Anyone have a LAN gaming setup? Looking for equipment suggestions. XP related.

[greedostick]

I have been seriously considering turning my basement into a dedicated LAN gaming room.

I know super nerdy.

I have a pretty good idea of how to set it all up, I am slightly network savvy. However, I am struggling on coming up with what hardware to use.

Unlike most LAN parties where you bring your own PC, I want to have a dedicated "ready to go" setup, where the only thing people need to bring is the beer.

So I am trying to come up with an easy to locate system enclosure and motherboard that I can easily upgrade, and buy like 8 of. Those old graphics cards and processors are almost a dime a dozen on eBay and sold in bulk. So I think I could pull this off for a few hundred bucks if I shop around at local used PC shops around here and eBay.

XP service pack 3 is probably the only real option here, as I can get CD keys free online, can get internet connectivity if need be, and it is compatible with a lot of great games out of the box.

Here are some of the games I would like to play. Diablo 1 & 2, Unreal Tournament 2004, Counter Strike, Counter Strike GO, Castle Crashers, Torchlight II, Titan's Quest. Starcraft, Quake, Halo 1 & 2, Warcraft 3, etc.. Pretty much staple games from the 2000's and maybe a few low requirement games from a few years ago.

So... I know some of you guys are a little more knowledgeable in the vintage PC hardware department than myself. Looking for suggestions on things such as the following...

1. Graphics cards and processors that are a good bang for the buck.

2. A good socket to build around.

3. Maybe a good pre-built XP PC that eBay is littered with that I could buy in bulk and easily upgrade.

So far I am thinking a 775 socket, for something like a pentium core 2 duo 3.0 to 3.2 ghz.

And maybe something like a 256MB or higher Nvidia Geforce card, with pixel shader 3.0 or higher, and directX 9 capabilities.

Feel free to toss me hardware suggestions, and of course game suggestions. Especially racing games.

 

[Dr Shroom]

So far I am thinking a 775 socket, for something like a pentium core 2 duo 3.0 to 3.2 ghz.

And maybe something like a 256MB or higher Nvidia Geforce card, with pixel shader 3.0 or higher, and directX 9 capabilities.

what
how does that even fit together?

 

[BerryTogart]

XP service pack 2 is probably the only real option here, as I can get CD keys free online, can get internet connectivity if need be, and it is compatible with a lot of great games out of the box.

If you go that way I'd firewall and proxy in between as XP obviously doesn't get security updates any more and you don't want to start the party infected
Most of the games you mention can have a local host as server, so another option would be to get all the service packs (which have been released as single and installable download by MS) and needed software from an up to date PC.

If you can manage to have similar hardware I think you can save yourself a lot of hassle by creating one working image and cloning it to the machine, but it has beeen some time since I used cloning software.

What I'd definitely recommend regarding the games is checking out if you really still like the way they are presented. E.g: I had a much better memory of Diablo 1 and while for retro console games you usually are far enough from the screen I would not want to replay D1 without one of the screen hacks that gives you more view of the surroundings in favor of higher resolutions

 

[greedostick]

what
how does that even fit together?

It may not, that's why I'm asking. Not too familiar with vintage PC components since I didn't get into building PC's till about 6 years ago.

Basically those components are the system requirements for Counter Strike GO, which I think is the most demanding game on the list.

system requirements:
CPU: Intelｮ Core 2 Duo E6600 or AMD Phenom X3 8750 processor or better
RAM: 2 GB RAM
GPU: Video card must be 256 MB or more and should be a DirectX 9-compatible with support for Pixel Shader 3.0
DX: DirectX 9.0c
OS: Windowsｮ 7/Vista/XP http://gamesystemrequirements.com/
Store: 15 GB available space

 

[greedostick]

If you go that way I'd firewall and proxy in between as XP obviously doesn't get security updates any more and you don't want to start the party infected
Most of the games you mention can have a local host as server, so another option would be to get all the service packs (which have been released as single and installable download by MS) and needed software from an up to date PC.

If you can manage to have similar hardware I think you can save yourself a lot of hassle by creating one working image and cloning it to the machine, but it has beeen some time since I used cloning software.

What I'd definitely recommend regarding the games is checking out if you really still like the way they are presented. E.g: I had a much better memory of Diablo 1 and while for retro console games you usually are far enough from the screen I would not want to replay D1 without one of the screen hacks that gives you more view of the surroundings in favor of higher resolutions

Yeah, I don't plan on running a LAN setup via xp online all the time. Mainly the reason for XP would be to log into steam and download my games before going off server, as I "think", it's been awhile, you have to log into steam to download your games before you can play them offline. Most stuff I would just buy the loose disc of course. Probably avoiding steam alltogether would be my best bet and just never going online.

I do like the Diablo 1 Beezlebub mod, and I can see how the game is not as enjoyable the original way. Diablo II and some first person shooters, and a few RTS games would probably be the main games being played.

I will research your cloning suggestion. thanks.

 

[Dr Shroom]

It may not, that's why I'm asking. Not too familiar with vintage PC components since I didn't get into building PC's till about 6 years ago.

Basically those components are the system requirements for Counter Strike GO, which I think is the most demanding game on the list.

system requirements:
CPU: Intelｮ Core 2 Duo E6600 or AMD Phenom X3 8750 processor or better
RAM: 2 GB RAM
GPU: Video card must be 256 MB or more and should be a DirectX 9-compatible with support for Pixel Shader 3.0
DX: DirectX 9.0c
OS: Windowsｮ 7/Vista/XP http://gamesystemrequirements.com/
Store: 15 GB available space

would run like shit with those specs

 

[greedostick]

would run like shit with those specs

If you have suggestions I would love to hear.

 

[cdamm]

If you have suggestions I would love to hear.

first i'd get the ram up to 4gb a pop. (assuming you are using ddr2 or 3 because core 2 duo era mobos). that should be fairly cheap.

If all you need is 15gb of storage, i'd work in all ssd's. something like this:


https://www.amazon.com/Kingfast-Sol...ents=p_n_feature_three_browse-bin:14027456011

graphics card should be pci-e considering the era of motherboard you are looking at. maybe an 8800gt? 512mb vram.

pretty cheap: http://www.ebay.com/itm/PNY-VCG8851...911321?hash=item1c80053d59:g:2yUAAOSw4CFY0Eeo

basic bitch mobo / processor combos on c2d are pretty cheap too. heres one at 3.06 ghz pulled from a (lol) dell optiplex for 25 bucks. (this mobo uses ddr2 ram.. so theres that. )

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Optipl...904551?hash=item4b09611527:g:ovgAAOSw8gVX8A-z

wrap it all up in some bullshit case.

Maybe $100 build all in. + keyboard, mouse, software, monitors (you can get this era of monitors from goodwill for like 3-5 bucks a pop all day now).

edit: hey look. 16gb kit (4x4gb) of ddr2 for 20 bucks shipped. thats 4 systems set up.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/16GB-4X4GB-...940468?hash=item2593f29c74:g:30YAAOSwbqpT7qQu

double edit for the extra thrifty: maybe look for towers at thrift to pull hdds, dvd rom drives, and power supplies (and of course repurpose the towers themselves). though i probably wouldnt trust thrift hard drives.

 

[SpamYouToDeath]

I've considered doing this with Wal-Mart computers. They seem to have really cheap HP garbage - probably subsidized by all the crapware they foist on their unsuspecting customers.

 

[ki_atsushi]

Fuck Counterstrike, Warcraft III, and the Halos, and all the rest of the games you can easily run on a pentium 4 with 1-2gb of ram and a shit video card.

Add Medal of Honor (and it's expansions) to your roster, that game is fucking dope in multiplayer. One of the only multiplayer games that was good enough for me to care about enough to get good at.

 

[Heinz]

I recently bought a Core2Quad Q6600 at 3.06ghz and its... terrible but it runs GroovyMAME just fine

First thing I would suggest if you're going down the path of CPU's from that era is to pair them with an SSD and not a HDD, it makes all the difference in the world in real world performance.

 

[greedostick]

Thanks for all the help guys. I'm checking out those components and researching solid state drives now.

Fuck Counterstrike, Warcraft III, and the Halos, and all the rest of the games you can easily run on a pentium 4 with 1-2gb of ram and a shit video card.

Add Medal of Honor (and it's expansions) to your roster, that game is fucking dope in multiplayer. One of the only multiplayer games that was good enough for me to care about enough to get good at.

Weird you mentioned that, because I was wondering yesterday if Medal of Honor supports LAN play.

 

[mr_b]

What is your overall budget for this endeavor?

There are plenty of ways to score cheap pc parts. You can find plenty of solid machines on ebay for $180-250 if you look hard enough you should be able to find some with GPU's. You should be able to find early gen i5's with 8gb or ram. You'll get valid windows 7 licenses as well. The OEM keys are baked into the bios. The GPU's won't be great but they would run damn near everything you want of the old stuff.

As a current CSGO player. The basic requirements can be a bit deceiving. That game can take a lot of horsepower to run if you are looking for a really smooth experience. The graphic options do allow it to run fairly well on modest hardware if you tweak accordingly.

 

[NeoSneth]

If you are gonna play XP games then i would recommend some dell laptops or little dell business computers.
Just get one with some sort of GPU and you'll be fine.

It will save you a ton of heat and power. Does your basement have a 30A line?, cuz that is what you'll need for 6+ desktops.

Still get monitors and such, but i wouldn't try to maintain 6 retro towers. get something you can dispose of and replace easily.

 

[Electric Grave]

Better have some Unreal Tournament battles when it's all setup, I'm coming and ready for camping!

 

[greedostick]

What is your overall budget for this endeavor?

Seeing as how I am going to have to buy a bunch of stuff besides PC's. Such as monitors, tables, ethernet and crossover cables, network switches, surge protectors, cheap headsets, and I'm sure other stuff, I really wanted to keep it under $100-$125 per PC, and hope I can score some 4:3 monitors local for really cheap.

If you are gonna play XP games then i would recommend some dell laptops or little dell business computers.
Just get one with some sort of GPU and you'll be fine.

It will save you a ton of heat and power. Does your basement have a 30A line?, cuz that is what you'll need for 6+ desktops.

Still get monitors and such, but i wouldn't try to maintain 6 retro towers. get something you can dispose of and replace easily.

The power consumption is actually something I am concerned about. This would be set up at all times, but not powered on obviously. I was thinking if need be that I have a few 50ft power cords lying around I could just run to various outlets through my house when I had a get together.

My initial thought was to get some powerful used laptops with at least 17 inch screens, and possibly illuminated keyboards. Then I wouldn't have to buy monitors, speakers/headsets, or at least I could pick them up over time as deals arise at local shops. I think this could give me a little extra money to play around with to pick up some nice used gaming mice. Problem is the really nice old laptops are like old gaming consoles, they drop a lot in value, but still command a pretty hefty price tag used on eBay.

Really the more I think about this, probably just sticking to a budget laptop, and upgrading to nice keyboards and mice over time is probably the smartest idea. It would be nice to get a dedicated setup that could run Counter Strike GO for under $100.00 a laptop, but I don't think that's a reality. I could always resort to having people bring their own laptops if a scenario arose where we wanted to get people together to play that specific game.

I would definitely welcome budget laptop recommendations readily available for purchase now, or even high end laptop suggestions that are getting pretty old and can easily be found online for cheap used. I think maybe sticking strictly to the XP era to around 2006 may be the best bet for now, and I can always upgrade the laptops in a few years for newer games.

Better have some Unreal Tournament battles when it's all setup, I'm coming and ready for camping!

I would love to get as many people as possible. Too bad you're not closer.

 

[Electric Grave]

...but New Londo is just down the elevator, lol.

 

[NeoSneth]

My friend made sure his basement had 30A to cover us when we had LAN parties. it's a rare event now, but it also helps when he uses space heaters in the winter.

Anyhow. I would recommend something along the lines of the
Dell Precision M-series
• Full Size Keyboard and Numpad
• 15-17 inch screen for most models.
• i5 or i7
• AMD and nvidia GPU's.
• rugged and aesthetic design.
• cheap, and plentiful parts.

DELL PRECISION M4600 is <$200 with great specs. I just gave my friend my old Precision M or i'd let you have it. These were desktop replacements primarily targeting engineers and CAD folks.
There are lots of models to choose from. http://www.ebay.com/itm/DELL-PRECIS...166079?hash=item3d363ff47f:g:coMAAOSwTM5YvZL7

Another benefit of this route is you can create just one image, and load it on all the laptops if they are similar models. You wont have to fuss with needing different drivers or settings. 1 package.

And the more you mention this idea, the more i want to do it myself.

 

[sylvie]

is the LAN room going to include carbon monoxide poisoning

 

[Heinz]

is the LAN room going to include carbon monoxide poisoning

Not sure if he's inviting a muzza with a fully sick car revving the engine in the game room all night.

 

[sylvie]

i want to die from poison while i play diablo II

 

[lordnikon]

If you are going to have 8 setups going, I wouldn't do desktop machines. Thats just too much hardware to manage in my opinion. 2... maybe 4 setups, sure go desktop. But laptops means you get screens with the laptops, the entire LAN setup is easier to breakdown and store, and most importantly, laptops consume less power than desktops.

The laptops might get kinda loud when in full on gaming mode, depending on the model.

Regarding Counterstrike GO, as its one of the most graphically demanding games on the list... maybe replace it with Urban Terror, the Quake III Mod, to get your game list under a certain spec.

To avoid Steam, snag your classics from GOG and get DRM Free installers that you can download. This will be really important if people want to bring their own laptops. Since the games are DRM Free you can just give them the installer. Nobody has to buy anything.

Don't forget the Tribes series! Download all the Tribes games for free at the link below (Official and Legit!):

http://www.tribesuniverse.com/

Also, play Tribes 2 online here:

http://tribesnext.com/

 

[greedostick]

i want to die from poison while i play diablo II

Then die you shall. You would be more than welcome anytime. You can teach Jon how to play some PC shit.

If you are going to have 8 setups going, I wouldn't do desktop machines. Thats just too much hardware to manage in my opinion. 2... maybe 4 setups, sure go desktop. But laptops means you get screens with the laptops, the entire LAN setup is easier to breakdown and store, and most importantly, laptops consume less power than desktops.

The laptops might get kinda loud when in full on gaming mode, depending on the model.

Regarding Counterstrike GO, as its one of the most graphically demanding games on the list... maybe replace it with Urban Terror, the Quake III Mod, to get your game list under a certain spec.

To avoid Steam, snag your classics from GOG and get DRM Free installers that you can download. This will be really important if people want to bring their own laptops. Since the games are DRM Free you can just give them the installer. Nobody has to buy anything.

Don't forget the Tribes series! Download all the Tribes games for free at the link below (Official and Legit!):

http://www.tribesuniverse.com/

Also, play Tribes 2 online here:

http://tribesnext.com/

GOG is a great idea. I already have many of the hames I want on gog. This would make sure they're the correct version as well.

I've pretty much come to reality at this point and realized a gaggle of shitty laptops is the way to go. I might add one pimped out XP desktop in place of one laptop though. Need to see if I can LAN windows 7 and XP together though.

Really like that gog idea.

I'm heading to the flea market now in hopes of a score on some old gear.