PC changes needed for VR?

[camalbitboy]

Hi All,

So I'm saving up to get either Oculus or Vive later in the year and am wondering what/if I will need to swap out on my pc. Is it just a new graphics card or am I looking at a new mobo/cpu as well? Can I muddle through on my current kit?

Going by what I've read it sounds like I only need a new GPU, although why I need a 980 when I have a 780ti that pumps out similar frame rates eludes me. Is it just the 3Gb of memory vs the 4gb on the 980?

The steam VR tool gives me a score of "capable"

Any thoughts much appreciated, spec of my pc in the drop down on the left.

Cam

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I would not be buying a GTX980 now as the Fury can be had for a similar price,performs better in DX12 and supports stuff like fine grained pre-emption which the GTX980 does not. But it might be more prudent to wait for Pascal or Polaris.

[camalbitboy]

Ah sorry, I didn't mean to infer that I would buy a 980. I'm waiting for Pascal and will either pick up a cheap 980 ti (unlikely) or a 1080/180ti. 1080 more likely as doubt I can save enough for oculus/vive and a 1080ti by the end of the year.

If I can ascertain that the experience of a VR on a 780ti isn't too awful I may get the VR first and the GPU as they drop in price at the tail end of the year.

But will it just be the card i need? Will I even really need a new card?

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

We will need to wait and see whether Pascal supports hardware based techniques like fine grain pre-emption. If not it might be an issue as time progresses.

[EndlessWaves]

Can I muddle through on my current kit?

Yes.

Running games at the recommended 90fps per eye is going to swallow everything you throw at it and still be able to take advantage of more if you want all the shiny effects turned on.

On the other hand, as long as you're getting twice the performance of cards running a normal monitor at 40-50fps then your VR headset should be perfectly usable.

[camalbitboy]

Last option is I pick up a 2nd 780ti. There is an identical card for £235 on ebay atm which is way cheaper than the opther options, but i hear mixed messages about Vr and SLI, as well as the question of do the 780ti's have the feature sets needed? Hmm

[MasterSpryce]

I HIGHLY recommend waiting a while until pascal comes out!!! These new cards we most probably have VR in mind. Also when the 1080 or whatever comes out it shouldn't be that much more expensive than the 980(not 100% sure though)

[EndlessWaves]

I HIGHLY recommend waiting a while until pascal comes out!!! These new cards we most probably have VR in mind.

Hardware design cycles are longer and more conservative than that. The card coming out three or four years after VR proves a success will have been designed with VR in mind.

[Percy1983]

I do believe you 780ti does pass the minimum spec but of course there is new cards on the horizon.

Just to add balance as many seem to forget, I would wait and see how Polaris/Vega end up.

Right now AMD are generally better cards for VR and that may continue going forward.