As Christmas nears I'm looking at potentially indulging myself and investing in a new rig. Below are the specifications for my current computer, which while adequate to run FS2004 with REX, ASE, and other various sceneries and addons, obviously isn't ideal for more intensive simulators, i.e., FSX, XPlane, P3D. And while it is sufficient, it is being pushed rather hard. 

 

Processor: 2.3 GHz Intel Core i7 

Memory: 8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3 

Graphics: Nvidia GT 650M 

 

The question(s) is/are somewhat twofold.

 

First of all, if I was to invest in a new machine I'd (ideally) like to build it myself, as opposed to buying a pre-made rig. A bit more effort and labor involved, surely, but likely an overall better final product due to the increased customization, as well as the somewhat reduced cost. How much would a system like this (one that could run FSX/XPlane/P3D and multiple other addons/sceneries with consistently smooth FPS) cost, and furthermore, what specifications would I be looking for? This is a largely foreign area to me, so I really don't have a clue as to what I'd be getting myself into. To elaborate a bit more on specifically what addons, I'd be looking for the whole shebang. PMDG airplanes, airports, textures, meshes, GEX, UT, etc, etc. Obviously this will require a powerful machine. 

 

The second part of the question pertains to if it's worthwhile to upgrade, or at least to the aforementioned extent. Obviously a slightly improved machine from the one I currently have would cost less and would be able to run FS2004 without any issue whatsoever. I also like that FS2004 tends to be more stable and experiences fewer crashes, however I don't care for the not-so-great ground scenery, lack of addons, and some other various blips/struggles I've had as far as model-matching online. With that said, if I did a minor upgrade, as opposed to an overhaul, I could save myself some money and run a stabler (yet limited) simulation. 

 

I guess what I'm getting at is: should I go big, invest in a high-performance machine and make the leap to FSX, XPlane, and/or P3D, or should I make a smaller and less expensive upgrade, yet stay with FS2004? Obviously I could invest in an incredibly powerful rig and continue to use FS2004, but that would be overkill, no doubt. I don't want to get a more powerful machine than I need. 

 

Again, this is a largely foreign subject to me, so as far as specifications, price, and the like, I'm going in blind. Thought I could turn to this fantastic community for some advice and assistance. 

 

Thank you all so much in advance.

My apologies for the double-post, but I went ahead and threw together a rig based on some advice and research from another forum. Before making any moves, I did want to consult as to how this rig would fit together and if it would be sufficient. 

 

Below is the link:

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/rNZq7P

That PC will DEFINITELY get the job done. And yes, you should move to FSX, and if you wanted to P3D. I too have recently converted to FSX from FS9, and the addons and graphics that FSX can achieve are simply amazing compared to what FS9 can do. I just wanted to point a few things out. 16 gigs of RAM is overkill for gaming in general. Plus, FSX could never utilize all that memory anyway as it's only 32-bit. And, is there any reason why you need 2 SSDs? You could just keep the 120GB for FSX/P3D and install the OS on a HDD and you'd be fine while giving yourself some extra space to store other stuff. An SSD wouldn't increase FSX performance anyway, just decrease load times. The 850W PSU is also a bit overkill, but allows for some ungradability, so if it's not too much money for you, keep it. Oh, and another thing to add about the PSU: it's modular. Slightly different that non-modular PSUs and in IMO allows for better wire management. The CPU is clocked at 4GHz stock which is amazing, and I'm sure the closed loop liquid cooler will keep things cool (although I'm not really a big fan of closed loop liquid cooling systems, had one fail on me once and was very annoying to replace). The GTX 970 is arguably one of the best GPU deals right now, so grab it while they're still in stock.

 

Other than that, the other parts are great. With some overclocking and config file tweaking, you could easily maintain 30 fps. And that case looks awesome  . 

Great, thank you so much for the feedback. 

 

So if I was to make some tweaks based on reading your post, I should...

 

Get rid of 8 GB of RAM, as it's unnecessary. 

Replace an SSD with a HDD, as the two SSDs are unnecessary. 

Go with a slightly less-powerful PSU.

And perhaps consider adjusting my cooling unit...?'

 

And another question while I'm thinking of it: 

is there any reason to go with Windows Professional or Ultimate, over 'Premium', which I currently have selected? 

 

Thanks again for the feedback. I'll update here once some progress has been made. 

No prob 

 

So yeah. Just get rid of the Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB SSD and use that money for a 1 or 2 TB HDD instead. Install FSX on the 120GB one. Get rid of 8 gigs of RAM as you'll only need 8. Keep the PSU though, you might need it in the future. As for the liquid cooling, I guess it's up to you. Some of them can get VERY loud, louder than fans. Here are some CPU fans I can recommend: 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608018&cm_sp=Cat_Fans-_-Pillars-_-Noctua-H-D14-_-2

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=35-103-057

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=35-103-065

And about the OS. Ultimate and Pro are essentially the same thing as Premium except with a few extra features like virtual desktops which you really wouldn't need. So stick with the Premium.  

 

And another thing: Case fans! Here are some I can recommend:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835200075

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835352006

Of course, you can use whatever you want. And don't forget, you might also want to install some case lighting to make it look awesome. You'll need to install LED light strips, but I'm not really an expert on that stuff. Also, don't forget that when you build your PC, get a magnetic screwdriver (so screws don't fall in), always ground yourself (touch the metal part of your case or wear static gloves), get some cable ties so you can route the wires, and keep a flashlight handy.

 

Hope this helps  :smile:

Great, I think I addressed a lot of what you mentioned.

 

I made some tweaks -- here's the link:

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/NbJNWZ

 

I stuck with the liquid cooling device. 

Got rid of 8 GB of RAM.

Stuck with the 120 GB SSD, and added a 1 TB HDD in lieu of the 256 GB SSD. 

Went with a significantly cheaper case (I hope this will work and properly house my components. From my crude comparison it appears it will. Some clarification would be nice, though!)

Went with a 650W PSU, as opposed to the one I had. Much cheaper, however you said you'd recommend I stick with the one I had. Is there any reason the new one wouldn't work, or would I be wise to revert back to what I had?

And lastly, I added a case fan.

 

Thanks again so much for the help! I feel like I'm fairly close here. 

Everything seems good. The 650W PSU is great if you're not overclocking. However, if you are, then I suggest a 750W to be on the safe side. Then again I'm not really an expert on overclocking and the power it uses (I'm only 16  :ph34r:).

I just have experience building computers, replacing CPUs and GPUs, etc... I'm a tech nerd 

 

And dont forget LED lighting!

Fantastic! Thanks so much for the assistance. I went ahead and tweaked my PSU, going with a 750W model.

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7rTjLk

 

That should do it! I may add some LEDs down the road, but I want to save as much money as possible at this time, so I'll hold off for now.

 

Thanks again. 

Yep! Everything works. Good luck with your build and don't break anything 

Shoot! One other thing I just thought of:

 

I've been flying on FS2004 on a TV monitor, which I'm connected to via HDMI.

 

Would the rig I have put together above have HDMI capability, or would I need to add another piece of hardware to accomplish this? 

 

Also, as far as connecting to the internet, I assume I would need a wireless network adapter as well? I could probably run an ethernet cable from my office into my simulator space, but wireless is more convenient. 

Go for the 250SSD instead of the 126 SSD if you can for FSX.

 

I have the FSX on the 250GSSD and I am 98% 

 

Getting an SSD for OS would boot your machine in a Jiffy.

Go for the 250SSD instead of the 126 SSD if you can for FSX.

 

I have the FSX on the 250GSSD and I am 98% 

 

Getting an SSD for OS would boot your machine in a Jiffy.

 

Okay, I'll go ahead and get a larger SSD for FSX.

 

You mention that an SSD for my OS would boot my machine in a jiffy -- forgive my ignorance, but I'm not entirely sure what you mean. I assume that's a good thing, right?    

 

I'm a touch clueless when it comes to these things. My knowledge is elementary, and that's putting it lightly.

 

Another thing I thought of pertained to my GPU. I know in FS2004 I need to make various tweaks, particularly with regard to antialiasing via Nvidia inspector in order to eliminate some shimmering/glossy, fractured textures. Obviously the GPU I currently have selected would prohibit me from using Nvidia inspector. Am I safe in assuming that the shimmers wouldn't be an issue and/or that there would be other effective antialiasing techniques? 

 

Thanks for all the help and feedback everyone. 

 

 

d boot my machine in a jiffy

 

Yeah its good.. it would boot up real fast.  If budget is really tight, I guess you can live with a slow boot.. I have never regretted my OS sitting on an SSD. 

 

About shimmering (Antialiasing) FSX is ok with it... you can eliminate it. P3D has issues with AA. I didn;t think it was a major issue with AA.

I love my SSD. Actuslly have two. My old sata II runs my OS and my newer Samsung 840 runs FSX / XP10 / (and BF4)

 

Having Win7 on a SSD dramatically improves loading speeds initially. It's obviously a bit more money / GB but if you have a little extra lying around I'd put the OS on it.

 

FSX is hugely faster loading as well. With addons my old drive could take 4-5 min - on the 840 it takes about 45sec now. Worth it to me.

 

Oh, what video card are you getting? Didn't see that on your list. Something like a gtx 770 and up would be my recommendation - all the newer cards have hdmi out.

I would upgrade the H55 cooler to a H80 if possible, the 4790K runs hot, especially if you're going to do a mild overclock.  Also change the motherboard for a Z97 board, the Z87 is defunct and with no upgrade path.  If you can afford it, I would definitely go with an SSD for the OS, don't think I could live with a HDD after 12 months of being spoilt