$540 VR-Ready PC with Zotac GTX 1060 graphics card


The cost of a VR-ready PC is steadily decreasing, thanks largely to lower cost VR-ready graphics cards, like the GTX 1060.  In my case, I've been able to get a VR-ready PC for around $540.  

I got an old Dell T3500 workstation from eBay for $270, which worked surprisingly very well for stitching 360 videos.  I then added a GTX 1060 graphics card.  The previous card I got was the NVidia Founders Edition, but it wouldn't fit my case.  I then ordered the smaller Zotac GTX 1060 Mini.  I got mine from B&H Photo for $270.

Compared to the Founders Edition, the Zotac looks very simple, almost spartan.  But it's also much more compact, which is what I need.





Here it is, next to my previous EVGA GTX 750 Ti card.


I was relieved to find that it did indeed fit the case -- just barely.


I ran the HTC Vive VR Readiness test.  As with the Founders Edition, it's rated "high," although the score is a little lower than with the Founders Edition (7.9 vs. 8.1).

Zotac

Founders Edition

So here's my setup now:
- Intel Xeon W3565 @3.2ghz
- 15GB RAM
- 600GB HDD
- GTX 1060 6GB 
- 525-watt power supply
Total cost: $540.

I also added a 480GB SSD but that's not required for a VR-ready PC.  I might also upgrade the RAM in the future (replace three 1GB RAM modules with 4GB RAM modules, for 24GB RAM total).  I hope to be able to get the HTC Vive (first impressions here) or perhaps the Oculus Rift with Oculus Touch in the near future.  Update: I got the HTC Vive - reviewed here.

The GTX 1060 is in high demand right now, but B&H will have the MSI OC version with two fans in stock on August 17 for $280, and you can preorder it now.  (I had to preorder my Zotac as well.)  If you would like to get one, please consider ordering from the link I provided, which would be a welcome way of supporting 360rumors, which will help me do more tests and reviews for you!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

EXCLUSIVE: How to stitch Panono images offline yourself and how to fix Panono stitching errors

Image
Panono is the highest resolution all-in-one 360 camera with 36 lenses and 108 megapixel resolution. Its only drawback is that the stitching is often not perfect and is tedious to correct.  In this post, I will discuss how you can stitch Panono photos yourself, or fix Panono stitching errors. Panono is my favorite 360 camera for photography.  Its images are very detailed, and the dynamic range is unequaled among 360 cameras.  Its colors look natural and images look fantastic with only minor editing.  Here is a sample: THE CATCH However, until now I could not recommend the Panono without qualifications because the stitching is usually not perfect, especially when there are subjects close to its minimum distance of around 1.5 meters.  When there are stitching errors, they are often glaring, and ruin an otherwise excellent shot.  Worse still, they are not easy to correct in post. When you have often unpredictable errors like this, it's hard to rely on it for pr...
Read more

Mac software for the 2017 Samsung Gear 360 now available!

Image
The Mac desktop stitching software for the 2017 Samsung Gear 360 is now available! Here is the link to the Mac software . Here are the requirements for the software . I don't know yet if the 2017 stitching software can also stitch photos and videos of the original Gear 360. Samsung also posted the requirements for the PC version of the desktop software (Gear 360 Action Director 2).  In case you missed it, the link to the new Action Director software is here .  The new software can work with both the original and the new Gear 360.  The software can be activated with either the original Gear 360 or the 2017 Gear 360's serial number. Meanwhile the 2017 Gear 360 is still pretty hard to find outside of Korea and parts of Europe.  However, you can buy it on eBay where reseller prices have dropped to as low as $260 (just $10 more than the MSRP) . Thank you very much to Axel Baumann of  www.video-tv355.de for sharing this info!
Read more

Cat360 can live stream wirelessly in 4k for four hours, without a phone

Image
CatEyes Cat360 is a 360 camera that can live stream in 4K for four hours ! Cat360 is a 360 camera designed for endurance.  It has a built-in fan and has vents on two sides to allow air to flow through to dissipate heat.  This unique design allows it to operate longer than other 360 cameras. My friends at Rec360.ru tested Cat360's live streaming endurance, and when the Cat360 is plugged into a USB adapter, they found that the Cat360 can live stream in 4K for four hours!  With a battery only (unplugged from an adapter), it can record in 4K for 40 minutes. The fan does create some noise, but the Cat360 has another rare feature for 360 cameras: a 3.5mm microphone input, which allows you to use an external microphone.  The mic input is on the bottom of the camera, so it won't be captured in the video. Another unusual feature of the Cat360 is that it can connect to a Wi-Fi signal and live stream without a phone connected.  The user does use a phone to setup the conne...
Read more