Saturday, April 20, 2024

Unlock the Quest 2’s full potential with these prebuilt gaming PCs

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The Oculus Quest 2 is the best VR headset you can buy right now. While you can play a lot of VR games natively on the device, there’s the option to unlock hundreds of AAA games by connecting it to a PC via the Oculus Link cable. The best part is that you can easily find prebuilt gaming machines that will let you unlock the full potential of your Quest 2. So without further ado, here are the best prebuilt PCs for the Oculus Quest 2.

1. CyberPowerPC Gamer Supreme: Best Overall

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Buying a prebuilt PC removes the hassle of picking out and assembling a machine on your own, and in a few instances — like the CyberPowerPC Gamer Supreme — you’ll even end up saving money. The CyberPowerPC Gamer Supreme is one of those deals that is too good to be true, with the machine offering everything you’re looking for in a high-end gaming PC at an unmatched value.

This gaming PC features AMD’s third-gen Ryzen 7 3700X CPU, which has eight cores, 16 threads, a base clock of 3.6GHz, and boosts of up to 4.4GHz. Although AMD released the Ryzen 5000 series at the end of last year, the 3700X continues to be a standout choice, particularly for gaming.

But the main highlight here is that the machine comes with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3070 GPU. I reviewed the card when it came out last year and found it to be the ideal option in the RTX 30 series. It delivers outstanding performance and value, and delivers lag-free gaming at 1440p and 4K resolutions. Basically, you can play any VR game currently available without any issues. And if you need to upgrade to a new video card four or five years down the line, you can do so easily.

The CyberPowerPC Gamer Supreme also wins out in other areas. You get a 1TB solid-state drive (SSD) as standard, Wi-Fi ac connectivity, Gigabit Ethernet ports, 16GB of RAM, eight USB ports, and Windows 10 is installed out of the box. The design isn’t too bad either; the machine uses an NZXT case and there are plenty of RGB fans included in the package. I wasn’t able to find another prebuilt gaming machine that had the RTX 3070 for anywhere close to $1,550. The value that you are getting here is unbeatable. It would actually cost you more to pick up the individual parts and assemble a machine.

Pros:

  • Includes NVIDIA’s RTX 3070
  • Unmatched value
  • Ryzen 7 3700X is still going strong
  • 16GB of RAM as standard
  • Huge 1TB SSD

Cons:

  • Limited availability

Best Overall

CyberPowerPC Gamer Supreme

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  • $1,550 at Best Buy

A truly outstanding gaming machine

This gaming PC offers a Ryzen 7 3700X, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, and NVIDIA’s amazing RTX 3070 — all for an incredible value.

2. Lenovo Legion Tower 5i: Best Value

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Lenovo’s Legion gaming sub-brand has rolled out a lot of exciting products over the last two years, and the Legion Tower 5i is one of its best showings yet. This VR-ready machine has the hardware you’re looking for, and the best part is that it doesn’t cost too much money.

This particular version of the Legion Tower 5i offers an Intel 10th Gen Core i7-10700 chipset, which is one of the best you’ll find in this category. There’s also 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD along with a 1TB hard drive, and the highlight is that the machine features an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super. The video card launched at the end of 2019 and is a decent mid-range solution. It should be adequate for most VR titles, and you should have zero issues when playing games on your Oculus Quest 2 when connected to this machine.

Elsewhere, you’ll find Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, Gigabit Ethernet, and eight USB ports. There’s nothing really missing here, and if I had to find flaws, there are no front-facing USB-C ports. The design is more muted than some of the other options in this category, and that could be a positive if you’re not keen on overt RGB lighting. And another benefit how you can easily upgrade the internal hardware down the line. For what you’re paying, you are getting a solid gaming PC.

Pros:

  • Features the GeForce GTX 1660 Super GPU
  • Powered by Intel’s latest chipset
  • Stellar overall value
  • 16GB of RAM and 256GB SSD

Cons:

  • No USB-C ports at the front
  • Just 256GB SSD installed
  • Design might be too simple

Best Value

Lenovo Legion Tower 5i

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  • $1,000 at Best Buy

Get your game on

The Legion Tower 5i offers the hardware you’re looking for — including a great video card — in an affordable package.

3. iBUYPOWER Element MR 9320: Also Great

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Boutique vendor iBUYPOWER has been making gaming PCs for over two decades, and it clearly knows what it’s doing in this segment. The Element MR 9320 has exciting innards in the form of Intel’s 10th Gen Core i7-10700F, 16GB of RAM, 256GB SSD with a 1TB hard drive, Wi-Fi ac connectivity, and six USB ports.

If a lot of that looks familiar, it’s because the Element MR 9320 is nearly identical to the Legion Tower 5i in terms of the hardware. Its main differentiator is that it is packing an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, a beefier video card than the GTX 1660. That’s the main reason why it costs $200 more than what Lenovo is offering.

The Element MR 9320 also looks good thanks to the RGB fans. The case itself looks elegant, and the side glass lets you show off the design. And when you need to, you can easily switch out the hardware if you’re interested in upgrading the video card or other parts. Overall, you are getting a fantastic machine for VR gaming, and if you want to maximize value, this is a great choice.

Pros:

  • Features the GTX 1660 Ti
  • Powered by Intel’s latest chipset
  • Great value
  • 16GB of RAM and 256GB SSD

Cons:

  • Misses out on USB-C
  • Slightly more expensive than our value pick
  • Just 256GB SSD installed

Also Great

iBUYPOWER Element MR 9320

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  • $1,288 at Amazon

All the RGB lighting you could ask for

The Element MR 9320 combines robust hardware with dynamic RGB lighting and a GTX 1660 Ti, leading to a great VR gaming machine.

4. Alienware Aurora R11: Ultimate Gaming Machine

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Want the best prebuilt gaming machine money can buy today? You’ll need to take a look at the Alienware Aurora R11. Alienware has a storied history in gaming, and the R11 delivers outstanding hardware while steering clear of most mainstream design trends. You won’t find flashy RGB lights or glass side panels here, but the R11 manages to look great nonetheless.

Of course, it’s the hardware under the hood that makes the R11 a true beast. The machine features Intel’s 10th Gen Core i7-10700F, an eight-core 16-thread chipset that goes up to 5.1GHz. It has 16GB of RAM clocked at 2999MHz, a 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD along with a 1TB hard drive, 15 USB ports in total — six USB 2.0 and nine USB 3.0 — and you even get a mouse and keyboard bundled with the package.

The differentiator for the Aurora R11 is the GeForce RTX 3080, NVIDIA’s 4K behemoth. When I reviewed the video card last year, it was immediately clear that NVIDIA set a new standard for 4K gaming. If you need a machine that will play the latest games without any issues for several years, the RTX 3080 is the ideal choice.

As for VR gaming, the RTX 3080 handles anything you throw at it without breaking a sweat. What makes the R11 stand out is that it uses liquid cooling to ensure the thermals are managed effectively, and the elegant design combined with the hardware on offer makes this one of the best gaming machines in the market today. I would’ve liked to see Alienware offer 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD as standard, but that’s not the case. You are paying a premium for the Alienware brand here, but that doesn’t make the hardware any less exciting.

Pros:

  • Powered by NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
  • Features Intel’s Core i7-10700F
  • Elegant design with liquid cooling
  • 16GB of RAM as standard
  • 15 USB ports in total

Cons:

  • You’re paying a premium for the brand
  • Only 512GB SSD

Ultimate Gaming Machine

Alienware Aurora R11

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  • $2,998 at Amazon
  • $2,640 at Dell

The standard for gaming

The Alienware Aurora R11 has a beastly RTX 3080 along with all the hardware you need to play the latest games without any issues.

5. HP Omen 30L: Modern Design

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If you’re looking for a VR-ready machine with a sleek design and powerful hardware, you’ll love what the HP Omen 30L has to offer. The case has an elegant design with a single fan at the bottom, and it doesn’t take up too much room. The case lighting is easily customizable, and the Omen 30L is one of the best-looking designs you’ll find in this segment.

As for the hardware itself, this particular configuration of the Omen 30L features the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X. The third-gen CPU delivers stellar performance for gaming in 2022, and you should have no issues whatsoever. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is also an excellent choice in this category, with the video card delivering much better performance than the GTX 1660 or 1660 Ti. Essentially, this machine will handle any VR game you throw at it with ease.

There’s 16GB of RAM as standard, and you get a 256GB SSD in addition to a 1TB hard drive. Considering the rest of the hardware, I would have liked to see at least a 512GB SSD in the Omen 30L, but you can always add a secondary SSD down the road. Like all the prebuilt machines on this list, you can always switch out the internal hardware if you’re looking to upgrade the video card or other hardware, making the Omen 30L a solid overall option.

Pros:

  • Sleek design
  • Features the GeForce RTX 2060
  • 16GB of RAM as standard
  • Eight USB ports in total

Cons:

  • Just 256GB SSD installed

Modern Design

HP Omen 30L

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  • $1,250 at Best Buy

Reliability you can count on

The Omen 30L has exciting hardware in a sleek form factor, making it a standout option in this category.

Unlock a new tier of VR gaming with these prebuilt rigs

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You’re not only saving a lot of hassle by going the prebuilt route if you want the best prebuilt PC for Oculus Quest 2, but also gaining a few key advantages. With the RTX 30 series in particular facing severe shortages, the easiest way to get your hands on NVIDIA’s latest video cards is by picking up a prebuilt gaming machine, like the CyberPowerPC Gamer Supreme. It has everything you’re looking for in terms of hardware, and the best part is that you’re not paying a premium for the machine.

And if you want a value-focused choice that lets you play the latest VR games available on Windows, Lenovo’s Legion Tower 5i is a great alternative. The GTX 1660 and GTX 1660 Ti still have a lot to offer in 2022, and they’re suited very well for VR gaming. And if you want the best hardware that you can get your hands on right now, look no further than Alienware’s beastly Aurora R11 machine.

All of these prebuilt machines let you unlock PC VR gaming on your Quest 2 with the Oculus Link cable. Of course, you don’t actually have to buy the Oculus Link cable to connect your Quest 2 to a gaming PC, as most USB-C to USB-A cable cables will work just fine. We highlighted the best Link cable alternatives for the Oculus Quest 2, so if you’re looking to save some cash, be sure to give that a read.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

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Harish Jonnalagadda is the Asia Editor at Android Central. A reformed hardware modder, he now spends his time writing about India’s technology revolution. Previously, he used to ponder the meaning of life at IBM. Contact him on Twitter at @chunkynerd.

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