General help to get started

[bo992000]

Im new to the group and would appreciate any help. I want to get back into msfs. 
Back in the day i used MSFS 2004, windows xp. 

First, what desktop should i get that would work well as far as speed, graphics, etc. 
Second, what version of fs should i get and where can i get it ?

I do prefer the joystick rather than the more elaborate yoke and pedals so any advice on that is also appreciated. Thanks

[davidc2]

Welcome!

 

I cannot answer all your questions, however, concerning the desktop, IIRC, there is a website which has what specs you need for the desktop.  Of course, that depends on what version you go with.  There is SO much debate over which is best etc., I won't go into that, lol.  Just something to keep in mind, 2020 has been out for 3+ years and has gotten better over time.  With that being said, Microsoft is releasing MSFS 2024 sometime in 2024.

 

One recommendation I will make is, get a system with at least 16 gigs, preferably 32 of RAM.

 

As for using a joystick, I use the Logitech Extreme 3d PRO and love it!!!!

[chicagorandy]

Another vote for the Extreme Pro. A highly capable piece of hardware for just $30. I also think that were I buying a new desktop now? I'd wait to see the hardware requirements for MSFS 2024 and get whatever is at least 'Mid' range hardware. Flight sims are data/graphics thirsty rascals -lol

[bo992000]

Thanks. Very helpful actually. Do you know if the add-on "passengers" is still around and available for msfs 2020 ?

[davidc2]

1 hour ago, bo992000 said:

Thanks. Very helpful actually. Do you know if the add-on "passengers" is still around and available for msfs 2020 ?

https://www.gamerevolution.com/news/659636-flight-simulator-2020-passenger-mod-self-loading-cargo-addons

[nsproles]

11 hours ago, chicagorandy said:

 I'd wait to see the hardware requirements for MSFS 2024...

This is very good advice if you are prepared to hang on for a little while longer before deciding your purchase.

[bo992000]

18 hours ago, nsproles said:

This is very good advice if you are prepared to hang on for a little while longer before deciding your purchase.

That is actually very good advice. Im still leaning towards 2020 for one main reason. It's been around long enough (hopefully) to have all the bugs worked out, vs a new release. As somebody said elsewhere, buying the software is the cheap part. Researching the harware has left me dizzy but if i am gonna do it i want to do it right. 

[chicagorandy]

6 hours ago, bo992000 said:

That is actually very good advice. Im still leaning towards 2020 for one main reason. It's been around long enough (hopefully) to have all the bugs worked out, vs a new release. As somebody said elsewhere, buying the software is the cheap part. Researching the harware has left me dizzy but if i am gonna do it i want to do it right. 

If you are going to go the 2020 sim option, you won't go wrong selecting a desktop system that exceeds the Recommended specs. If you plan on using VR that requires even more power.

 

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 Recommended Requirements

CPU: Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or better

RAM: 16 GB

VIDEO CARD: Radeon RX 590 or GeForce GTX 970

DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 4096 MB

PIXEL SHADER: 5.1

VERTEX SHADER: 5.1

OS: Windows 10 64-bit

FREE DISK SPACE: 150 GB

[budreiser]

14 hours ago, bo992000 said:

That is actually very good advice. Im still leaning towards 2020 for one main reason. It's been around long enough (hopefully) to have all the bugs worked out, vs a new release. As somebody said elsewhere, buying the software is the cheap part. Researching the harware has left me dizzy but if i am gonna do it i want to do it right. 

.....It's been around long enough (hopefully) to have all the bugs worked out, vs a new release.....

 

Au contraire. One reason why we still get updates.

[danbiosca]

When MSFS 2020 was first released (Aug 2020) it was said to have an intended lifespan of 10 years.

I wonder how the announced release of MSFS 2024 will affect such forecast. MSFS being basically an on-line sim, I'm uncertain how much server bandwith Microsoft will reserve for MSFS 2020, once MSFS 2024 is released.

As for now, I think I'll stick to MSFS 2020 not only because of the presumably higher hardware requirements for MSFS 2024, but also because this one has been said to have "goals to achieve" (more gamelike then), as opposite to the "open world" MSFS 2020 offers. We'll see anyhow.

 

[KiloWatt]

On 12/26/2023 at 5:59 PM, bo992000 said:

Im new to the group and would appreciate any help. I want to get back into msfs. 
Back in the day i used MSFS 2004, windows xp. 

First, what desktop should i get that would work well as far as speed, graphics, etc. 
Second, what version of fs should i get and where can i get it ?

I do prefer the joystick rather than the more elaborate yoke and pedals so any advice on that is also appreciated. Thanks

 

1. The desktop really depends on your budget. Do you have blank cheque? The sim will gladly use all the CPU and GPU you can afford. The only caveat for the CPU is that cache seems to be favoured over core count. So the Ryzen X3D lineup of chips work really well. Edit: Another really important factor to consider is your monitor resolution and number of monitors.

 

2.1 Either the Microsoft store or the Steam. I used the MS Store version, but I've heard Steam works well too. For the love of all that's holy, DO NOT get the disk versions. I understand that it's an enormous pain when it comes to updates. You, like me, seem to come from an older time where disks were standard - so we we gavitate towards what we know. But it's a mistake in this case.

 

2.2 The differences in the versions are only a few extra planes and airports. It performs and works exactly the same otherwise. But which version you buy depends on you. I don't believe in buying the most expensive version if I'm not going to use the extra stuff. So I bought the Deluxe version precisely because i wanted the Baron, Cape Town Intl., and a Steam gauge C172.  Other people want to spend as little as possible, and others still want all the planes and airports. It's up to you.

 

3. I use the Thrustmaster T.16000M. I use a deadzone of zero, yes "0". It's that good. Consequently, you can make utterly minute control inputs. Very cool.

[loki]

On 12/31/2023 at 8:01 AM, danbiosca said:

When MSFS 2020 was first released (Aug 2020) it was said to have an intended lifespan of 10 years.

I wonder how the announced release of MSFS 2024 will affect such forecast. MSFS being basically an on-line sim, I'm uncertain how much server bandwith Microsoft will reserve for MSFS 2020, once MSFS 2024 is released.

As for now, I think I'll stick to MSFS 2020 not only because of the presumably higher hardware requirements for MSFS 2024, but also because this one has been said to have "goals to achieve" (more gamelike then), as opposite to the "open world" MSFS 2020 offers. We'll see anyhow.

 

 

They've been talking about the flight sim project as a whole being 10 years, so MSFS2024 falls into that. So far they've also indicated that they will be supporting MSFS2020 for some time yet, so we shouldn't need to worry about the servers being shut down in the immediate future. I suspect adding missions just means it would be like FSX where the open world side is still there, however there will also be missions for those that want them.

[loki]

2 hours ago, KiloWatt said:

The differences in the versions are only a few extra planes and airports.

 

The list of included aircraft and hand crafted airports is at the link below.

 

https://flightsimulator.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360017706059-Microsoft-Flight-Simulator-FAQ

[plainsman]

I am going to address some hardware considerations for your system. If you are planning on getting a new computer for MSFS, these may be helpful. There are a number of user choice factors that really dramatically effect the hardware demand for this simulator. First, will you being running the sim on 1080p, 1440p or 4K? Second,, how much graphic setting compromise can you live with. Third, can you live with minimal traffic or do you plan to have lots of aircraft and personnel and equipment around the airport? The answer to those questions will have a major impact on hardware choice. If you choose 4K on all ultra settings, with lots of traffic, then even the very best available hardware will be below the task if you fly a lot over major cities like NYC or Paris. 

Some points you may not have thought about are case, memory timing, and storage. These can be an important element in running the sim without issue of crashes and stutters. MSFS runs in a way that will generate a lot of heat. Having a roomy case with lots of airflow will enable you to use cooling devices that dissipate a lot  of heat. This is important. Second,, choosing memory that has low latency and good timing may gain significant advantage in smooth, stutter free performance. Right now, I am not sure you gain a lot from running DDR5 over DDR4. That may change quickly, but at the moment, running DDR4 at 3200 will probably be better than DDR5 at 4800.  For storage, I strongly urge you to use a good NVME M.2, with plenty of excess capacity. Trying to run MSFS off a HDD is going to give you undesirable results. The reason I suggest the excess capacity, is two fold. First, the program will create significant swap files that will cause problems if your storage device is more that 75% full. Having extra storage space will make life much easier. Second, if you plan to add a lot of extra addon files, those can use up storage space quickly. Another reason to go with an M.2 storage device, is the update consideration. MSFS has frequent massive updates. If you have a slow storage device, this can add hours to the update. 

As to CPU, the program currently only uses about 6 cores. You won't see a lot of difference in an I5 13600K and a I9 14900K in performance. The I7 & I9 CPUs have a little more cache so there is some advantage, but it may not be worth the extra dollars and additional heat. Now if you plan to run 4K, I might change that, but I think the advice is true at 1440p or 1080p.  Don't skimp on GPU memory. I would suggest a RTX 4060ti with 16gb of memory is the starting point on a new machine at 1080p. The sim will use  a lot of VRAM.