There is no balancing CPU and GPU in FSX. You get the fastest (by fastest I mean IPC) CPU for FPS, and then you pick the GPU that will cope with your resolution and / or AA levels you want to run

 

Notice that two comparing AMD and Intel benchmarks to games where CPU was needed more and the intel blew it away by 40% to 50% more frames per second. CPU where fsx likes more than anything.

Look here and judge by yourself. Going by that the 3570K & the 3770K overclock just the same

 

Thanks for the link, indeed very helpful to have some tested results to see. And these results were exactly what I needed. Cache wise, I have no idea what they do really, but indeed I have also seen lots around the forums saying that cache don't make much if any difference in FSX anyway.

 

Now the concern I have is, sure many reviewers and forums say the NZXT Kraken x60 is a better performing cooler than the traditional H100(i), except seeing all these test results, there isn't one saying that it actually does perform well or even have the x60 on the list. I wonder why is that? Just that cos it's quite new and not many people have tried it? Or are there other reasons that I'm overlooking?

Thanks for the link, indeed very helpful to have some tested results to see. And these results were exactly what I needed. Cache wise, I have no idea what they do really, but indeed I have also seen lots around the forums saying that cache don't make much if any difference in FSX anyway.

 

Now the concern I have is, sure many reviewers and forums say the NZXT Kraken x60 is a better performing cooler than the traditional H100(i), except seeing all these test results, there isn't one saying that it actually does perform well or even have the x60 on the list. I wonder why is that? Just that cos it's quite new and not many people have tried it? Or are there other reasons that I'm overlooking?

 

Just want to bring up noise with these closed loop water coolers. I hope you are aware that to achieve these past 4.5 Ghz overclocks you will need some serious fan power and that means noise. My PC is in my bedroom so noise is extremely important for me. The only time I can comfortably play FSX is when my wife is sleeping:) Maybe you should consider building a custom loop with the money you will save by not getting 3930k and not getting H100.

 

CPU block - $100

GPU block - $100

Rad - $150

Pump - $80

Fittings/Tubing - $80

 

That's about $500. Minus $300 you wont pay for 3930k, and $100 you won't pay for H100, and $50 you won't pay for better fans for H100, it almost adds up. If you told me you will be running stock, I wouldn't say anything, but if you are looking at OCing past 4.5 Ghz, you need to consider this.

 

One more thing, the AA/AF (not so much for FSX, but for other games) brings down the FPS a lot. When I OC my graphics card, I get about 8 fps more in BF3 when AA and AF are both cranked up all the way. So if you are going to OC your GPU as well, again, noise will be even worse.

 

Then you obviously made the right decision. I never questioned that by the way

 

.

 

It does help. You get about a 1% perf boost for every other 100MHz of RAM freq.

I guess you are talking about memory channels here, so question is how much more bandwidth you get with 4 channels vs 2? the answer is zero. Well, that's also always been a hot topic in the tech forums in the web. Plenty of discussions one can google, and plenty of tests you can do (and I have done)

 

So you go from 1600MHz to 2133MHz RAM, you get say another 5GB/s in bandwidth and a 5% performance boost in FSX.

 

Now if you test FSX on the same rig on 2 vs 3 or 4 channels, there's no difference in performance and no impact on bandwidth by any meassure but SisSoft Sandra's memory BW bench.

 

 

 

Improve a socket? Intel? you must be really new to this Mehmet. No offense, but do you think Intel will improve a socket to allow for faster (clock for clock & core for core) CPU to fit in there? yes of course they will... that's what they call next socket.

Remember I'm talking about FSX (so IPC, not core count) because you should be able to use 8 core Ivy Bridge-E CPU's in LGS2011 late 2012. So yeah, they will launch new stuff and faster stuff for LGA2011, but mainly adding more cores.

 

IB-E should be about a 5% faster clock for clock than SB-E and allow for faster RAM, so it should actually be about a 10% faster in FSX, but that's still slower than Haswell

 

 

 

Well, some rumors, some assumptions, but rather conservative ones I'd say.

Feel free to let me know in a couple of months if Haswell is not at least a 20 - 30% faster than Sandy Bridge including IPC, IMC and OC potential improvements.

 

 

 

What you or anyone does with their money is none of my business, I'm just talking about FSX and how different HW options effect performance in FSX, or my take on it all at. I just spent 800€ in a new set of wheels, a carbon fork, tyres, saddle, seatpost and whatnot for my road bike and believe me, at my current shape that was money wasted any way you look at it haha. But I could care less

 

I have nothing angainst your plan. Actually I do exactly that. Every other tock, I sell my CPU and mobo and get the latest and greatest for FSX. I'll upgrade to Haswell if it's not a total flop, CPU + mobo + (2600 - 3000MHz RAM) should go for some 250 + 150 + 80€. I should be able to sell my current gear for about 250 - 300€, so overall, for 200 -300€ I can get the next big thing (for FSX) every two years.

 

That's another reason for me to go mainstream. In the second hand market it's a lot easier to sell a 200€ CPU than a 400€ one. Again, if I had a use for those extra cores, then I'd go enthusiast, but that's not the case.

 

Dazz,

 

If Haswell does %30 better than my current setup in FSX (so that's 26 fps instead of 20) without taking a hit on other things, I am going to sell all of my parts at a loss and will be the first person to buy it.

 

You also do understand that people use their computers for things other than playing FSX, which is a a game from 7 years ago? Who would want to build a computer only for FSX?

Ohhh mate, there has been lol... But other stuff in comparison are a lot less CPU or just general hardware hungry.

 

I post process photos and videos, as well as compile source codes etc, but I can do all that on my laptop, slow, but doable, it wont annoy me that much. Thus I am building a machine "dedicated" for FSX use. And Im sure my other work will also benefit from whatever my setup is

I can not wait to get my OCZ Vector next month. That is the next generation of SSDs.

 

Nothing from last year besides a ramdrive or revo drive can beat it (Okay maybe the Samsung 840). I do not work for OCZ. Just very impressed.

 

Check this out.

<br />Now the concern I have is, sure many reviewers and forums say the NZXT Kraken x60 is a better performing cooler than the traditional H100(i), except seeing all these test results, there isn't one saying that it actually does perform well or even have the x60 on the list<br />

 

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/nzxt_kraken_x60_review,1.html

 

Key I think is that the Kraken x60 on silent mode beats the h100i on maximum performance mode.

 

Corsair is also releasing a H110 around the same pricepoint to compete with the Kraken x60

http://www.guru3d.co...0_review,1.html

 

Key I think is that the Kraken x60 on silent mode beats the h100i on maximum performance mode.

 

Corsair is also releasing a H110 around the same pricepoint to compete with the Kraken x60

 

Seems it's just been released! Interested to see how it compares with the x60. And here's one of the preliminary

(the result table starts from 5:12). From the results, x60 on max settings still beats the H110. However, that's 500rpm difference in fanspeed (2000rpm for x60, 1500rpm for H110).

Just want to bring up noise with these closed loop water coolers. I hope you are aware that to achieve these past 4.5 Ghz overclocks you will need some serious fan power and that means noise. My PC is in my bedroom so noise is extremely important for me. The only time I can comfortably play FSX is when my wife is sleeping:) Maybe you should consider building a custom loop with the money you will save by not getting 3930k and not getting H100.

 

CPU block - $100

GPU block - $100

Rad - $150

Pump - $80

Fittings/Tubing - $80

 

That's about $500. Minus $300 you wont pay for 3930k, and $100 you won't pay for H100, and $50 you won't pay for better fans for H100, it almost adds up. If you told me you will be running stock, I wouldn't say anything, but if you are looking at OCing past 4.5 Ghz, you need to consider this.

 

To be honest, noise isn't great factor for me, it doesn't have to be dead quiet. But since I still won't be getting the parts within the next month, I may do some researching on what you suggested (minus the GPU block, I seriously won't be gaming, but if I do choose that I want to indeed add one, I can always do it later).

 

However, may I ask for some tips and directions as to where to start looking? This whole idea of custom watercooling is quite alien to me. Possibly make some suggestions as to what brands etc. you think are good?

Start looking at water cooling specific sub forums in toms hardware/overclockers uk/overclock.net forums. Most of them have specific guides to go into great lengths about water cooling (I know at least toms hardware does and its pages long). As for the brands:

 

- CPU : EK/Heatkiller

- Mobo : EK

- GPU : Heatkiller

- Pump : EK/MCP

- Rad : BlackIce SR1 (Quiet/high performance)

- Tubing : Doesnt really matter

- Fitting : Doesnt really matter as long as you buy compression fittings.

 

The above parts are the best in each category, so to give you an idea, EK Supremacy LGA2011 waterblock is what 3980X is for LGA2011 CPUs, it is the best one out there. Good news is, price difference between the best and good is $30-40, so if you can afford that, you dont ever have to worry about buying CPU blocks, because these things will last a life time and they are compatible across different sockets. You just pay $5-10 and buy the plates/adapters and you are done. Same goes with radiators, and pumps. With water cooling, if you spend more, you get more durability and thats important.

 

Also, never EVER use anything other than distilled water. Just my 2 cents:)

Now what about maintenance and leak management, as well as does this mean I need to really modify my case? I dont have the tools or the experience, the skills to modify things...

If you buy the right case, there is no modification necessary. If you use compression fittings (they are the things that will basically attach the tube to the fitting itself on the water block) there is no chance of leaks. That being said, you need to do leak testing and pump testing when you put your system together for the first time. I honestly had a leak and it was totally my fault, the fitting on the block was loose, so it was leaking water. Don't be scared though, because you will do this when there will be no power/current going into any of the components. You will simply plug in the 4 pin molex connector of the pump into PSU, turn on the PSU, and let the pump run for 12 hours. Even if you spray your motherboard with water, nothing will happen granted it is dry when the actual current goes through it.

 

When you are building your loop, you can add a drain (basically a few inch long tube with a little fitting at the end that can be screwed with a screw driver) so that when you need to do any modifications on the case and you need to drain the water, its very easy to do so.

 

Listen, I was very against water cooling myself, I thought what the heck, its a waste of time and money, air cooling is good enough, and this is too much work. The flaw in that argument is extreme overclocking (which is important for FSX). There is no air solution or a closed loop solution that can run the overclocks I am running 24/7 in a stable manner (unless you want to use extremely loud fans and I mean extremely loud). For games such as BF3 or Crysis where GPU is the bottleneck, you can get away with air cooling, but for FSX and specifically if you are considering 6 or more cores, you need water cooling for these temperatures. My CPU puts out 220W of heat alone, thats massive. Add to that my GPU and RAMs, when I'm playing FSX, the heat output is around 750W, no air solution is going to cool that down the way a custom loop does.

 

Lastly, the thing looks so cool, I am going to take some pictures and post here.

Geez you got me all hyped up now haha, lopking forward to those pics!

 

Anyway, if anyone out there who not in favour of custom loops, Id lile to hear your reasons too!

I have uploaded some pictures here for you :

 

Let me know if you have any questions.

Wow.... Do you have dual radiators? What kind of case are you using? The problem with the custom build is that I'm slightly concerned about the case. I'm not sure whether I can fit a 4 fan rad into my proposed case even with modification.

 

What kind of case should I want to look for for something like that?

Mehmet, that's a sexy looking rig man. Very very cool