New PC for FSX

[JDL1967]

Hey folks if one were to buy a brandie new pc specifically to run FSX , what kind of specs would it need to run the game silky smooth no stutters , lots of ai traffic and dense scenery ? Any comments welcome folks, thanks again!

[il88pp]

Main part is processor. Fast. And overclockable.

 

Here's a list I put together just now. I didn't look into it too long though.

 

i7-6700K

Asus Z170 mainboard

16Gb DDR-4 fastest Ram

NVidia GTX980 Graphics card

Cpu Cooler watercooling, Corsair Hydro H110i GTX

512 Gb SSD for Windows - Samsung 850 Pro 500Gb (Or possibly a Ramdrive)

512 Gb SSD for FSX - Same. (In case of much (Photo)scenery, larger, up to 2 Tb)

Other harddisk for Data.

"Other stuff" - Case, Large & Cool (Plenty fans and room for Watercooling) / DVD / Cardreader / Soundcard

Power Supply Gold Rated 800W or more.

[il88pp]

I think with that you can throw anything at it you want and still have no stutters.

 

To run default fsx you can do with parts with lower spec. It really depends on what you are planning to do with it.

Default FSX... or a few addons, maybe a "light" addon plane... or flying a PMDG aircraft into all the Drezwiecky airports.

If you want to throw everything at it you can get your hands on, Orbx Global, and Vector, plus Regional secenery, PMDG, Drezwiecky, ActivSky, etc, etc, you will simply need a very good pc to pull it off.

[W2DR]

Here's another view... Since FSX is essentially a single-threaded app the CPU choice is easy - Intel 4790K (see this https://www.cpubenchmark.net/singleThread.html ). The 4790K runs at 4.4Ghz on air all day long and doesn't need to be water-cooled. RAM isn't a critical component with FSX so no need for expensive DDR4. DDR3 running at 2133 is all you'll need. The GTX 980 is a good choice but you can also use the cheaper 970 and never notice the difference. I you don't have a very large (as in huge) FSX install a single 500GB SSD works fine. With the SSD there is no advantage to putting the OS on a separate, and expensive, drive. And lastly, use Windows 7 for the OS and avoid all the potential hassle - it's still the most stable OS for FSX. Your mileage may vary with this scenario although I don't think by much. And all opinions, mine included, are like belly buttons, everyone has one.

 

Doug

[leo96666]

you're kidding right? you are going to buy a brand new pc for a 11 year old game that everyonme has problem with? no new pc no matter what it has will never be able to play it right, you will be tweaking it for years!! be smart wait till the new sim comes out later in 2016 , don't waste money on something that is out of dftae and was not meant to be played 11 years later with no upgrades after the launch in 2006 . forget about it , this is my best advise .

[W2DR]

"Doug, whilst it's true that the 4790 gives slightly better single thread performance compared to the 6700 at stock speeds, there's more to look at than just that. With the 4790 you're buying into the end of processor family whereas with the 6700 you're getting in at the start with the potential future upgrades that might offer. Also, most people don't just use FSX. In most modern applications and games, the 6700 can give about 5-10% performance improvement over the 4790 - see https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/ar.../#Introduction for a fairly comprehensive comparison. DDR4 memory does make a difference (albeit small) in many applications and the Z170 chipset has a number of features not found with the Z97 by default. Why not go with a new ecosystem which will only improve with development?"

 

 

Indeed, I don't disagree. You have it right. The only reason I gave that scenario is because the OP asked "Hey folks if one were to buy a brandie new pc specifically to run FSX , what kind of specs would it need..." If it were not intended to specifically run FSX I'd go with your recommendation. I do a lot of video and photoshop work and if I were to replace my system today I'd probably go with the 6700 and DDR4. And, if I'd had a couple of pints beforehand, I'd probably also go with Windows 10.

 

Cheers - Doug

[Rupert]

It looks to me like you're both right. I think most FSX users would be happy with either rig.

 

It's apples and oranges to me. But for primarily FSX use, the 6700 and DDR4 might be overkill and with all those specs pretty expensive in comparison.

 

Please educate me on the 6700. It came out after I built my last rig.

[Rupert]

Thanks to your link, I just answered my own questions about the 6700. If I were doing lots of serious work like engineering drawing, I'd go with it. But IMHO for 99% of us who FSX & do a little more regular stuff with our computer, it seems the 4790K and hardware has much more reasonable price point.

 

I'll hold off doing another build till I see a significant reason to upgrade. If I were building today, I'm 99% sure I'd go with the 4790 again.

 

Having said that. If they produce a honest 5.5GHZ processor and setup for DDR4-2400, I'll start shopping tomorrow! I get really tired of these penny at a time improvements!

 

That's my belly button. ;)

[alverthein]

(be smart wait till the new sim comes out later in 2016 according to leo96666) What sim might this be....? thanks for the info...al v

[henrystreet]

Thanks to your link, I just answered my own questions about the 6700. If I were doing lots of serious work like engineering drawing, I'd go with it. But IMHO for 99% of us who FSX & do a little more regular stuff with our computer, it seems the 4790K and hardware has much more reasonable price point.

 

I'll hold off doing another build till I see a significant reason to upgrade. If I were building today, I'm 99% sure I'd go with the 4790 again.

 

Having said that. If they produce a honest 5.5GHZ processor and setup for DDR4-2400, I'll start shopping tomorrow! I get really tired of these penny at a time improvements!

 

That's my belly button. ;)

 

From what I am seeing in the hardware reviews, the price difference between the 6700 series and the 4790K is larger, percentage wise, then performance difference. I would agree with Rupert about what to buy today.

 

I did a 4790k with a watercooler about 3 months ago. My motherboard allowed overclock to 4.7GHz with one checkbox. I am running boxed FSX with Orbx and VRS Superbug locked at 60FPS. Around Seattle, it drops into the 40's but everywhere I fly it is pegged at 60FPS. I have a GTX970 graphics card.

 

In P3D, I am getting 110-140FPS with the default Texan II and Orbx global scenery around Whiting/Pensacola with Jim D's airfield sceneries.

 

I can't tell you what a 6700K will do, but these are real, repeatable numbers from a 4790K running at 4.7GHz.

[E-Buzz]

I'm getting consistently similar performance in FSX with my rig (i5 4690k @ 4.7) and an older radeon 6950...

 

E-Buzz :pilot:

[W2DR]

you're kidding right? you are going to buy a brand new pc for a 11 year old game that everyonme has problem with? no new pc no matter what it has will never be able to play it right, you will be tweaking it for years!! be smart wait till the new sim comes out later in 2016 , don't waste money on something that is out of dftae and was not meant to be played 11 years later with no upgrades after the launch in 2006 . forget about it , this is my best advise .

 

Please enlighten us...what new sim in 2016?

 

Doug

 

BTW - First impressions do count...

[loki]

Please enlighten us...what new sim in 2016?

 

Doug

 

BTW - First impressions do count...

 

Probably referring to Dovetail's upcoming flight sim.

[squeek]

Hey W2DR....sent you a PM....unsure if it went through. Please advise.

[Rupert]

If you go for a similar quality motherboard (Z97/Z170), there's only about £60/$90 difference between a 4790 and a 6700 system (and that includes 8Gb DDR4 RAM). If you're building a new computer, why would you go for the older processor and chipset when for such a small extra cost you could get the latest, future proofed system?

 

So that's about $150 US at average exchange rates these days. But you still missed the point. For a great FSX computer you don't need water cooling, or DDR4, or a 980 GPU. A 4790K or similar with air cooling, a 970 or less, and DDR3, with only one SSHD, & one conventional HD is several hundred dollars less.

 

I'm running all the fancy FSX and P3D software I can buy with two different computers set up similar to what I just described. And one of those boxes even has a 780 series GPU. They both run great great! Especially considering I'm running with three monitors.

 

I have a dedicated FSX SSHD on one of my FSX boxes. I find It's only value is time saved when loading to start a flight. I wouldn't even advise this person buy a SSHD for FSX or P3D. I wouldn't build another FSX box with a SSHD myself. That's at least another hundred or more saved there too.

 

As to this "dreamware," which may come out someday, who knows how it's OS will be designed to run? If it's like almost every new game out now, the CPU speed won't even be an issue. Four cores, eight threads will be more than enough to run @4GHZ or less.

 

Pretty much all new software out today lives and dies based on everything revolving around the GPU. Assuming that's true with further "improvements" in software down the road, current GPUS probably won't be good enough anyway.

 

In my opinion, the half-life of any computer being up to date for most new software is less than a year. I build based on what I need and will use now and for at least a year or more. Then I harvest a few parts, like the PSU, and build later to suit what's hot that month.

[W2DR]

Hey W2DR....sent you a PM....unsure if it went through. Please advise.

 

Got it. Just sent the reply. - Doug

[il88pp]

Agree, step into the future. With options of upgrades.

 

I upgraded a videocard once and got a little boost, I upgraded a processor once and got another little boost, but both the boosts I got when upgrading from SD-Ram to DDR2, then from DDR2 to DDR3 were mindblowing!

[Rupert]

Sorry, my post was a little confusing! Online in the UK a 6700 system bundle is only about £60 (or about $90) more than a similar spec 4790 bundle using a Z97 chipset - both include CPU, motherboard, 8GB RAM, air cooler (add your own GPU). I could only understand it if you were desperately trying to stick to a budget. I know you don't need it to run FSX, but if you're building a new system I still can't think why you wouldn't go for the 6700 with such a small price premium. Skylake is the future (for now)!

 

Well said! "Skylake is the future (for now)!" That's my point! Use what works today and enjoy it. Tomorrow it probably won't be the future or may not even work! I've been through that many times in the last 30+ years. From the Apple IIE onward, there is no known perspective into what is next. Why pay $500-$700 or more for hardware which doesn't improve today's results in hopes it will be useful later?

 

Have you ever heard the long standing joke? "What is that snickering sound you hear as you leave the computer store with your latest computer purchase? That's the staff bringing in the stuff that makes your purchase today obsolete."

 

We can't plan for or even guess what software is out there next year or even in the next season (winter). Why spend a huge amount of money on hardware that isn't relevant or even useful today in hopes it will be relevant and useful next year? We don't have a clue what will be relevant and useful next year!

 

Spend what it takes to make things work in the world as it is today. Don't waste tons of money guessing what will be useful 3, 6, 9 months and certainly not a year out! The way things evolve in the computer world, you're at least 75% or more assured you will guess wrong! I've been there for many years and done exactly that more than once!

[il88pp]

Rupert, I don't get that. A year ago you bought the latest and greatest. But when buying your next pc you wouldn't? Weird.

 

I can understand if you say, "The 4770k I got last year is fantastic, I don't need a new pc for a while."

 

 

But I bought my i5-3570k pc two years ago, and I sure would not get a i7-4770k now. Because it would mean a new new mainboard (yes, socket 1155...), and new Ram (now 1.5v, will have to go to 1.65v).

Getting all three parts new, I would definetely go for the newer generation right away.

 

The 4xxx line had just come out when I got my pc, but I had been comparing the 3xxx line, and did not want to start over.

I also (as you said) had the feeling it wasn't "tried and tested" yet.

Now I so whish I had looked a little further.

Stuck with a s1155 now, and no way of upgrading.

 

I would definitely go for the newer tech now.

 

btw where do you get '500 to 700 dollar more'? Lesh is spot on with 90 dollar. The 6700k is only 25 dollar more then the 4790k over here.

[Rupert]

Rupert, I don't get that. A year ago you bought the latest and greatest. But when buying your next pc you wouldn't? Weird.

 

I can understand if you say, "The 4770k I got last year is fantastic, I don't need a new pc for a while."

 

 

But I bought my i5-3570k pc two years ago, and I sure would not get a i7-4770k now. Because it would mean a new new mainboard (yes, socket 1155...), and new Ram (now 1.5v, will have to go to 1.65v).

Getting all three parts new, I would definetely go for the newer generation right away.

 

The 4xxx line had just come out when I got my pc, but I had been comparing the 3xxx line, and did not want to start over.

I also (as you said) had the feeling it wasn't "tried and tested" yet.

Now I so whish I had looked a little further.

Stuck with a s1155 now, and no way of upgrading.

 

I would definitely go for the newer tech now.

 

btw where do you get '500 to 700 dollar more'? Lesh is spot on with 90 dollar. The 6700k is only 25 dollar more then the 4790k over here.

 

Re-read my post. I'm not arguing about the difference in price of the two CPUS, that's miniscule. What I'm arguing is he doesn't need two SSHDs, water cooling, a super GPU, DDR4, etc., etc. to have a super FSX PC. Remember he said wants to run FSX.

 

What I've said is I bought a lot more than I needed for FSX because of other programs I also use. And I still don't have most of that stuff listed on another poster's suggested shopping list. The original question is about a FSX computer & doesn't include the other software needs issue.

 

If he eliminates all that overkill hardware for FSX, he Should save several hundred dollars on this build. Remember I'm talking about all that other stuff I just mentioned. Not just the CPU and board!

 

Several hundred dollars will make good seed money for a computer built to work with the anticipated dream-ware if/when it comes out. Again, it may be CPU needy or GPU needy, or need something else we don't even have available yet. So buying now for then is a huge gamble.

 

I believe if you buy overkill now for the future & guess wrong, you lose. If you buy overkill now and guess right, you're not getting any deals on that overkill hardware. It's also new and relatively unproven. So you lose money and refinement even if you guess right. IE: Even if you guess right today, you still lose.

 

I'll wait and let others pay the newbie hardware premiums, have the newbie hardware headaches, and take the risk of guessing wrong on what hardware we'll need. When we know what we need, I'll buy it then and get the best I can. And it will probably be better or if not better, certainly cheaper than what's out right now.

 

My suggestions for anyone looking to build a computer for FSX today is the same as my personal future plans.

[il88pp]

I see. I love my ssd, quiet as a mouse. Quiet is also the reason I now concider water cooling.

I agree you could do without.