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Perfect Oculus Rift, Flyinside and room scale setup and my journey to get there.

gkflyhigh
Honored Guest
After many many hours spent over two months trying to make the Oculus Rift CV1 work consistently, I've found the best possible combination and I think this info will really help those looking for a hassle free experience. My experience will be especially relevant to folks who need their other USB ports to work for things like Joysticks and any pilots looking to use Flyinside.

In short the two absoulute must haves for a good VR experience are:
1) The MSI Z270A Xpower Titanium Motherboard because it has a supplemental VR Boost power 6 pin connector on the baord that ensures no drops or judders even when I'm using three sensors, the Xbox one controller, wireless USB Keybord/Mouse. The overclocking function within BIOS OR with the included physical switch is a one click wonder with OC levels from 1-11. I set mine to a maximum setting of 11 and the I5-7600K bumped up from 3.8 to 4.9 GHZ with temps at 40 deg Celcius idle/60 deg playing any Oculus games/80 deg for CPU intensive FSX at Max settings with Flyinside.  
2) A Sata III or M.2 SSD because Windows 10 just doesn't work well with a mechanical HDD as these always show at 99-100% disk usage even after fresh windows installs with nothing else on the HDD!

Here is my perfect VR Rig for the Oculus
MB: MSI Z270A Xpower Titanium Motherboard (Amazon Warehouse deals $290)
CPU: Kaby Lake I5 7600K one click OC to 4.9 GHz (Amazon new $240)
GPU: ASUS GTX 1080 Rog Strix BC 1835 MHz (Amazon Warehouse deals $485)
RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR 4 LPX 8 GB 3000 MHz (Amazon new $70)
HD: Crucial MX300 1TB M.2 (2280) SSD (Amazon new $270)
PS: EVGA G3 850W (Amazon new $120)
CASE: Corsair Graphite 780T (Amazon Warehouse Deals $150)
USB: On Board Intel eXtensible ports ($0)
DEVICES: Logitech USB Wireless Keyboard & Mouse / Saitek CyborgX / 3 Oculus Sensors on USB 3.0 / Oculus RIft on USB 3.0
OS: Windows 10 Education (Free for anyone with a college email address)
PROGRAMS: Oculus Home, EA Origin, Steam, VorpX, Flyinside
If I want I can even have a gazillion programs and overlays running without problems in the background, such as all the Motherboard utlities, GPU utilities, CPU-Z, EA Origin & Steam and still play Oculus/Unspoken/EVE Valkerie at Ultra settings. Spec'ing a similar ALienware Aurora config with slower RAM/slower GTX 1080 was ~ $300 more at $1900 while mine cost $1600 after I convinced my wife to let me go all out in the end 🙂

Here are the combinations that DID NOT work without USB disconnects (eg. mouse/keyboard/Xbox controller stops working when running Oculus). This is after I followed the Oculus team's advice on USB cards and their Windows 10 USB power management disabling guide.

1) Dear wife, I only have to get a graphics and Inateck card because my 7 yr old OC I7-920 is still powerful. Promise to spend less than $1000 with Oculus Rift and Touch included!
MB: Asus P6X58e-WS / CPU: Core I7-920 OC 3.8 GHz / GPU: ASUS GTX 1060 6 GB / RAM: OCZ 8 GB DDR 3 1600 MHz / HD: Hitachi 1 TB 5400 RPM / PS: OCZ 700W / USB: Inateck 4 port Card
Didn't work due to constant USB disconnects.

2) Dear wife, I only have to get this additional $100 USB card that Oculus is recommending and I need to spend an extra $100 on a GTX 1070.
MB: Asus P6X58e-WS / CPU: Core I7-920 OC 3.8 GHz / GPU: EVGA GTX 1070 8 GB / RAM: OCZ 8 GB DDR 3 1600 MHz / HD: Hitachi 1 TB 5400 RPM / PS: OCZ 700W / USB: Highpoint 4 Port USB 3.0 RocketU 1144D
Didn't work due to BSOD's "System Thread Exception Not Handled" and then "Clock Watchdog Timeout".

3) Dear wife, I only have to go back to the Inateck card again and use USB 2.0 for one of the two sensors and the headset.
MB: Asus P6X58e-WS / CPU: Core I7-920 OC 3.8 GHz / GPU: EVGA GTX 1070 8 GB / RAM: OCZ 8 GB DDR 3 1600 MHz / HD: Hitachi 1 TB 5400 RPM / PS: OCZ 700W / USB: Inateck 4 port Card
Didn't work due to USB disconnects.

4) Dear wife, this wont cost us anything. Can you tell me where you put my old MSI X58 pro MB? Dear God, please help me:)
MB: MSI X58-Pro / CPU: Core I7-920 Stock 2.66 GHz / GPU: EVGA GTX 1070 8 GB / RAM: OCZ 8 GB DDR 3 1600 MHz / HD: Hitachi 1 TB 5400 RPM / PS: OCZ 700W / USB: Inateck 4 port Card
IT WORKS!!! Was working great with one sensor/headset on USB 3.0 card one on USB 2.0. No USB disconnects at all.

5) Dear God, I must have room scale and really need a 3rd sensor. Dear wife, only one more $20 Inateck card and $60 Oculus sensor plus I asked God almighty upstairs and I'm sure he'll come through like last time? I even gave $20 in charity!
MB: MSI X58-Pro / CPU: Core I7-920 Stock 2.66 GHz / GPU: EVGA GTX 1070 8 GB / RAM: OCZ 8 GB DDR 3 1600 MHz / HD: Hitachi 1 TB 5400 RPM / PS: OCZ 700W / USB: 2 Inateck 4 port Cards
Crap! The power went off after a split second. Lets try with only one card. Nope, system wont post.

6) Dear wife, I only have to spend $60 more to get a new relatively inexpensive XEON CPU
MB: MSI X58-Pro / CPU: Xeon x5687 3.6 GHz stock / GPU: EVGA GTX 1070 8 GB / RAM: OCZ 8 GB DDR 3 1600 MHz / HD: Hitachi 1 TB 5400 RPM / PS: OCZ 700W / USB: Inateck 4 port Card
Didn't work due to system still wouldn't post

7) Dear wife, I'm sure the ASUS will work with only a new power supply. I need $120.
MB: Asus P6X58e-WS / CPU: Xeon x5687 3.6 GHz stock / GPU: EVGA GTX 1070 8 GB / RAM: OCZ 8 GB DDR 3 1600 MHz / HD: Hitachi 1 TB 5400 RPM / PS: EVGA G3 850W / USB: Inateck 4 port Card
Didn't work, system wouldn't recognize either Inateck card.

😎 Dear God, I know you love me more than my mother does and I want a great computer so I can play VR and FSX with Flyinside since my dream of flying real planes is dead; I  hear you have infinite treasures and I beg you help me out pleeeease Lord. Dear Wife, I can totally explain today's orders from Amazon... Lets eat out tonight :0
MB: Asus Z270e Rog Strix (Amazon Warehouse Deals $200)/ CPU: Kaby Lake I5 7600K Stock 3.8 GHz / GPU: ASUS GTX 1080 Rog Strix BC 1835 MHz / RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR 4 LPX 8 GB 3000 MHz / HD: Hitachi 1 TB 5400 RPM / PS: EVGA G3 850W
Didn't work! Just like the old Asus X-58, constant USB drops. Hard disk always at 99%. Crap, is the Oculus returnable?

9) Dear Amazon, either Asus lied when they said VR Ready or I think you sent me a bad board so I will buy a cheaper ASUS from you.
MB: Asus Z270A Prime (Amazon Warehouse Deals $160)/ CPU: Kaby Lake I5 7600K Stock 3.8 GHz / GPU: ASUS GTX 1080 Rog Strix BC 1835 MHz / RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR 4 LPX 8 GB 3000 MHz / HD: Hitachi 1 TB 5400 RPM / PS: EVGA G3 850W
Didn't work. Windows 10 would not install and I figured its time to call it quits on ASUS since the Z270e was better than this Z270A.

10) Dear wife, whats another $100 for the sake of my happiness? Its not like we can afford a vacation during your college spring break anymore anyways. $500 left in the bank will hold us to next payday I'm sure 🙂
MB: MSI Z270A Xpower Titanium Motherboard/ CPU: Kaby Lake I5 7600K OC 4.9 GHz / GPU: ASUS GTX 1080 Rog Strix BC 1835 MHz / RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR 4 LPX 8 GB 3000 MHz / HD: Crucial MX300 1TB M.2 (2280) SSD / PS: EVGA G3 850W
It works flawlessly! Dear God, thank you! You've rewarded my faith, prayers and patience with the ultimate in gaming happiness. Dear Wife, you've got to try this! WIFE: "Oh wow this is so realistic"!

Hopefully my rant above will save some of you folks some time, headaches, frustration and ultimately some money. The Oculus Rift CV1 is AMAZING but don't expect the in store demo experience if you cheap out on either the Motherboard or the SSD. The MSI Titanium Z270a Xpower and any SSD for at least the OS are a MUST HAVE. Everything else you can compromise on and build a system at 1/3rd to 1/2 the cost of mine. To be honest because of ASW the GTX 1060 6 GB was really good even with Dubug Tool Pixels set to 1.5 but I decided to futureproof. My original 17-920 system was built for FSX but the boxed edition caused way too many DLL errors. 7 years later, combined with the Steam edition of FSX ($5 for code on Amazon) I basically have 20 different airplanes in my house and a flight experience almost identical to the real thing (Thank you Flyinside)
15 REPLIES 15

Techy111
MVP
MVP
Absolutely great post mate 🙂 here in the UK we do similar with our long suffering wives lol please don't move onto X-plane 11 as you'll have more explaining to do 🙂 have you tried it yet with our Flyinside ? You might convert like I did 😉
A PC with lots of gadgets inside and a thing to see in 3D that you put on your head.

gkflyhigh
Honored Guest
Man, with 4 kids I just don't have the energy to learn the x-plane controls lol. I've been using flight simulator from FS 98 when I was a teenager so all the controls are well engrained. 

Is is it much better than FSX as far as graphics and such? Wife's already pissed at the cost of this so spending a little bit more before groveling to make it up won't hurt

Techy111
MVP
MVP
Well I have 4 kids mate so no excuse. They are 31 29, 2 and 5 months lol try the xplane 11 demo and our flyinside xp demo and see what you think 😉
A PC with lots of gadgets inside and a thing to see in 3D that you put on your head.

elboffor
Consultant
I just convinced my misses to buy me a new mobo and ram for my birthday in may.
I've not told her I'll be spending £330 on a new cpu.
Thats between me, my credit card balance and you good folks.
This is my forum signature.
There are many others like it, but this is mine.

Techy111
MVP
MVP
I'll let her know tonight mate  😄
A PC with lots of gadgets inside and a thing to see in 3D that you put on your head.

elboffor
Consultant
Don't, your mum could do without the upset.
:pensive:

On the subject of mothers, well motherboards.
I'm gonna get the strix 270e but i do have 2 inatech cards to use with it 😕
This is my forum signature.
There are many others like it, but this is mine.

zork2001
Heroic Explorer
I just buy a new $1400 ish gamming PC every 4 years. I might have to make an exception on upgrading the graphics card at some point in a year all because "VR" but my 2011 gamming(now as my media PC) and my 2008 gamming (now in a Mame arcade cabinet PC) will than get an upgrade as well so it is not to bad.

gkflyhigh
Honored Guest
Techy, I'm gonna try it out when I get home tonight. Just saw the X-11 vids and it looks so polished. Do you know if the knobs and such are clearer in the headset for Xplane than FSX? 

gkflyhigh
Honored Guest


elboffor said:

Don't, your mum could do without the upset.
:pensive:

On the subject of mothers, well motherboards.
I'm gonna get the strix 270e but i do have 2 inatech cards to use with it 😕



Elboffor, let us know please how your experience goes with the inateck/rog strix combo? I'm keeping fingers crossed for you that mine was just a bad board. BTW the Aura lights are real nice.