Best CPU For VR (Virtual Reality) Gaming
Have you ever thought of building your own best CPU for VR? If not, it’s never too late. In this modern time where speed is everything, you must keep yourself upgraded with the best. As you might already know, to run high-end games on VR specs, you need a computer that produces enormous power that doubles the fun and performance of your gaming. There’s only one component of the computer that can do that - CPU.
Ever since the launch of VR games and technology, hardware developers and engineers continue to push the boundaries of creating new advancements in this field. If you are one such enthusiast, why not bring that immersive VR experience right into your home by having the best CPU for VR.
This can be done in 2 ways, either by buying a prebuilt CPU or customizing a CPU. I would suggest going for a customized CPU because you would have plenty of options to choose between the components.
In this article, I will suggest some best components that will help you build your dream best CPU for VR.
Cell | AMAZON CHOICE | EXPERT'S CHOICE | BUDGET PICK |
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PU Case |
BEST CPU FOR VR REVIEW
Little Tip
For your convenience, we categorized the products in three category that might help you to find exactly what you are looking for. Select any one of the options below to check out the respective section.
BEST CPU FOR VR - TOP 3 RECOMMENDATIONS
1st Recommendation
Processor( Intel Core i9 Unlocked 5.3GHz)
This is 10 cores, 20 threads processor that you can buy to build your CPU. This processor works at 5.3 GHz clock speed which is ideal for VR gaming and for keeping the system cool; Since it has thermal velocity boost technologies, it can automatically increase the processor's clock frequency. Overall, this processor is perfect for building a top-notch CPU.
Motherboard( ROG Strix Z490-E)
This motherboard comes with a nice set of accessories that perfectly complements the Intel Core i9 processor. It has alluring AURA SYNC RGB lighting, amazing audio and robust power, and comprehensive cooling. The strong power delivery system makes it perfect for VR.
GPU (GeForce RTX 2080 Ti)
This 2080Ti GPU is ready to be used for VR. It is ideal for 1440p or 4K gaming, but you can also use it for a 1080p system. 2080Ti has a great advantage in VR as it reduces the screen door effect.
HDD (Seagate BarraCada 2TB)
If you need an all-rounder gaming hard drive that is both large and fast, then you should look no further. This BarraCuda 2TB is cost-effective and has improved efficiency, which means faster read speed, load times, and fast file transfers. Thus, highly recommended for 4K gaming in VR.
SSD (Samsung 980 Pro)
PC builders should consider buying this Samsung 980 Pro SSD. This is the fastest that’s ever been tested using the PCle 4.0bus. This SSD has excellent thermal control and performance fitted for high-end gaming using VR.
PSU (EVGA Supernova 1000 G3)
This series offers a 750/850/1000 W power supply. It’s compact and highly efficient in all manners. The quiet 130mm hydraulic bearing fan gives better performance and a longer lifespan to the unit. The 240V efficiency of this Supernova 1000G3 gives an immersive VR gaming experience.
DDR4 (Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro)
This is the most dynamic DDR4 memory designed for effective overclocking. This unit is lined with 10 individually addressable RGB lights. You get plenty of features in this DDR4 8GB memory that is unbeatable. You can surely have this component for your PC for VR.
CPU Cooler( Cooler Master Hyper 212)
VR enthusiasts need some serious cooling capacity in their air cooler. This cooler is perfect in that manner as it maintains precise airflow and offers premium aesthetic appeal. It is best suited for VR gaming as the CPU tends to heat faster during such ritzy gaming and this Hyper 212 cooler increases its cooling performance.
PU Case (NZXT i-series)
This CPU case is premium. The cable routing kit and pre-installed channels make installing and wiring easy. This case is perfect for building PCs for VR.
CONCLUSION
This is the most premium build I suggest to you as it is capable of powering most VR specs. This build is a high-budget recommendation. But, if you want to cut on the budget, you must consider the next build suggestion.
2nd Recommendation
Processor( Intel Core i7 Unlocked 4.9GHz)
This processor is priced fair enough because it exhibits multiple enhancements as compared to its predecessors. This processor offers multi-core Turbo Boost, 8 cores, a fiercely advanced clock speed of 4.9Ghz, and improved thermal control technology. Thus, I believe it would be great to have while building a minimum budget CPU for VR.
Motherboard(Gigabyte Z390 AORUS ULTRA)
This Gigabyte Z390 is built perfectly to handle your VR gaming sessions with the help of its excellent quality components and large headers and slots. Besides, you get enormous features such as multi-way graphics support, Smart fan 5, Advanced thermal technology, etc. Therefore, it’s a good pick for building CPUs.
GPU(ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1080 Ti)
Take your VR gaming experiences to a whole new level with this excellent GeForce GTX 1080Ti GPU. Single-pass multi-view in GTX 1080Ti improves the richness and details of the virtual world and reduces geometric complexity in VR applications.
SSD(ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 1TB)
This component is highly recommended for medium-budget buyers who are thinking of building a CPU for VR gaming because this drive features 3.5 GBps speed to read and 3 GBps speed of writing throughput. Also, the power efficiency of this SSD is so good that it outclasses any other SSD in the same price range.
HDD( Seagate BarraCuda 2TB)
This is another entry-level series of BarraCuda that offers 64MB cache memory and capacities up to 2TB. With a speed of 156MB/s read and write, this HDD is capable of executing everyday VR gaming challenges. This hard drive is cost-effective and can be highly useful in building your CPU.
PSU(Toughpower iRGB Plus 1000W)
This power supply is packed with 16.8 million color ring Duo 14 RGB fans with 18 changeable LEDs to give you plenty of illumination options. It consists of premium quality components that help deliver a stable and continuous power supply while playing VR games on the PC. This PSU also has SPM, so the users have control over the lighting and other built-in functions.
DDR4 (Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 64GB)
Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 64 GB is the most trusted RAM for many PC developers and owners due to its incredible affordability and reliability. You can rely on this memory for your VR gaming and also enjoy the colorful illumination from the RGB settings.
CPU Cooler(Noctua NH-D15 140mm fans)
You need maximum cooling while you do VR gaming, and this NH-D15 does exactly what an excellent CPU cooler is supposed to do. The large fans of Noctua NH-D15 have superb cooling capabilities that provide sufficient airflow around each motherboard component and heatsinks.
CPU Case(Corsair iCUE 220T RGB)
It is small, cheap, sharp-looking, and offers sufficient airflow. The case can fit all the components perfectly without looking overcrowded and messy. I think the construction is very good and has additional fans included that prevent frequent overheating. If you are building a CPU for VR, you must consider buying this product.
CONCLUSION
This build is something any PC developer or even a gamer can make by themselves. I have seen many components that can get you a reasonable build, but none of them were better than the listed ones. All the components are inexpensive and are highly versatile. For a medium-budget VR PC build, you can consider this specs recommendation.
3rd Recommendation
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Processor(AMD Ryzen 5 3600)
Just, so you know that the latest VR headsets are more intensive than previous versions. Thus, you will need a more powerful processor to complement your VR gaming experience. This desktop processor offers 6 cores, 12 threads, and a maximum boost clock of up to 4.2Ghz. Above all, this is the cheapest processor you could buy to build your perfect VR-ready CPU.
Motherboard(Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro AC)
To support the latest AMD Ryzen processors, the B550 Aorus Pro AC motherboard uses a True 12+2 phase power solution which allows enthusiasts to get maximum power performance.
This un-throttled performance is not solely because of the controllers but also due to the motherboard’s advanced thermal capability so that you can enjoy your gaming at maximum performance without any fear of overheating.
But, the real catch about this motherboard is its Hi-Fi audio system which is as important as the performance and speed while gaming.
GPU(ASROCK Phantom Gaming D Radeon RX 570)
This sturdy GPU and its rock-solid performance make it entirely hypnotic in the VR scenario because of the phantom gaming tweak that offers the highest voltage configuration for extreme gaming. Enhanced Sync and Radeon FreeSync™ 2 HDR also contribute to effortless and smooth VR gaming.
SSD(Seagate FireCuda 510 1TB)
This is a great M.2 PCle solid-state drive as it is fast as any top-notch HDDs. It offers a read speed of 3,450MB/s, and a writes speed of 3,200 MB/s, respectively, with a 1,300 and 2,600 TBW tolerating score for 1TB. On top of that, this SSD is inexpensive, which means you can get maximum speed at a minimal cost for your VR CPU build.
HDD(Western Digital 1TB WD Black)
This external HDD is perfect for any CPU designed to make VR ready. The pricing is competitive and has some serious performance-boosting capacity. This 1TB HDD is enough to store all your VR-based games.
PSU(Thermaltake Toughpower GF1)
This Toughpower GF1 850W is perfect for supporting any potent gaming system, especially VR-based games. This GF1 series features a 140mm hydraulic fan, Japanese capacitors, and more top-end components that help continuous and stable power supply. This PSU can satisfy any PC enthusiast seeking the newest PSU series with good features at a reasonable cost.
DDR4(HyperX Fury 64GB 3200MHz)
This DDR4 from HyperX Fury is just what you need for your everyday VR gaming. It gives a powerful performance boost for gaming, video editing, and rendering up to a speed of 3733MHz. You can use it on Intel as well as AMD Ryzen based systems.
This also offers plug-and-play automatic overclocking. The best thing about it is it is cheap, which would gladly help you during your gaming sessions.
CPU Cooler(Be QUIET BK008 Pure Rock Slim)
This CPU cooler is particularly applicable to compact systems. Thanks to its compact design that makes it perfect for many PC cases. When you do hardcore gaming, the system is going to heat up at some point in time. But not with this cooler. The BK008 Pure Rock Slim gives 130W high TDP cooling efficiency and silent operation.
CPU Case(Thermaltake Versa H18)
This CPU case is designed for entry-level PC developers and gamers. This is a simple tempered glass case that has easy cable management, good airflow for all the components, and perfect cooling compatibility. Thus, highly recommended for people building gaming PCs at home.
CONCLUSION
This is the most recommended suggestion for low-budget PC builders. All the components listed are high profile, effective and budget-friendly. You can easily build your desired CPU by combining all these components if you can choose your components based on your budget and requirement. But, this Recommendation is for entry-level VR PC builders.
COMPONENT MUST CONSIDER BUYING WHILE BUILDING BEST VR CPU
By now, you must be aware of what gaming on a VR headset demands from a computer. If you fail to give what it demands, you might not be able to enjoy it to the fullest.
So, understand each component’s importance to make the right buying decision. Here, I have listed the most crucial components you need to have beforehand to build your CPU for VR gaming.
GPU (Graphic Processing Unit)
The Graphics Processing Unit is the most important component in gaming. Especially in the case of VR gaming. It is important because it directly influences the computer to keep pace with high resolution and better frame rate.
The HTC Vive and Oculus Rift headsets have dual displays with a 1080 x 1200 resolution that runs on a 90Hz refresh rate which is 5 times higher than the normal monitor’s refresh rate.
Thus, if you have a reliable video card, you can enjoy VR gaming at maximum performance. ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1080 Ti and RTX 2060 are the two safest entry-level GPUs you can buy for your VR PC.
Drive(HDD and SSD)
Hard drives are great to have in a PC because it stores a great amount of data, but that does not lead to any great performance. Instead, after a while, it will slow down the overall performance of your CPU. The latency will increase, and read and write speed will drop down due to continuous file access, new downloads, updates from HDD.
Therefore, I would recommend buying an SSD instead of an HDD. Because program load from an SSD is much easier and faster than from HDD. You will see noticeable differences in the performance and loading time.
Ideally, VR gaming demands a 1TB+ capacity of the drives. So, you can use multiple drives to store everything like you can store the operating system, programs, and software on the solid-state drive and other files such as videos, games, pictures on the HDDs.
Even in SSD, look for the specification where it shows M2 NVMe. M2 is a type of connector having greater bandwidth, and NVMe utilizes this higher bandwidth to increase write and read speed. Thus, consider buying the best SSD+HDD for your entry-level VR PC build.
PSU (Power Ssupply Unit)
The power supply unit is another important component in your PC building system. The stronger the components are, the higher will be power consumption. Thus, you have to ensure you are buying the best power supply unit. That has an optimal capacity rating, just enough to power your entire system. Ignore this component if you are buying a prebuilt desktop or laptop because you cannot do much about the Power supply it offers.
But, if you are building your CPU, you have the option to choose, and everything is in your hands to control. In the case of VR, the power supply does not affect it directly. But, it will affect you if you make the wrong purchase. As it will not provide enough power to the PSU to run efficiently and ultimately, the performance of the gaming will be hampered. Thus, choose a PSU that satisfies all the component’s power requirements.
In my opinion, Thermaltake Toughpower iRGB Plus 1000W is the best choice because it is moderately priced and has a great power supply capacity.
RAM (Random Access Memory)
Buying a memory card highly depends on the type of motherboard you use. Since here we are emphasizing VR gaming, I would recommend 8GB to 16GB as most of the VR headsets such as HTC Vive Cosmos demand 8GB+ RAM and above.
The only exception is the HTC Vive Pro which requires only 4GB RAM to run. If you are buying a prebuilt CPU, just look at a load of RAM it comes with, so you can plan accordingly. Although RAM does not play the foremost role in real-world gaming performance, I would suggest not to spend more on buying new RAM if your prebuilt desktop already has enough. You can concentrate on upgrading your GPU instead.
CPU Cooling System
This is again the most important component in any gaming system. Due to large power consumption and continuous running of the components, the system gets hot very quickly. To cool them down, you need a strong cooling system such as Noctua NH-D155 and Be QUIET BK008 Pure Rock Slim.
They are top in the market and budget-friendly too. Make a smart purchase when it comes to cooling systems. Read whether all the specifications, such as heat sink, heat pipes, heat base, heat fins, etc., are in the optimal range and amount.
Once you are thorough with the specification, only then can you buy one because you don’t want your system to heat up quickly and ruin your game.
I hope this buying guide turns out helpful for you in making the right buying decision. If you are a professional PC developer, you shouldn’t solely rely on my list of product recommendations.
You can explore more and buy your desired one. But, if you are a beginner, you can undoubtedly try my build recommendations.
FAQ
It is okay not to have a spare HDMI port. You can use a DisplayPort to MiniPort cord and then connect your HTC Vive to the PC.
There are applications and advantages of VR in every field, such as Architect, Sports, Education, Art and Design, the Automobile industry, etc., but currently, it is most trending in gaming.
Since we are considering VR gaming, you must have at least 16GB of RAM. Otherwise, you don’t need such huge RAM for your regular gaming.
Moreover, it depends on your budget too. If you have an open budget, you can also go above 16GB+. But, it is mandatory to have at least 8GB or above of RAM to run most of the games.
Make sure you have plenty of space near your desktop area to place your VR set. Your headset will be connected to the PC so ensure the distance of your sitting area is not much far away from the play area.
No, you don’t need to buy additional fans. But, make sure your existing case has at least 2 intake fans and 2 exhaust fans. Other factors that decide whether you need extra case fans depend on the size of the case, CPU temperature, and the type of cooler you have.
There are plenty of VR headset options, but the selection varies from person to person and their requirements. But, here are the headsets that satisfy all the needs of a VR enthusiast;
CONCLUSION
VR is the new perimeter of future gaming. So, make the best VR experience for yourself by building your VR CPU. And prepare your advanced VR PC that hasn’t hit the market yet. If you are finding it hard to choose the best one among the three, we recommend you to pick the 2nd recommendation, which helps you build a powerful CPU for VR at reasonably priced.
