Planning to build a cab

[morize]

For the last few years i've been contemplating on building an arcade cabinet but never really got started with it, until now.

Due to limited space, the plan is to build something with an LCD, with the cabinet hanging from the wall. The goals mainly to play brawlers, beat 'em ups and arcade sports games, not interested in light gun, track ball and racing games currently (want to build separate cabinets for those when i have more space). Any thoughts on the components i plan to use?

- 24 inch LCD: mainly because i have it available and it has a good quality IPS screen. Unfortunately it's 16:9 but due to good black levels, it might be doable to hide the borders with smoke glass

- Windows PC: also leftover, but easy to maintain, upgrade if needed and keep protected on the network (games will be on a server) 

Above 2  are more or less fixed, for the rest i'm more flexible:

- controls: thinking of using usb gamepads like the XBOX 360 ones and wire them to arcade buttons for maximum compatibility in Windows. I would like to run some console and PC games as well (Street Fighter V etc.), does it make sense to go with this option?

- sound: PC speakers behind a grill and move the volume control somewhere easily reachable, or use Windows volume control and dedicate two buttons to this

Any other ideas or suggestions are highly appreciated, i'll try to post my progress here as well.

 

Thanks!

[morize]

The idea is to do something like this. Don't really like the design of this particular model so it will be something of my own. I have some experience with woodworking, but the hardest part will probably to get the right ergonomics if i don't go with a standard design.