Advantages of moving from Mac to PC for FSX

Hi

 

I'm just getting back into flight sims after many years.

I'm running FSX on a 2016 Mac Book Pro using bootcamp, it seems to run quite well and is enjoyable to use.

 

Processor Name: Intel Core i5

Processor Speed: 2 GHz

Number of Processors: 1

Total Number of Cores: 2

L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB

L3 Cache: 4 MB

Memory: 8 GB

 

Maybe an expensive way to use FSX but what would the advantages be of using a dedicated PC?

What would the base requirements be for a build for FSX only at 58 I don't play games.

I notice a few UK online builders do flights PC's.

Any recommendations for a prebuilt PC or specs, I have built my own in the past.

 

Many Thanks

For a start getting a Windows PC would allow you to choose a processor with a much higher clock rate, the faster the better as FSX needs lots of Ghz's to run at it's best, Intel cpu's with Nvidia gpu's seem to be the best combination for FSX.

I agree with Paul, Intel and nVidia is the way to go.

 

The model of the processor doesn't matter too much, but its clock rating does. That should be as high as possible. If the model of processor that you choose has a "K" version, for instance a 6700 K, then by all means get the K version because that can be overclocked.

 

The graphics card isn't that important, but get a good one within your budget. I have a GTX 960, which will last for some time.

 

I think personally what is slowing me down some with an i7 7700 K, running at 4.2 GHz is my RAM these days. I have 16 GB of 2133 MHz RAM, and plan on exchanging that for 3200 MHz when my own budget allows.

 

Just my 5 pence's worth -

 

Jorgen

Long, long time lurker here (I occasionally post on the TrainSim side). I did exactly that for a long time -- BootCamp on a Mac to jump over to a Windows installation to run FSX as well as train sims. It worked quite well at the time.

 

But as my machine aged and I wanted to upgrade, I found that the dual-boot setup wasn't going to deliver the value I wanted for the cost of a new Mac.

 

Unfortunately, Apple's hardware has lagged behind in raw performance for several years. FSX will run just fine on any Mac booted into Windows; it's just a matter of how much you want to push FSX for higher resolution, addons, and still have acceptable frame rates.

 

As has been explained many times, FSX is heavily CPU-bound. So faster CPUs are the key to getting more out of FSX. That's where custom-built PCs with a focus on CPU speed offer the best value for FSX. Unfortunately, Apple still isn't on the bleeding edge of fast systems at this point in time.

 

A second issue I had/still have with Apple hardware is that they tend to design their hardware with a bias to quiet operation. Their fans run at lower speed, and may not come on soon enough. That makes them very nice and quiet in the home or office, but under heavy loads, the CPU will heat up more and may throttle back its speed to stay within an acceptable temperature range. That's OK, but won't give you the most FSX performance. While there's more noise, it's better to let the fan spin up sooner and faster to keep the CPU cool while it runs under a heavy processing load. That's easier to do with a dedicated PC, particularly a custom one which tends to offer more options for cooling and control of the cooling.

 

Custom or semi-custom PCs give you plenty of options for CPUs, cooling, and memory -- and upgrades-- while Apple hardware tends to be limited to its as-built state. So if you decide you want to push your FSX environment to new levels, it's easier to adapt PC hardware to your tastes.