A refurbed mpu will cost about half of an alltek. If this is the only game of this era you will have then a refurb is probably the way to go.

Here's the options:
Refurb ~110
New MPU NVRAM.Weebly.com 150
Alltek 199

The alltek is a great option because it will play any Bally (18, 35) and Stern (100, 200) game and make a great troubleshooting tool.
The new mpu can do the same but you need to be able to burn your own roms to do it

A refurb is a waste of money when for 100 bucks more you can get the alltek. Those boards are excellent and reliable. A "refurb" still has plenty of 40-year old components.

No-brainer for me.

Alltek. Another reason is to use it to help troubleshoot other Bally/Stern machines as it has all of the ROMS.

I hate dealing with old Bally/Stern MPU's....

Another vote for Alltek. It has a lifetime guarantee.

I bought an Alltek and I heartily approve this product.

If you can afford it, get the Altek board.

Addressing all the alltek comments. He wants: Original, Cheap

And I go refurb if I know I'll probably sell it

Get an original, or one of the boards here, once they're available -
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/new-bally-35-stern-mpu-200-repro-boards

Why?
Because several hobbyists are out there working on different versions of Meteor software, and if you go with the Alltek board you'll be stuck with the version they have on there. (Which may even have the 255x bonus countdown bug, I'm not sure..)

I just got one of these today for my vector . Works perfectly!

I prefer original boards. I like to keep things as original as possible (or at least, only install mods that are easily reversible), and as mentioned above, there are sometimes after-market game code modifications/improvements/fixes that can be installed.

Original boards can usually be obtained at a reasonable price, and there is an abundance of documentation, troubleshooting information, and plenty of people who would be able to help troubleshoot if something does go wrong.

Additionally, since after market boards aren't an exact duplicate of the original (and instead re-engineered), they can sometimes introduce new problems. It's rare, but does happen. But, this is probably unlikely for this title.

If something goes wrong with an after-market board, you're pretty much just limited to turning to the manufacturer for help.

That's not to say after-market boards are bad--they have been installed in hundreds (thousands maybe?) of games and have worked well.

As mentioned above, some people prefer all new boards to avoid the risk of a aged or stressed component failing. It happens. But, modern sub-bar components can fail too (but note that this is more of a general statement--I can't say that I've heard of this being a problem with alltek boards).

So, it's up to you. Lots of people subscribe to different schools of thought on this.

One thing I don't like about aftermarket boards is sometimes it can be harder to repair them or get them repair compared to originals. I have not seen barakandl's board in person but the traces look kind of skinny on that from the pictures I have seen. My other issue with it is little to no track record at this point. So if I was going to go with an aftermarket I would just spend the few dollars extra for an Alltek but that is just because I don't like taking a chance on something that has not been fully tested and wasn't designed by a "professional". Not knocking what some of these guys building aftermarket stuff are doing but most of them are just flying by the seat of their pants.

It seems the least risky way to go is a good used original or Alltek but that is just my 2 cents! The nice thing with Alltek is it has been around for years so if any issues were going to develop they would have by now. Alltek can also be switched to use in any machine. But as pointed out earlier you are locked in to the version of software on it. So nothing is perfect!

I've bought several dozen repaired original boards and can personally say. I would go with the Alltek in your shoes. I've had way too many repaired boards not work properly or not work at all. Some worked fine only to have hidden acid damage comeback to bite ya. I own 5 Alltek boards and never had a problem. Also I'm pretty sure you will end up buying other games down the road that will also be able to use the board for testing.
However I am purchasing the new replacement board from weebly instead of an Alltek to try it out. I have a few games still missing boards so would save money.

I upgraded to the alltek for reliability, free play , high score retention . My old mpu was working fine . Still have it if you need to get up and running for cheap.

I think the clock speeds are different. Not sure if this will effect anything. Search for the Alltek manual online and look at the jumper settings. Stern MPU 200 is a different clock setting then the Bally MPU.

Two things need to be done for Bally MPU to work in a Stern MPU. First the ram at u8 has to be expanded from four bits of data to eight. Second the clock speed needs to be increased from 0.5mhz to 0.9mhz

You can get a kit to convert bally mpus to stern mpu200 that also adds NVRAM. Plugs into U7 and U8 and you change two capactiors.
http://nvram.weebly.com/repair--conversion-kits.html

As far as original vs replacement, the argument about 40 year old components doesnt really hold up. The alltek CPU is a 6800. They stopped making that device in the 80s I think. A properly gone through original board is very reliable, just like an Alltek is. Besides the battery leak issue and maybe the clock buffers, the Bally MPU is pretty damn reliable hardware.

Biggest difference between original MPU board and Alltek is the Alltek has a lifetime warranty. I have installed probably 40 Alltek MPU boards and I think I had one fail after about five years in use, Dave replaced it with a new one no problem.

Yes.

All the conversion kit does is make it possible for the board to be used in a game that needs an MPU-200.

You then still have to supply the game ROMs.

I'm sure barakandl can hook you up with a rom set also. You can get the kit and roms all shipped together.

PM sent regarding the used mpu.

It hold up for me. I've NEVER had a problem with an Alltek.

I have had refurbished originals crap out on me before.

Not to mention having an Alltek around for testing purposes on other games is an invaluable resource and time saver.