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When you think of virtual reality, you probably imagine this, a multi thousand dollar computer with a pricey video card, but it doesn't have to be that way.
This is my five-year Your old family PC.
And this is the new AMD Radeon RX 480.
For just US$200, this video card turned by old PC into an entry level virtual reality machine.
But before you run out and buy one yourself, you should be warned Not any old computer can use this new video card.
For instance if your computer is this old, you should probably give up now.
An old Pentium four processor isn't going to cut is for VR and this PC doesn't even have the right plugs to take a modern graphics card.
What about this newer Dell computer with the core i5 chip?
It might have the horsepower, but doesn't have room.
You'll need 9.5 inches Clearance in your computer case to fit this graphic card, and a little over five inches vertically.
Plus, the weak power supply in this Dell, probably doesn't provide enough electricity to make this graphic card go.
And before you ask, no I'm afraid your Mac won't work, no matter how powerful.
[UNKNOWN] That simply don't support the Mac right now.
Here's a Windows gaming PC I built eight years ago.
The card fits, but is this aging Intel Core II Duo system good enough?
I'm afraid not.
You'll really want a quad core Intel Core i5 chip less than five years old and eight gigabytes of memory to make VR work.
If you're not sure whether your system can handle it.
Here are a couple of handy apps you can download.
CPU-Z can show your CPU memory and the oculus compatibility checker will analyze your mother board and USB ports as well.
With any luck your computer is just a $200 upgrade away from virtual reality bliss.
And if not we've got a handy CNET guide to help you build a new one.
