Reddit mentions: The best internal usb port cards

• Corsair RGB memory, white, 16 GB
  
• Corsair RGB LL120 fans, white, 3 pack
  
• Corsair RGB LL120, white, for CPU cooler
  
• White CPU cooler
  
• In Win 301 in white
  
• 1 TB NVMe SSD
  

• 80+ Gold power supply
  

  
  

  > ##I want some nice RGB fans and the RGB ram to hopefully have a build with a white case and pink lights
  

  
  

  If you want addressable RGB, the best software and the biggest selection of products is from Corsair. This build has Corsair products: case fans, replacement heat sink fan, system memory.
  

  
  

  > ##Corsair 650W RM 80+ Gold Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
  

  
  

  I depart from meta with my choice of power supplies. That is a good supply, and you should feel free to purchase. I would get a cheaper and lower-capacity power supply.
  

  
  

  Now 500 Watts is a mainstream size. Corsair has seen their average capacity sold drop by 150 Watts. There is no longer a need to over provision power supplies, other then fan-stop features. Power supply efficiency is now a plateau, rather than a bell. (This is all from the Guru.)
  

  
  

  
  

  JohnnyGuru now works for Corsair. He has been interviewed recently by PCWorld WRT Power: JonnyGuru debunks old power supply myths | Ask a PC expert
  

  
  

  The Guru has said the same things as Linus Tech Tips and GamersNexus:
  

  
  

  >...it became more blatantly apparent when our massively overkill set up of a high-end enthusiast 6850K and Dual GTX 1080s drew just over a third of the Wattage [430 Watts], while under heavy load, of a standard flagship power supply at 1200 Watts, WTS...
  

  
  

  Linus Tech Tips: Why High Wattage Power Supplies Are Stupid
  

  
  

  >We started working on this revisit last week, using a soon-to-be-released Bronze 450W PSU as a baseline, seeing as we’ve recently advocated for more 400-450W PSUs in PC builds. We'll be able to share more about this PSU (and its creator and name) soon.
  

  
  

  Gamers Nexus: How Many Watts You Need for Mid-Range Gaming PCs (2017)
  

  
  

  While this last Gamers Nexus video is from 2017, in the recent PCWorld interview with Johnny Guru we are told that power usage has dropped in recent years.
  

  
  

  > ##Deepcool Captain 240 PRO CPU Liquid Cooler
  

  
  

  I cut this out because it would not have the Corsair RGB fans. It would come with non-matching Deepcool fans that could not be in the same software. These would have to be tossed, wasting money.
  

  
  

  I also think that water cooling is not worth the money. It cools about the same, when comparing top-quality contenders. CLC/AIO coolers only lasts a few years, if used 24/7 (see the Hardware Unboxed video).
  

  
  

  
  

  Linus Tech Tips: Why you shouldn't water cool your PC
  

  
  

  Hardware Unboxed: AIOs that run 24/7 die young
  

  
  

  Jay-Z's Two Cents: Custom Waterloop vs Noctua Air Cooling
  

  
  

  > ##I want to be able to use VR
  

  
  

  Then add a USB card, this one from StarTech is a favorite with VR people: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00HJZEA2S/
  

  
  

  If you want to use VR, you might need a fancy PCIe card with 4 USB controllers. That way all your trackers get their own path back to PCIe.
  

  
  

  > ##Seagate 2TB Barracuda 3.5" 7200RPM
  

  
  

  With a larger SSD, you do not need the noise of 7200 rpm. Your main games are going to be on the SSD, while the mechanical storage will be media and backup. I have switched to a 2.5" hybrid drive to save noise.
  

  
  

  PCPartPicker Part List
  

  
  

  Type|Item|Price
  

  ----|:----|:----
  CPU | *AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor | $194.00 @ Amazon
  CPU Cooler | Deepcool GAMMAXX 400 White 74.34 CFM CPU Cooler | $31.99 @ SuperBiiz
  Motherboard | *MSI B450M PRO-VDH MAX Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard | $83.98 @ Newegg
  Memory | *Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $92.99 @ Amazon
  Storage | *Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive | $149.99 @ Newegg
  Storage | *Seagate FireCuda 2 TB 2.5" 5400RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive | $89.99 @ Adorama
  Video Card | *MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Super 6 GB VENTUS XS OC Video Card | $249.99 @ Newegg
  Case | In Win 301 MicroATX Mini Tower Case | $86.98 @ SuperBiiz
  Power Supply | *EVGA GD (2019) 500 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply | $55.98 @ Newegg
  Case Fan | Corsair LL120 RGB White with Lighting Node PRO 63 CFM 120 mm Fans | $119.99 @ Amazon
  Case Fan | Corsair LL120 RGB 63 CFM 120 mm Fan | $35.99 @ Amazon
  | Total | $1191.87
  | | *Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria |
  
  
  MSI MAX motherboards have the needed BIOS installed that PCPartPicker warns you about needing.
  
  In Win makes the 301 better, down to the quality of the glass, paint, and steel. While most cases are made of 0.4-0.8 mm steel, they often use 0.6-1.2 mm steel. It helps hold in noise and makes the edges less sharp. They make the 301 in black and in white, this list has white
  
  This is my favorite non-SFF case: IN WIN 301 Tempered Glass Mini Tower Case Review
  
  >The In Win 301 is a mini tower case [...] How good is it? Dollar for dollar it could be the best affordable case on the market right now.
  
  As the case comes with zero fans, I included 3 RGB LED fans. This case is meant to have two exhaust in the front, one exhaust in the back, and have passive intake via the filtered bottom. Some reviewers did not know how to set up the fans, and tried to make the front an intake.
  
  This case has a lot of nice details: captive thumbscrews, remove-to-install fan bracket, anti-vibration 3.5" mechanical disk sled (just one). You can see the stealthy graphics card anti-sag bracket in this BPS Customs video about this case: In Win 301 - Micro ATX Tempered Glass Style

I have the 990 MT with the i7-2600. I would suggest buying the corsair CX550 or CX600 psu for this as it is the EXACT size of the stock PSU you need to install using the case's included mounting bracket. If you don't get the right size the bracket will get in the way of installing the side panel.

This one ----> https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-CX600-Supply-Bronze-Certified/dp/B0092ML0MY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1522928777&sr=8-4&keywords=corsair%2Bcx%2Bseries%2B550%2Bwatt%2B80%2Bplus%2Bbronze%2Bcertified&dpID=51YFU0kvQJL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&th=1

I would go with at least the 500 watt model, but I have the 550 watt, you can find them on sale usually.

When it comes to the GPU, just make sure you are buying one that is less than 8" in length. I have the EVGA SC GTX1060 3gb ---- single fan model that is factory overclocked.

Just make sure you aren't trying to install a GPU that runs off only the PCI-E power as it only supplies a max of 50ish watts or less to the card (Dell says only 35watts, but it will push a little more than that). You want a card that will run off the 6 or 8 pin pci-e power connectors on the new PSU.

Picking up 2 more sticks of DDR3 ram is also recommended. I have 16gb in my system now. Keep in mind this board only supports 4 x 4gb dimms of ram. I picked up a matching 8gb kit of matching ram for my machine for $32 from a reputable seller on ebay. just something to keep in the back of your mind.

I've also installed a 4 port usb 3.0 card on my machine. It will fit just fine in the bottom pci-e 16x slot of the mobo. TRUST me, you will want this as the included 2.0 ports are slow as molasses for 3.0 usb drives. You can pick one up here ---> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011LZY20G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also decided to go with an ssd for the boot drive and programs. I went with the Samsung Evo 850 250gb. Make sure you place the SATA cable on the furthest right SATA port on the MOBO. This is the only SATA 3.0 port on the motherboard, the next one to the left is a SATA 2.0 port (that I have a 2tb 7200rpm HDD on for storage and games). I wouldn't use the furthest left 2 white sata ports. They are sata 1.0 and the controller is garbage for those two ports and a known issue with these motherboard.

Last thing I would mention is that if you are running this on Windows for gaming, I would stick to the Windows 7 Pro install that came with your machine. Trying to get my GPU and Windows 10 drivers working on my machine was a nightmare and required hours of searching for compatible drivers, also the board in the 990 didn't get the bios update for win 8.1 or win 10. So for the life of this machine --- 2-3 more years, I would stick with win 7 since it is supported till 2020.

GOOD LUCK!!! PM me if you have questions!

Here is a gift from me to you. I know you have the 3rd sensor but the rest of the information is good. This is my setup and what I recommend to friends and family. Check it out.

1st GET A THIRD SENSOR IF YOU WANT TRUE ROOMSCALE "they are on backorder at the moment"

2nd Get three of these for your sensors to make sure they can reach anywhere you want them too. USB 3.0 is better than 2.0 because the cameras run at a higher resolution and fps thereby increasing tracking and with your USB add-on cards this will be the perfect setup.: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0179MXKU8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

3rd Get 2 of these to completely isolate all of you VR components from the sometimes janky unreliable USB ports on A LOT of motherboards that cannot supply enough power and/or bandwidth for all of the cameras and HMD to work properly I chose this card because it only has two ports and both of those ports work no matter if you plug in 2 sensors or 1 sensor and the HMD. The Inatek card DOES have issues for somewhere some ports work and others do not and are still only being able to run 2 sensors off the Inatek card and having to run the HMD and 3rd sensor off the motherboard. The Orico card just works and you don't have to think about experimenting with ports just plug everything into the two Orico cards in any configuration and go. Also use the default Windows drivers whether you go with the Inatek or Orico card only upgrade after trying the defaults drivers without success: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AVSN2YG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

4th This is optional. One of these for extending your HMD HDMI cable by 15ft for a total of 28ft: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008D5EUD2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

5th This repeater is required to make the HDMI cable above work, but with this repeater, the extension is flawless: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GHL72XS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

6th To extend the Rift HMD USB I use the USB 2.0 Active Extension Monoprice Repeater Cable that comes with the 3rd sensor it is 16ft long, works perfectly. Then I used a small piece of electrical tape every 6 inches from the HMD to the PC to make the extended HMD cable one piece leaving about 2 ft of cable loose at the end to be able to plug in wherever I want.

I did a lot of research bought the Inateck and Orico USB add-on cards, multiple active USB extensions, multiple different HDMI adapters and extensions of varying lengths, Display port to HDMI adapters, DVI to HMDI adapters, and did all the experimentation and testing required to make all this work. The list I listed above works every time on multiple systems in different environments, rooms, and households.
If you need clarification on anything and/or want more information, feel free to respond or message me. I will gladly help.

Yeah, it can be a little overwhelming to figure out where to start. Some good answers already in this thread. The good news is it's actually a lot more straight-forward than it appears. The main source of confusion/apparent complexity comes from the fact that right now both the prior gen and new gen models are still on the market, making it appear that there are a ton of headsets. In reality, there are only four that matter:

Oculus Quest: VR for people that don't have or don't want to buy a decent gaming PC. Cordless, entirely self-contained, no PC needed, no external sensors needed, but limited by the mobile hardware specs. MSRP: $399 USD

Oculus Rift S: really the go-to for a first-time VR headset. Great display that solves most of the clarity issues of older headsets, great controllers, uses inside-out tracking like the Quest (i.e. no external sensors to setup), and pretty reasonable PC hardware spec requirements to run it. So quick and easy to setup that once I finished downloading the software installer, I was up and playing VR in only about 10 minutes. The relatively tiny sound is the only real commonplace complaint, but it does have a headphone jack on the headset. $399 USD

The Valve Index: currently the super high-end of VR gaming. Higher resolution display than the Rift S, higher refresh rate, fancy finger-tracking controllers. Also getting some flack for some quality control issues on its thumbsticks. The only one of the new gen VR headsets to still require external sensors and a base station, which are pretty big negatives for VR newbies since that complicates setup and calibration. Due to the higher specs, it also needs a super high-end PC to really get the most out of it. $999 USD for the starter kit, which does include everything you need to get started, although many users recommend purchasing a third lighthouse sensor (the kit comes with two).

The HTC Cosmos: HTC's replacement for the Vive. Not out yet, so exact specs, pricing, and release date are still unknown. However, it has been confirmed that it will use inside-out tracking (so no external sensors to mess with), and cost less than $1000. The latest unofficial rumors are that it is expected to launch this September, and it's expected to have both specs and pricing somewhere between the Rift S and the Index. Worth keeping an eye on.

What not to bother with:
The Vive. Vive was the premium VR headset of its era, so it's not that there is anything wrong with it per se, it's just outdated and obsolete tech. The display and controllers are just inferior to all of the newer kits.

Windows Mixed Reality (WMR): this one is probably responsible for the VR market looking crowded, since this is a standard defined by MS and not a specific headset, and lots of different manufacturers make or have made WMR headsets. So when you see PC VR headsets from Lenovo, HP, Asus, Acer, Dell, Samsung, etc, they are all just competing WMR headsets. The head strap and display vary in quality, but they all use the same controllers, which are generally considered to be inferior to Vive, Oculus, and Index controllers. The main appeal originally of WMR was to make VR cheaper and easier to get into since WMR has the least expensive headset options, and it was the first to use inside-out tracking so no external sensors. However, its inside-out tracking is done with only two forward-facing cameras, so the tracking is significantly inferior to Quest (four onboard cameras) or Rift S (five onboard cameras) inside-out tracking.

As for specs, your graphics card meets the min, but is at the very low-end of the min. You should be able to run older or less demanding VR games just fine, but may have to run newer or visually more sophisticated VR games at low graphics settings to maintain stable framerate. I would expect Beatsaber to run fine.

One last note: VR headsets, the Rift S in particular, can be pretty picky about your USB 3.0 ports. Specifically, ASMedia USB controllers that many motherboards use tend to cause lots of problems with Oculus headsets. This Inatek add-in USB 3.0 controller has solved lots of people's VR headset issues, is officially suggested by Oculus tech support, and is pretty inexpensive at only around $23. If you decide to pick up a VR headset, might be wise to proactively check your USB 3.0 controller and if it's ASMedia just go ahead and order the Intek USB 3.0 controller along with the headset.

I would definitely avoid that hub. With 7 external ports the internal design will be two USB host controllers daisy chained together so 4 of those ports will at a minimum have to go through 3 host controllers to send data back to the PC. Very risky and prone to issues which will be explained below.

Apologies for the wall of text but it is all quite important to explain why USB hubs are not the best idea for a number of reasons. Only go the hub route if you have no other choice like you have a laptop and a PCI card if not an option. If you have a desktop and free PCI slots then grab one of the PCI cards listed at the end of this post.

USB 3.0 Hubs

The main concern with hubs is that there is an additional USB controller in the chain and if one of those controllers is not compatible then you might have tracking issues. The issue with compatibility is VR needs low latency and high bandwidth which is required for good tracking.

So you have something like this using a hub.

PC -> PCI Bus -> USB Controller -> Hub -> USB Controller -> Sensor.

I put together this image on the weekend to explain it to someone else - https://imgur.com/jI6Istl

If anything in that chain is sub standard you have issues. If you have good USB Controllers in that chain you wont see issues. Just remember a quality hub is only as good as the USB port on your PC you plug it into.

It is also recommended to get a powered USB hub if you have to go the hub route. People sometimes encounter not just a bandwidth/latency bottleneck but a power bottleneck. Importantly some PC USB ports can't push out enough power to power all the devices plugged into the hub. Get a powered hub to avoid this possibility.

Below are two brands Anker and Amazon Basics which are the hubs I commonly see people say have worked for the Rift. The 7 port one will have daisy chained USB controllers internally but people have recommended it so they must be good quality.

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Port-2-5A-power-adapter/dp/B00DQFGH80

or

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Aluminum-Portable-Adapter-Devices/dp/B00PBZX0OM


PCI Cards

Here are the cards that Oculus have recommended (I have personally tested the top two cards) .The blog posts at the end of this post might clear up why hubs are hit and miss for some people due to data/latency bottlenecks that might occur.

StarTek 2 port card (1 ASMedia controller) – Cheaper StarTek option that could be used for 2 sensors or a sensor and headset.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013HT6K3Q

Supported Inatek 4 port card (1 Fresco controller) – Don't get the 5 or 7 port card as the design is not really suited for Rift sensors as it has daisy chained controllers in the design.

https://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Superspeed-Ports-PCI-Expansion/dp/B00B6ZCNGM

Use the Inatek for your two front facing cameras and nothing else. Plug your third or fourth USB 2.0 camera and Rift HMD into your motherboard.

Supported StarTek 4 port card (2 Controllers) – Optional middle tier PCI card solution which can run all four sensors or 3 sensors and HMD. Equivalent to two Inatek cards.

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00HJZE9VK

Supported StarTek 4 port card (4 Controllers) – Optional top of the range PCI card solution which can run all four sensors or 3 sensors and HMD. Equivalent to four Inatek cards.

https://www.amazon.com/Express-SuperSpeed-Adapter-Dedicated-Channels/dp/B00HJZEA2S

Both 4 port StarTek cards are pricey and a bit more than is actually required. You could achieve the same thing with 2x four port Inatek cards.

More reading for why USB controllers are important and how you should connect sensors

Oculus put together some blog posts last year explaining best practices. Parts 2 and 3 of Oculus tracking posts explain the USB subsystems and how to get the best config.

• Part 1: https://www.oculus.com/blog/oculus-roomscale-tips-for-setting-up-a-killer-vr-room/
  
• Part 2: https://www.oculus.com/blog/oculus-roomscale-balancing-bandwidth-on-usb/
  
• Part 3: https://www.oculus.com/blog/oculus-roomscale-identifying-host-controllers/
  
• Part 4: https://www.oculus.com/blog/oculus-roomscale-extra-equipment/
  
  Finally here is my setup and the placement of USB devices amongst all the USB controllers. https://imgur.com/a/fqgRP5p

I can't comment on your specific motherboard but know that most consumer boards won't have more than 2 USB headers. See, the header is the hardware part that let's the USB ports communicate data to the CPU and because most people aren't populating all their USB ports, manufacters don't typically include more than a few.

Now, each header or channel has a maximum throughput of 6gb/s. In practice this is lower close to 5gb/s meaning a typical real world cap of about 500mb/s of data access. Why are these numbers wacky like this, I don't know. But in an ideal setup you want to see hd read speeds around 100mb/s and up. Hence the "4 per header" rule. So as is, I'd expect you to be able to connect 8 to 12 drives to that particular board before you start seeing bottlenecking. This is incredibly lame but luckily the is a solution. One of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00HJZEA2S/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1522184600&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=startech+usb+3.0 that, is a pcie card that occupies a x4 or larger slot giving you an additional 4 USB headers. So that card, or something like it that has DEDICATED controllers/headers will give you the ability to connect 4 drives per controller. Just be wary if you buy something cheaper because it probably doesn't have multiple controllers/headers.

So let's say for example you bought the card I recommend and your motherboard has 3 controllers/headers. That let's you connect up to 28 drives. At that point you're read speeds will suffer simply due to processing power, but that's okay because upgrading GPUs and switching to jminer or compiling creep to run GPU tasks will probably put you back to good. Probably. I can't confirm because I haven't tested jminer yet and compiling creep isn't something I'm versed well enough to do.

Cryptoguru pools are great from what I understand, but realistically and pool listed here https://www.ecomine.earth/burstpools/ that is supporting Dymaxion is worth checking out. Just pick one that looks like it'll line up with your intentions and how much weight you're willing to put towards luck forging blocks. I picked a 0/100 pool because I didn't see myself going above 150ish TB and that's what I personally think the low cutoff is currently to mine at like a 50/50 pool and not feel like I'm missing out on getting paid. Your mileage will vary.

Finally turboplotter. So I didn't start plotting with it, started with xplotter in qbundle, but it is what I finished with. Once you have your account numeric ID entered it's pretty mindless until it's done. It should generate the first set of plots without any additional input but once that drive is done, you point turboplotter at the plot with the highest nonce count and tell it to start on the next drive. This way you avoid potentially overlapping plots, hurting your mining performance.

Tons of threads like this, so take some time to browse this sub. Also a lot of good info in this sub's wiki In either case here's my quick and dirty off the top of my head in no particular order/level of detail, also some things are just my subjective opinion:

• Take the time to get the HMD situated comfortably on your head. Shouldn't be pressed against your face so hard that it leaves an impression. Back part should be cupping lower back part of your head.
  
• Configure your IPD as best you can.
  
• If you start to feel motion sick or have a headache / eye strain DON'T push through it. Stop and take as long a break as necessary to get back to normal. You may have to start your VR journey in smaller doses until you (hopefully) build up a tolerance.
  
• Since you've never experienced it, don't be put off by the resolution of the Rift. Things like the screendoor effect and god rays you start to lose awareness of the more you use it (especially if you really get immersed in a game).
  
• You'll have 2 sensors with your current bundle. I don't know the size of your room but I would suggest placing them in opposite corners (diagonally) of your playspace. Preferably high up and angled down towards you. Read Oculus blog on the matter
  
• Tied to the above, some people do just fine with 2 sensors (what you'll have out of the box) for 360/roomscale tracking. I went this route for some time and felt it was just fine (not perfect though). Try it out and if you feel you need more stable tracking, look into buying a 3rd sensor.
  
• Hopefully you have no USB bandwidth issues, but if you do, take the time to read through the Oculus blog 1 and Oculus blog 2 posts on the matter. I am one of the unfortunate folks who had USB bandwidth issues on mutiple motherboards and this was, to me, the shittiest aspect of the Rift experience. Once I worked through it (read, bought this card) I was good.
  
• You've got several free games alongside the ones you mentioned. Take the time to experience them all. In addition I recommend Super Hot, Budget Cuts demo (Steam), Rec Room (social/multiplayer).
  
  Everyone's experience varies. If its smooth sailing for you then awesome. If you run into problems, don't stress and take the time to search on this sub for answers. VR is amazing, hope you enjoy it.

ok. thank you so much. kinda lost here.

you were right. i turned down the oc on my ryzen to 1700 at 1.3V and my ram from 3200 to 29xx. that seemed to do the trick although its kinda annoying that i cant run my expensive ram as high as i would like to. and still weird that it worked before, but i will play it safe and look how it turns out for now. maybe run it a few days or even weeks like this to see if its stable. i think the 3,7 on the cpu i can live wiht, but i would love the 3200 on my ram.


for the usb stuff i actually went to amazon and ordered myself an inateck usb3.0 card with 4 ports.

https://www.amazon.de/Inateck-expresskarte-Anschlüsse-SATA-Stromanschluss-Strom-Y-Kabel/dp/B00B6ZCNGM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511617276&sr=8-1&keywords=inateck+usb+3

these come with a power connector directly to the psu. maybe that will help with balancing the power for my psu heavy usb devices. maybe i can put 2 rift sensors and 1 webcam on there and that will help balancing things out.

thx again for your help. i really appreciate it.

So you have four corners on the recessed ceiling (higher up), and four corners on the lower ceiling. I would almost prefer to put the cameras in the corners of the lower ceiling, because it would give a more straight-on view of the player/controllers. Each camera has a narrower viewing cone at extreme close proximity. The further from the main playspace they are, the more that cone has a chance to "spread out" and cover the actual playspace. In this case, you would draw your playspace with at least (2 ft) or (0.6 m) distance from each of the four walls, so people don't bash their knuckles at the borders.

However, you might not want your cameras to be further than (12 ft) or (3.6 m) apart from each other (for best tracking quality). I don't have a big enough room to run into this limit, so you may be fine with further spaced out cameras. If the lower ceiling corners are further apart than (12 ft) or (3.6 m), then you may want to put them in the recessed ceiling anyways. You can always ignore the Oculus Rift setup's warnings about camera spacing, by the way. In fact, with larger playspaces, the Oculus setup wizard will always complain. Don't worry about it.

Also, you might want to consider using this USB card. It can handle the throughput of all four cameras in USB 3.0 mode, if desired. You can downgrade any camera to USB 2.0 by simply running a USB 2.0 cable to that camera instead of 3.0. A passive USB 2.0 cable is fine for short runs, but consider an active USB 2.0 cable (like the one that comes in the box of an extra Rift camera) for longer runs. You should put your Rift headset in one of the motherboard's USB 3.0 ports (USB 2.0 might actually be fine), and then put all four cameras (you might only need three cameras) in the USB extension card.

You can search this subreddit for discussions on whether you want/need to have the cameras/headset on 3.0 or 2.0. I prefer to run everything at USB 3.0, but it may not be necessary.

For USB 3.0 cable runs that are less than 10 feet (say, those corners nearest to your computer tower), use these passive USB 3.0 cables. You're also going to want a passive USB 3.0 extension for your Rift headset.

For USB 3.0 cable runs that are more than 10 feet away, you should use an active USB 3.0 cable. This is necessary for cameras that are further away from your tower. Note that the cable I linked has an optional barrel port for a 12V power supply. You only need to power these cables if you're daisy-chaining two or more of them in a row (for runs longer than (33 ft) or (10 m)).

These CAT6 round cable clips should work well for cable routing, especially for the slightly thicker active USB 3.0 cables. These general-purpose adhesive cable clips work fine for runs of the thinner, passive USB cables, but you may have issues with the adhesive depending on your wall.

You'll want this HDMI extension cable for your Rift headset, to make use of the extra space. I've had a good experience with bunching the HDMI and USB Rift headset extensions together by using these lightweight Velcro ties. I have about a (10 ft) or (3 m) square playspace, so you may encounter different problems than me if your playspace is larger. I only have three cameras, and it works fine. Good luck in your setup, I'm sure whatever you do will work great!

Both the Rift and Vive have their pros and cons, I have both and here is my cut and paste summary of just some of the comparative factors people may consider, as the topic has already been done to death:

The standard 2 forward facing camera Touch tracking has some FOV and distance related Touch occlusion, so a 3rd camera really is recommended for genuine roomscale.

The official Oculus experimental guide for 2 camera 360 degree tracking is here: https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/t39.2365-6/15397552_232732683816172_4121045365602385920_n.pdf

The recommended Oculus play area for diagonally opposed 360 tracking use is only 1.5M x 1.5M, with the cameras 2M apart.

To put that into some comparative context HTC recommends 2M x 1.5M as the minimum for the Vive 2 base station room-scale setup, with 3.55M x 3.55M being the recommended. People such as myself have tested Lighthouse out to nearly 10M, though that is pushing the envelope given how Lighthouse operates, see here for details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75ZytcYANTA

The standard Rift HMD cable length is also a limiting factor for large roomscale use. By comparison my Vive tracked volume is 8Mx4M and the included HMD cable lets you take advantage of that space with a computer located halfway down the long side.

Some are reporting that hardware/cable issues can affect Touch tracking: https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/5hbxxg/anyone_having_controller_warpingtracking_loss/db06gvm/

It took me a lot of fiddling to work out which USB ports gave the best results with my Rift, and still be able to use all the peripherals that go with my 3DOf compact motion simulator. I have yet to resolve all my Rift USB issues, with some visual jumps and persistent disconnects after a random period of time. A new Inateck card, as recommended by Oculus, is on its way (note some are still reporting issues, even with the recommended card): https://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Superspeed-Ports-PCI-Expansion/dp/B00B6ZCNGM

Here is a list of additional hardware and cables that may been needed for full Oculus roomscale:

For Sensors:

1x Additional Sensor: https://www3.oculus.com/en-us/rift/
2x Monoprice 15-Feet USB 2.0 Extension: http://a.co/1uRWG3A
2x Security Wall Mount- Adjustable Indoor/Outdoor Mount: http://a.co/5ZQxIal
Inateck Superspeed 7 Ports PCI-E to USB 3.0 Expansion Card: http://a.co/gFqRg0x

For HMD:

Cable Matters High Speed HDMI 10-Feet Extension Cable: http://a.co/9mBQCrU
Cable Matters SuperSpeed USB 3.0 10-Feet Extension Cable: http://a.co/6Q1kIKd

Touch does a pretty good job at simulating hands in VR. The Vive wands are great as things like guns and swords, both have their place. The Vive has a number of upgrades and peripherals due for release in Q2, including an ergonomic deluxe audio headstrap, trackers to bring any peripheral or real world object into VR, wireless HMD kit and finger tracked gloves.

I do a lot of public demos and to be honest the rift is far more problematic with cable management, USB related issues and setup time/issues, in comparison I can set up the Vive at schools and NGO offices in 15 minutes or less, including booting the computer and running the calibration setup.

In terms of other factors the world scale of the Rift is slightly larger in things like Longbow, which actually makes hitting things easier.

The Rift has less screen door effect but the god rays are significantly worse.

The Vive sweet spot is not as large or sharp.

The stereo overlap in the Rift is more noticeable.

The Rift has quality built in headphones and microphone, while the Vive has a built in camera but a poorer microphone.

The Vive has cutouts in the foam and accommodates glasses better.

Cost comparisons need to take in applicable shipping and taxes, the possible need for additional tracking cameras, compatible usb hardware, usb and hdmi cable extensions, upgraded headstraps, peripherals and trackers.

Oculus has ATS and ASW, SteamVR has ATW-reprojection but also allows Oculus ATS/ASW via the Oculus SDK: https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/0/305510202679681031/

I have had the odd crash on Steam, but it is pretty rare, I have had far more significant issues with things like processing a refund via Oculus Help, which then bricked Medium and that took a week to sort out. So I think it fair to say both store fronts have their features, limitations and problems.

Other extraneous factors to take into account include business practices, your room space and game play preferences, the shape of your head or any eyesight issues.

Personally I have found there is less difference between the HMDs than there is between individual users, based on having done thousands of public demos. So try them both and pick whichever is the best for you.

I have used this one before: https://www.amazon.com/Kingwin-FPX-001-Controller-Controls-Independent/dp/B00DP9WRZY

And it works great! You can hook up to 4 fans to it and to control the speed just turn the knob.

Then you will wanna buy something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Vantec-SATA-IDE-Adapter-CB-ISA225-U3/dp/B01E7EPKUO

So the fan controller has a MOLEX adapter for power. The data to usb has a MOLEX to power cable in the box (I’ve had a few and the vantech one that I listed should have an inline power button).

I’ve tried splicing the cables and although that works this is far far easier and effective. I hope you see this before you buy to many other solutions because I personally think this is the easiest.

Good luck and happy growing :)

Yeah, at least an SSD is worth it, and maybe some other things. You just need to make sure you're getting the right things so you don't spend too much and they fit in the machine. It can handle Adobe CS apps and it's more cost effective than repairing your MBP or getting a new one.

SSD: get a more current blade style SSD with M.2 port at any capacity. This form factor because you could use this for something else a few years down the road. And it's PCIe, so max speed and faster than on SATA. 128 GB is enough for macOS and the apps, or a bigger one you can/want to afford.
Then an adapter like this: https://www.amazon.com/Lycom-DT-120-PCIe-Adapter-Support/dp/B00MYCQP38
The adapter piggybacks the SSD and you hook it up to one of the PCIe slots. There are 4 slots numbered from bottom to top, the GPU will be in the bottom one (Slot 1), use Slot 2 for the SSD, it's faster than Slots 3 and 4 at the top.

RAM: I'd say 16 gigs is enough for this machine. For very large Photoshop files 32 gigs might be helpful, but only marginally. Mac Pros are picky when it comes to RAM, here's some info: http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_pro/faq/mac-pro-early-2008-how-to-install-ram-backwards-compatible-with-older-memory.html
https://support.apple.com/HT205043

CPU: one of the CPUs in the Wiki link above. But I wouldn't do it. Could add more performance but you need the know how and tools to flash the Mac Pro firmware, otherwise the machine wouldn't recognize the new CPU.

GPU: another potential minefield: http://forums.macrumors.com/threads/frequently-asked-questions-about-nvidia-pc-non-efi-graphics-cards.1440150/
Requires flashing of the GPU as well so they work and you never know if it's surviving an update to macOS.
But Apple officially sold the ATI Radeon HD 5770 and 5780 as upgrade kits for the Mac Pros. These are officially supported. Funny enough Googling these cards I mostly see hits about the older Mac Pros. Saw this link: http://www.apple.com/shop/question/answers/readonly/will-early-2008-mac-pro-owners-be-able-to-use-the-ati-radeon-hd-5770/QDDDH2T2JF44XHHAD
Now finding a 5770 or 5780 on eBay is definitely worth it, will add a substantial amount of performance.
Or any other card that's officially Mac compatible, like the GeForce GTX 950 or 960 and Nvidia's web drivers (install drivers before adding the card!).

I/O: something to consider, adding USB 3.0 is worth it. This card is officially Mac Pro compatible: https://www.amazon.com/Ports-Inateck-PCI-E-Expansion-Version/dp/B00I027GPC/

Btw, here's a patch to get Sierra onto the machine: http://dosdude1.com/sierrapatch.html

> Some of the studies are looking at reaching trajectories

As in, the trajectory of a hand reaching for something? Is this at normal, everyday speed, or are you looking for something like a boxer to give it their best shot & swing as fast as they can? Because that's one niche use case where Lighthouse outperforms Constellation - super fast movement tracking.

Given the camera nature of the Rift's Constellation tracking system (720p 60 Hz global shutter cameras with IR filters), super fast movements can cause tracking errors as the movement becomes too fast for the sampling rate to keep up. In this, Lighthouse has a better capacity for these fast movements as the total sampling rate of the sweeping lasers exceeds the sampling rate of Constellation's cameras, and in Lighthouse the controllers & the headsets are the receivers; they aren't outputting signals mid-movement like Constellation (where there are IR LEDs scattered across the tracked objects) so there's no equivalent to the IR LEDs output getting smeared across a single sample frame of the camera.

That said, we're talking fast here, this guy isn't having any issues landing his hits accurately, nor is this guy. However there was a thing about a climbing game a long time ago where the dev ran into issues with Rift because the whole game was about holding your hands up high & bringing them down with as much force as you could muster, which could send people off in the wrong direction as the Constellation tracking had a hiccup from the super fast motion.

On the other hand, speaking purely technically, hard-measurably, but not humanly observable, movements in anything but these super-speeds will likely be more accurate on Rift, compared to both Lighthouse 1.0 & 2.0, given the purely stationary nature of the external side of the tracking system. In a lab setting, you can tailor the camera setup to the needs of the test as well. If you were measuring smaller ranges of movement & had the 2 sensors that come in the box placed a meter apart & a meter from the test subject, the accuracy & low jitter..y..ness? would likely far exceed anything you could achieve with Lighthouse. Add a third sensor to that and have them in a triangle some ~1,5m away from the test subject, you'd probably be hard pressed to measure any statistically significant deviations in tracking at all. Add a fourth sensor, buy a high-performance USB expansion card, set them up surrounding the test subject in decently close proximity, and you honestly might not even need that Optotrak. Set a 4 sensor config up with them in a half circle in front of the test subject, and, well.. That'd be an interesting benchmark of the tracking system, and I suspect you'd be pleasantly surprised.

A while back someone wrote a piece of software to measure tracking deviations/jitter. They made it for Vive users as jitter was a bit of an issue for them back then, but they posted it on r/oculus to get comparative data. Figured you might find the numbers interesting, even if there are a ton of variables unaccounted for between all different user setups: https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/4nezq5/looking_for_someone_to_run_the_vive_jitter_test

Ohh, jeez, you can buy the Bitmain Antminer here.

The smaller ones in between the Antminers are these, but for $10 more, you can get like 5 times the Mh/s with the Antminers. The Antminers are a lot more worth it; I just wanted something to fill in my empty spaces.

The cooling fan is this, but I've got a bigger clamp fan blowing on it so the whole rig doesn't burn my house down. Though, I haven't had much problem with heat. The cooling fan does enough to keep them cool, but when I had no cooling fan, it was hot enough to burn my skin and I found that out the hard way. The clamp fan is just there for insurance.

The Pi is gonna need a 4GB SD card, so make sure you've got a reader for that.

And you're correct. This is the least profitable thing you can do, my setup cost me roughly $150 a month and a half ago, and they've made me $2 worth of Bitcoins (.004 Bitcoin) that haven't even been transferred to me because Slush's pool send threshold is .01 Bitcoin. Though, the whole setup barely puts any strain on my electric bill.

It was fun putting it together and making it work, and it's a great conversation starter, but it has yet to prove me any monetary worth at all. Maybe I can buy something cheap on Overstock in a couple months, or I'll get really really lucky and mine a block.

That would be because your motherboard does not support USB 3, or at least only supports it on the I/O panel.

You could use something like this to adapt it to the usb 2.0 9-pin header, if you have one extra (Obviously, the case's ports will only work at usb 2 speeds):
https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Female-Motherboard-Adapter-Converter/dp/B009SJCPO8

Or you could get a USB 3.0 PCIe expansion card with an internal header (provided you have a spare PCIe 2.0 or 3.0 slot of any size) like this, and have the advantage of having fully functional USB 3.0 speeds:
https://www.amazon.com/Anker%C2%AE-Uspeed-Express-20-pin-Connector/dp/B007SJGGAE

Note: I have not used either of these products, but they are well rated on amazon, with a good number of reviews, and both are "Fulfilled by Amazon" for easy returns if needed. I am familiar with Anker, from good experiences with many of their other products, so there is that, if you go for an expansion card.

Edit: Do note that the cheaper (by far) 1x PCIe cards will only provide one port's worth of full bandwidth (using all the ports at once will share the bandwidth), though it is rare for most people to use more than that, as it would take an external ssd to saturate, or multiple external disk drives.

The Tyan S7012 are a good build. I make a few ZFS file servers out of them every year, but few notes.

-They originally came with series 5500 intel support only. To get 5600 support, you will have to upgrade the firmware. So I recommend you buy a pair of L5520 CPUs when you get the board, they are super cheap quad core CPUs that a pair sells for around $5 now.

-The South bridge gets hot, some boards come with high profile heat sinks, but not most of them. If your build is not in a high air flow case consider placing a 40mm fan on the heat sink. This will help with system stability.

-It comes with only 5 PCIe x8 open ended slots, (some are only x4) It is nice since you can place larger cards into the slots (all PCIe should be open ended) but be careful in slot one, the rear components may stop you from placing a large card in them.


>passmark of 26,104

No wonder you need water cooling, a 150W CPU needs that. Over all nice. Far more than I would spend, but I'm a bit on the cheap side.

I Purchased https://www.amazon.com/Asus-Hyper-M-2-x16-Card/dp/B0753JTJTG, for the heck of it. If it does not suit my needs I figured I can return or resell it and get most of my money back. My main issue is going to be installing it. Both my PCIe 3.0 x16 slots are full of video cards, and my only other option is the x4 slot that my NVMe card is currently sitting in. I am guessing a I may end up upgrading my board soon or I will most likely pull out my sound card and end up installing a PCI one instead. I have a few LGA 2011 boards, but I just spent a week building my current setup and I don't want to rip it apart. -_-

OP and all affected by this: I also ran into this after the latest update. It clearly introduced some bugs. That said, here is everything I did, and I'm finally playing Beat Saber on my Rift with 0 (read again, 0) lag. (That said, there is certainly still a bug where if a box is hit the wrong direction, or with the wrong saber color, sometimes the controller does not vibrate)

I am listing below WHAT WORKED, and leaving out all the things I tried that didn't work..it's an exhausting list..cables, reseating the rift headset jack under the face mask..etc. This did not help me. Rift worked great in every other game.

• Purchased an external USB 3 card to give the Rift headset (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FPIMICA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) I ordered the one with the two internal USB ports too. Note: USB add-in card is not needed if your system already has enough USB channels to give the Rift and each sensor its own channel. Google USB channels for instructions on finding this out. ((If you have your controllers vibrating very lightly and you are using good batteries, THIS. This is why. You need a USB channel with nothing else on it for the Rift Headset. The Rift Sensors should each be on their own channels for best performance too, but can share the USB channel with other devices too.))
  
• Turned off Night Light in Windows 10 Display settings. My problems manifested more at night and this, once known, was a very likely culprit
  
• Placed each Rift Sensor on its own USB channel. I also unplug the mouse/keyboard and other peripherals during VR, because I have a Steelseries LED mouse/kb and they bugger up the USB channel with all the lighting.
  
• Close out any unnecessary apps from the system tray.
  
• If you use a USB extension to get a Rift sensor further away, make sure it's an ACTIVE USB extender. Passive, or normal, ones degraded my signal. This, and the Win10 Night Light are the biggest reasons I was getting Beat Saber lag. I have an Active cable on order and went back to no extension/both sensors in front of me for the time being.
  
• Installed Oculus Tray Tool (https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/5okoju/oculus_tray_tool/) and set USB Standby to Disabled, among some other settings I can't recall. All the settings have to do with fine-tuning the VR experience, so poke around and see what works for you.
  
• ***Disclaimer***: Editing the registry is NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART*** I changed the priority of the GPU for games using this guide. I've had no problems at all, but the registry is risky to mess with and I am unsure what effect this had with Beat Saber. I'm listing it only because Beat Saber runs perfectly now.Skip to the "Make some changes in your registry" section: https://www.windowscentral.com/how-ensure-best-vr-performance-your-pc
  
  Doing all of this, the noteworthy ones being Windows 10 Night Light being turned off, the USB add-in card/dedicated channel for the Rift headset USB, and the Oculus Tray Tool, my Beat Saber now runs flawlessly!! I moved up from Hard to Expert (and even Expert with Fast Song turned on) overnight purely as a result of this game running like it should now. I can actually hit what I see, and the game registers it.
  
  ​
  
  Computer Setup:
  
  
• Oculus Rift with 2 sensors (3rd sensor with USB active repeater/extension cable in the mail)
  
• MSI MoBo with AMD RYZEN 7 1700X 8-Core 3.4 GHz
  
• 16gb DDR3 RAM
  
• MSI Gaming Z 2070 RTX GPU
  
• Samsung 1tb SSD running only Oculus Games
  
• SanDisk 128gb SSD for Windows 10 installation
  
• Liquid cooler for CPU
  
• 850w Power Supply
  
  My specs are overkill for VR and Rift (see: Robo Recall) worked fine with my MSI Nvidia 970 GPU too, but Beat Saber still lagged (after the latest update) until I made all the changes above. Beat Saber clearly has some bugs/compatibility problems to work out, and it seems the devs have more important things to do than fix these given how long it is between updates being released for PC. We're a forgotten lot. :( Perhaps the modding community will find a way to patch the game to actually fix these bugs.
  
  ​
  
  I do hope that my tips help even one person out there also experiencing this issue. This game is what VR was for! If anybody has more tips please please please share them! Everybody should be able to enjoy this game as it was supposed to be!
  
  ​
  
  edit: Corrected CPU specs in my Computer Setup

It's this. It was recommended on this page. I wanted to be absolutely certain I got flawless tracking, so opted for a dedicated USB 3.0 controller for each port, so there wasn't any chance of running into a bandwidth limitation. Also wanted all three of the sensors to be running at USB 3.0, whereas they recommend plugging one of the three into USB 2.0 otherwise (again, due to bandwidth limitations under one controller).

I don't doubt you could have a flawless experience without it, but I wanted to make damn well certain that it would be plug-and-play goodness from the start, given my history of building up expectations and ultimately being disappointed.

EDIT: Forgot to answer your last question. It was actually just the "First Contact" demo thing that you start out with the learn the controls. This the realism and accuracy of the controls, and interacting with the environment in such a natural manner was just amazing. I went and played through it again this evening. The other games I've tried (SuperHot and RoboRecall are really, really good as well, it's just that was the first one, and the environmental interaction is really cool).

Your motherboard seems to have a wide variety of options as far as USB-ports go. See if you can spread your sensors and headset so that you don't have two sensors/headset on one channel. I advise you to put your headset in the USB 2.0 port. Your channels are as follows (based on your motherboard's website, which I found here):

• Intel® X99 chipset :
  4 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 port(s) (4 at mid-board)
  
• Intel® X99 chipset :
  6 x USB 2.0 port(s) (2 at back panel, black, 4 at mid-board)
  
• ASMedia® USB 3.1 controller :
  2 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 port(s) (2 at back panel, black, USB Type-CTM)
  
• ASMedia® USB 3.1 controller :
  2 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 port(s) (2 at back panel, red, Type-A)
  
• ASMedia® USB 3.0 controller :
  4 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 port(s) (4 at back panel, blue)
  
  Be aware that PCIe cards you've installed (if any) also affect these ports, disabling or sharing power. Follow my link to the website and look at the bottom for the explanation on which. If you haven't installed anything (besides the graphics card in the first slot), you don't need to worry about it.
  
  As for your express cards, you have:
  
  
• 4 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (x16, x16/x16, x16/x8/x8, x16/x8/x8/x8 or x8/x8/x8/x8 mode with 40-LANE CPU; x16, x8/x8 or x8/x8/x8 mode with 28-LANE CPU)
  
• 1 x PCIe 2.0 x4
  
• 1 x PCIe 2.0 x1
  
  Unless you've gone for a really expensive CPU, my assumption is that you have a 28-Lane CPU, not that it matters here. You have a x4 slot available (unless you've installed something yourself in that slot) for the best USB expansion card, and if you do buy one, my recommendation is this one. Install the windows 10 drivers (plug and play, basically), because the website's is not up to date. Works brilliantly, and each USB-port has its own full-powered channel. Put all Rift USBs in the card and never think about power-issues again. ;)
  
  If my explanation was a bit on the heavy side, don't worry. It's easier than it sounds. Briefly put, try splitting USB-devices so that they don't share power with others where possible (the list above has an explanation for where these ports are). If that's not good enough, buy a USB expansion card and put it in the x4 slot (shown in your manual as PCIEX4_1 on page 1-7. I looked).
  
  Disabling power-saving in Device Manager, like I mentioned in my earlier comment, might help with your current dis/connect-sound issues, as does driver-updates. I experienced the same.
  
  I wish you the best of luck and feel free to ask again if you have questions or need clarifications. There are people quite a bit more skilled than I here, though, who might be able to advise you further.
  

Wow, I've never had something like that happen.

All of my sensors are on extension cables. Two are USB 3, and one is USB 2. All are plugged into the recommended Inatek USB controller card (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00B6ZCNGM).

The USB 2 sensor gave me some detected/not detected issues, since the extension cable is pretty long. That cleared up when I plugged it into a powered hub, purely acting as a power booster, like I mention doing for the headset today in the original post. The sensor is just using a much cheaper USB 2 hub, though.

If you're using extensions, and you were careful to buy ones that people have had success with in the past, then I'd highly suspect a power delivery issue.

Good luck, and I'm glad to have given you some ideas. I hope they pan out! Let me know if I can answer any questions.

From the looks of this thread things are figured out, but I thought i'd throw in my 2¢

You definitely need a PCI card. I have Oculus' recommended Inateck one - others have had success with this card which provides a controller for each port - useful if you want more than 2 sensors someday.

I run 2 sensors on the Inateck, and headset on Mobo.

USB bandwidth is a big deal for Oculus, so I don't recommend running more than the two sensors off the Inateck card.

A powered hub will not end up helping you here, as you'll be bottlenecking all of the information to a single port.

Something else that can be helpful - the vive breakout box is fully compatible with the rift. You need to buy your own power supply, male-male USB3.0 and HDMI cables - but it will make sure the headset gets consistent power from an external source. It's also nice so you don't rip your PC down/headset off tripping over a cable.

I wrote this for another thread on the same subject a while back. The main bottleneck/expense is moving from single processor to dual processor. If I had it to do over (and hadn't come across a 2009 model at a bargain price) I'd get the 2010 chassis. The 2009 model uses a very odd lidless processor design which is unique to that year and complicates upgrading. The 2010's also have faster RAM which means you won't have to buy new RAM to upgrade the processor.

Upgrades:-

• Highpoint Technologies Rocket 640L for SATA 6Gb/ps combined with any SATA SSD.
  
  
• For true speed OWC offer a range of M2 SSD PCIE cards, although these are expensive they will give you current generation SSD speeds. There are plenty of cheap M2 SATA PCIE cards available and the drives themselves are reasonably priced, but many unfortunately can't be used as boot drives in the Mac (NVME issues). MacProSSDOptions offers a list of ones that work.
  
  
• Any recent nVidia card will work with nVidia's web drivers (bloody hard to find, search the Hackintosh sites for current links and ALWAYS upgrade the drivers before you upgrade the OS). I have GTX 970 which drives three monitors happily and offers HDMI out. What you won't get with the non-mac nVidia cards is the grey boot screen, you need a Mac card for that hence the advice I offer about the EFI cards later on. I've run twin 9800 GTX's, an 8800 GT and a GTX 970 in my 2009 model without issues - you just need to make sure the card you buy has 6 pin power connectors on the card itself and you'll need a set of 6 pin PCiE power connectors for the Mac Pro Backplane.
  
  
• If you can find a 2010 processor board and processor for reasonable money a hacked firmware upgrade for the 4,1 to the 5,1 is available, and it's a really simple upgrade to perform. This also allows you to use faster 1333 MHz RAM - if you already have RAM for the 2009 model it will work in the 2010 board (it's not expensive c. £100 for 32Gb), but you will need to replace it to take advantage of the faster RAM support. /u/firefly416 claims a 2010 board in a 2009 machine will cause problems with the fans - but I've done this and experienced none of these issues.
  
  
• Inateck Superspeed 4 Ports PCI-E to USB 3.0 Expansion Card for rear facing USB 3.0.
  
  
• An Apple BCM94360CD card and adapter will provide Bluetooth 4 LE, and 802.11 ac connectivity (which provide continuity and handoff).
  
  Advice:-
  
  
• Always keep a Mac EFI graphics card in the machine or handy, I have one of the old GT120's, inevitably when the OS upgrades you'll forget to upgrade the Nvidia web drivers first and that renders the mac useless without an EFI card available.
  
  
• There is plenty of space in the CD drive enclosure for SSDs and other upgrades - they're much more knowledgeable about third party parts and driver issues than the Mac crowd who generally don't deal with these things too much. I've frequently found information there on PCiE SSDs, video drivers, even sound drivers, that I couldn't get help for elsewhere.
  
  
• The dual core 2009 series is the best one of the 2009 models to own, the processors can be upgraded to the point where it comes near the 2013 Mac Pro Geekbench score. If you don't have a dual processor board from the get go then the upgrade to one is very expensive indeed and the parts are hard to find.
  
  
• The 2.66 Ghz 4,1 uses lidless processors (as do all of the other 2009 models) which are impossible to find upgrades for. You will have to convert the board or do the riskiest upgrade of your life in order to use the better processors. Information on the board conversion is hard to find (I'm looking if anyone out there has it!).
  
  
• Lots of helpful information is available at TonyMacx86 and other Hackintosh forums. In my experience they are more knowledgeable about third party hardware and driver issues than the Mac crowd and much more willing to help.
  
  
• If you can find a 5,1 (2010 tower) at a price you can afford go for that one as it has standard heat shielded processors rather than the lidless version in the 2.66Ghz 4,1 - always check the serial number before you buy as many 5,1 machines are really 4,1's with the hacked firmware.
  

I speak only from what I read. I am not an ~editor.

Approximate numbers, yes - or depending on budget & lanes available, much more.

Kudos to you for getting it. Usually I am called mad, before they rush off and buy a 16 lane intel that precludes nvme raid.

IMO if you google vid edit forums, you will find many do the same. It just hasnt sunk in yet for most tho.

Yes, I hear there are many who could use ~unlimited (512TB) gpu memory/memory address space.

What do you expect from 120GB/s $66 nvmeS & pcie2 ?:) - that's bargain basement, but damn good for the money & frugal use of usually scarce lanes.

A significant bump in write speed can be had by using the same model in 240GB ~$110 form.

~Only TR & Epyc are generous with pcie lanes & allow reasonable freedom for larger arrays. It has 64 pcie3 lanes, native bios bootable raid for up to 7 nvme devices for ~25GB/s read. (see db8haur youtube clip of TR w/ 8x 960 pro raid for 28GB/s using the asus card below (take away = on TR, expect ~linear scaling and little overhead - you get ~straight multiples of the individual drive's rated speeds when you stripe them on TR using pcie 3))

12.8GB/s officially for ddr3 1600, but sounds optimistic -
30-40GB/s sounds right for a good modern ddr4 ryzen, & 40-50GB/s for a TR, but again, don't quote me, check for yourself.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDR3_SDRAM

A sweet spot imo, is to saturate 16 lanes of pcie2 bandwidth for both read and write, which the above lane thrifty pcie2 bargain rig more than saturates in read (even 3 drives would), and approaches (75%) in write.

If your app works as well~ w/ your gpu set as 8 lane pcie3 as 16 lane pcie3, then you have nothing to gain from faster system dram cache over the nvme raid 0 array.

Its fairly logical that this may be the case - the task usually takes longer to process/render than to load the data, so 8GB/s of data from the system should keep the gpu busy.

NB that your drive selection focus is different.

You dont want size, you want speed, especially the weaker write speed, and cheap cos you want multiples to run in parallel.

Storage is a separate issue.

IMO, it doesnt have to be all things to all men. It is dedicated to writing large chunks of data, fast, and should be formatted optimally for this alone.

All the old saws about risk of raid are rot in this case - its a scratch drive little different to volatile dram, the system fully expects the contents to be lost, & ensures no damage is done by a failure/power outage.

Whatever the array size, it will be huge vs Dram.

A major over riding consideration is the parts dont tell the whole story, which is that hbcc working as intended, should intelligently anticipate reads and prefetch into higher level cache, and delay writes to enhance performance.

Video editing sounds to have eminently predictable data flows to me.

above products links etc:

ASRock Ultra Quad M.2 Card

https://www.amazon.com/Asus-M-2-X4-Card-flexibility/dp/B017YUCAXS

https://techadict.com/shop/electronincs/memory/corsair-force-series-mp500-120gb-m-2-nvme-pcie-gen-3-x4-ssd/

ahahahahaha !!

Joking aside though. Certainly when talking about Rift, its not necessarily the number of ports that is the most important consideration but the number of USB controllers. Doesn't matter of you have 6x USB 3.0 ports and 6x USB 2.0 ports if your motherboard has only 1x USB 3.0 controller and 1x USB 2.0 Controller.

My Thrustmaster 16000 FCS HOTAS takes 2x USB 2.0

My Logitech G920 Wheel and Pedals take 1x USB 2.0

My 4x Rift Sensors take 4x USB 3.0

My Corsair Void Wireless Headset takes 1x USB 2.0

My XBOX controller takes 1x USB 2.0

My Blue Snowball Mic takes 1x USB 2.0

My Keyboard and Mouse take 2x USB 2.0

My Flirc IR sensor for Harmony Ultimate One Remote takes 1x USB 2.0

Thats 13 !!

My Asus Z170-A mobo has 2x USB 2.0 ports, 2x USB 3.0 ports and 1x USB 3.1 port but only 1x USB 2.0 Controller, 1x USB 3.0 controller and 1x USB 3.1 controller.

Hence why I am also rocking a dedicated Startech 4x Controller 4x USB 3.0 Port PCIe card just for my 4x Rift Sensors and a random 3x USB 2.0 PCIe card dedicated to my HOTAS and Wheel/Pedal Set. Rift is on my Motherboards USB 3.1 port and the rest of the peripherals on the other motherboard ports.

I also have a front 3.25"/5.25" Bay box with Card Readers, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, HDMI and USB charging ports that are connected to the internal USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 Motherboard Headers. This was great for connecting the HOTAS and Wheel/Pedal set and the Rift to the PC at the front of the PC instead of blindly swapping them in and out around the back but has largely been rendered defunct now that I permanently ran some extension cables for the Rift and HOTAS/Wheel/Pedals from the back ports of the PC to elsewhere in the room. Still us the card readers and the USB charging ports for my eCig and Corsair Void Wireless Headset though.

imgur Album of PC Peripherals and Room

Inateck (or anything else with a FrescoLogic 1100 chipset, but the Inateck is the most readily available) is the Oculus recommended PCIe card for adding USB 3 ports. You can buy them on amazon. They have a few different variants. Inateck also sell some cards using the NEC D720201 chipset. Don't get those. Any of their cards with model numbers beginning with KTU3FR are good. If you want the one with the most usb ports, you want the KTU3FR-502I or KTU3FR-502U. The 5O2I is 5 usb ports on the back with a usb header like on your motherboard to connect 2 more to a case. The 502U has 5 usb ports on the back and 2 usb ports on the inside which I guess you could route the cables out of your case if it has cable holes.

I know people have mentioned what extension cables they have used successfully on this reddit, but it doesn't look like it has been documented on this reddit's wiki. I think it has been mentioned it is pretty hit or miss even when you buy ones other people have used successfully.

First, let's talk about the Aorus Master and its storage options.

• There are CPU lanes and chipset lanes. The chipset has a maximum bandwidth around 7.1 GB/s upstream (x4 PCIe 4.0, after encoding and overhead) which is sufficient for a RAID-0/stripe of 3.0 drives. However, drives over the chipset will have a latency penalty. Also, other devices share this bandwidth (USB, ethernet, audio, SATA, etc).
  
• There is one M.2 socket directly connected to the CPU which runs at x4 PCIe 4.0, which is fine for a single 3.0 drive as well.
  
• With a GPU in the primary PCIe slot, you can bifurcate to 8x/8x with the second PCIe slot running 4x/4x for two NVMe drives on an appropriate adapter.
  
• With no GPU, you can run the primary slot as 4x4 for a quad-adapter for up to four NVMe drives, although overhead is such that you will be limited to less than the sum of their speeds.
  
• It is possible also to run an adapter in the third x16 PCIe slot, over the chipset, with mix-and-match RAID, but this is unnecessary as the Aorus Master has two M.2 sockets over the chipset already.
  
  It's ideal to have both drives on the same side (CPU lanes, or chipset) in addition to CPU being preferable (lower latency). You can boot to this with EZRAID/UEFI regardless of configuration. In any case, it is possible to use all 24 PCIe 4.0 lanes for storage: 4x4 from GPU, 1x4 from dedicated M.2, 1x4 from chipset. These work fine in 3.0 mode as well. So you would likely either run both drives over the chipset with the secondary and tertiary M.2 sockets, or both over CPU with an adapter - I suggest this (my affiliate link to the item on Amazon here).
  
  With that many writes you do want a drive like the EVO Plus, absolutely. The E12/E16 drives have a better warranty for writes (TBW/DWPD) but in my opinion it'll be easier to deal with the Samsung drives in a stripe; the E16 drives are not made for steady state, and the E12s lose speed at 2TB.

I had to go above budget to meet the system requirements on the vive/oculus. I'd honestly save up a bit more for a better video card though. But this'll do. You're looking at high-ultra settings at 1080p 60fps for normal gaming. While gaming in the vive, 90fps is almost a requirement. This might be able to get close. Although if you can increase your budget a 390x / GTX 980 is a better option. The Fury X / 980 Ti are the best options.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor | £149.99 @ Novatech
Motherboard | MSI H97M-E35 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | £62.73 @ Amazon UK
Memory | Patriot Signature 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | £27.99 @ Amazon UK
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | £40.90 @ Amazon UK
Video Card | MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card | £269.98 @ Dabs
Case | BitFenix Nova ATX Mid Tower Case | £26.99 @ Novatech
Power Supply | EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | £51.99 @ Amazon UK
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) | £59.99 @ Amazon UK
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | £690.56
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-20 21:20 GMT+0000 |

Edit - there's a chance you'll need more USB ports than the computer has. You can get something like this to suit your needs.

That's...a lot of cameras. Processing power isn't going to be your main concern - serial bandwidth will be. Namely, USB connections typically only have maybe 3-4 separate buses on your average motherboard. Assuming you plan to run 1080p60 cams (or probably even 720p60/1080p30), you generally can't run more than one camera capture per bus without experiencing lag and dropped frames from the capture.

If you're going to have any quantity of cameras streaming simultaneously, your best bet would be quad capture cards. But you'd still likely need 2 to make this work well and they start at around $700-800 a piece.

You could probably get away with USB connections, but you're still looking at nearly $1000 just for the hardware to accomplish that. You'd need additional USB PCIe cards both due to the limits on quantity of USB ports on most motherboards and due to the fact the capture devices like the Elgato Cam Link are wide and will overlap any adjacent banks of ports, blocking you from inserting two next each other.

I have no experience with this quantity of cameras but I think something like this USB PCIe card has sufficient bandwidth to support four cameras. You would need 2 of them still and also short USB extensions cables because 4 Cam Links can't all fit simultaneously. So you need to be sure your motherboard has 2 additional slots available that can support these.

As for processing power on the computer, this doesn't really sound like a gaming rig so GPU doesn't matter a whole lot apart from rendering stuff on your own screen. For CPU, I don't think you need to go super high end either as a video capture isn't super intensive when you're using something like a Cam Link. If you go the quad capture card route, you likely need to consider power a bit more but it's still not crazy. Any quad core with eight threads or a hex core is likely more than sufficient.

If you also plan to do the stream encoding on this rig, that changes the recommendations considerably.

Rift S is a nice pickup and the natural progression looking to move up from PSVR. Your PC specs are great for VR, and it will be a massive improvement from PSVR in all areas.


You may want to consider a RiftS-dedicated pci-e usb3 card for your PC to ensure optimal bandwidth and power is delivered to the Rift S such as below; this will improve performance and reliability. Most motherboard chipsets are not up to the task in this regard, so it's a great $20 investment many overlook. The one linked is known to be one of the best performers for Rift S. Note if you do get this don't install the inateck drivers, just use the Microsoft ones that auto load after installation: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B6ZCNGM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_OVPxDbTW1ZJ2E

I have 4 sensors, each mounted on top of 7'6" DIY stands made out of cheap 5'9" Ikea floor lamps..2 lamps per stand, each in it's own corner. The 8' long stock cables of the sensors only have a few inches worth left over when mounted on the stands, so extensions are a must no matter where you position them. I use the 'Monoprice 15-Feet USB 3.0 Extension Cables' from Amazon, with the sensor in the far corner needing 2 cables to reach the stand. This gives me a 10'x10' area, with an actual playspace of 7'x7'. I also shelled out for a Startech 4 port USB3.0 PCI card recommended on the Oculus blog. The sensors on USB3.0 use a lot of power, so you'll need to connect either a SATA power adapter or a molex power adapter to the PCI card...if you go that route. I haven't had any issues whatsoever, completely glitch free. I used the Sensor Bounds app in Oculus to make sure the sensor beams covered my play area high enough, as well as covering the corners closest to the stands. The beams aren't 90 degrees, so the higher the top of the beam, the less the corner gets covered by the lower part of the beam. It takes a few minutes, but it helps to completely cover the entire play area.

​

Btw...the best part of my DIY stands...they only take up 10" squared. Tripods are at least 2' squared. I considered microphone stands, but they only extend 5' or so. Nowhere near tall enough.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-15-Feet-Female-Active-Extension/dp/B00AA0U08M

https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-Express-SuperSpeed-Dedicated-Channels/dp/B00HJZEA2S

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60416176/

https://www.amazon.com/CM01-Camera-Digital-Recorder-Adapter/dp/B001GWCC4I

Yeah on top of (or on the top shelf of) that bookcase seems like the perfect place.

Having them at the exact same height doesn't really matter at all. The important thing is just to have them:

• As high as possible
  
• Pointing downwards (roughly 45 degrees)
  
• About 2 feet out from the actual play area (like in this diagram, but for you, mirrored)
  
  It comes with a 5 metre USB 2.0 extension in the box (which gives you a total cable length of 7.5 metres ie 25 feet), and if that works for you then go for it, but for the absolute best tracking I would recommend a USB 3.0 extension cable with a PCI-E USB 3.0 card (since it's unlikely that your motherboard could handle 3 USB 3.0 sensors).
  
  Once you get it, this guide might help: https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/wiki/touch_360_roomscale#wiki_3_sensors.3A_room_scale

Honestly, none of your reasons sound good enough for buying a new motherboard. Upgrading your PC parts one by one like you are currently doing is the best way to waste money in the long term and end up with a PC you were never really satisfied with. Just stick with your plan to build a full PC for college.

• I already address the SATA issue in another comment.
  
  > The computer's from early 2014, and it doesn't have a USB 3.0. Just checked.
  
  It doesn't have a USB 3.0 header on the motherboard? If not, then you can just buy one of these expansion cards:
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Uspeed-Express-20-pin-Connector/dp/B007SJGGAE/
  
  > Just one on fan connector on this motherboard, but I can get a molex to fan like this, correct?
  
  I prefer a splitter like this to get more fan headers:
  
  https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812162059&cm_re=fan_splitter-_-12-162-059-_-Product
  
  Molex powered fans tend to be very loud since they never slow down.
  
  > I've got 2x 8GB cards, so 16 total. I don't plan to upgrade now, and don't plan to upgrade any time soon.
  
  Then your reasoning for needing more RAM slots is pointless.
  
  Don't waste your money on new motherboards for old CPUs and extra licenses for Windows.

A good point. If I were buying a PCIe USB card I'd probably get the 4 port Startech.

https://www.amazon.de/STARTECH-COM-SuperSpeed-Express-Schnittstellenkarte-Kan%C3%A4len/dp/B00HJZEA2S/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527086391&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=startec+usb

There are cheaper options but the difference isn't that much in the grand scheme of things and I'd rather have the best solution

Independent channels per port so no bandwidth sharing, and supplemental power.

My mobo has 3 independent USB controllers already so it's non issue for me fortunately

I fixed a majority of my issues by installing one of these into a PCIE x16 slot, and plugging all three of my sensors, as well as the rift itself, into it. It's a bit pricey, but it did the trick beautifully.

Still get the sensor jump when turning around. I haven't noticed any significant change to my guardian location or my height, but those still may decide to plague me.

Previously everything was plugged into my motherboard (all 3.0) and worked, more or less, perfectly until the patch. Don't know why it worked before when, honestly, I should have been taxing my USB controller, or why the patch broke it, but the above card has made things great.

Have you already bought the fans? If not I’d say go with the AC Infinity MULTIFAN S3, Quiet 120mm USB Fan for Receiver DVR Playstation Xbox Computer Cabinet Cooling ones by ac infinity. They have a controller in line and it’s plug and play, no secondary power sources to power the controller to go back to the fan.

I originally got this fan controller with the two recommended buys which are the 4 pack of fans and a molex power supply.

This will let you have 4 fans all controllable. So you can always have two buckets side by side in the future and have them share a fan controller. That is what I was going to do, but ended up going with the prewired because of the fan cfu between then and easy I’d install.

Hope that helps. Sorry it didn’t use your adapter, but you can always use that for a 1-2 meters of led strip if it’s 2A

Before worrying about all that, I would try a pci-e usb 3.0 expansion card if you're having issues with the USB3 built in hardware on your motherboard. IMHO the FX-8300 would be fine still as long as you're doing your encoding via a capture card, or via something like NVENC. I don't know that I would trust it with software encoding while gaming. Benchmark-wise, multi-core on the FX-8300 is pretty similar to an i5 4570, which is still pretty capable for the most part.

Something like this may work as long as you have an empty pci-e slot. https://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Superspeed-Ports-PCI-Expansion/dp/B00FPIMICA/

Caveats: 1) No real hardware upgrade, which can be both a good and bad thing. 2) System still not technically supported by Elgato.

Other notes: The latest "high-end" AMD CPUs to use DDR3 were the FX series I believe, and I currently use an FX-8300 in my home fileserver, and an i5 4590 in my gaming PC. The latest generation of Intel that used DDR3 was the 5th gen (i3,i5,i7 5xxx), which are fairly rare in desktop form, the latest generation mainstream was the 4th gen, which is really very similar to the 8-core FX series performance-wise, with the i5/i7 of that generation having the slight (in the case of i5) to slightly greater (in the case of i7) edge over the FX 8-cores.

Realistically you're probably looking into new ram/cpu/motherboard if you chose to upgrade to get any reasonable performance boost, everything else would likely be compatible, as expansion cards like graphics cards, other things like power supplies and hard drives and dvd drives, haven't really changed in regards to how they connect to the motherboard.

I have a 4-port PCIe card with 4 dedicated 5Gbps channels specifically because I was previously using the recommended Inatek card and it was an utter nightmare.

Everything but the headset itself is plugged into the card, as I've found that's the best possible configuration. It's still finicky, but much, much better than it was. (I was in BSOD hell /w the Inatek card) I'm convinced that there is no truly "perfect and stable" way to set up 3+ sensors, (from the perspective of the Oculus setup tool, that is) though, as I have tried many configurations and they're all a little wacky during setup even though they work well during gameplay.

It doesn't seem to be an issue with USB, it's just that the three cameras have trouble seeing my Touch controller for the entire duration of the trigger-hold simultaneously. It's extremely annoying, but it seems pretty clear that it's just a flaw in the setup process because the whole system works like a dream once I get it configured.

I'm open to suggestions if it means not having to hold my touch controller behind my head like an dumbass 20 times in a row every time I want to adjust my sensor positions though.

It is this card:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B6ZCNGM/ref=gbps_img_m-7_759e_13ba5bc6

But if you look on the link that OP posted, it's showing up there in the 4th row with a "Starts for Prime members at 8:55AM". You can also click there to "Watch this deal" and it will ping your phone if you are logged into the Amazon App. That's key to get in on the good "upcoming" prime deals. Otherwise there are too many to keep track of! I doubt this type of device will sell out. Although there are a lot of new Rift owners coming on with this new $400 combo deal, so maybe there will be a rush. :) I have a similar card but not this particular model for my 3 camera rig in my older computer with no USB3. Works great for 2 of the cameras, though for some reason it still tells me I should check for newer drivers though the Win 10 built in drivers are supposedly the best. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Hi and sorry about that. If possible, you may want to purchase this specific USB add-on card, which has been confirmed to be compatible by Oculus. https://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Superspeed-Ports-PCI-Expansion/dp/B00B6ZCNGM In addition, it sounds like it could be a USB power management issue. If that is the case, unchecking "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" in the Device Manager Power Management settings for your USB Hub could help. Finally an external powered USB hub could help, though you don't want too many USB devices on one hub due to bandwidth limitations. For additional assistance, please submit a support ticket. Thanks. https://tickets.oculus.com

That sucks. The kind of generic answer is to try a 3rd party PCIe card.

https://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Superspeed-Ports-PCI-Expansion/dp/B00B6ZCNGM

USB 3 is supposed to provide 900ma to the port but some motherboard share the power or just skimp out entirely.

I'd talk to support first though to make sure all your drivers and firmware have the most recent updates.

Good luck.

Op got me curios and we can into the same thing:

>You could use a PCIE expander card like this Asus Hyper M.2 x16 Card Expansion NV Me M.2 Drives and Speed up to 128Gbps Components https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0753JTJTG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_aLQ-BbAQ4JE2Y

I wanted to point out that this adapter is designed to be used with Intel VROC on X299 Series Motherboard models. Here are the ASUS supported motherboards:

• ROG RAMPAGE VI EXTREME
  
• ROG RAMPAGE VI APEX
  
• ROG STRIX X299-XE GAMING
  
• ROG STRIX X299-E GAMING
  
• PRIME X299-DELUXE
  
• PRIME X299-A
  
• TUF X299 MARK 1
  
• TUF X299 MARK 2
  
  EDIT: From the Amazon link, a great comment found in a review about his adapter. Things to consider with the motherboard & CPU:
  
  >This cards has a lot of variables that need to be meet before it will work.
  
  >1. 16 pci express lanes is a lot. Most CPU's will not have enough for this, and two GPU's for example. As that is 48 pci lanes needed for 2 GPU's and one of these cards fully loaded. So lets say you buy a super expensive I9 Intel Processor. Well that CPU only has 44 pci lanes. Meaning at max you can only get 3 of the M.2 cards to work in this device while still having two GPU's running all 16 of there lanes.
  
  >2. Mother boards are deceptive. While they may on average have 4 slots that will fit a x16 card. They do not all have 16 CPU express lanes assigned to them. Most often only the first slot (the one closest to the CPU socket), and the third slot actually have 16 lanes. The other two slots will only have 8. Even on high end boards. Meaning that only two of the M.2 cards will be recognized when plugged in there. So check your motherboard manuals first.
  
  >3. Intel requires you to also buy a VROC key. This is not required on AMD. I have seen some people blame that on this card.
  
  >4. Sense the speed of this card is heavily dependent on the slot you put it in, and the CPU running the system. Is why it says you can get up to 128Gbps. Realistically though... Unless you really know what you are doing you won't hit those speeds. But it will still be faster then what your used too. Most SSD's are limited by the sata cable speed, and other things. Which won't be anywhere as fast as m.2 drives raided.
  
  >5. This tech is still new. So not all motherboards support it. Actually most don't. While the card itself doesn't need any drivers to run. The MB and CPU both need to support NVMe raid. Or your better off getting a single m.2 card.
  
  OP's desired use though sound different from you and myself might be thinking of. He wants a small NAS but has not stated his intended use yet. Where-as this sparked an interest in how fast could one possibly get a NAS to transfer data. I think in this setup one would saturate their network long before R/W speeds of their arrays, lmao.

Don't know if it will or not but this is the one I used and it worked great. I'm sure that would work too though. I had static on my most recent build and changing some BIOS settings and playing around with different ports helped reduce it. Try different combinations to see if it helps clear it up if you haven't already.

Which Ryzen CPU/Mobo to upgrade to after maxing PCIE slots/SATA ports on i7 4790k/Rx480 8gb 1080p 144hz gaming/data hording build?

I'm using all the SATA headers and PCIE expansion slots on my computer, it would be nice to have more SATA based HDDs and the ability to run multiple GPU's. Current build.

My MSI Z97S SLI Krait's USB 3.0 ports were all taken so I added the usb 3.0 express card so I could plug everything in. But having more PCIE lanes would be ideal.

The 4790k is powerful enough for everything I do, it's processing power isn't holding me back just the PCIE lanes.

In no rush what so ever to build so I might wait for Ryzen 2.0 or what ever to upgrade then buy a 1600x (or which ever is best for my use case) used with a new motherboard and the best bang for the buck ram I can find.

i was having a similar issue but if i were you i would think about just getting this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inateck-Superspeed-Ports-PCI-E-Expansion/dp/B00FPIMICA/ reason being at least you know you are sorted day one.. nobody wants to get their rift open it up have problems and have to wait another 6 to 10 days for some other delivery and you could just leave these 4 ports just for your rift and have many more usb ports for future use... besides the price is worth insuring you wont be screwed when the guy delivers your rift some morning.. good luck and happy rifting pal :)

I'm still waiting for my Rift actually, it arrives in another week, so not sure yet. But if you'd like I can report back when I get everything setup.

10m Active USB.3.0 Extensions (for front sensors)

3m USB 3.0 Extension (for HMD)

3m HDMI Extension (for HMD)

HDMI to DP Adapter (For GPU)

USB 3.0 PCI-E Card (to power the 10m active extensions)

I've read good things about all of these, with a lot of success stories. Hopefully all goes well on my end.

When it comes to USB extensions and where to plug in the equipment (USB 2.0 vs 3.0, etc), I found the Help section on the Oculus website to be insufficient. They don't take into consideration if you have a PCI-E USB 3.0 controller (Which I had to purchase) in addition to the on board USB 3.0 ports.

I have 4 sensors, all of which are connected to USB extension cables. I found the Oculus setup wizard to be most useful. If you have green check marks for everything, then you're good! If you don't, try plugging stuff into different ports until you get all green check marks. At one point I had to even unplug some other USB devices, plug in my sensors (so they would turn green), then I could plug in my other USB devices. I now have all 4 sensors setup working flawlessly.

For extension cables, I had no issues. Three of my sensors have 10' extenders and I also have a USB extension cable on the headset as well as an HDMI extender. I spent a decent amount of time getting my "Rift Room" setup and I am so happy that I spent the time to set it up right. Makes for such a solid experience and I have a large play area that I can freely move around in.

For reference here is the HDMI/USB cables I bought:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GBBSZFE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (HDMI Extender)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C7SA21U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (USB 3.0 Extender)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MT1EQM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (USB 2.0 Extender)
(Also, my 2 additional sensors came with 1 10' USB extension cable each...purchased from Newegg)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B6ZCNGM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (USB 3.0 Controller)

I had endless problems with USB. Problem is it's different for everyone, many are fine with just their Motherboard's.


What I can tell you, if you want to run extension cables, the money no object solution (the only thing that go everything working acceptably for me) is the following:


Startech PEXUSB3S44V

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00HJZEA2S


Also, found many of the recommended cables hit and miss but Ugreen's have been excellent. Always use the shortest you can.


For 2m I have these on one sensor and one on the Rift itself:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00P0ES0YE


I also have 1m and 3m version on my other two sensors.


To go with the 2m extension to the Rift (only if needed obvious) I used (again Ugreen):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00A30FLE2


Best of luck. Look forward to seeing you in there

Looks like the price went up.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011LZY20G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I actually ordered one out of china originally but got impatient and ordered the one off of amazon while waiting (although Rosewill is still pretty much a Chinese board). If you want I will send you the chinese one. It's a different chipset but it wasn't the same as what was on my motherboard, which seemed to be the issue. You're welcome to give it a go if you would like. PM me if interested and I'll give it to you.

Not knowing anything about your setup I'm going to guess it's a USB bandwidth issue, not power. Not all motherboards are created equal in that some will include more USB controllers (different than ports) than others. The controller can be "split" with a hub, but based on the number of devices across that controller they must all share bandwidth. My first recommendation is to try switching the devices to different USB ports to see if you can get them all happy at once. Don't try to run them all off the same hub because that guarantees the same controller.

Edit: assuming this is your issue and you're on a desktop with a free pci slot:
https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-Express-SuperSpeed-Dedicated-Channels/dp/B00HJZEA2S/ref=asc_df_B00HJZEA2S/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309776868400&hvpos=1o4&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10427848564261723381&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9058138&hvtargid=pla-441634214285&psc=1

Is going to be your "end all" solution. Each of the 4 ports has its own usb controller so even a device which uses the whole bandwidth will stay happy plugged in there. I've done a lot of fighting with Oculus Rift and Kinect2.0 which are bandwidth-hungry devices (most HD cameras/capcards over usb are) and this card laughs at usb problems.

Thanks for posting

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Still got tracking issues after install usb pci-e card Anyhelp by Chaarliie


Hello,

I recently bought a vive on saturday and i've been having constant headaches with it trying to get it to work on my PC. My motherboard is a asus z170-a and googling this I found posts on this sub saying that asus boards are having issues with the vive. After trying to play some games on the vive plugged into either the motherboards usb 2.0 / 3.0 I would lose tracking after a couple of minutes of play and have to unplug and replug them back in.

So after doing I decided to buy an USB pci-e card (Link) aftering installing it my vive ran fine for about 15 mins before the same issues started coming up again.

What should I do?

	

	

	

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Sure!

This is all in a Fractal Design - Define R6 USB-C case. I replaced all but one fan with Noctua PWM fans so I could fully take advantage of the fan controller that comes with the case and ultimately have a very quiet box.

This was originally going to be just a NAS box using more "server-y" components (ASRack X470D4U mobo, ECC memory) but I ended up not liking the mother board so I just threw my desktop internals in here for the time being.

Motherboard: Gigabyte Z370 Aorus Gaming 7

CPU: Intel i7 8700k

Memory: 64GB DDR4 2667MHz

In the PCI slots I have a Intel Dual Gigabyte NIC (for SR-IOV capabilities), Qnap Quad M.2 Card, refurbished LSI 9211-8i SAS card, 4 port USB 3.0 Controller (so I can hook up my Mac VM to my KVM switch box), and a Radeon RX 560 so I can pass it through to my Mac VM.

Because this is r/datahoarder, here are my drives...

I am using (2) 1TB NVMe drives for my OS drive. I am using md raid for the first two partitions /boot and /boot/efi. The third partitions are in a btrfs mirror and contain sub volumes for / and /home

I am using another (2) 1TB NVMe drives in a zfs mirror for zpool-virt which has datasets for docker and libvirt so they are on speedy drives.

I have (2) 1TB HDD that were my old pool for containers, but I don't use them anymore. Everything has been migrated to zpool-virt so these will go away as I expand my 10TB vdevs.

I have (4) 4TB drives in pair of mirrors setup as zpool0 which I use as my main storage for docker volumes, plex, time machine backups, network storage, etc.

Now that I have put in (4) 10TB drives this will become my main pool and I'll migrate things over once I put in a fifth 10TB drive later this month. I haven't decided if my ultimate goal is to have pool of (2) 5-drive raidz1 vdevs, or a single pool of 10-drives in raidz2. My current thinking is single raidz2 and then hope that raidz expansion comes soon enough that I am able to decommission my 4TB drives and replace them with 10TB ones.

I also have a 1TB NVMe that I used to passthrough to my Mac VM but don't really need to anymore now that I have my VM images on SSDs. Since I have one last remaining open NVMe slot I am planning to buy another 1TB NVMe and make them into a mirror and add them to zpool-virt. But I was also toying with the idea of putting in an Octane drive into the open slot so I could have a fast SLOG. So who really knows.

Thats expensive for 2.4 GH/s, thats exactly what im getting on the antminer U2 that I paid under 20 bucks for. I got mine used from amazon. Here is a link amazon I was going to grab a rock miner R-box amazon they go for 70.00 bucks new on amazon and youll get 32-37 GH/s im sure you might be able to find them cheaper, but I was also looking on craigslist and came across some good deals on the older antminer s1 for under 200.00 bucks and it will crank out 200 GH/s. Of course I also found a kcminer neptune, the guy wants 5000.00 for it, and it cranks out a minimum of 3 TH/s. Im just not brave enough nor do I know enough if that is a wise investment. Like you said 200.00 is more palatable, its not going to make or break you.

It was what really started the popularization of VR that we're witnessing now and got myself and many others excited about it. I was already set on getting the CV1 long before the Vive was even announced.

While I'm not overjoyed with some of the business decisions and politics of the company, I've been very satisfied with the product itself. My only significant issue with the Rift that is not something other headsets would also have is that the cloth gets pretty dirty and is more difficult to keep clean than plain plastic.

Some of the concerns others have mentioned are barely issues at all or very easily fixed- the USB number of USB ports needed is fixed with a cheap pci-e usb card, the nose gap can be fixed with some additional foam if it is even an issue at all(it doesn't exist for me). Hoping CV2 has wireless sensors though, that would be neat.

Mining seems like a great idea, and it's a fun hobby, but it's pretty tricky in effect. Timing is everything, and you have even more uncertainty than just by buying bitcoin and holding.

If you wanted to see what it was about, you could buy a used 2.4 Gh USB miner from Amazon or something. You basically won't make any money aside from a few thousandths of a bitcoin because they're underpowered, but it'll cost you under $30 and you'll get a chance, if you set it up on your own, to start learning about what's going on when you mine. Something like this: http://www.amazon.com/BITMAIN-ANTMINER-U2-Bitcoin-Overclockable/dp/B00ITD5NV6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408408030&sr=8-1&keywords=usb+gh+miner+bitcoin

Also, /r/bitcoinmining is a good place to start on mining info.

Few useful links to get you started.

Oculus Rift Room Scale Setup Guide

List of recommended cable extensions

I'm using 3 Sensor setup in L configurations with CableCreation CD0034 and Inateck Superspeed 4 Ports PCI-E to USB 3.0 Expansion Card. My sensors are mounted about 10 inches and 40 degrees away from the ceiling. Perfect tracking in the play area. Good tracking out of usual play area, when in bed playing seated games in view of only two sensors which are 12 to 15 feet away.

I think I'll actually try to answer your questions (instead of just spamming my fanboy agenda).

1. What matters in regards to USB ports is the total bandwidth available. Some motherboards aren't able to supply enough bandwidth for the Rift and 3 sensors. I wouldn't worry about this issue unless the Oculus software reports "Poor tracking quality" on your sensors. If that happens you might have to buy a PCI-E USB expansion card ($25).
   
   
2. A third sensor will improve tracking quality for room scale and larger play spaces. You can do smaller room scale with 2 sensors, by placing them in opposing corners of your play area. Mount them as high up as possible, pointed toward each other, and angled downward. Your milage may vary depending on the size of your play space, and if you are able to place the sensors optimally.
   
   Some further notes:
   
   
3. You should be fine starting out with 2 sensors, and expanding to 3 if you notice tracking issues. Note that a 3rd sensor may in some cases require the previously mentioned PCI-E USB expansion card (Link: Oculus recommended card).
   
   
4. Since it's your first time trying VR: Take it easy in the beginning. All the experiences in the Oculus app has a comfort rating. Start with things that are rated "Comfortable", before moving on to Moderate and Intense levels. If you start experiencing nausea or discomfort, exit VR and take a break. Never try to power through the discomfort. And don't worry if VR sickness happens a lot in the beginning. Your VR legs will get stronger.
   
   
5. If you have a beefy computer congratz! Download the Oculus Tray Tool and experiment with super sampling for a sharper visual experience.

Wow, that's a ton! This is super useful info, thank you.

Would something like this work as the USB 3 AIC?

I bought the Startech dual controller model here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00HJZE9VK

It makes the 3 sensors + headset run in usb 3.0 mode, but i still get the occasional usb disconnect sound in windows which I can't seem to fix. Sometimes the headset will show as usb 2.0 and a restart resets it to 3.0. Yet usb 2.0 works just fine on the headset.

I regret not getting the 4 usb controller version as it seems the sensors likes having their own usb controller, but my budget for VR was already running out after the third sensor was purchased.

As the other commenter stated the inatek card should do fine and is cheap, but it seems to be a hit and miss and require more fiddling to get working. A lot can definitely tell their stories about this on /r/oculus

This is a huge deal for the rift as Vive is so easy to set up for room scale, and the added price in whatever USB card is still those $25-80 more expensive than what you first want to pay.

Using the third sensor in usb 2.0 mode works great if you have a small play area, and no additional usb card should be needed here.

I had an issue with this too, but others on this Reddit page suggested to me that I could use a PCI-E to USB 3 expansion like this.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inateck-Superspeed-Ports-PCI-E-Expansion/dp/B00B6ZCNGM

I haven't gone ahead and bought it so far though. As I mentioned in an earlier comment, I'm also wary of whether my i-7 860 will be good enough to power VR, so together with having to purchase this USB expansion plus a better graphics card it's left me wondering whether I'd just be better of waiting until later in the year and buying a brand new computer instead.

> This works fantastically! Thank you! I don't know why I didn't think of this. The audio is crystal clear now.

Glad that worked for you.

> Plus I don't have to pass through specific USB devices, so if I want to change out the keyboard or mouse or connect something else (USB flash drive) I can do that without rebooting or modifying the vm configuration!

I find this type of setup to be most convenient myself due to this behavior. It's annoying to have to "intercept" USB devices at the host and re-route them to the guest, when you can easily dedicate individual ports for that purpose.

> Now to get a USB 3 card for this system. :)

My best and only suggestion would be the Highpoint RocketU 1144D. Each port on the card is a separate PCIe device, allowing for PCI-based USB connectivity for up to four different VMs simultaneously. It's also well-known among early adopters of VFIO setups to be insanely compatible. I theorize that it's a combination of the PCIe switches they use, and the fact that it's fully bus-powered, allowing this card to respond favorably to software resets performed by the host.

Ahh that does make a difference. I presumed you only had the AMD APU. Since you have a GTX 970 running most VR-applications, shouldn't be a problem.

The cpu itself, is still a slight bit below the minimum requirements when compared to the intel i5-4590 Oculus uses as a reference point, but it might still be powerful enough to run VR-applications. (Don't quote me on this though)

In regards to your getting usb3 on your pc.
As your motherboard does not have any usb3 connectors, the only solution on top of my head would be to get a pci-e adapter like this and install it in a spare pci-e port if you have any.

As to your hdmi issue. I would be very surprised if your graphics card does not have a full sized hdmi output. Can i assume that it is your monitor which is lacking a full sized hdmi input?

I had issues with 3 and 4 sensors with 1 Inateck card, so I bought two and separated the 4 sensors, that worked great until one of the Inateck cards caught fire. I then bought the Startech card and all has been great! but the card is expensive and you must have a PCIe x4 slot avaliable. I you have AMazon Prime it may be worth buying the Startech card and test with it, if it does not solve your issues send it right back, Amazon has always been great on returns for me.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HJZEA2S/

Is it an older TE stick? I only recall older Xbox sticks having issues, the generation 1 sticks. I had a PS3 stick before, and got it to work on PC after a lot of headaches. To make mine work, I had to buy a PCI to USB 2.0 card with a VIA chipset on it. I didn't think Xbox sticks were affected by this problem, but I hope this information helps you. The pci cards themselves are fairly cheap, and you should be able to pick one up online.

Here's one for illustration's sake: notice the VIA branding on the chip.

Best of luck.

I think that you're supposed to use a PCIe 3.0 slot, but my computer only has PCIe 2.0 support. If your computer has been manufactured after ~2008 (which I certainly hope it has if you're getting a rift!) then you should have at least 2.0 slots. I'm using this expansion card and with my Rift and both sensors plugged into it things have worked flawlessly.

TL;DR you're probably fine, just grab this card.

Why do you have one of the best overclockable cpus of the last 5 years on a locked motherboard!? kidding Makes me want to cry lol

Have you ran the Rift compatibility tool? I'm not concerned with your cpu or gpu at this point, but whether or not your usb 3.0 ports are compatible with the Rift. Also, your motherboard only has two usb 3.0 ports, which is fine for now, but if you want to get Touch down the road, you'll need a third port. Fortunately, an incompatible usb 3.0 controller and/or insufficient ports can be remedied with a usb expansion card that plugs into a pci-e slot.

So with that out of the way, if you want to overclock, unfortunately, there aren't any 1155 mobos still in production that are any good(overclockable + having enough usb 3 ports), and this leaves you with two options:

Go on ebay and search for "1155 motherboard"'s and look for a used one that allows overclocking and has enough usb 3.0 ports(and are hopefully compatible), or keep your current mobo and just get the usb expansion card to add the ports, if you need them.

It'll be a bummer to have to leave your 2600k on its leash, but the latter option is the easiest/cheaper route to take, and, personally, I don't think tracking down a mobo is worth the hassle. As much as I like overclocking, the benefit it brings to gaming is pretty minor.

As far as your GPU goes, I have a GTX 780(2 in SLI, but SLI means moot to VR currently :( ) and am waiting for Nvidia to release their pascal line of cards, which should be revealed in April and released sometime towards the beginning of June. I'm not saying drop $700+ on a new card, but the release of pascal should drop the prices of the 980's for you during the following weeks, so wait until that time, if you can.

So to summarize and add a bit more:

Keep your current mobo, buy an expansion card should your USB 3 controller be incompatible and/or you want to purchase Touch down the road. Your stock 2600k should be okay. Don't buy a GPU now, wait for Nvidia to release their new line of cards and purchase a 980 when the price drops. Once you've done this and you find your CPU isn't cutting it, THEN track down a mobo, buy a cooler(like something from the Corsair Hydro series, they're around $100 and the 1155 brackets are compatible with Skylake should you decide to upgrade later), and overclock it.

Fair enough brother. The controllers are on point indeed. There will always be a newer and better HMD coming out, I personally can’t wait for the StarVR One. I have a Rift, Go, Vive, and Vive Pro and they are all groovy. I am proud you have done such a good job working and saving up for your purchase. You are gonna be so happy!

Also- if you are going to add that 3rd sensor for full room scale tracking you may want to grab an additional USB card for your build as those bandwidth issues are pretty wack. https://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Superspeed-Ports-PCI-Expansion/dp/B00B6ZCNGM is compatible per the oculus site. Just food for future thought.

I bought a used PS3 TE1 on craiglists. Great condition for $90. Owner got SFV on the PC but couldn't get it to work. Still got it anyways and did some research. From what I found out it seems that the ps3 te1 hasn't been working on the pc since the sfiv days for many. It has to do with the UHCI USB 1.1 that many newer motherboards don't have. Only option for many is a hardware workaround which is a usb pci card. I got this one http://www.amazon.com/Syba-Port-Card-Components-SD-VIA-5U/dp/B000JFJZGG?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00. It's been working fine since with joy2key. Hope that helps.

Edit: If you are going to get any USB pci cards make sure it's of the VIA chipset. Those are the ones that the ps3 te1 will work with.

I'd be very interested to know if you can get 4 sensors running at USB 3.0 on one card (just as a test), I was able to run 3 sensors from one card as long as I connected the Rift to a different card or motherboard USB port, but it wasn't very reliable so I wouldn't recommend either setup, best play it safe and stick to 2 sensors per card, to try and balance the load evenly.

Also, before everyone runs out to buy a second card, they should check to see if their motherboard already includes an ASMedia USB 3.1 "Gen 2" controller (ASM1142). I've had no problem running two sensors from these using the newer drivers, unfortunately one of the ports is often routed to a Type-C port, but you could use a converter dongle for that one. There are also a lot of PCIE add-in cards available based on this controller, but only a few have two Type A ports, this is the one I posted about 3 weeks ago:

https://www.amazon.com/ORICO-Expansion-Adapter-external-Connector/dp/B01AVSN2YG

It seems to be a popular choice now, some people have been reporting better results than with the Inateck card, but if you have applied the power-management fixes in the script then there shouldn't actually be much real-world difference on most motherboards.

You need 2 cards for 2 SSD's. This card only has an x4 length connector, and there's also only 1 slot on the card (how were you expecting to insert 2 drives?) You can still do what you're trying to with multiple cards, since your mobo has 3 x16 slots, but have you considered just getting a single larger drive?

Cards that support multiple drives exist, however they require the motherboard to support PCIe bifurcation, which is mostly only available on high end workstation motherboards. If your mobo doesn't support this, then the best you can do is separate cards for every drive.

> There isn't really 16 lane version of u.2

And there aren't any controller chips that support more than 4x NVMe / PCIe 3.0 lanes that I'm aware of. Basically, SSDs can only support 4x lanes. Even Optane is only 4x lanes.

RAIDed arrays of 4x 4xlane is pretty nifty. But that's utilizing the M.2 form factor more so than anything else.

> This adds a bit to latency.

NVMe SSDs have an IOPS rating of 100,000, or roughly 1us of latency (best case scenario... and that's a big stretch). Cable-length and buffers have latency of 0.005 us, or roughly on the order of nanoseconds. Its a complete non-issue.

The only one working on breaking down the latency issue is Intel Optane with their DIMM-based SSD arrays. Breaking the microsecond barrier probably will require something crazy, like Gen-Z or whatever. For now, with PCIe based technology, U.2 and M.2 are sufficient. No real point getting PCIe SSDs... its cheaper and more effective to join the mass production of the industry and support U.2 and M.2.

Can confirm this card works like a charm:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JFR2H64/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ZG5oxbQXEQ0EK

I have the two port version with a powered bluray drive and a WD My Passport working wonderfully using PCI power.

You could use a PCIE expander card like this Asus Hyper M.2 x16 Card Expansion NV Me M.2 Drives and Speed up to 128Gbps Components https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0753JTJTG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_aLQ-BbAQ4JE2Y

Find a motherboard and chipset that has a lot of PCIE lanes and supports bifurcation (so those 4xNVMe drives can split up the shared PCIE slot).

I've also thought about doing this just because.....well because it would just be fun to see how fast you could make it. Lolz

If the cable is fine my best guess is that the USB slot isn't providing enough power. When I replaced my launch Rift S with a newer one (manufactured in August) I noticed that it no longer liked the USB slot I had been using for my launch Rift S.

It'd work fine for a few minutes until something happens that I'm guessing requires more energy and the PC isn't supplying enough and then I lose tracking. For example in Creed VR whenever I got knocked down I'd lose tracking and I'd have to quit the game and restart Oculus Home. That's something that never happened with my launch Rift S.

So to fix that I just bought a USB card and I haven't had issues since:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B6ZCNGM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you do go this route I suggest you make sure to disable USB sleep through device manager, to be safe just disable USB sleep on every USB Root Hub listed. I made the mistake of not disabling the new USB Root Hub that was created when I installed the card and it went to sleep after my first session and it was a nightmare to get it to unsleep, I had to keep uninstalling and reinstalling until the drivers finally worked magically.

Once I got it working again I made sure to disable USB sleep on all the USB root hubs and haven't had any issues since. Do note that Windows Updates sometimes resets your power saving options so after every Windows Update make sure that your USB root hubs are still set to never sleep.

Build complete!

I ultimately decided to buy the ASUS board and replace the CPU cooler while I was at it. A few caveats about the Sabertooth X58:

1. If you want the X58, consider a case with USB 2.0 ports on the front panel. The Cooler Master HAF 922 only has USB 3.0 ports, which are meant to connect to the motherboard with a 20-pin connector. The X58 lacks a port for this type of connector, so I will have to install something like this Anker Uspeed card if I want to use the front USB ports.
   
   
2. The first two SATA ports on the board are 6 Gb/s, but they are on a separate Marvell controller, which by all accounts is absolute garbage. I am using the 3 Gb/s ports, which are on an Intel controller, and those seem fast enough for me. I disabled the Marvell in the BIOS.
   
   
3. Make sure to switch your storage mode to AHCI if you want to get the most out of your SATA drives. The BIOS defaults to IDE mode. (And the ASUS manual is mostly useless because it doesn't tell you anything you can't already infer from the names of the BIOS settings.)
   
   
4. You need to manually configure the boot order of your hard disks, otherwise it will try the wrong disk and fail to find your OS. I had a moment of panic because I forgot that my boot partition is not on my SSD but rather on the original HDD that came with my Dell.
   
   Personally, I think these are minor issues as long as you're aware of them. And now that I've told you, you are :)
   
   The 5800 series does not require Dell-specific drivers. In fact, Windows 7 detected and installed drivers for pretty much all my hardware on boot. It took a couple reboots to get everything installed.
   
   Final tally:
   
   

• Cooler Master HAF 922 case - 79.99 USD
  
• Corsair TX650 power supply - 89.99 USD
  
• ASUS Sabertooth X58 motherboard - 119.99 USD
  
• Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU cooler w/fan - 33.01 USD
  
  
  TOTAL COST: 322.98 USD + tax
  
  Not bad to get a few more years of life out of the components. And this case and PSU combo should be a solid platform for future upgrades.
  
  I wish you luck with your own build. Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions.

I'm running a GIGABYTE GA-Z87X-UD3H 1150 Mobo, i5 4690k CPU, 16 GB of GSKILL memory, 3 solid state hard drives (1TB, 500GB and 240GB), DVD-Burner and a 1070 EVGA SuperClock video card. I have 3-12" case lights and 6 case fans (1-240mm, 5-120mm). I keep my Astro A50 headphones, my xBox 360 controller and my phone plugged in / charging USB when I VR. Everything plugged in is USB 3.0 and I haven't had any power or tracking issues with 3 sensors. I'm running this ancient 500W OCZ power supply from 2008. I didn't upgrade my power supply during my last couple upgrades because because videos cards and CPUs have been becoming so power efficient. I think the power issues people are experiencing have to do with how the main board handles power and how much it supplies to the USB controller and less to do with the power supply. I assume mine is pretty tough since the 6-USB ports on the back are all 3.0. I'd take a good look at your mother board before buying a new PSU. Does anyone know if the PCI-e x1 USB cards would help? It seems they'd get supplied power separate from the on-board USB controller, I'm not sure how that works though. I bought one to free up USB ports but I haven't installed it yet. It will be interesting to see if my 500W can handle that too.

Eek, I just noticed I'm running pretty much the same mobo as OP. I guess I'd try a powered USB hub, it's hard to believe my 500W is kicking so much ass.

Please help me compile a list of known issues so we can itemize and isolate them with known successful fixes. If anyone has fixes please pile on and share them.

Known issues

• random HDMI disconnects
  
  https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/5j21cd/a_plea_for_oculus_to_put_together_some_resources/
  
  
• Trouble upgrading to 3rd sensor
  
  
• Trouble upgrading to 4th sensor
  
  
• Floating controller
  
  
• Setup issue
  
  
• Camera hand off issue
  
  
• Controller Jitter
  
  
• guardian wall shifting
  
  
  
  TROUBLESHOOTING
  
  
• DO NOT MOUNT SENSORS UPSIDE DOWN. If you have them ceiling mounted, move those mounts to the walls so that your sensors can be right-side-up. - /u/MattVanAndel
  
  
• Update Windows power plan settings. In your Power Plan's advanced settings, disable "USB selective suspend" - /u/MattVanAndel
  
  
  
• In Device Manager, edit the properties for each USB hub and Oculus device and disable "Allow Windows to turn this off to save power" - /u/MattVanAndel
  
  
  Recommended Equipment
  
  
• Inateck Superspeed 4 Ports PCI-E to USB 3.0 Expansion Card

The question is a little bit broad, but you plug it into your graphics cards display port and into a USB port, download the Oculus software and steam VR if you want to play steam games and you're set. You'll want a graphics card like a GTX1050ti or higher for the games and at least a modern CPU.

Alternatively in the Rift S case it uses some kind of 3D mapping of your room/ play area to track the headset with it's cameras and then also uses the headsets cameras to track the controllers via IR lights emitted from them that flash at different frequencies.

If you do get a Rift S and your specs are up to par but you find that you loose tracking completely sometimes or get static/ snow looking stuff on your screen this can be fixed by purchasing and installing a USB expansion card in your pc, the recommended ones are basically anything with a Fresco L1100 chipset like this one: https://www.amazon.com.au/Inateck-Superspeed-Ports-PCI-Expansion/dp/B00B6ZCNGM

Try different USB ports or external PCIE USB card. My friend has similar issue like you and he added a PCIE USB card and that solved his issue. Good luck.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B6ZCNGM/

Most are pretty cheap, I got one that was pretty expensive, that gives each port it's own USB controller.

This is the one that I got:
StarTech.com 4 Port PCI Express... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HJZEA2S?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Also the extra sensor comes with a USB 2.0 extension, if you want it to go over USB 3.0 you're gonna want a USB 3.0 active extension.

Edit: active extension depending on how long you need the extension to be.

You only have 2 usb ports? What the hell? Where do your other peripherals go? Don't tell me you are using a PS/2 mouse and keyboard XD

Yeah it is easy. Just put more in.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B6ZCNGM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The one I linked is an Oculus recommended one. This is probably the easiest hardware upgrade you can do. Shouldn't be too difficult even for someone who hasn't messed around inside a PC before. Just unscrew the little section on the back plate to make room for it, plug it into the PCI-E slot above or beneath your graphics card and plug your power source into it as well.

I'm not seeing a fan header but this shows what they look like. They do make fan controllers that you can buy that can either be manually controlled or software controlled. Something like this will fit in a 3.5 inch drivebay and offers manual control of up to four fans.

It was my idea so I guess I will go first.

Sonnet Allegro Pro USB 3.0 PCIe card - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XPUHO10

Don't watch too much LTT any more but caught this one on a recent video. It is a USB card with 4 ports on 4 seperate controllers.
Could come in quite useful especially where speed or direct connectablitly is concerned. Though hot plug support is kind of added in recent versions of KVM, it isn't quite ready for seamless or bug free use yet.

It isn't specifically 'Intel' chipset that matters, it's UHCI support. Which older Intel chipsets (ICH series) support, along with some via chips, etc.

My friend had no UHCI support so I picked out a plug-in card from amazon for him for a few dollars.

Anything with a VIA VT62xx (VT6202 / VT6212) chip should work. Something like this

Try one of these two pci-e usb cards.

2 Port

4 Port

I can't find the source right now but I read someplace that these cards were recommend by a valve employee for people having usb issues.

Good luck!

You have room for a PCIe card?

https://smile.amazon.com/Inateck-Superspeed-Ports-PCI-Expansion/dp/B00FPIMICA/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=7+port+pcie&qid=1558542239&s=gateway&sr=8-3

These things are super clean rather than a dongle that hangs off the back.

https://smile.amazon.com/Anker-Extended-MacBook-Surface-Notebook/dp/B07L32B9C2/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=usb+hub&qid=1558542406&s=gateway&sr=8-5

Otherwise 2 of those are likely your best bet

An Inateck 3.0 USB PCI-E card works the best for issues like this. I've tried a powered USB hub before getting the PCI-E card and it doesn't work that well, doesn't give off enough power. If you have a free PCI-E slot on your MoBo, then the Inateck card could be your solution.

Here is a link to the card: https://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Superspeed-Ports-PCI-Expansion/dp/B00B6ZCNGM/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=inateck+usb+card&qid=1567531402&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Look at this!!!

> This Syba SD-VIA-5U 4 port USB 2.0 pci 2.0 card adds 4 USB 2.0 ports, One shared internal USB 2.0 A port and 4 external USB 2.0 port, to your PCI-capable PC. The PCI USB 2.0 card is a versatile solution that lets you add USB 2.0 connections without having to upgrade the system motherboard. An all-in-one solution, the PCI USB card supports USB 2.0 device connections for full data transfer speeds of up to 480Mbps, and is backward compatible with USB 1.1 devices (max. transfer rate 12Mbps), allowing you to connect any USB device to the computer without having to worry about compatibility issues.

Oh man this looks great...

>Driver CD (for Windows ME, 98SE, Linux and Mac OS)

oh.

However the amazon listing claims

> Plug and Play Installation for Windows 7, Vista and XP

so maybe take that plunge?
Worst case scenario its $10

I also currently use an i7 920. I have an Asus P6T Deluxe (LGA1366). The x58 is an enthusiast class platform with 40 PCIe lanes. So I put in a PCIe USB 3.0 card with 4 ports for $18. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011LZY20G/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also I got a SATA 3.0 PCIe controller card (will give you AHCI) for $68 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007EM7N70/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I then added 2 Samsung 850 Pro drives onto the new controller as well as a Samsung 950 M.2 SSD through a PCIe card https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018U79YQK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Also added 24GB of RAM over the years.

I run an EVGA 1080FTW and game at 2460x1440. I get the following avg framerates. Witcher 3 = 57fps Trine 2 = 76fps, Starcraft 2 = 50fps, Tomb Raider 2013 = 81fps.

Personally I am wanting to replace it with an equal or better system which Skylake is NOT because it only has 16PCIe lanes to the CPU. I'm eagerly waiting for Skylake-E at around middle of 2017, that's the next big enthusiast level upgrade.
Any questions just ask.

> I hope you have more than beliefs.

Yupp. Oculus official FAQ says this lol. https://support.oculus.com/help/oculus/1709142099318823/?ref=hc_fnav

Also worth noting usb 2.0 ports work too for the camera, 3.0 just works better.

>#My computer does not have enough USB 3.0 or 2.0 ports

>If your computer does not have enough available USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 ports, Rift will not work.

>What are my options?

>1. Purchase and install a compatible PCI Express USB 3.0 Expansion Card. Click here to view a compatible card.
If this card is not available to you, use another PCI-E USB 3.0 Expansion Card that uses the Fresco Logic FL1100EX chipset.
If you need assistance with installing new computer hardware, please reach out to a computer technician or specialist for guidance.
2. Use a different computer that has enough available USB ports and meets all of our recommended specifications.
3. Purchase a new computer certified by Oculus to meet Rift's recommended specifications. To view those options, click here.

Sandybridge is old now, I'm surprised there's even any boards for sale, none of the boards for sale on PCPP have the USB 3.0 header, so you either have to accept you can't use them or look for a second hand motherboard on ebay that does.

Another option if it's important you have them and you don't want to mess around looking for second hand boards that are compatible, is you can just buy an expansion card for USB 3.0, something similiar to this which you just slot into the motherboard and then plug the case headers into that.

Edit: Here's a picture showing the 20 pin connector you want

I'd recommend buying a USB 3.0 expansion card if your motherboard has a spot for it. This one is suggested by Oculus. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B6ZCNGM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Using a hub serves almost no purpose when it comes to VR because all of the power is still eventually being funneled through one usb port on your computer. That being said, it's possible the Rift and sensors will work with your current set up, but tracking might be a bit spotty using that many 2.0 ports for the sensors.

EDIT: I misread your post a bit. If you're only using 2 sensors and the headset, you should be fine with your set up. I'd recommend plugging the headset into a 2.0 along with one sensor and the other sensor into 3.0. You might need to play around with that part of it, but I think you'll be alright. I'd still recommend the expansion card though.

This one reads 15 8TB drives for me in 36 seconds on Jminer. It has a Molex connection but seems to work pretty well without additional power. 3 powered hubs attached.

4 Port PCI Express (PCIe) SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Card Adapter w/ 4 Dedicated 5Gbps Channels - UASP - SATA / LP4 Power https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HJZEA2S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_u5W5uiQEv2aZ6

The room is 11'x12'
No bed however there is a couch which takes up some valuable space.
I used wall bushings that I sawed partially in half with a dremel so that I could slip the cable into it without having to cut the USB head off. I also had to soak the bushing is boiling water to soften it up a bit for bending. It makes the hole in the ceiling very clean. The hole itself was drilled just wide enough to get the USB head through. I'll post some pics soon of the wires. :)
Here is a list of parts.
Ceiling Mounts
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001D49TU4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Wall Bushings
https://www.amazon.com/Single-Feed-Thru-Bushings-package-CIMPLE/dp/B01EKG1K1W/ref=pd_cp_23_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01EKG1K1W&pd_rd_r=69VB8HQYJYJ1ABYZDDNH&pd_rd_w=kvX5u&pd_rd_wg=VNk2q&psc=1&refRID=69VB8HQYJYJ1ABYZDDNH
StarTech 4 port PCI Express
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HJZEA2S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Cable Matters Active USB 3.0 16 feet
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DMFB5OK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

More info here, including a working PCI-E card:

https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/3zrtgs/psa_your_usb_30_ports_may_not_be_compatible_with/

Basically it looks like Intel and Fresco controllers are good. That throws a lot of motherboards more than a couple years old out of contention.

Amazon links for your convenience:

• US Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Superspeed-Ports-PCI-E-Expansion/dp/B00FPIMICA
  
• Canadian Amazon: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00PAFDW3M
  
• UK Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inateck-Express-Connector-Controller-Internal/dp/B00FPIMJEW
  
  Note: technically any of the powered inateck ones should work since they all use Fresco controllers, but note that the 2 port one only gives you the extra front panel ports if your case supports that. It's safest to get one of the versions with 4 or 5 ports on the back. I can confirm the 5 port+20pin version passes the test for me.

If you're looking for a cheap miner just for fun, I would go for the Antminer U2 such as this one : http://www.amazon.com/BITMAIN-ANTMINER-U2-Bitcoin-Overclockable/dp/B00ITD5NV6/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1418098493&sr=1-1&keywords=antminer+U2 . They can go up to 2.4Gh/s, which is more than 5 times the 336Mh/s than the one you found for only twice the price. This is what I use and it's pretty neat. I'm sure you can find them for a few bucks cheaper if you shop around.

You have USB hardware made by VIA, and that's incompatible. You'll need to buy an addon PCI board with USB-3 ports on it.

Something like this - I would suggest the type that has a power plug, so it doesn't draw power for the USB devices through the PCI slot, since not all motherboards live perfectly up to the standards for power requirements.

The board you choose must also have a chipset that is approved by Oculus. Looking at their homepage, it has to use the "Fresco Logic FL1100EX chipset."

Actually, on their support page they link specifically to a card that is approved.

----

One more thing - notice the choice of words. "The Nvidia GTX 960 meets or exceeds our inimum system requirements."

That means that if it was any slower, it couldn't run at all - but it doesn't meet their recommended requirements, and it's nowhere near their optimal requirements.

So it's not going to run optimally, or even like recommended.

u/Kill_Switch87 just remember that the Oculus devices that need USB 3.0 (the headset, sensor camera stand, and the second stand if you buy Touch later this year) need to be plugged into the motherboard directly (with the below exception).

Your case will have extra USB on the front, but the Oculus devices (excluding the wireless xbox one controller) need to plug into the motherboard.

If you need or want additional USB ports, buy this specific product recommended by Oculus (many others are not right for it):

https://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Superspeed-Ports-PCI-Expansion/dp/B00B6ZCNGM

This plugs into your motherboard and will make additional USB 3.0 slots stick out of the PC similar to how your graphics card and motherboard do. You CAN plug Oculus devices into this specific PCI-E USB 3.0 expansion card! You could use it to plug in all of your Oculus devices in a nice neat row together.

The U2 went on sale on February 27th without announcement. I was one of the first to purchase them and received my batch of 500 on March 5th. Only a few batches sold before they closed sales and updated with a new release date.

I can confirm that they 'default' to 1.6gh/s, but are more than capable of reaching 2.2+gh/s without extra cooling.

If anyone is interested, I'm trying to be the cheapest seller of the U2s on Amazon under the name "Fund-A-Miner" here:

http://www.amazon.com/BITMAIN-ANTMINER-U2-Bitcoin-Overclockable/dp/B00ITD5NV6/ref=aag_m_pw_dp?ie=UTF8&m=A1LBZI6C51C6OJ

The Best Buy vr headset cable didn't work for my rift so I pulled the cables apart and used the 3.0 extension for my second sensor since I was out of the return period. Works perfect for that.

Here's what I got for my headset and the only things I'd recommend for headset extensions:

hdmi cable

hdmi repeater

usb 3 cable

inateck usb 3 card

The usb extender cable wouldn't work with anything besides the usb 3 card for me so I would say just buy it too. Though, I can only plug 2 things into the usb card.

These 4 things solved all my problems though. You can roll the dice on the best buy cord, but there's a decent chance you'll have to buy this stuff after and this way you get 15ft of extension instead of 9.

4770k + 1070 is what have on my other PC haha. Great combo those two.

Ok so I/O, the Asus blows the Taichi out of the water. Significantly more USB ports with more USB 3.2 and 3.1.
Taichi does have 3 M.2, but keep in mind, if you use the 3rd (Bottom) M.2 on the Taichi, it will disable the PCIeX16_3 (The third PCI X16).


Both boards support Bifurcation on the PCIX16_2, so you can run a M.2 Adapter. Link: https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-M-2-X16-V2-Threadripper/dp/B07NQBQB6Z/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=asus+hyper+m.2&qid=1571710576&sr=8-1


Unfortunately, the maximum you can run is TWO M.2, even tho the link I showed says it supports 4. This is due to the PCIe Limitation being X8. The card is electrically wired to 16X, and the slot runing X8, means it can only see half the card. In the ASUS Bios, you set PCIX16 to "Raid". This swill split the X8 into X4+X4 which will then see both M.2's on the Adapter Card.


My favorite Brand is Asus. But, they are fairly more expensive with their boards this time around. I switched to a cheaper X570 from Gigabyte because I find Ryzen 3000 doesnt overclock that much, and that Asus andTaichi board are meant for extreme overclocking.

Two possibilities: Your USB controllers don't have the bandwidth to cope with all the devices you have plugged into them OR the motherboard isn't supplying enough power (especially if you are using extensions). Are all sensors recognized in Device Manager? How many USB controllers does your motherboard have? You want to keep to a max of two cameras per controller.

​

I've had this and many other problems on a z68 and z370 board. If you have a PCIex4 (or x8) slot open on the motherboard, the Startech PCIex4 USB 3.0 card is something you should look into. It has it's own wacky issues, like BIOS dropping a controller (or two) when you shutdown/power up your computer, but it's about the best solution I've seen for those who venture into Oculus unsupportedville with 4 cameras. It also has LP4 and SATA power input for more reliable power delivery.

Hi again. Tried my Rift S on another person's PC today (I have Ryzen 1600 and GTX 1070, they have Intel i7 and GTX 1080) and it worked perfect. No issues. At random intervals, I'll be playing and I'll just get stuck. The game still renders. Nothing is frozen. My controllers and headset stay in whatever position they are though. If I crouch down, it displays the world like I'm standing up. I can turn around but if I step forward, I don't move in the game. I've done everything I can, including contacting support, moving everything I have to USB 2.0 (which is only my mouse and keyboard, nothing else) and using a USB 3.1 port, reinstalled Windows 3 times and done other fixes in Windows. I can't think of anything else but to get a USB expansion hub, since my motherboard (B350 PC MATE) might not be able to provide enough power or bandwidth. I live in Australia and buying the recommended Oculus expansion card (https://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Superspeed-Ports-PCI-Expansion/dp/B00B6ZCNGM) costs approximately 60 Australian dollars. I don't want to spend that much. What is the cheapest USB expansion card I can get that will work with a Rift S, that is available in Australia? I only need 1 port. Thank you for looking.

Easiest solution for me was to pass through a PCIe USB hub. This is the one I got, I found it recommended in an old post. Also picked up one of these. Plugged an aux cable from that into the microphone jack in the onboard audio. Then just use pavucontrol to set it up as a loopback device to whatever your physical device is.

Also did M+KB with the USB hub and a hardware KVM switch. There are other means to do it, with the Software KVM Switch and Evdev passthrough but I found the hardware solution to be the easiest and fastest.

Sonnet Allegro Pro USB 3.0 PCIe card

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XPUHO10/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've had good luck with this. Whatever you get make sure to get a card with dedicated controller per port.

http://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Superspeed-Ports-PCI-E-Expansion/dp/B00FPIMICA is the usb card that is recomended by Oculus.
Just search "oculus usb support" on google and it will take you to the support page at oculus so you can easily verify that this usb card is "stamp of approval card" from occulus.

Build:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor | £173.94 @ Aria PC
CPU Cooler | Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler | £24.97 @ Amazon UK
Motherboard | MSI Z97-G55 SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | £93.82 @ Aria PC
Memory | Crucial Ballistix Sport XT 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | £66.04 @ More Computers
Storage | Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | £79.00 @ Amazon UK
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | £62.95 @ Amazon UK
Video Card | MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card | £280.00 @ Aria PC
Case | Thermaltake Chaser A31 ATX Mid Tower Case | £59.78 @ Amazon UK
Power Supply | XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | £46.99 @ Amazon UK
Optical Drive | LG BH16NS40.AUAR10B 16x SATA Internal BD-RW Retail Kit | £90.00 @ Amazon
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) | £0.00
Monitor | Asus VN248H 23.8" Monitor | £192.79 @ Amazon UK
Wireless Network Adapter | TP-Link TL-WN881ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter | £12.75 @ Amazon UK
Keyboard | Cherry G80-3850LYBGB-2 Wired Standard Keyboard | £55.24 @ Amazon UK
Mouse | Gigabyte GM-M6900 Wired Optical Mouse | £16.99
Speakers | M-Audio Studiophile AV30 20W 2ch Speakers | £89.00
Other| Dell 1905fp Monitor| £0.00
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | £1344.26
| *Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria |
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-16 16:28 GMT+0000 |

Two questions:

1) I want to add a card reader to my build, and I'm 99% sure that I'll be going with this one. I'm assuming that because because I'm using the USB header for the front of my case, I'll need to get a PCI-e card like this one to get the USB3.0 speeds on the card reader?

2) Other than my shitty second monitor, what do you think will be the first/next thing that will require upgrading? I want to get an i7 in the future but I'm fine with what I have right now - but I do the occasional video editing and I think it'd help.

I'm happy to hear that you made good progress figuring things out!

I happen to have the Logitech G29 wheel, which is the PS4 version of the G920. I had similar problems to what you were describing. The issues were solved by also plugging the wheel into the same USB PCIe card I mentioned. Here it is on Amazon, though it appears to be out of stock right now (and possibly no longer available from Amazon). Note that this card is recommended by Oculus, Valve, and HTC for users having USB troubles.

Here's hoping you get some good VR time in and get your wheel working in conjunction. These issues are frustrating, but the experience is absolutely magical and totally worth the similar amount of effort I put in resolving my own issues.

On windows 10 type power options in the "Type here to search" Cortana box. Select edit power plan, Select change advanced power settings. USB settings, turn off selective suspend. Next go to the start button and right click, Select device manager, go to universal serial bus controllers at the bottom, find USB root hub's right click, go to properties, go to power the power management tab, uncheck the let the computer turn off this device to save power box. This really won't fix the issue, I would suggest getting OTT or the oculus tray tool. It will help you set the power options. But what fixed it for me was getting a USB 3.0 PCI card.

https://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Superspeed-Ports-PCI-Expansion/dp/B00FPIMICA

Another thing that has helped some people with nvidia GPU's is to have the oculus be the only thing plugged into the HDMI port. If you have a monitor plugged into HDMI get a conversion cable to display port and plug the HDMI monitor into that. Or better yet, if you monitor supports DVI or Diplay port use that.

​

Here is the link to OTT: https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/5okoju/oculus_tray_tool/