Before we get into the new build, I wanted to put down what I've learned with regards to this specific hardware selection, after putting way, way too many hours on this machine.
RETROBOX 1.0: THE POST-MORTEM
Systems that I ended up "supporting" aka built-in to Launchbox and expected to work:
- Atari 2600
- Atari 7800
- Atari Lynx
- Atari Jaguar
- Panasonic 3DO
- Nintendo Entertainment System
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System
- Nintendo Game Boy
- Nintendo Game Boy Color
- Nintendo Game Boy Advance
- Nintendo Gamecube
- Nintendo Wii
- Magnavox Odyssey2
- Sega Master System
- Sega Game Gear
- Sega Genesis
- Sega CD
- Sega 32X
- Sega Saturn
- SNK Neo Geo Pocket Color
- NEC TurboGrafx-16
- NEC TurboGrafx-CD
What about arcade games, DOS/Windows 9x/earlier Mac games, or some other system that isn't listed here?
I take into consideration input/control method, alongside performance and accuracy of the emulator code available. For example, the Atari 5200 has an interesting controller that would be tough to replicate. The Nintendo DS has a touchscreen. N64 emulation (until very recently) was just not set and forget. And so on.
Given a different type of setup, perhaps one where the machine were plugged into a lapboard or to a plain ol' monitor/keyboard/mouse, it would make way more sense to add a whole bunch more systems to the mix. The same would apply if I committed to a gun controller and/or arcade-style controls. For now, though, I'm focused on couch gaming.
What worked well:
- Hardware selection: I am very, very pleased overall with the performance of the hardware that I bought all the way back in September 2016. At 1080p, the limits are few in terms of what systems you can emulate with a high degree of confidence and accuracy. However, there is a ton of development time being put into more recent consoles (5th generation and beyond - notably Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast, and many others). In some cases, the i3-6320 is just running out of steam: a great example is the very recently released multithreaded Angrylion code for Libretro's ParaLLEl core (emulating the Nintendo 64). Both CPU cores are just out of breath running this, but it is incredibly accurate.
- Bliss-Box: if you're completely insane like me and must have original controllers, this is the only way to go. If you're not quite that nuts, I recommend 8Bitdo for controllers that are not only wireless but feel very, very close to the originals.
- Launchbox/Big Box: amazing software. If you are dedicating a machine to your emulation needs, you definitely can't go wrong by using this software to catalog your games and present them in a beautiful way. New versions with new features show up at least once a month and stability has not yet been a problem for me.
What's definitely going to change for the next revision:
- Eliminating the dedicated controller to drive the menus. This guaranteed that I could get myself out of any sort of bad situation that may arise, but it's unnecessary. Instead, any controller that is plugged in or connected wirelessly can navigate the UI.
- Separating administrative user accounts versus the account that runs Kodi or Big Box. This is primarily so I can more easily administer the machine when needed - for example, the admin account's shell should be explorer.exe, not Kodi.
- Scale everything up to 4K (or very near 4K), which should keep many consoles much closer to a correct aspect ratio. For mimicking a CRT, switch to crt-royale.
- Add border graphics for handheld systems (Game Boy and the like), LCD grids, and other enhancements that make the display look more accurate to the original.
- Automate upgrades for Retroarch, and backups of saved games or game states.
- Have plenty of extra CPU/GPU horsepower to add accurate N64, Dreamcast, Saturn, PS2 emulation as the relevant code matures.
ADVICE FOR YOUR OWN RETROBOX
Hopefully one of the following statements describes you or your desire for retro gaming awesomeness. If I left you out, definitely ask!
I love this concept, but I just want it to be cheap and easy to get working.
I don't blame you. Buy a Raspberry Pi 3, an Xbox One (or 8Bitdo) controller and drop one of RetroPie, Recalbox, or Lakka on an SD card, along with your ROMs. Last year, I did a few Recalbox RPi3 setups and the recipients were very happy, so perhaps check that out first.
(or, Haxchi an NES or SNES Classic, if you prefer)
I want a little more grunt than what an RPi offers, but still want the setup to be simple and cost to be reasonable.
Grab an Intel NUC and throw Lakka on it.
Wait, I just built a Z170/Z270-based Retrobox and now you're talking 2.0? What gives??
Sorry, it was a bit of a learning exercise for me, too. If you're not happy, throw a 65W CPU in it - i5-7600 for example. No need for an i7 in my opinion.
Give me unlimited retro gaming horsepower, aka "I'm single" 
aka "my wife told me to build whatever I want"
Stay tuned for Retrobox 2.0.
