I'm somewhat new, but I think this link is very relevant:
http://nonmame.retrogames.com/
These are the cores that MAME themselves recommend. Keep in mind that some retroarch cores are obviously more convenient to use then MAME, even if they aren't the most accurate. Also, MAME tends to err on the side of accuracy (as opposed to performance.)
Still, these people test tons of emulators and cores, so I would try their recommendations first.