In the world of gaming, virtual reality (or “VR” for short) is the biggest thing to come down the pike since the Commodore 64. The two VR devices that are leading the pack are the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive, but to make them work you have to plug them into a supercharged PC. These four machines are up to the task and then some.
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Falcon Northwest Tiki
Product Review: http://www.cnet.com/products/falcon-northwest-tiki-2016/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 (Outstanding)
The good: Insanely powerful, thanks to the very high-end parts in this configuration, yet still compact enough to not hog your desk. Expert construction, a sturdy chassis, and a clean understated look.
The bad: Very expensive, even configured with lower-end parts. The internal components aren’t as easily accessible as in a standard tower. New high-end graphics card hardware may (or may not) be right around the corner.
The cost: $4,900.00 MSRP
The bottom line: The Falcon Northwest Tiki is the most powerful, and most expensive, VR-ready PC we’ve tested to date.
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Origin PC Chronos
Product Review: http://www.cnet.com/products/origin-pc-chronos/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: The Origin PC Chronos packs a lot of power into a small, well-designed case. This is one of the most space-efficient ways to get a VR-ready PC, and the company is known for excellent service and support.
The bad: With high-power components in a small case, the fans can get loud. The expensive configuration tested here has an Nvidia 970 graphics card — upgrading to the top of the line will cost extra.
The cost: $1,799.00 MSRP
The bottom line: One of the most premium-feeling (and premium-priced) of the first generation of VR-ready gaming desktops, the Origin PC Chronos is compact but powerful.
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Lenovo Ideacentre Y900
Product Review: http://www.cnet.com/products/lenovo-ideacentre-y900/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: The Lenovo Y900 includes the right processor/graphics card combo for virtual reality, offers easy access to its spacious interior and includes a premium keyboard and mouse.
The bad: The huge tower case is bland, with just enough gamer-centric touches to not blend in. No options for high-end features like liquid cooling.
The cost: $1,799.19
The bottom line: Hitting the sweet spot for price and performance in a VR-ready PC, the Lenovo Ideacentre Y900 is a safe mainstream choice to pair with your HTC Vive or Oculus Rift headset.
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Origin PC Eon17-SLX (GeForce 980)
Product Review: http://www.cnet.com/products/origin-pc-eon17-slx-2016/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: This is a laptop stuffed with desktop parts, including an overclocked processor and the type of desktop graphics card VR systems such as Oculus Rift require. It’s highly configurable, and very powerful.
The bad: The generic body is clunky and ugly, especially considering the price. A VR-ready configuration costs a lot. The keyboard, touchpad and display are all merely OK.
The cost: $3,305.00 MSRP
The bottom line: The Origin PC Eon17-SLX is very expensive, and none too pretty, but also one of the only gaming laptops with the specialized components needed for VR hardware such as the Oculus Rift.
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The following CNET staff contributed to this story: Section Editor Dan Ackerman and Senior Editor Laura K. Cucullu. For more reviews of personal technology products, please visit www.cnet.com.
