Can anyone help me please with specs forg a gaming laptop to run htc vive well

[Dawnie]

Hi there, I am a complete newbie to online gaming gaming, only ever using consoles previously. I am looking for a 15 inch laptop that will have no issues running the htc vive and connecting to my tv. I am disabled so i cannot get to a store particularly currently when there is over a foot of snow outdoors. I have researched for months trying to find a laptop with the specs needed at my maximum budget, whixh is around £1100. PCS seems a remarkable company with great reviews. The problem i have is that the minimum specs required for the htc vive keep changing and confusing me. Also it says i need a 1tb hd, plus 8gb ram, plus gtx 1070 with 250mb ssd and 120 fps? When ive tried to build one on here it keeps asking me if i want the io installed on my ssd (recommended) Is this right? Or wont that take all the power needed for my htc vive to run smoothly. Here are the specs of the closest build ive found that meets the specs forhtc vive but that is a bit higher than my budget. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/proteusV-15/DXwzhAcyfk/

 

[Oussebon]

Also it says i need a 1tb hd, plus 8gb ram, plus gtx 1070 with 250mb ssd and 120 fps?

I'm not sure that's what the Vive says exactly.

What the Vive website says is:

RECOMMENDED COMPUTER SPECS


Processor: Intel™ Core™ i5-4590 or AMD FX™ 8350, equivalent or better


Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce™ GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon™ RX 480, equivalent or better. For additional graphics card options, view the complete list.

Memory: 4 GB RAM or more
Video output: 1x HDMI 1.4 port, or DisplayPort 1.2 or newer


USB: 1x USB 2.0 port or newer


Operating system: Windows™ 7 SP1, Windows™ 8.1 or later or Windows™ 10

https://www.vive.com/uk/ready/

In short, your spec meets or exceeds those requirements quite comfortably.

It's also decently balanced in my opinion.

Does your system need to be a laptop? Are you taking it out of your home? If it's for portability inside the house, there are potentially other options like in-home streaming that would enable you to get a more powerful and cheaper desktop PC - which unlike a laptop could have more upgrades done to it in future.

 

[Dawnie]

Hi there, thank you so much for replying, i thought my post hadnt been seen by anyone.
Yes thanks I know what the htc website recommends as bare minimum specs but that has changed in the last few weeks as it used to say gtx 950 minimum. However ive been researching on a number of vr advisory websites and also ive read alot of reviews on system requirements for vr. These advise people to use the specs i posted in my initial post to ensure you dont have any screen or headset lag or break up. I suffer with bad motion sickness so im wanting to get the best system i can afford. Yes sadly I am limited to a laptop as I don't have enough room for a desktop pc. I dont go anywhere as i work from home and i am disabled. So its just being purchased to run vr and to do online shoppng etc. I am currently limited to only using my mobile phone so sending emails and posting pleas for help are taking me an age to manage. I'm really keen to buy one as i cant cope with only my mobile. Is it right that the configurator wants to install the OS onto my limited SSD? Wont that impact on the storage space needed for my vr and vr games? That's my major concern with each build Ive tried. Shouldnt the OS go on the hd, (which is in the options but the configerator advises not to do this?) Again please excuse my ignorance if that's a stupid question, but this is alot of money for me. Cheers Dawn

 

[Oussebon]

Is it right that the configurator wants to install the OS onto my limited SSD?

Yes. You want the OS on the SSD. If there's a single thing you want on your SSD, it's the OS.

Also note that it's very easy to transfer games back and forth between drives.

Once you finish with / lose interest in 1 game but don't want to uninstall it altogether, you can just move it to the HDD and put your new game on the SSD. Steam actually has a "move install folder" function: https://www.howtogeek.com/269515/ho...e-to-another-drive-without-re-downloading-it/

So yes, put Windows on the SSD, and don't worry about gaming space because you can shuffle your games around very easily anyway.

 

[Dawnie]

Oops sorry, i dont know how i managed to repost the same message briefly. I hate this darn phone! Oh thank you so much for that advice. I was really worrying about that. I think it comes from the fact that ive always used consoles and therefore had my games on discs and have therefore never had to worry about storage space. Thanks again.

 

[Oussebon]

No worries. And no worries about the double post either, I do it all the time.

 

[Dawnie]

Hi there, I've been thinking about your suggestion regarding a desktop pc and I'm wondering whether you could advise me again please. Although I have no room to set up a tower, monitor, keyboard etc; I always used to hook my old laptop up to the tv via a hdmi cable and I used a wireless mouse and keyboard on my lap to play games or browse the internet as I cant look down at a small laptop screen for long. The lounge is where I'm setting up my vr space and I'm hoping to get a wireless vr headset. Is there any way I could do the same with a desktop tower? I have room on my sideboard under my wall mounted 4k tv to put a tower but I couldnt work a mouse or keyboard there due to my disabilities. I was going to connect my new laptop to the tv via a dvi port so that the hdmi was free for the vr headset and then buy the wireless adapter when it's released. Do desktops have dvi ports? (sorry it's a long long time since I've owned a desktop) As its my lounge I dont want a big ugly tower but I do have a large speaker it could sit next to, if I can find a sleek black model that is powerful enough for vr? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Sorry if I've rambled but I'm working from a tiny mobile screen so it's difficult to scroll back and check I haven't repeated anything. Cheers Dawn

 

[Oussebon]

A desktop would generally have an HDMI port, a DVI port, and 3 DispayPort (DP) outputs. You can also get DP to HDMI cables that let you plug an HDMI tv into one of the graphics card's DP outputs.

How wide/deep is the shelf you are thinking of putting the PC on exactly?

 

[Dawnie]

Hi there, sorry for the delay its dire here. We're at the top of a remote fell and completely snowed in. My lounge ceiling is leaking as my heating pump has failed' meaning i cant have my fire roaring, so its getting quite cold here. The police have been on the phone doing a welfare check to see if i'm ok...lol. Apart from the heating and running out of pain medication I told him I'm fine....lol. It's a massive sideboard so plenty of room for a tower only. To be honest the speaker I mentioned is probably as big as most towers nowadays. Can you use wireless keyboards and a mouse with a desktop? My only fear with going down this route is that Ive only leant about laptop specs for vr. I know nothing at all about desktop. I've had a look today and they mention radeon and AMD this and that instead of all the spes I know, GTX etc. Cheers Dawn

 

[Oussebon]

Can you use wireless keyboards and a mouse with a desktop?

Yes.

For a desktop spec, something like:


Case
InWIN G7 BRUSHED EFFECT DARK GREY CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 Six Core Processor i5-8400 (2.8GHz) 9MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME Z370-P: ATX, LGA1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs
Memory (RAM)
8GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 4GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1080 - DVI, HDMI, 3x DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1[SUP]st[/SUP] Hard Disk
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 32MB CACHE
1[SUP]st[/SUP] M.2 SSD Drive
256GB SAMSUNG PM961 M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 2800MB/R, 1100MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W VS SERIES™ VS-550 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Super Quiet Titan DragonFly Heatpipe Intel CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 8 to 10 working days
Quantity
1

Price £1,284.00 including VAT and delivery

Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z370-pc/VpeTF8aEMf/

Desktop GPUs are more powerful than laptop ones. So a GTX 1070 (desktop) is about 15-20% better than a GTX 1070 (laptop). The GTX 1070 for desktops is currently out of stock at PCS, so I put in a GTX 1080, which is even more powerful (it's ~40% or more better than the GTX 1070 in the Proteus). A strong GPU to help keep framerates up is no bad thing for VR as it helps keep framerates up.

The i5 8400 compares to the 7700HQ roughly like this:


i.e. it's faster than the 7700HQ. In fact it's one of the best gaming CPUs currently available.

 

[Dawnie]

Hi there, Thank you so much for taking the time to go through that for me. That sounds ideal, particularly considering the rumours that the anticipated recommended specs for the pro headset will include a gtx 1080. The minimum specs will be the same but i dont have the skill or agility to risk going for them and then having to upgrade in the future. As long as I can use a wireless keyboard and mouse and hook it up to the tv, this appears ideal for me. Will have a look at the link to see what it looks like. The only thing I think I would change would be the case colour as all my electrical stuff is black. From memory I think I've only got 2 plug sockets behind this massive cupboard im putting it on? I do have an extension lead with individual switches though for my ps4 etc. My electrics are all up to date. Would there be any benefit in getting a specific extension lead to prevent overloading? Sorry to keep asking you but I havent had any replies from PCS since my initial email. Cheers Dawn.

 

[Dawnie]

Hi there, ive noticed that that build doesnt mention wireless. I need the tower to be wireless as my router is at the other end of the house in my office. I cant put the tower in there as theres no room for me to play vr or use another pc. Due to trip hazards I'd rather not have wires running through. Also my lounge does get quite hot due to a log burner. Will this be ok or do towers need cooler rooms? It wont be too close to the fire but thought I'd best check. Cheers Dawn

 

[Dawnie]

Hi there, I answered this earlier and thought I'd posted my reply, but it's disappeared from my screen due to powecuts si I've had to re-type it (groan). Although they havent yet released the recommended specs for the wireless pro headset yet there are rumours afoot that a gtx 1080 would be 1 of those, so the model you suggested above sounds ideal. Although the tower wont be placed next to the log burner, my lounge does get quite hot. Will this be ok? Also my router is some distance away from the lounge and I cannot reposition it as the main phone line comes in at my office. Does this tower have wireless connection? It didnt look like it did. Family have no issues connecting wirelessly to my router from the lounge. Also, it's a longshot but can i connect my samsung surround sound to a tower as currently it is redundant as its connected to a dvd player i never use. It doesnt have to, I'm just curious as it may be cool for others watching vr? Cheers Dawn.

 

[Oussebon]

As long as I can use a wireless keyboard and mouse and hook it up to the tv, this appears ideal for me.

Both should be possible, yes.

The only thing I think I would change would be the case colour as all my electrical stuff is black.

It says dark grey but the photos look very dark to me. Otherwise there are cases like the CORSAIR CARBIDE SERIES™ 200R. Obviously change the case to suit.

I do have an extension lead with individual switches though for my ps4 etc. My electrics are all up to date. Would there be any benefit in getting a specific extension lead to prevent overloading?

I don't know much about electronics, but you can usually have a fair few devices like these plugged into the same extension lead.

Also my lounge does get quite hot due to a log burner. Will this be ok or do towers need cooler rooms?

You can use a PC in a warm room. It won't want to be getting directly heated by your radiator / fire / etc though.

It needs airflow / space around its vents and fans. Tower PCs (just like laptops) will need periodic cleaning to remove dust from fans, heatsinks, etc.

Does this tower have wireless connection?

The spec I posted doesn't have wifi but you can add a wifi card in the configurator.

There are also options like powerline / homeplug adapters.

Also, it's a longshot but can i connect my samsung surround sound to a tower

I'm not sure. What inputs does it have? S/PDIF? HDMI?

 

[Dawnie]

Hi there, still having issues here, my phone keeps making my posts and any replies disappear. It wont let me view or access these via the thread, i can only access them through my profile. Yes to be honest that tower looked black to me too, but im colour blind and with it saying brushed grey i thought id best get a black one so it matches. Great thanks i thought id best ask in case i needed the surge extension it has as an option. No there'll be no direct heat source and it wont be enclosed. Righto thanks, i know absolutely nothing about wireless cards so i'll have a look online for info. I dont know unfortunately, but it's not a priority. Thak you so much for your help. With a bit of luck I'll hopefully have my new pc soon and wont have to use this horrid phone anymore! Cheers Dawn.

 

[Oussebon]

The AC1200 wifi card is a decent choice.