December 31, 201213 yr Hi chaps, After another recent thread unfortunately made me NEED an EVGA GTX 680 FTW...I now find myself also needing the rest of the computer to go with it. Obviously lots of advice and info about FSX builds around here, but I've got a couple of things I haven't been able to work out. Build will be for FSX...and X-plane. Yes, I finally bought X-plane, some planes and some scenery yesterday- I'm going to give it a decent go, but expect FSX will be 80% of my flying time. 90% of my FSX flying time will be using photoscenery - so performance has to be as good as possible for that. So this is going to be an Ivy build with the i7 3770K. Question one: memory. I hear two sticks is better than four for FSX, true? 8 gig will do me for FSX, but won't 64 bit x-plane want a bit more? And what about speed - I'm thinking 2133 Mhz. Good choice? Question 2: There's not really a question two as such, but I put it in the title so here it is. I guess the other important things on my mind are: Cooling: This is a de-lidded Ivy build. I'm planing to air cool with my Noctua NH-14 and see how that goes. Reasonable to forgo the water cooling? Mobos: I'm going Asus. Anyone object to a P8Z77 Pro? MIght need to upgrade the SSDs, too - getting a bit small. Anyone got any thoughts on the new Samsung 840's? I've always used Ocz but am willing to try something new. Thanks for any advice! Oz Sim Rig: MSI RTX3090 Suprim, an old, partly-melted Intel 9900K @ 5GHz+, Honeycomb Alpha, Thrustmaster TPR Rudder, Warthog HOTAS, Reverb G2, Prosim 737 cockpit. Currently flying: MSFS: PMDG 737-700, Fenix A320, Leonardo MD-82, MIlviz C310, Flysimware C414AW, DC Concorde, Carenado C337. Prepar3d v5: PMDG 737/747/777. "There are three simple rules for making a smooth landing. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are."
December 31, 201213 yr Hi chaps, After another recent thread unfortunately made me NEED an EVGA GTX 680 FTW...I now find myself also needing the rest of the computer to go with it. Obviously lots of advice and info about FSX builds around here, but I've got a couple of things I haven't been able to work out. Build will be for FSX...and X-plane. Yes, I finally bought X-plane, some planes and some scenery yesterday- I'm going to give it a decent go, but expect FSX will be 80% of my flying time. 90% of my FSX flying time will be using photoscenery - so performance has to be as good as possible for that. So this is going to be an Ivy build with the i7 3770K. Question one: memory. I hear two sticks is better than four for FSX, true? 8 gig will do me for FSX, but won't 64 bit x-plane want a bit more? And what about speed - I'm thinking 2133 Mhz. Good choice? Question 2: There's not really a question two as such, but I put it in the title so here it is. I guess the other important things on my mind are: Cooling: This is a de-lidded Ivy build. I'm planing to air cool with my Noctua NH-14 and see how that goes. Reasonable to forgo the water cooling? Mobos: I'm going Asus. Anyone object to a P8Z77 Pro? MIght need to upgrade the SSDs, too - getting a bit small. Anyone got any thoughts on the new Samsung 840's? I've always used Ocz but am willing to try something new. Thanks for any advice! - I’m in no position to answer all of your questions very accurately But I’ll do my best! (Still building mine) ^_^ - Question 1: I’ve been researching that for along time now, to know that 2 sticks is better.. It relates to the stability of your build when you overclock it (more sticks = less stability) For the second part of your question, I can’t say about Xplane.. But for me I decided to walk the extra mile and pay $20 more to get 16gig (2x 8gig) - I asked the same question while ago.. (about 1600Mhz 2133Mhz 2400Mhz) And almost everybody answered that the more speed you put in your RAM, The more performance you will get in FSX (3fps or something like that).. * I decided to not go with it because of the money to performance ratio wasn't that good.. 2400Mhz RAM's are almost $120 more than the 1600Mhz, and that's $120:3fps!! <_< - Question 2: you mean Noctua NH-D14.. while this question is really about personal preference! But again, if it’s me I won’t be putting that big thing in my PC, it just jam the airflow and kill the view. Get your self H80i for the same amount of money, or add $20 and get H100i if your case will suit. - Mobo: I’ve seen a lot of negative reviews about the P8Z77 pro.. get your self Asrock Z77 extreme 4.. - SSD: People saying the best are 830 & 840 Pro.. it’s something about the 840 (non pro) that stinks.. * I have really good background about PC’s.. But when it came to FSX, I learned a lot by asking and reading! * I hope I answered your questions.. although some of my answers are just based on personal preference and me knowing about these things lately..
January 1, 201313 yr Author - I’m in no position to answer all of your questions very accurately But I’ll do my best! (Still building mine) ^_^ - Question 1: I’ve been researching that for along time now, to know that 2 sticks is better.. It relates to the stability of your build when you overclock it (more sticks = less stability) For the second part of your question, I can’t say about Xplane.. But for me I decided to walk the extra mile and pay $20 more to get 16gig (2x 8gig) - I asked the same question while ago.. (about 1600Mhz 2133Mhz 2400Mhz) And almost everybody answered that the more speed you put in your RAM, The more performance you will get in FSX (3fps or something like that).. * I decided to not go with it because of the money to performance ratio wasn't that good.. 2400Mhz RAM's are almost $120 more than the 1600Mhz, and that's $120:3fps!! <_< - Question 2: you mean Noctua NH-D14.. while this question is really about personal preference! But again, if it’s me I won’t be putting that big thing in my PC, it just jam the airflow and kill the view. Get your self H80i for the same amount of money, or add $20 and get H100i if your case will suit. - Mobo: I’ve seen a lot of negative reviews about the P8Z77 pro.. get your self Asrock Z77 extreme 4.. - SSD: People saying the best are 830 & 840 Pro.. it’s something about the 840 (non pro) that stinks.. * I have really good background about PC’s.. But when it came to FSX, I learned a lot by asking and reading! * I hope I answered your questions.. although some of my answers are just based on personal preference and me knowing about these things lately.. Thanks for the input. Any dissenting opinions about going the slow, cheaper 1600MHz ram? I'm a photoscenery flier and thought fast ram was good for avoiding blurries. Brand/type of ram is also something i'm unsure of - corsair is a safe bet, but wondering if any of the cheaper options will offer me equal performance in FSX. I thought ASUS was pretty popular around avsimmers - any specific problems with their Z77 boards? Oz Sim Rig: MSI RTX3090 Suprim, an old, partly-melted Intel 9900K @ 5GHz+, Honeycomb Alpha, Thrustmaster TPR Rudder, Warthog HOTAS, Reverb G2, Prosim 737 cockpit. Currently flying: MSFS: PMDG 737-700, Fenix A320, Leonardo MD-82, MIlviz C310, Flysimware C414AW, DC Concorde, Carenado C337. Prepar3d v5: PMDG 737/747/777. "There are three simple rules for making a smooth landing. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are."
January 1, 201313 yr The ASUS p877v works like a dream with the 3770k, and the best mb for ocing it. Get 2400 ram, for the small difference in price you go to sleep knowing you have the best. I have the hyper evo 212 and my 3770k at 4.9ghz. Temps are fine as long as ht is off. Mine isnot delidded. So yes air is fine especially if you delid.
January 1, 201313 yr Well if you want to run just photoscenery, you won't need too insentive hardware because photoscenery is strictly 'textures'. This is like running FSX with autogen at "None". But I do imagine you want to run more than that. B) You would actually do just fine with a i7-2600K, there will be no FPS difference. The 2600K is a better overclocker, and it will save you money. I have the i7-3930K only because I need the extra cache, which has nothing to do with my FSX. 2 Sticks of RAM of 4GB is plenty. 2 Sticks is the best, usually without errors. When it comes to addon planes, FSX itself will never go above 4GB of ram. There won't be a single addon that wil go above 8GB with FSX running.
January 1, 201313 yr Author Well if you want to run just photoscenery, you won't need too insentive hardware because photoscenery is strictly 'textures'. This is like running FSX with autogen at "None". But I do imagine you want to run more than that. B) You would actually do just fine with a i7-2600K, there will be no FPS difference. The 2600K is a better overclocker, and it will save you money. I have the i7-3930K only because I need the extra cache, which has nothing to do with my FSX. 2 Sticks of RAM of 4GB is plenty. 2 Sticks is the best, usually without errors. When it comes to addon planes, FSX itself will never go above 4GB of ram. There won't be a single addon that wil go above 8GB with FSX running. Hi Summer, Thanks for your thoughts. Trust me - I want intensive hardware! My current rig - an i7 950 at a stable overclock of 4.0MHz, fast memory and two years of tweaking - is no slouch. It was basically the best gear I could get when I did the last build 2 years ago. But it's not good enough for what I want it to do. Basically, I run no autogen but becuase of the other demands I place on my computer - OPUS overcast clouds, AI traffic, 0.5m photoscenery with massive LOD radius, complex aircraft, addon airports - I still need much more. Sandy vs Ivy is another thread altogether I thought I'd keep it simple by being definite from the start about Ivy with a de-lid. Agreed that 8gig is all you need for FSX, but as mentioned I'm about to become a dual FSX/X-plane flier - so I think I'm convinced now to splurge for the 16 gig (unless someone tells me it really won't make any difference in x-plane 64 bit). I'm also wondering if I do splash out for lots of fast memory - is it likely to be useable when I get around to a Haswell build? This was rasied in another recent thread but I didn't ever quite work out the answer - so if anyone has the inside knowledge on this, let me know! Happy new year all, Rob Oz Sim Rig: MSI RTX3090 Suprim, an old, partly-melted Intel 9900K @ 5GHz+, Honeycomb Alpha, Thrustmaster TPR Rudder, Warthog HOTAS, Reverb G2, Prosim 737 cockpit. Currently flying: MSFS: PMDG 737-700, Fenix A320, Leonardo MD-82, MIlviz C310, Flysimware C414AW, DC Concorde, Carenado C337. Prepar3d v5: PMDG 737/747/777. "There are three simple rules for making a smooth landing. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are."
January 1, 201313 yr Hi Rob! You have to still keep in mind, that getting a more intensive system altogether won't create magic with your FSX and double your FPS with the NGX with all sliders maxed. Problem is, FSX is getting older and older, and our computers are getting faster and faster. The most common problem out there, is that users spend thousands on the fastest computer on the maket, buy FSX, load it all up with every addon they can find, and max all of the sliders. Then, they come to AVSIM, and ask why they are getting 10 FPS, and getting fatal errors, and out of memory errors every other flight. Right now, I have the fastest graphics card, and fastest sandy bridge processory to date. Most of my sliders in FSX are down! Traffic OFF, Autogen set to "Normal". Now when I say this, I am not saying it's a shallow grave from here. When you learn to use your sliders modest, you are able to enjoy the lastest addons with ease. And with good fps! And error free. My FSX looks great. With this being said, this is why I say you don't need more than an i7-2500K, unless you plan it for more than FSX. What is it exactly you plan to achieve with a more insensive hardware upgrade? In my opinion, a complete revamp isn't needed from your system. Maybe a GPU upgrade, but going from a i7-920 to an i7-3770K won't create miracles so you can run everything under the sun with all sliders maxed. I am no expert by any means when it comes to X-plane. Because of this, I can't give too much advice on performance when it comes to x-plane. I still wouldn't get 16 GB of ram. Just too much. If you don't need more than 8 for FSX, you won't need any more for x-plane.
January 1, 201313 yr Author The most common problem out there, is that users spend thousands on the fastest computer on the maket, buy FSX, load it all up with every addon they can find, and max all of the sliders. Then, they come to AVSIM, and ask why they are getting 10 FPS, and getting fatal errors, and out of memory errors every other flight. What is it exactly you plan to achieve with a more insensive hardware upgrade? Better photoscenery performance whilst using jets and extreme resolutions (USA covered with increasing amounts of 0.5m/pixel homebuilt scenery, LOD set way high through FSX.cfg) Good performance as I upgrade to a triple monitor setup as part of my 'Mark II' home cockpit build. Happiness as I fly smoothly through layers and layers of Opus FSX clouds. It's OK - I promise not to put ALL the sliders to the right. Oz Sim Rig: MSI RTX3090 Suprim, an old, partly-melted Intel 9900K @ 5GHz+, Honeycomb Alpha, Thrustmaster TPR Rudder, Warthog HOTAS, Reverb G2, Prosim 737 cockpit. Currently flying: MSFS: PMDG 737-700, Fenix A320, Leonardo MD-82, MIlviz C310, Flysimware C414AW, DC Concorde, Carenado C337. Prepar3d v5: PMDG 737/747/777. "There are three simple rules for making a smooth landing. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are."
January 1, 201313 yr Cooling: This is a de-lidded Ivy build. I'm planing to air cool with my Noctua NH-14 and see how that goes. Reasonable to forgo the water cooling? Mobos: I'm going Asus. Anyone object to a P8Z77 Pro? MIght need to upgrade the SSDs, too - getting a bit small. Anyone got any thoughts on the new Samsung 840's? I've always used Ocz but am willing to try something Skip the nh-d14 and go with the corsair h100i. I had the noctua first. Temps were 10 degrees cooler on the h100i. The Ivy Bridge is hot. The h100i is just as easy to set up as an air cooler, takes up much less space and only costs about $20 more so why bother with air. P8z77 is a popular choice. I've read that the asrock formula oc overclockes ivy bridge real well. I've never used it but it might be worth a look. If you get the Samsung 840, make sure it is the PRO version. You won't get the same results from a straight version.
January 1, 201313 yr 8 GB might be all that FSX takes, but what about the other stuff linked to FSX you are running in other windows at the same time? Your moving map/flight planner, the online traffic controller, and you may want to read your email at dull points in the flight. Get more RAM than FSX needs, and your FSX life will be better... 5800X3D, RTX4070, 600 Watt, one or two 1440p 32" screens, 64 GB RAM, 4 TB PCle 3 NVMe, Warthog throttle, VKB NXT EVO stick, Honeycomb Alpha yoke, CH quad, 3 Logitech panels, 2 StreamDecks, Desktop Aviator Trim Panel. Crystal Light VR.
January 1, 201313 yr I find that pretty amazing Scarlett that your settings are not maxed out with what you have spent your money on, I think you have saved me some serious money on an upgrade, thanks for sharing your thoughts. Regards Paul Hi Rob! You have to still keep in mind, that getting a more intensive system altogether won't create magic with your FSX and double your FPS with the NGX with all sliders maxed. Problem is, FSX is getting older and older, and our computers are getting faster and faster. The most common problem out there, is that users spend thousands on the fastest computer on the maket, buy FSX, load it all up with every addon they can find, and max all of the sliders. Then, they come to AVSIM, and ask why they are getting 10 FPS, and getting fatal errors, and out of memory errors every other flight. Right now, I have the fastest graphics card, and fastest sandy bridge processory to date. Most of my sliders in FSX are down! Traffic OFF, Autogen set to "Normal". Now when I say this, I am not saying it's a shallow grave from here. When you learn to use your sliders modest, you are able to enjoy the lastest addons with ease. And with good fps! And error free. My FSX looks great. With this being said, this is why I say you don't need more than an i7-2500K, unless you plan it for more than FSX. What is it exactly you plan to achieve with a more insensive hardware upgrade? In my opinion, a complete revamp isn't needed from your system. Maybe a GPU upgrade, but going from a i7-920 to an i7-3770K won't create miracles so you can run everything under the sun with all sliders maxed. I am no expert by any means when it comes to X-plane. Because of this, I can't give too much advice on performance when it comes to x-plane. I still wouldn't get 16 GB of ram. Just too much. If you don't need more than 8 for FSX, you won't need any more for x-plane.
January 1, 201313 yr - Mobo: I’ve seen a lot of negative reviews about the P8Z77 pro.. get your self Asrock Z77 extreme 4.. - SSD: People saying the best are 830 & 840 Pro.. it’s something about the 840 (non pro) that stinks. I have to disagree with those two statement. Asus z77 board is awesome So is the 840 Samsung SSDs (non Pro) Manny Manny Beta tester for SIMStarter
January 2, 201313 yr I have to disagree with those two statement. Asus z77 board is awesome So is the 840 Samsung SSDs (non Pro) Manny - As I said above that I've done my part in reading about those items but never tested them and never will! -MOBO: P8Z77 Pro is fairly a good motherboard for some people.. But for the price tag I advice to rethink it.. Have a look here or here.. again, I'm not saying that it's a bad motherboard.. I'm saying for the same price tag or even lower, you could have a better one! - SSD: The science behind the 840 being bad (simply) that the 840 (non pro) uses TLC nand chips which is basically lower quality chips than the MLC ones (which is being used in 830 & 840 pro).. Each SSD use a chip technology inside it.. high end SSD's tend to use MLC and lower quality ones uses TLC.. You can find more about it here
Create an account or sign in to comment