Question Is there any way to make this PC VR ready?

RaiderGator9699

Junior Member
Jun 25, 2020
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Hello! Total novice here. My son has a computer originally purchased so he could dabble with 3D modeling. Now, of course, he wants to be able to stream VR through it and it needs a major upgrade. My question is, can it be upgraded, or are we in need of a whole new system? It is currently running:
Windows 10 Professional
64 bit
Intel core i5-2500 3.30 GHz
16G RAM
AMD Radeon R7 200
PSU with 320W max rating

Any thoughts?
 

DAPUNISHER

Super Moderator CPU Forum Mod and Elite Member
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Aug 22, 2001
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Given you need a new CPU and GPU, and it is an old low wattage PSU, new system is the best way to go. Let us know if you are rolling your own or buying a prebuilt and we will find you good deals on either, that will suffice for VR.
 
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RaiderGator9699

Junior Member
Jun 25, 2020
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Yikes - I thought you might say that. The budget is way tight these days, but I would love suggestions on a prebuilt system to know what we might be looking at. I appreciate any info you can share!
 

DAPUNISHER

Super Moderator CPU Forum Mod and Elite Member
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This is the worst time to buy since the mining boom inflated prices. In some ways it is worse, in others better. You need at least a GTX 970 or 1060/AMD RX 570 or 580 and a faster Quad core to meet the minimum specs on most decent VR headsets.

I took a look around, and there is not a single decent deal on a pre-built in stock at any of the sites I checked. Unless you are able to leverage the interest free payment plans some merchants offer, he may have to wait to get into VR.

If he is desperate, and money is in very short supply, you could invest $70 in a 2600K on ebay, $50 after tax on a thermaltake 500w white PSU on Amazon, and a $100-$150 on a vid card that is powerful enough. As long as you do not have one of those proprietary OEMs that require physical mods you could pull it off. There are adapter cables if your mobo does not take standard connectors. Approximately $250 would get you there.

If you list your mobo or system model number I can tell you if it will support the CPU. If it is off the shelf parts the upgrade is easy.
 

Stuka87

Diamond Member
Dec 10, 2010
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Yeah, you could get to minimum specs doing as mentioned above by Dapunisher. But it would not be a great experience. When playing on a monitor if you drop a few FPS, no big deal. With VR, dropping FPS can result in a very unpleasant experience.

The cheapest way to get into VR is with a PS4 and get Sony's VR headset. But it would not be a good idea to buy a PS4 right now, and I doubt many new VR games will be coming for it.
 

RaiderGator9699

Junior Member
Jun 25, 2020
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Here is the motherboard info, but let me know if I'm missing something you need:
Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard
Product: 1494
Version: Not available

No system model was listed.

Thanks. Sorry if this isn't enough info - it seems like there should be more when I run msinfo.
 

DAPUNISHER

Super Moderator CPU Forum Mod and Elite Member
Super Moderator
Aug 22, 2001
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Here is the motherboard info, but let me know if I'm missing something you need:
Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard
Product: 1494
Version: Not available

No system model was listed.

Thanks. Sorry if this isn't enough info - it seems like there should be more when I run msinfo.
This should be the base system - https://support.hp.com/us-en/produc...ries/5330786/model/5364226/document/c03700119

Standard 24pin+4 pin power connectors, and should have no issues putting that thermaltake PSU in there. It supports the Ivy i7 series too, but those are more expensive by a fair percentage than the 2nd gen i7, hence I would stick to those unless you can get a deal on the 3rd gen.

Something like a used GTX 970 is enough to run most VR stuff outside of the more intense games. Those run under a $100. Any card of that performance level or higher will get the job done as far as allowing him to get into VR. Besides, the performance hog VR games cost money, so he will be okay for the bulk of the free video and gaming content out there.