Another Rig Suggestion Thread

[theshack440 22]

Hi everyone.

 

I'm a longtime FSXer and I have finally decided to take the leap into building my own rig for Flight Simming. I don't know that much about the individual components and the exact details in terms making the best choice for parts. My friend (another longtime simmer) has been helping me put together a list of parts to buy, but since he's out of the country at the moment (and also not completely an expert), I figured it would be best to ask the pros here at the Avsim forums. While I understand that FSX simply doesn't allow 40 fps after maxing out every slider, I am hoping this new rig will allow me to have good scenery settings, fly high quality aircraft (like the PMDG T7) into a high quality airport (with REX, for example) and still maintain smooth fps. Obviously this varies by airport, scenery, etc. so I really just want to know if these parts are compatible with one another, are a good idea, and if any are over/underkill. Ok so, here's what I'm thinking for a setup:

 

i7 3770k

EVGA GeForce GTX660 2GB 192-bit GDDR5

ASRock Z77 Extreme4 MOBO

CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3

Western Digital WD Black 500GB 6.0Gb/s3.5

CORSAIR HX Series HX850 Powerunit

Cooler Master Hyper 212

NZXT Phantom ATX Full Tower Computer Case

 

(+ Windows 7)

 

Right now this comes out to be around $1200, which is a little higher than my ideal budget of $1000, so if I can buy cheaper parts and get the same result, that would be great (for example, I understand that the CPU is key for building an FSX rig, and I am unsure if an i7 is worth the extra hundred $ over the i5 (3570k)). Anyway, if you're still reading this, thank you for your help and for your incredible expertise!

 

Wallace

[theshack440 22]

I hate to bump my own thread, but does anyone have any thoughts on this setup?

[Charlatan 68]

It is a couple of generations behind.  Ditch the 3770 for a 4690k or 4790k, the Z77 for a Z97 and the GTX 660 for a 770 and your onto a winner

[theshack440 22]

It is a couple of generations behind.  Ditch the 3770 for a 4690k or 4790k, the Z77 for a Z97 and the GTX 660 for a 770 and your onto a winner

Thank you for your reply and your help. I am trying to keep the price down a little bit, and since the 770 is nearly double than the 660, do you think I would notice the difference in FSX? Also, do you think the 4790k is worth the extra $100 over the 4690k? thanks again.

[wanabflyer 53]

If I were upgrading right now, I would go with the 4690k and use the $100 savings towards that 770 (if I didn't already have one). No doubt in my mind.

[Charlatan 68]

If I were upgrading right now, I would go with the 4690k and use the $100 savings towards that 770 (if I didn't already have one). No doubt in my mind.

 

Got to agree with this.

 

 

Thank you for your reply and your help. I am trying to keep the price down a little bit, and since the 770 is nearly double than the 660, do you think I would notice the difference in FSX? Also, do you think the 4790k is worth the extra $100 over the 4690k? thanks again.

 

I would get the 4690k and the 770.  If however, that is out of reach, I would at least go for the 4690k and the 760 rather than the 660.

 

You probably wouldn't notice much difference between the 4690k and 4790k, but you certainly would between the 660 and 770.  I went from a GTX 670 to a 780 and the difference in smoothness was staggering, considering the GPU isnt supposed to do a great deal.

[wanabflyer 53]

Not a PC guru by a long shot, but I am a true believer that when it comes to FSX, you can have the fasted CPU on the planet but without the right GPU you will just spin your wheels

(Bottleneck your CPU).

[theshack440 22]

Got to agree with this.

 

 

 

I would get the 4690k and the 770.  If however, that is out of reach, I would at least go for the 4690k and the 760 rather than the 660.

 

You probably wouldn't notice much difference between the 4690k and 4790k, but you certainly would between the 660 and 770.  I went from a GTX 670 to a 780 and the difference in smoothness was staggering, considering the GPU isnt supposed to do a great deal.

Ok, thank you very much for the tips. I'm glad you guys pitched in, I would have had no idea on my own.

 

So it looks like it will be the 4690k and either the 760 or the 770. Just to be sure, the 770 is a smart investment for the extra 100$ over the 760? Smart meaning I would notice the difference while playing FSX.

[Bert Pieke 7,584]

It depends on how much weather detail you like in your sim.. multiple cloud layers and high NI settings can really tax a GPU.

 

If you are happy flying with fair skies, I bet you that you would not notice.. and the 660 would do the job nicely.

[theshack440 22]

It depends on how much weather detail you like in your sim.. multiple cloud layers and high NI settings can really tax a GPU.

 

If you are happy flying with fair skies, I bet you that you would not notice.. and the 660 would do the job nicely.

Thank you. I've never really been able to have much detail because my current (and past) rigs haven't been good enough to allow very much cloud/weather detail. With this one I hope to be able to have complex weather with complex addons like PMDG, FSDT, etc.

 

Assuming I get the 770, a Z97 mobo, the 4690k and everything else I mentioned in the op, do you think the power unit that I have (850w) will be enough? Thanks again.

[Bert Pieke 7,584]

Yes

[theshack440 22]

Yes

Ok, great! Last question (I hope). Do you have any particular z97 mobo you would recommend? I know asrock has some and asus, and others.

[Bert Pieke 7,584]

Ok, great! Last question (I hope). Do you have any particular z97 mobo you would recommend? I know asrock has some and asus, and others.

 

I personally like Asus boards - solid and easy to overclock..

 

A  Z97-A or Z97-Pro should do the trick..

 

My rig is a generation behind.. 4770k on an Asus Z87-A board.. not much different than what you are considering.

 

BTW.. a quirk with the Corsair PSUs.. they tend to overheat if mounted with the fan facing down.. I had to flip mine upside down after initial install..

[Charlatan 68]

Ok, great! Last question (I hope). Do you have any particular z97 mobo you would recommend? I know asrock has some and asus, and others.

 

This is purely personal preference.  I have had Asrock, Asus and MSI boards in the past, but always come back to Gigabyte.  The Gigabyte Z97 D3H should be fine for you, the Asus Z97-A seems to be popular too

[theshack440 22]

I personally like Asus boards - solid and easy to overclock..

 

A  Z97-A or Z97-Pro should do the trick..

 

My rig is a generation behind.. 4770k on an Asus Z87-A board.. not much different than what you are considering.

 

BTW.. a quirk with the Corsair PSUs.. they tend to overheat if mounted with the fan facing down.. I had to flip mine upside down after initial install..

I'll keep that in mind! Thank you, much appreciated. If you guys seem to be pleased with the other stuff, I'll go ahead and order! Any other tips for commonly needed (and forgotten) cords and wires that I would have to order separately? Also, sorry if this a dumb question, but don't I need an optical drive?