How to choose the right PC for virtual reality use?
Virtual Reality games are not only fun to play, but also increasingly relevant for business applications. High graphic power and memory are still required to display VR at high quality and smoothly, especially for certain business applications such as 3D/CAD design. The entire computer needs to be properly configured, with the components well connected. It is especially important to have a powerful graphics card and a good processor.
What is a graphics card (GPU)?
A graphics card - also known as a video card or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) - is a link between your computer and the display. The graphics card sends a signal to the display, which then produces an image on your screen. The GPU itself is the chip on the circuit board, which together with its own memory, forms the graphics card.
So, a GPU is a special processor/chip designed to process graphic data. The GPU calculates the image build-up (rendering). The more powerful the GPU, the faster the 3D-image rendering. Every computer and laptop needs a GPU. After all, without image display, you can't use your computer or laptop. In many cases, the GPU is included with the processor (integrated). However, there are also a wide range of separate (dedicated) video cards. In short, for a dedicated video card: the more powerful the video card, the more beautiful and smoother the graphic display will be. And a beautiful but especially smooth graphic display is of course important for displaying VR!
Which GPU do you need for virtual reality?
Generally, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 is the recommended 'lower limit' for VR gaming. The GTX 1660 is powerful enough to play VR games, albeit with possible concessions in the detail of the images, smoothly at a certain number of FPS (Frames Per Second). If you have a more powerful video card (for example, an RTX 2060), the graphic display can be set to a higher quality, allowing you to see a better image quality in the same smooth movements. The same applies to the RTX 2070 and RTX 2080 video cards.
For VR Arcades and professional VR users, we recommend using at least a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 or higher.
What is a processor (CPU)?
The processor - also known as the CPU (Central Processing Unit) - essentially forms the heart of a computer. The processor greatly influences the performance of your computer or laptop. The processor processes all the instructions that the computer receives and then sends them to the appropriate component.
The two largest producers of processors are Intel and AMD. Generally, Intel processors are used for VR-ready computers. There are essentially 4 sub-brands within the Intel processor: Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9. However, the manufacturer AMD now also makes very powerful and comparable processors, making these an excellent and often slightly cheaper choice for VR. The AMD processors can also be divided into 4 sub-brands; Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7, and Ryzen 9. The following overview briefly summarizes when you can choose which processor.
- Intel Core i3: basic to relatively good performance during simple VR games and execution of daily tasks;
- Intel Core i5: good performance during VR games and business application;
- Intel Core i7: very good performance during heavy VR games and business applications such as CAD in VR;
- Intel Core i9: the best possible performance during heavy VR games and photo and video editing;
- AMD Ryzen 3: Relatively good performance during simple VR and execution of daily tasks;
- AMD Ryzen 5: Very good performance during VR games and business application;
- AMD Ryzen 7: Excellent performance during heavy VR games and business applications such as CAD in VR;
- AMD Ryzen 9: the best possible performance during heavy VR games and business applications such as multitasking with CAD/CAM and BIM in real-time VR.
Which CPU do you need for virtual reality?
The video card of your laptop or computer is generally the most important for the VR game experience, but the processor is also an important part of the computer or laptop. For Virtual Reality, at least an Intel i5 / AMD Ryzen 3 or better processor is required. But for certain games, more tasks from the computer are required, so it is recommended to choose an Intel Core i7 / Ryzen 7 processor. For example, the game Project CARS demands a lot from your processor because you also use a racing wheel, a camera, and streaming software. Also, when you run multiple programs in the background, an i7 / Ryzen 7 processor is recommended.
For VR Arcades and professional VR users, we recommend using at least a Intel® Core™ i7-9750H or a Ryzen 7 3700X .
How much memory do you need for virtual reality applications?
Since VR games mainly use the GPU memory, the RAM memory can remain relatively low. 8GB of RAM is sufficient and recommended for playing most VR games. If you're looking for a computer that can do more than just play games (such as editing videos/photos or developing in CAD programs), it's definitely recommended to have more RAM installed. The computers we recommend for professional use come standard with 16 GB of RAM, but can easily be upgraded to 32GB or even 64GB.
What else should you pay attention to when purchasing a virtual reality computer?
A computer or laptop must have sufficient connections for the VR headset. For example, to connect an Oculus Rift, you need 3 x USB 3.0 ports and 1 x USB 2.0 port. For a desktop computer, the number of ports is often not such a big problem, as there are usually enough available. But for laptops, it gets a bit trickier, because there are fewer standard ports.
If you plan to use a VR headset wirelessly, you need to have an empty PCIe slot in the computer. A laptop does not have a PCIe slot, so it is not suitable for a wireless VR experience. Desktops do have enough PCIe slots, as long as the motherboard is not of the Mini ITX type (dimensioning for cases and motherboards). These are used in the very narrow and not very spacious ITX cases where it becomes very difficult to fit powerful hardware.
Buy a VR-ready computer with an eye to the future. By that we mean it's wise to choose a computer with - for now - good to very good specs, so that you still have a computer that performs well in two years. If you now choose for minimum specifications, or for example an older video card, your computer will be outdated after a year or two. There is also a lot happening in software possibilities that require powerful hardware.
Which specifications do we recommend?
At Unbound VR, we have a lot of experience building computers and advising on laptops for virtual reality applications. This allows us to give good advice regarding the specifications we can recommend to our customers. Both a laptop and desktop have their own pros and cons. A laptop is obviously mobile in use, but has less space for ports and other connections, while a desktop takes up more space but also has many more ports. A major advantage of a desktop is that you can put together the components and tailor them to the specific use of the desktop. Whether you're looking for a desktop specifically for gaming, or you'd prefer a desktop for surfing the internet: it's important to choose a video card and processor that suit your needs. If you're not sure what exactly fits your intended use, please contact us so our hardware expert can work with you to put together an optimal system, 100% tailored to the intended use!
Our selection of standard configuration laptops and desktops can be here viewed here. For the desktops, a variation in components is always possible, in that case always contact us in advance!
