You know I have a feeling at some point this question has been asked...maybe even in this very thread.
Anyway, I just want to know how cheap of a PC can one build/buy to get MBAA to run smoothly, constant 60 FPS even in 2 player mode? Maybe even list the specs for this coveted "budget nugget"?
Also for anyone wondering, yeah, I got a PS2 and play MBAA on it. However if I ever feel sadistic I kinda want to play "Suggoi! Arcana Heart 2", but I'm not sadistic enough to play on PS2.
Basically, for a minimum, I would say you'd want either a Core 2 Duo or, if you must get a AMD (I wouldn't recommend it due to instruction set stuff - more on that in a second) get a Phenom II.
The AMD CPU will be cheaper; however, this comes at a cost of Instruction Sets. To avoid getting too technical/lingo-y here, basically, later versions of instruction sets mean that it can do more stuff in less CPU cycles. All current AMD offerings only SSE2 fully. AMD offers SSE3 and SSE4a, but PCSX2 does not use those instruction sets - it does use SSSE3 (Note the extra S) and SSE4.1 (AMD's SSE4a is basically just two of those instructions implemented) which, due to petty squabbling, only Intel supports and not AMD. Each successive instruction set can give a 5-10% speed boost, so you're looking at 10-20% more speed if you pick a Core 2 over a Phenom II - that's significant.
PCSX2 does not take advantage of quadcores yet (except in Software Rendering mode, although that's not recommended), and it would need a significant rewrite to do so. Thus, a faster dualcore would be better than a slower quadcore.
Personally, I have a Core 2 Duo E8400, which is a stock speed of 3.0 GHz. Your mileage may vary, but I have it overclocked to 3.4 GHz on the stock cooler. I know a friend who has a weaker Core 2 Duo (I forget the exact model) but she said she got a full 60 FPS as well. I'd recommend at least a Core 2 Duo E7/E8xxx line or Core 2 Quad Q8XXX/Q9XXX. These are the "Penryn" models, which are the ones that support SSE4.1. Older Core 2 Duos/Quads will only support up to SSSE3. Of course, any of the Core "i" series (i3, i5, i7) will also support SSE4.1 (and 4.2, but PCSX2 doesn't use that) so those will work as well. The Core 2s by now are probably around $100-150 USD - the Core i-series CPUs will probably be a bit more, but are FAR more powerful than the Core 2s.
Videocard? Nothing special is needed, but you should get a "real" videocard and not depend on onboard video - while you can have PCSX2 do rendering entirely through the CPU (Software Rendering) not many games will play fullspeed if you do (Melty is one of the few exceptions - it really doesn't use much of the PS2's power.) I'd say it should have at least 128 MB of VRAM, preferably 256, and be capable of supporting DirectX 10 or DirectX 11. The renderers are *MUCH* better on DX10/DX11 as opposed to DX9, but obviously, for DX10 you'll need a DX10-class card and be running Vista, and for DX11 you'll need a DX11-class card and Windows 7. Basically, any card released within the last 3 years (GeForce 8 or so) should be DirectX 10 capable, and anything in the last 12-18 months or so should do DirectX 11. The difference between DX10 and DX11 right now is extremely minor for PCSX2, so you can save a few bucks here if you'd like, though if you plan to do PC gaming, it wouldn't hurt to future-proof and get a DX11-class card.
If you're still on XP, you should really consider getting Windows 7 and at least a DX10-class card. There are lots of glitches and artifacts that are in DX9 mode that simply do not occur on DX10/DX11.