Looking to build a system

[flyer767 0]

Hello:

 

I am looking into building a new system for FSX spending about $1500(US). I am leaning towards the i4770k with a GTX 770 as I just do not have the funds for a 780. How does FSX perform with a 2g or 4g GTX 770?

 

Can some of you post your system builds for me? Specifically the motherboard type, memory, CPU cooler type (air) and if there were any issues with the memory sticks and the height of the CPU cooler. On my current system this was a problem. I have heard that the $200 range for ASUS motherboards is good as they are overall better quality and they have better customer service.

 

My goal is to receive enough information to duplicate somewhat a system that is already up and running. I am also trying to avoid any pitfalls by looking at successfully built systems.

 

I like the Coolermaster HAF 932 case because of the 700mm large quiet fans and it is a server case with excellent airflow. This is the case I am currently using but I am always open.

 

I have never used an SSD drive but I may get one.Does FSX work better with an SSD?  What are some good hard drives to use?

 

I have WIN 7 64bit SP1 and primarily fly the 737NGX, My add-ons are ORBX, REX, RC4, and LiveATC from Cielosim.

 

I do not plan at this time to overclock. I have read about the heat issues with Overclocking the i4770k.

 

Thank you in advance as I know I am asking for a lot of data.

 

Don

[ryanbatc 12,836]

Hello:

 

 

I'd like the know the video card memory and how it affects FSX as well.  I run my GTX570 with 1.2GB and it's fine.  Using XP10 it's a problem because XP10 will use more vram to render stuff.  Something to consider if you plan on flying both sims.

 

I've done two full builds in my life... plus a few component upgrades.  I had a variety of motherboards, Asus, Foxconn, Gigabyte (current).  I really prefer Asus.  I had zero problems with it and I have problems with my current board and had issues with Foxconn.  A lot of people really like GB too... it just depends how much you want to spend.  For what you get Asus generally runs a little higher than GB.

 

I've also had experience with air coolers and closed loop "water" cooolers like the one I have now Corsair H60.  I very much like the Corsair lineup because there's no fins on the HS to worry about touching your RAM heatspreaders.  They also do a nice job cooling.  Some high end air coolers (example Noctua DH14) still have an edge over the Corsair ones.  Look at the Corsair H80 or H100i.

 

SSD drives essentially speed up load times considerably.  If you put Windows on it your boot times can be super quick... 10-20 seconds on some rigs.  Other than fast loading that's about all they do for FSX.  A good drive would be Samsung's 840 Evo or if you want very high end their 840 Pro.  The Evo should do very well for FSX or windows.  Otherwise for mechanical drives any 7200rpm that doesn't advertise "green" as in earth friendly lol should be good.  WD Caviar Black, Seagate, Samsung spinpoint all decent.

 

Personally if you get a real nice cooler you have to OC!  (well you don't of course but then there's not a lot of reason to drop $80-100 on a nice cooler).  You can even do a smaller OC without delidding and it will be much nicer.  Asus' motherboard uses UEFI (a modern day graphical interface for its BIOS) so it should be easy to navigate through an OC.  the "K" value after the CPU designates unlocked multiplier which is what you want to make OCing easier.

[Bill Maher 1]

I have an ASUS Z87-Plus mobo.  Any of their mainstream line of boards should work well for you.  You'll just need to look at the specs and see what features you want on the board (WiFi, bluetooth, etc) and pick the one that meets your needs.  I echo Ryan's thoughts above re: cooling.  If you have no intention to overclock, you do not need any CPU cooler other than the fan that comes in the CPU box.  You also don't need the "K" version of the CPU.  Save yourself the money and perhaps throw that towards the video card or the SSD.  Now, if you want to leave the OC option out there for the future, then an upgraded cooler and the K chip would be something to consider.  The ASUS mainstream boards come with several hardware and software options to quickly implement a mild overclock in the 4.2 range without any tweaking required (and of course the options to push for a max OC if desired). 

[martin-w 3,235]

How does FSX perform with a 2g or 4g GTX 770?

Absolutely great. I have an EVGA GTX 770 Duel BIOS 4 GB card. Love it.

 

You say you've heard that Haswell runs hot, well yes it does, but absolutely fine for temps at moderate overclocks. Don't be scared to overclock moderately.

 

For coolers, consider the Thermalright Archon SB-E X2. No RAM clearance issues and cools as good as the NH-D14 according to some reviews.

[Jim Young 2,356]

I upgraded to my current system (i7 4770K, GTX780, and ASUS Z87 Deluxe) and it cost me about $1300.  I had to buy another Windows 7 64 bit as they didn't like me moving the one on my old system to this system at all.  I upgraded my memory too to be compatible with the new Z87 boards.  Otherwise, everything else was moved over to my old CoolMaster HAF 932.  If you are not planning on overclocking you can save a little by getting the i7 4770 (without the K) but I would not recommend it. Overclocking the new systems is simple and nearly automatic and you may want to do that in the future or have computer expert do it for you.  I heard about the heat issues but have not seen them.  Many have it overclocked to 5.0 but not necessary.  I have mine stable at 4.2 GHz.  You can probably get a cheaper MB too.  I didn't have to replace my NH-D14 Noctra CPU cooler.  You definitely do not need a new PSU.  Seems to me you should be able to stay well within your $1500 budget.  I have one of those Micro-Centers near my house so that's where I did most of my shopping.  They always have sales.  Amazon.com does too.

 

Best regards,

[flyer767 0]

Thanks for the info. It looks like you have built a system similar to what I want to build. I have read many Newegg reviews and never sure of what to make of them based on the users skill level.

DId you find anything frustrating about the Z87 motherboard?

 

If I understood your post correctly concerning the Noctra CPU cooler it did not cause any clearance issues when installing the memory? On some motherboards the slots next to the CPU are the overclock slots which is where I would want to put my memory sticks.

 

Do you find the Noctra CPU cooler to be quiet?

 

What memory did you install?

 

Thanks

Don

[KlausW1963 0]

If you are not planning on overclocking you can save a little by getting the i7 4770 (without the K) but I would not recommend it.

 

If you don't want to overclock you can buy a Xeon v3 (for me the E3-1230 has the best/performance ratio) instead of the 4770. It is the same core as the i7 without the iGPU which you don't need anyways if you have an extra graphics card. You can use a motherboard with H87 chipset and the stock cpu fan. By that you can save quite a lot of money compared to an overclockable i7 system and still get HT which you don't get with an i5 system.

[martin-w 3,235]

Thanks for the info. It looks like you have built a system similar to what I want to build. I have read many Newegg reviews and never sure of what to make of them based on the users skill level.

DId you find anything frustrating about the Z87 motherboard?

 

If I understood your post correctly concerning the Noctra CPU cooler it did not cause any clearance issues when installing the memory? On some motherboards the slots next to the CPU are the overclock slots which is where I would want to put my memory sticks.

 

Do you find the Noctra CPU cooler to be quiet?

 

What memory did you install?

 

Thanks

Don

The Noctua NH-D14 will cause issues with RAM clearance... I guess Jim, has low profile RAM.

 

I'm actually using Corsair GT ram with my D14, same RAM as the platinum, but without the fancy heat spreader. With the GT RAM it's simply a case of removing the top fins of the heat spreader, they are removable.