A "Reference Set" is a complete, unadulterated collection of every file supported by that specific version of the emulator. For MAME 0.159, a full reference set is massive—often exceeding 500 GB. This massive file size is due to the distinction between ROMs and CHDs.
The is a massive, snapshot collection primarily used today for performance optimization on mid-range or legacy hardware. While it is significantly outdated compared to modern MAME releases (now at v0.281+), it remains a staple in the RetroArch ecosystem through the mame2014 core. Key Features & Content mame 2014 reference set mame 0159 roms chds verified
mame0159.exe -verifychds > chd_verify.txt A "Reference Set" is a complete, unadulterated collection
CHD (Compressed Hunks of Data) files are required for newer arcade games (late 90s to 2000s) that utilized hard drives, GD-ROMs, or laserdiscs. A "Reference Set" is a complete