Maybe, just maybe I can buy a second hand HTC Vive for a friendly price. I want that ofc but I know for sure my PC is 3% ready to use it, according to Steam check. Friendly priced or not, I will not buy it if I can not use it so I have to figure out how much more money is needed to get my PC VR ready. If I can not afford that, there is no use to buy this.

First of all my graphic card needs to be replaced. Can I just swap the old one for a new one or is there something I need to look at?
My ex used to build my pc's so I don't know a thing myself. This will be a big challenge I guess.

Let me start by telling you what I have:
Memory: Geil 16GB DDR3-1600 (seems enough)
Hard Disk: Seagate 2TB SSHD (seems enough)
Power: Cooler Master V5505 550W (not sure if this will be enough)
Motherboard: Asrock B85M ITX (no idea if this is usable)
Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon Water cooler 120V RL-S12V-24PK-R1 (no idea if this is usable)
Housing: Cooler Master Elite 130 RC-130-KKN1 this is a very small mini ITX case (could be a problem)
Processor: Intel I5-4590 (the specified bare minimum)

Is this at all something that can be done by someone that has never opened a pc housing before or am I wishful thinking?
Your help would be very nice.

7 years ago*

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Buy new stuff and you're good to go.

7 years ago
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You mean a whole new pc? No I do not have the money for that unfortunatly.

7 years ago
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Just teasing you, I have no idea actually ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

7 years ago
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Looks fine, just get a good GPU and you'll be set.
I'd recommend at least a Geforce 1070 (1060/970 is considered the minimum requirement).

If you're worried about the CPU, the best one you can get with that setup is a 4790K , which is extremely close to a 6700K and 7700K in performance.

7 years ago*
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You are making me very happy here.
About the CPU? Do you mean better ones won't fit on my board or do you mean for a low budget?
Ohhh I see you did not mean budget. These things are expensive.

7 years ago*
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Yea I just meant you don't need to replace your motherboard/ram to get a good CPU, as the best one for your board has almost identical performance to the current high end cpus on newer motherboards.

7 years ago
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I see there are 2 different 4790k's boxed and tray. Do you know which one to get (eventually)? Not buying it directly as that will be too expensive for now.

7 years ago
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Either one is fine, the only real difference is that the boxed one should come with a CPU cooler (which would be worse then the one you already own), and may have a longer warranty then the tray one.

Make sure you buy from a reputable company to avoid issues.

7 years ago
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Depending on where you are i'd happily sell you a cheap 970 and I7 4790

(used though for 2 years)

7 years ago
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A 1060 will run the Vive without any issues, I have one myself. Don't really see a reason to blow an extra ~£100 on a 1070.

7 years ago
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It can run them fine now, but how about in a year or two? Current VR tech is extremely new and may or may not advance in requirements faster then expected. If they can afford the extra $100, its probably worth it to get something beyond the minimum requirements.

7 years ago
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Well depends on the budget for Annenouk too, but I got high enough results on my test that I really don't think advances within the few years will require me to replace it. Obviously I could be wrong, but I'm happy with not buying a 1070 for now.

View attached image.
7 years ago
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That's the picture I would like to see on my pc.

7 years ago
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I have a 1060 too, and I've had plenty of games where I have to turn down settings even running at just 1200p in order to get a steady 60fps ("ABZU" and "Batman: Arkham Knight" come to mind). I don't own a VR set myself though.

7 years ago
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Ah, I stick to 1080p myself but at 144hz, haven't really noticed any issues yet unless it's with poorly optimised games like Conan Exiles.

7 years ago
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I just tried that test btw. Seems to be somewhat CPU bound based on the score I got using the same GPU/OS as you have.

View attached image.
7 years ago
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Yeah, doesn't surprise me. I'm still chugging along with this 2600 since I first built this PC which means it's about 6 years old now, it's been through hell and back with all the 3D modelling and audio/video editing, but it's still serving me relatively well so I haven't really seen the need to replace it quite yet. It's definitely on its last legs though, but I've definitely gotten my moneys worth.

7 years ago
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I had a 2500K a few years ago the got fried from a power surge (took out all the components in my PC, even my mouse, ugh), otherwise I'd probably still be using it. They're old and slow now, but back then the 2500k/2600k were definitely amazing.

Whitelisted btw :)

7 years ago
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Dang man, that's rough... and unlucky as hell, a surge getting through the USB ports is nuts. Back when I was living in my parents, our house is over 300 years old and surges probably once a month but I somehow lived through all of them. The power is divided weird in to sections considering rooms were added on through the years which I'm guessing is what saved me.

Whew, back at you, qt ;)

7 years ago
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Did you run the test with or without a GPU since you didn't list it.

7 years ago
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I ran it with my crappy GPU. I did not list it as I know for sure it needs to be replaced. It's a Geforce GTX 750Ti. Way under the minimum requirements.

7 years ago
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it may be under the requirements - but some have used old cards alongside new ones as a dedicated phys-x card :)

7 years ago
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As it was recommended already, a 1060 would be a nice upgrade. Just don't get the 3GB variant. Also your case may be small but it can fit big GPUs.

7 years ago
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Oh that sounds good as it is a really small case and I do not want a bigger one as I always play on my tv so the pc is in the living room. This one fits perfectly under a shelf.

7 years ago
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CM130 this one right. "Supports long VGAs up to 343mm " so it should be no problem.

7 years ago
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Yes that's the one. I know from a few years ago I was impressed by the size of the card I have now. Looked like a motorcycle when it came out of the package.

7 years ago
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I assume they didn't list GPU as they stated hey know it needs replacing

7 years ago
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Maybe 32 GB of ram? to be sure that there will be no lags, and you need more watts on the PSU.
Check out this Sub-reddit for more help:
https://www.reddit.com/r/buildmeapc/
https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/

7 years ago
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His PSU is fine, Modern GPU's use next to no watts compared to 5 years ago.

He'd probably be fine with a 450w PSU for a I5 4590, GTX 1070, closed loop and 1 HDD.

7 years ago
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MancSoulja thanks for your input but why do you keep calling me a man?.
Well I forgive you as after all, there are no woman on the internet :)

7 years ago
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Sorry, that's just me jumping to conclusions. xD Won't happen again :-p

7 years ago
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32GB for a games machine is absurd overkill. Most game machines don't use more then 8GB last I checked, with 16GB being the high end.
Also, his PSU is more then enough for a modern PC.

7 years ago
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Preach it. Everyone seems to think you need at least 16gigs of RAM these days for some reason, and some even 32 like here. I'm currently sitting on 10 to be safe because I do a lot of 3D modelling/video editing renders in the background while I'm playing games, but still I've never gone over 9 that I've seen at least.

7 years ago
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There is a reason for that. 8->16GB is like +75% in price. With games using over 4GB you are bound to trigger page file swapping (browser with multiple pages open takes 2GB!). If you don't mind waiting for HDD when you switch between applications, 8GB will serve you well. Add the sad fact that typical user accumulates over time whole pile of tray-junk eating up resources, and 8GB becomes small-ish (think about how many times you heard about users reinstalling OS on a regular basis...)

7 years ago
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Hm.. not familiar with the OS reinstallations to be honest. In 6 years I've never had to do it personally, other than when I moved my OS from my HDD to my new SSD about a year ago. That's with 10gigs of RAM. I will agree that Chrome users get considerably fucked by RAM if they're running anything less than 8 which of course they shouldn't be, but I heard Google are working to optimise the RAM nonsense soon™... so hopefully that'll actually happen. Obviously there's nothing wrong with just getting two 8 gig sticks if you can afford it and want to be safe, as long as it's not those nonsense "gaming ram" bullshit, just two standard ass sticks will work perfectly fine. But 32 gigs is just nonsense.

7 years ago
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I'm still running Vista installed in march 2009th (and yes, it works fine for my needs), but know quite a few self-proclaimed "specialists" that not only do that themselves but recommend reinstalling OS from time to time to others.
Firefox+scripts and Opera aren't forgiving either. I'd not hold my breath waiting for code optimization, RAM is cheap enough that masses will follow "go and buy bigger memory" command from software companies. Optimization doesn't sell software in mass market, shiny gimmicks do..

32GB is not always bs. In my soon(TM) to be build I'm planning to have at least 64GB. The 22GB I have now are not enough for some things I do (adding 2-4 more cores and and that extra ram could cut down time needed to complete by a considerable amount)

7 years ago
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Indeed. 8GB is enough for gaming (for now). I personally have 8GB and play most games on 1080p, 60fps, high-ultra settings (with a GTX 970 + i5 4440).

7 years ago
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Get a 1070, I suggest MSI Quicksilver Edition. Just make sure you can stick it to your case though, this card is huge. If you can't, get a "mini" Gigabyte. Your CPU can handle most of the VR games, but not the AAA ones like Crytek's VR thingy. Your PSU is okay, 550W is more than enough and it's a CM, it actually has more than 550W output. Vive itself uses wall power, not your PSU so 550W is more than enough for your system.

Also, I suggest you to wait for about a week. 5th of April is the anniversary of Vive so they'll probably make a price cut. I'm already seeing tons of promotions for the anniversary (Scan.co made a 100£ discount).
I hope you get a VR, I always wanted to get one myself. Should be fun !

7 years ago
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No way I can afford a pc upgrade and a new Vive, not even with a discount. But thanks for the tip. I have a friend of a friend selling his Vive hopefully for 425 euro's but there are more people interested :(
What do you mean by: If you can't get a mini Gigabyte?
That Quicksilver cards looks very nice for the money.

7 years ago*
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I meant the "Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 Mini ITX" thingy. It's for small cases like yours, my friend uses it with no issue. Vive promotions mean second-hand prices will fall down too, so you might be able to buy it from someone else too. But definitely get a 1070 first, it worths every cent.

7 years ago
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Thanks I did not understand it but it makes perfect sense as the case is a mini ITX.

7 years ago
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Check your current score here first : http://store.steampowered.com/app/323910/

7 years ago
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I did. It says 3% but that is because of my card.

7 years ago
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Lots of people here saying to go with the 1070 but I'm sticking with my gut and highly recommending 1060, especially seeing as you seem to be relatively budgeted considering you're also buying the Vive. It easily handles current era VR, and as long as you're not going over 1080p, I really can't see the 1060 running in to any performance issues with VR within the next few years.

7 years ago
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I won't as my TV can not handle that and I only play on my TV. You are speaking from experience so I will consider this for sure. I have to make a list with the extra costs (not to bad as it seems I can use a lot of my current stuff) and ofc I must be able to buy the Vive.
For the simple games I play now my pc is good enough so without a Vive I am not updating.
Thanks.

7 years ago
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Great suggestions here. I have nothing to add to that, so let me just answer this question:

Is this at all something that can be done by someone that has never opened a pc housing before or am I wishful thinking?

It's doable, but you have to be really carefull with what you do. It can be quite intimidating and frustrating if you don't know what you're doing (especially in a smaller case). I highly recommend at least having someone near that knows how to do it, in case you get lost. Just pay very close attention to where what cables need to go and you should be fine (and of course be sure not to damage any parts). The biggest challenge I had when installing my GTX 970 was fitting it in my case and then running the cables in the very limited space left.

7 years ago
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If I can find someone that knows what he is doing I will certainly not try myself :)
I am kind of hopeless in this sort of things. But it is good to see you got at least some faith in me. When everything will work out I will call around and if the price difference is not that big I know a shop where the build in new components for you. That will be my first choice.

7 years ago
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There is nothing to be afraid of, really. All you need is know how to operate screwdriver and remember to discharge static electricity before touching any parts (by touching something that is grounded). All cables can be plugged only one way (or any way - if you are strong enough p)

7 years ago
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A screwdriver I can handle :) Maybe I will give it a try after all. Would be a great kick if I can manage it.

7 years ago
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Don't worry about the size of case, I just saw its webpage and it says:

Supports standard full sized ATX PSU, length up to 180mm / 7.1inch
Ample storage - up to 1 ODD,3 HDDs and 4 SSDs
Supports long VGAs up to 343mm / 13.5 inch (NVIDIA Titan / AMD HD7990)

http://www.coolermaster.com/case/mini-itx-elite-series/elite130/

For VR I would not buy a GPU less powerful than a GTX 1070.

View attached image.
7 years ago
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Yes that's the one I've got. And I remember thinking what a crazy big thing is this card (my old one) when I first saw it.

7 years ago
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are you buying soon? (as in as quickly as you can?
If you are not in a rush, it might be wise to see what AMD offers with their vega lineup and then decide for what GPU better meets your needs.

7 years ago
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No I am not in a rush but I just wanted to see if it will be possible at all. Luckily I will be able to use quite a few of my current parts. Still a terrible lot of money ofc but VR is something I really like. And whatever you buy now is ancient in 2 years unfortunately.

7 years ago
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For gaming the GPU is the only part you "need to change often" , the rest can easily last 4-8 years depending on what type of games you play and what settings you use/want.
Your components look fine, I'd wait for benchmarks on AMD cards and compared them to nvidia cards. Then pick the cards that has higher framerates for games i like.
While i'm waiting i'd look at deals on Nvidia 1060/1070 GPU line and HTC Vive;
Btw if you do get a vive would you mind telling me how cool is it to play? I'm very inclined to buy a "Vive 2" because i think VR adds a lot to racing and space games.

7 years ago
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Everything important is already said, so I recommend this :-)

7 years ago
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Just leave this here !
/8ZwHX/dungetris

7 years ago
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