Dell is taking VR production seriously in 2016, announcing the first 'VR-Ready' workstations in its Precision desktop tower line-up. The new systems boast specs designed to enable solid performance during development of immersive video applications for the first-generation of standalone VR hardware, including the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive.
Dell's definition of VR-ready takes into account criteria including computer hardware performance (CPU, memory and GPU), qualified graphics drivers, and performance testing based on criteria from partners including hardware makers like Nvidia and Intel, software providers like Adobe and Autodesk, and head-mounted display suppliers, Rahul Tikoo, executive director and general manager of Dell Precision workstations, told StudioDaily.
"We're bringing the rigor of a commercial workstation market into a space where there's a lot of interest but not a lot of commercial solutions available," Tikoo said. Impetus for the VR-ready certification came in part from Dell's history of powering projection caves and display walls, Tikoo noted.
Dell's Precision Tower 5810, 7810 and 7910 will all be available in VR-ready configurations. That means an Intel Xeon E5-16xx or E5-26xx processor, four core minimum, running at 1.6 GHz (for the HTC Vive) or 2.5 Ghz (for the Oculus Rift), with dual-CPU configurations requiring an extra 100 Mhz of speed. Graphics requirements are Nvidia Quadro M6000/M5000 or AMD FirePro W9100 on the pro video side or Nvidia GTX 970/980 or AMD Radeon R9-390X on the gaming side. Memory starts at 8 GB minimum and storage starts at 256 GB of SSD active swap space.
| Platform | Dell Precision Tower 5810, Tower 7810, Tower 7910 |
| CPU |
Intel Xeon E5-16xx or E5-26xx series CPU
HTC Vive : 1.6Ghz – 4C min |
| Graphics |
NVIDIA Quadro M6000/M5000, AMD FirePro W9100 |
| Memory | 8 GB minimum; scale up for dataset/content, model size |
| Storage | SSD 256 GB minimum as active storage swap space |
| Dongles | Passive DisplayPort to HDMI |
Source: Dell
Dell's Precision Tower 5810, 7810 and 7910 will all be available in VR-ready configurations. That means an Intel Xeon E5-16xx or E5-26xx processor, four core minimum, running at 1.6 GHz (for the HTC Vive) or 2.5 Ghz (for the Oculus Rift), with dual-CPU configurations requiring an extra 100 Mhz of speed. Graphics requirements are Nvidia Quadro M6000/M5000 or AMD FirePro W9100 on the pro video side or Nvidia GTX 970/980 or AMD Radeon R9-390X on the gaming side. Memory starts at 8 GB minimum and storage starts at 256 GB of SSD active swap space.
Asked about the differing specs between the HTC and Oculus systems, Tikoo explained that one relies more on GPU processing and thus requires less CPU horsepower. "We aren't seeing any customer preference for one or the other," he said.
In addition to the new VR-ready designation, Dell's Precision workstation line-up (that includes the Tower 5810, 7810, 7910, and the Rack 7910) has gotten an overall refresh. The newest systems now boast Intel Broadwell processors with up to 22 cores, up to 1 TB of DDR4 memory at up to 2400 MHz, an expanded selection of AMD and Nvidia graphics hardware, an expanded array of storage options, and an expanded range of certified virtual workstations based on the Rack 7910 model.
The new systems, including the hardware upgrades as well as the VR-ready configurations, will be available for purchase beginning April 5, Dell said.
