSX, just need to know the right plug-ins. Also, I would like to emulate Saturn and Dreamcast if that is at all possible. How is Playstation 2 emulation coming along?

Also, how far has CPS3 and NAOMI emulation come? I'd love to play MvC2 and Street Fighter III on my PC!

With those specs:

- CPS3 is pretty much in full.
- Dreamcast also in full, give or take whatever isn't supported/broken currently.
- Double for Naomi and Atomiswave (Atomiswave is still pretty recent however, I only know of Hokuto no Ken and Guilty Gear Slash that runs at full speed, but even then there are still some issues), only if they happen to be very 2D reliant. Marvel runs on Naomi, but your better off getting the game off PSN/XBL now as they fixed the bugs that caused shit to crash.
- PS2 is a hit or miss depending on the game and if you have run hacks or patches and what plugins your running.

CPS-3 emulation has been more or less perfect for a good while now.

Again, what really matters is not so much the uberness of the graphics card or tons of RAM. Generally you just need a fast processor. While Dreamcast and PS2 emulation do benefit from video card with high RAM, 1GB is overkill no matter how you slice it. Not that overkill hurts... it's just, well, overkill.

I wouldn't expect flawless performance across the board from any PS2 or Dreamcast emulator, though. High specs notwithstanding.

Ah, yes. I tried a DC emulator and just running the dashboard was a bit wonky. I know I didn't have the right settings, but it still didn't look very good. Ran at around 200FPS though until I put the frame limiter on.

So what runs CPS3, M.A.M.E.? Hopefully I won't have to download 2 emulators to get CPS, CPS2, and CPS3 to run.

Hey Gouken! Long time no see. How have you been?

Great! Just trying to set-up my PC for emulation. So far I have Genesis-32X-Sega CD, SNES, and NES. I have SSF_010_alpha_R3 for Saturn but I don't know if that's the best as of now. I'd like to emulate arcade, PSX, and see what's going on with Naomi. What have you been up to?

Depends on your preference. MAME runs everything (obviously), CPS3Emulator is only for CPS3 (obviously) and I think FBA supports CPS1-CPS3, too.

I can really recommend FBA for a great Arcade experience, with great config possibility and an easy to master starting curve.
MAME lacks hardware acceleration. but support a lot more stuff and the CPS3-emu is only otimized for CPS3.

Hmm, guess I'll go with FBA for the Capcom games, which really is the majority of what I want to play. Does it have an online component? The only other games I can think of to play are beat-em ups like Simpsons and X-Men. I hear games like Soul Calibur can be played on M.A.M.E., is this true?

There's tonnes of beat-em ups you can play on FBA. Loads of Neo-Geo ones, and not just King of Fighters. There's the Fatal Fury series, Art of Fighting, World Heroes. Then some cool one offs like Waku Waku 7. Soul Calibur can be played on Dreamcast emulators for sure. Wouldn't know about it's arcade version. The only 3D rendered game I've played on MAME is Strider 2 on MameUI32.

All 3D hardware emulated in MAME is emulated in software, so it's going to be far slower than regular 3D accelerated stuff. However, with your computer, I suppose it would be possible to play Soul Calibur and the like in MAME, although I'll say nothing about the actual experience.

For those specs, you should handle the following nicely;
- Playstation 2, with PCSX2. Faster and more compatible than ever.
- Wii/Gamecube, with Dolphin. Get a recent unofficial build, it improved big time.
- Nintendo DS. The 'norm' is no$gba, with Desmume and iDeaS close second places and improved nicely. no$gba hasnt been updated for a year and half, so...

For CPS3 and similar arcade boards, FinalBurnAlpha would do well. Bonus: very frequently updated.

Thanks Rikki! Wow, didn't know PS2 was emulated really at all. I'm still amazed my PC can run Sega Saturn decently! I've tried out Dolphin and it does run very nice, but I have a modded Wii around 5 feet away soo... Maybe if I ever decide to sell it will I get into Wii emulation. How exactly does DS work? Touch screen...?

Does anyone know what the best plug-ins to use on ePSXe with my set-up?

Pete's OpenGL2 plugin, P.e.O.p.s Soft plugin (if you're into software rendering) and Eternal SPU 1.50 Beta 2.