Options for existing gaming PC

[Jai]

I have a gaming system that I'd like to update to use with R-Motion and TGC. It an Intel i7 950 3.07GHz w/24GB RAM and a Radeon RX 480 graphics card. I'll probably have to upgrade the graphics card to GeForce 1060 or 1070 eventually. My question is the PC is in the basement. Can I run a long USB for the R-Motion dongle and an HDMI cable to the garage about 40-50 feet away?

[gnomike]

I don't know R-motion at all, but that's about at the recommended hdmi distance, and longer than advised for usb. USB 2.0 shouldn't go longer than 5m (16') or 3m (10')... I think you can go longer but you have to get into hubs or repeater cables to connect 16'/10' lengths. Your PC specs look fine, though.

[Pat S.]

I use Skytrak with a desktop computer, but I have a similar setup I think. My computer is in my office which is in the basement of my house and my simulator is in the garage. I run a HDMI cable through the ceiling of an adjacent room and then through a wall to the projector on the ceiling in my garage. I use a 50 ft HDMI cable from the computer in the basement to the projector and have no problems with it at all.

To address the USB question...I also do a similar thing with a 50 ft USB extender cable which runs from the computer in the basement to the garage and then I use it to plug my USB wireless keyboard dongle into it so I have a wireless keyboard in the garage. I have had no problems with lag at all on the keyboard, but I don't know how it would work with something that wasn't just a keyboard (like your R-Motion). I think it would be worth a shot. FYI, you can get longer USB extender cables, up to at least 100 ft, I think. Regular USB cables top out around 16 feet, so you have to get the kind with the active extender built into the cable.

Here is the extender cable I used:

https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-106149/dp/B004HJDUW0/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1522770028&sr=1-6&keywords=monoprice+extension+USB

A better option probably would be something like this particularly if you are running through a wall...This is a sort of adapter that let's you use ethernet (Cat 5/Cat 5e/Cat 6 etc.) cable through the wall rather than USB: Essentially, you plug it into USB on the computer, run ethernet cable for your cable run, and then you have either a USB input or USB hub on the other end, depending on how many USB ports you need. I believe that ethernet cable is rated safe to run through walls and USB might not be. Here's a link to something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MRL2SK1/ref=twister_B06XKP667J?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

Hope that helps a little!

Peace,

Pat

[Jai]

Just wanted to tie this one off. I decided not to go with the HDMI/USB extension cable and purchased a gaming laptop instead. Thanks for the info!

[triplebogeysrbetter]

Which gaming laptop did you decide on?