New PC Spec advice

[cowboy10uk 6]

Hey all, Im building a new PC for flightsimming, Primary FSX and Blackshark. I think Ive sorted out the specs, But I just want the FS community to take a look, Maybe you guys can think of something I havnt thought off. The main thing is running FSX at a decent FPS, Running at 12 - 20 at mo which is ok, but Im sure it can be better. OK the specs at mo are.AMD Phenom 2 X4 965Asus M4A79XTD EvoGeil Ultra 4GB pc3 - 17000 2133 mhzATI HD5870Samsung HD103SJ Spinpoint F3 1TB x 2HI Power 1000w PSUCoolerMaster CM690 CaseCorsair CWCH50-1 Water CoolingLG W2361V 23" LCD Widescreen Full HD Gaming monitor 1920x1080 x 2Windows 7 ProfOK Guys and Girls There it is. If anyone could take a look, any advice would be welcome, Im Hoping this will run my FSX as I would like it at last. Cheers Cowboy10uk

[TechguyMaxC 516]

A few things:Go with a name brand PSU or you'll regret it down the road.The coolermaster 690 case can be a little cramped with larger video cards installed.The Corsair H50, while a decent cooler, is by no means better than good air cooling. Why such fast RAM? Are you planning on massively overclocking?

[cowboy10uk 6]

A few things:Go with a name brand PSU or you'll regret it down the road.The coolermaster 690 case can be a little cramped with larger video cards installed.The Corsair H50, while a decent cooler, is by no means better than good air cooling. Why such fast RAM? Are you planning on massively overclocking?

Hey mate, Thanks for your advice, In answer to your questions1. Thanks for that, I'll have a look for a name brand PSU, Ive used non brand one for years and never had an issue, but maybe im just lucky.2. Yep thats onne of my worries, The other case thats in the running is the Coolermaster Storm Sniper Black edition, Ive heard that is designed for the larger cards, and has 13" space to play with. 3. To be honest, It has a good deal on it at mo and is some of the cheapest Ram I can get, Just makes sense that if you can get 2133 Ram cheaper than 1600 then why not, Even if you dont use it, it still gives you the option of overclocking if you need to.I'll have a look at the case and Psu though, I want to get this right .Cowboy10uk

[TechguyMaxC 516]

Fair enough! Just for a little more point of reference on the cases: I run my backup rig (E8400 @ 3.76/8800 GTS 512 volt-modded & O/C'd) in a Storm Scout (similar to the Sniper) and my roommate runs a CM 690. Both are excellent mid-tower cases, capable of accommodating high-end hardware. My roomie's 4870x2 and tower HSF are tight fits in his case. I have a good deal of room left in mine though.

[ryanbatc 12,833]

I'd suggest a Corsair or PC Power+Cooling PSU, something like this:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...9-006-_-ProductIt's a great value and the single 12v rail allows a load of 60A - plenty good for your proposed system.If you like modular cables they have this version too (more money):http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16817139010

[JohnFromCO 15]

I would avoid the H50 on the Phenom II CPU's. We have had issues with it compared to air cooling. The H50 appears to work better on Intel chips compared to AMD.

[Guest Dan G Martin]

Hello,Keep in this in mind you will need at least a mid tower size case as the 5870 is around 13" long it will not fit in some cases.Also you know that your choice for a cpu while fine for flight sim is really out of date as AMD has not kept up with Intel (it's really two generations out of date) think Core 2 Penryn and then Core I5\I7) If you can go for a I5 or better yet a I7 as the faster CPU you have the better(as you must have read here) as Flight Sim is very CPU dependent.Dan Martin Flight Ontario

[cowboy10uk 6]

Hey guys. Thankyou for taking the time to have a look at this and your kind advice. Just had a look at that Corsair PSU, Very nice unit, just one question is 750w enough these days with the large GPUs we are using. Wasn't aware of a problem with the H50, all the reviews never mentioned it, However that is great advice, so will look for another cooler thanks. Sadly Dan, I have looked at I5/I7 that is just above my budget, while I know the I5 is only a few quid more than the 658, The motherboard costs jump signifcantly if I go for a Intel chip. As im only going to be using the PC for Flightsimming and gaming, we are planning to overclock to 3.8 which i Understand from reviews it will oc to nicly. I know its not as good as the 4ghz OC you can get from the I5, but I hope it should be enough to run FSX at a decent rate. As to case, im now looking at Storm Sniper which easly fits 5870 into its insides, so all being good there shouldnt be any issues with that.Again Thanks for your time and effort guys I really appreciate it.Cowboy10uk

[TechguyMaxC 516]

Hello,Keep in this in mind you will need at least a mid tower size case as the 5870 is around 13" long it will not fit in some cases.Also you know that your choice for a cpu while fine for flight sim is really out of date as AMD has not kept up with Intel (it's really two generations out of date) think Core 2 Penryn and then Core I5\I7) If you can go for a I5 or better yet a I7 as the faster CPU you have the better(as you must have read here) as Flight Sim is very CPU dependent.Dan Martin Flight Ontario

The 5870 is 10.5-10.75"The 5890 is 12.16"

[cowboy10uk 6]

Hi guys, Thanks for that Techguy, Going on what has been said here, the 5870 is around the 11" mark, Going on that, if I keep with the 690 case, I have about 3/4 " space left after fitting, Thats tight but will work. However now seriously looking at sniper case, bit more pounds, but will fit all new cards easily. Should be placing order next week, so once I get final build will let you all know. Just hope all this gives me those few more FPS that im looking for in FSX. :)

[Guest Dan G Martin]

Hi guys, Thanks for that Techguy, Going on what has been said here, the 5870 is around the 11" mark, Going on that, if I keep with the 690 case, I have about 3/4 " space left after fitting, Thats tight but will work. However now seriously looking at sniper case, bit more pounds, but will fit all new cards easily. Should be placing order next week, so once I get final build will let you all know. Just hope all this gives me those few more FPS that im looking for in FSX. :)

Sorry hit the 3 instead of the 1 key anyway the 5870 is still a very long card! I am not really sure how something as powerful as a 5870 is really needed for Flight Sim (it does run it well though) As for 3\4" you are right that's a real tight fit as you have to keep in mind your cables that have to be connected to your hard drives will take just about all that 3\4".Dan Martin

[gman! 1]

Hey guys. Thankyou for taking the time to have a look at this and your kind advice. Just had a look at that Corsair PSU, Very nice unit, just one question is 750w enough these days with the large GPUs we are using. Wasn't aware of a problem with the H50, all the reviews never mentioned it, However that is great advice, so will look for another cooler thanks. Sadly Dan, I have looked at I5/I7 that is just above my budget, while I know the I5 is only a few quid more than the 658, The motherboard costs jump signifcantly if I go for a Intel chip. As im only going to be using the PC for Flightsimming and gaming, we are planning to overclock to 3.8 which i Understand from reviews it will oc to nicly. I know its not as good as the 4ghz OC you can get from the I5, but I hope it should be enough to run FSX at a decent rate. As to case, im now looking at Storm Sniper which easly fits 5870 into its insides, so all being good there shouldnt be any issues with that.Again Thanks for your time and effort guys I really appreciate it.Cowboy10uk

The Phenom II at stock runs just fine, actually really good with FSX. Even my Phenom runs FSX at 60+ FPS. There are Phenoms that run PMDGs over 30 FPS. So I think that is false... Also the 5870 is as good as a GTX285, so it will help a lot, and don't forget that the 5870 was probably developed on AMD CPUs...To the original poster please read for good info on configuring FSX, thanks!:http://forums1.avsim.net/index.php?showtopic=267300

[cowboy10uk 6]

Well Guys, Its ordered and just had a call from wife, saying the 1st delivery is here. The final spec wasAMD Phenom 2 X4 965Asus M4A79XTD EvoGeil Ultra 4GB pc3 - 17000 2133 mhzATI HD5870Samsung HD103SJ Spinpoint F3 1TB x 3Coolermaster 1100W UCP (Ultimate Circuit Protection) PSU - 80% Bronze Certified EfficiencyCoolerMaster CM690 CaseCorsair CWCH50-1 Water CoolingLG W2361V 23" LCD Widescreen Full HD Gaming monitor 1920x1080 x 2Windows 7 ProfAs you can see, most specs stayed the same, added another TB onto the Hard disks to make 3, and went for the Coolermaster PSU, Was concerned 750w maybe would cause power worrys, so stretched to the larger one. Decided to stick with case in the end, Or should I say Wife decided I would stick with the case in the end, As she figured 100+ for a case was too much, tried explaining that it would be better but no go. Never mind maybe next time. As to the cooling issue, The case itself has 7 fans in it, which should keep things cool, and the H50 kept calling my name, I may regret it and If I do =hpsf=Jarhead You can tell me you told me so. Thankyou for all your great advice and ideas, Really appreicate it. Although the spec didnt change that much, to be honest That was more down to financal than not taking any notice, Trust me if I had the money, an I7 system would be the way to go.Thankyou again guys, Hopefully if all goes well, pc will be built Sunday and Flying by late evening. Take care .Cowboy10uk

[gman! 1]

Well Guys, Its ordered and just had a call from wife, saying the 1st delivery is here. The final spec wasAMD Phenom 2 X4 965Asus M4A79XTD EvoGeil Ultra 4GB pc3 - 17000 2133 mhzATI HD5870Samsung HD103SJ Spinpoint F3 1TB x 3Coolermaster 1100W UCP (Ultimate Circuit Protection) PSU - 80% Bronze Certified EfficiencyCoolerMaster CM690 CaseCorsair CWCH50-1 Water CoolingLG W2361V 23" LCD Widescreen Full HD Gaming monitor 1920x1080 x 2Windows 7 ProfAs you can see, most specs stayed the same, added another TB onto the Hard disks to make 3, and went for the Coolermaster PSU, Was concerned 750w maybe would cause power worrys, so stretched to the larger one. Decided to stick with case in the end, Or should I say Wife decided I would stick with the case in the end, As she figured 100+ for a case was too much, tried explaining that it would be better but no go. Never mind maybe next time. As to the cooling issue, The case itself has 7 fans in it, which should keep things cool, and the H50 kept calling my name, I may regret it and If I do =hpsf=Jarhead You can tell me you told me so. Thankyou for all your great advice and ideas, Really appreicate it. Although the spec didnt change that much, to be honest That was more down to financal than not taking any notice, Trust me if I had the money, an I7 system would be the way to go.Thankyou again guys, Hopefully if all goes well, pc will be built Sunday and Flying by late evening. Take care .Cowboy10uk

Your welcome! Don't forget to report back so we can see your results :(. Your PC looks it will be one heck of a beast! :(

[Garrett67 1]

Well Guys, Its ordered and just had a call from wife, saying the 1st delivery is here. The final spec wasAMD Phenom 2 X4 965Asus M4A79XTD EvoGeil Ultra 4GB pc3 - 17000 2133 mhzATI HD5870Samsung HD103SJ Spinpoint F3 1TB x 3Coolermaster 1100W UCP (Ultimate Circuit Protection) PSU - 80% Bronze Certified EfficiencyCoolerMaster CM690 CaseCorsair CWCH50-1 Water CoolingLG W2361V 23" LCD Widescreen Full HD Gaming monitor 1920x1080 x 2Windows 7 ProfAs you can see, most specs stayed the same, added another TB onto the Hard disks to make 3, and went for the Coolermaster PSU, Was concerned 750w maybe would cause power worrys, so stretched to the larger one. Decided to stick with case in the end, Or should I say Wife decided I would stick with the case in the end, As she figured 100+ for a case was too much, tried explaining that it would be better but no go. Never mind maybe next time. As to the cooling issue, The case itself has 7 fans in it, which should keep things cool, and the H50 kept calling my name, I may regret it and If I do =hpsf=Jarhead You can tell me you told me so. Thankyou for all your great advice and ideas, Really appreicate it. Although the spec didnt change that much, to be honest That was more down to financal than not taking any notice, Trust me if I had the money, an I7 system would be the way to go.Thankyou again guys, Hopefully if all goes well, pc will be built Sunday and Flying by late evening. Take care .Cowboy10uk

I'm looking to build a PC and am looking at that CPU and MOBO. Update is on how it runs FSX please (when you're done).Thanks!