How to choose the right PC for virtual reality use?
Virtual Reality games are incredibly fun to play and are becoming increasingly relevant in the business world. High graphical power and memory are still required to display VR in high quality and smoothly, especially for certain business applications such as 3D/CAD design. The entire computer needs to be properly configured, with components that work well together. It is particularly important to have a powerful graphics card and a good processor.
What is a graphics card (GPU)?
A graphics card, also known as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), is a connection between your computer and the monitor. The graphics card ensures that a signal is sent to the monitor, so you get 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.
A GPU is a special processor/chip designed to process graphical data. The GPU calculates the image construction (rendering). The more powerful the GPU, the faster the rendering. Every computer and laptop needs a GPU. After all, without image display, you cannot use your computer or laptop. In many cases, the GPU is included with the processor (integrated). However, there is also a wide choice of separate (dedicated) graphics cards. In short, for a dedicated graphics card: the more powerful the graphics card, the more beautiful and smoother the graphical display will be. And a beautiful but especially smooth graphical display is, of course, important for displaying VR!
Which GPU do you need for virtual reality?
In general, for VR gaming, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 is the recommended 'minimum'. The GTX 1660 is powerful enough to play VR games smoothly, with some concessions in image detail, at a certain number of FPS (Frames Per Second). If you have a more powerful graphics card (for example, an RTX 2060), the graphical display can be set to a higher quality, giving you better image quality in the same smooth movements. The same applies to the RTX 2070 and RTX 2080 graphics 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 largely influences the performance of your computer or laptop. The processor processes all the instructions the computer receives and then sends them to the correct component.
The two largest producers of processors are Intel and AMD. Generally, Intel processors are used for computers. Intel processors come in four sub-brands: Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9. However, the manufacturer AMD also makes very powerful and comparable processors nowadays, making them an excellent and often slightly cheaper choice for VR. AMD processors can also be divided into four sub-brands: Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7, and Ryzen 9. The following overview briefly summarises when to choose which processor.
- Intel Core i3: basic to relatively good performance during simple VR games and daily tasks;
- Intel Core i5: good performance during VR games and business applications;
- 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 video editing;
- AMD Ryzen 3: relatively good performance during simple VR and daily tasks;
- AMD Ryzen 5: very good performance during VR games and business applications;
- 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 VR.
Which CPU do you need for virtual reality?
The graphics card of your laptop or computer is generally the most important for the VR gaming experience, but the processor is also an important component of the computer or laptop. For Virtual Reality, at least an Intel i5 / AMD Ryzen 3 or better processor is required. However, certain games require multiple tasks from the computer, so it is advisable 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 running 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 or a Ryzen 7 3700X to use.
How much memory do you need for virtual reality applications?
Since VR games mainly use the GPU, the RAM memory can remain relatively low. For playing most VR games, 8GB of RAM is sufficient and recommended. If you are looking for a computer that can do more than just play games (for example, editing videos/photos or developing in CAD programs), it is certainly advisable to have more RAM installed. The computers we recommend for professional use come standard with 16GB of RAM but can easily be expanded to 32GB or even 64GB.
What else should you consider when purchasing a virtual reality computer?
A computer or laptop must have enough ports 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 a big problem, as there are usually enough available. But for laptops, it becomes a bit more challenging, as they have 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 a laptop 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 (a form factor for cases and motherboards). These are used in very slim and not very spacious ITX cases, where it is already very difficult to fit powerful hardware.
Buy a computer with an eye on the future. By this, we mean that it is wise to choose a computer with good to very good specs for now, so you still have a computer that performs well in two years. If you choose minimal specifications now, or for example, an older graphics card, your computer will be outdated after a year or two. There is also a lot happening in the software field, requiring powerful hardware.
What specifications do we recommend?
At Unbound XR, 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 a desktop have their pros and cons. A laptop is, of course, 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 assemble and tune the components to the specific use of the desktop. For example, are you looking for a desktop specifically for gaming, or do you prefer a desktop for surfing the internet: It is important to choose a graphics card and processor that match your needs. If you do not know exactly what suits your usage goal, please contact us so that our hardware expert can work with you to create an optimal system, which is 100% tailored to the intended usage goal!
You can view our selection of standard configuration laptops and desktops here here.For desktops, a variation in components is always possible; in such cases, please contact us in advance!
