Most has already been said but I will add:

 

-Get better/faster RAM with lower latency. FSX (and Haswell) likes fast RAM. Try and get 2666mhz C10 or 2400mhz C9 but my 2400mhz C11 does me ok and was at a price I couldn't ignore.

 

-I don't think you need CPU compound as the Corsairs come with them pre-applied. Check though.

 

-As discussed above, Z87 is a dead platform. Go Z97 which at the very least will make your parts worth more at resale time.

 

-Definitely try to get a better cooler than the H55. I have a H60 as it's pretty much the only thing that fits in my tiny case (SG05). Many say good air cooler are better than the Corsairs all-in-ones.

 

-Forget about FS9

Hey all, thanks for the recommendations. I have made a handful of changes and should be close to an ideal build (I hope!). 

 

I'll go ahead and invest in two SSDs. The question I have is: how big should my OS SSD be? I'll go with 250GB for my P3D files, however I'm unsure as to how big my OS storage ought to be.

 

I also would like to get a dual-fan setup for the EVO 212, which I opted for over the Corsair liquid-cooling device. How would I go about obtaining a second fan? 

 

Thanks!

120GB for OS is plenty.  If you're only doing P3D a 250/256 is fine but I'd get a 480/500/512GB if you play ANY other games.

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

 

I initially bought a 256G for my DIY new rig and quickly realized it wasn't going to be big enough. I changed my order to a 512G and currently have about 150G free.

 

One other consideration: I added three 1TB drives -- one to clone the boot drive (the SSD), one to store all of my downloads, software installers, etc, and the third for backing-up the second drive. I never download stuff to my boot SSD because you want to minimize write/erase/write cycles to keep the drive healthy. So use a 1T mechanical drive as your default download/storage volume, and only install or move stuff to your boot drive as required.

 

Good luck with your new rig. I had a lot of fun as well as challenges building mine. I learned a lot and would never buy a stock desktop computer again.

Thanks so much everyone. 

 

Below is the link to my current build:

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QJCt4D

 

As I mentioned above, I swapped out the Corsair liquid cooler for the Hyper 212 EVO.

 

I upgraded to the Z97 motherboard, as opposed to the Z87.

 

I upgraded my memory device to DDR3-2400 and 10 CAS, as opposed to the DDR3-1600 I had previously. 

 

I added a 512GB SSD. There is only one listed there, as I will only be buying one. I managed to find a 240GB SSD that I recently bought. It has received little usage, which I will use for my OS. 

 

I swapped out the EVGA card for the MSI, as it seems *slightly* more reliable based on some reviews I read. 

 

I also ditched Windows, as I currently have a remote copy that I'm using for Bootcamp on my Mac. I'll deactivate that and reactivate on this new machine. 

 

The only two lingering questions are:

 

1.) how to setup a dual-fan cooling device with the Hyper 212 EVO (or if this would even be necessary), and

 

2.) if I would need a wireless adapter of some kind in order to connect via WIFI, or if there would be built-in capability. 

 

3.) it would appear as if my memory voltage exceeds the recommended voltage of my selected CPU. How much of an issue is this, and what should I do (if anything) to remedy the issue?

 

Thanks again everyone. The help you've provided is immensely appreciated! 

I'm not sure about the EVO set up but it looks like you'll need to get a WiFi card as there's nothing listed in the specs on partpicker. Check the manufacturer's webite to make sure.

 

Having checked that motherboard out I see it has quad Crossfire/SLI capability. If FSX is all you'll be doing gaming wise then you could save some money here I think.

 

Don't worry about the memory voltage, this is a commonly asked question and Haswell has no issues with 1.65v memory. I've read that overclocking to 1.7v is pretty much risk free and no problem for the IMC. Just enable your XMP in BIOS and you're all set. Intel don't officially support it but if you had any issues they would never know you had been using it. My RAM runs at 1.66v in XMP which is pretty common I think.

 

As your motherboard has Ultra M.2 support, have you considered buying an SSD to take advantage of this?

 

I'm not saying you should but I would advise doing some research as you might decide you would be happy to sacrifice some storage space (or spend some more money) to get the fastest drive you can.

I'm not sure about the EVO set up but it looks like you'll need to get a WiFi card as there's nothing listed in the specs on partpicker. Check the manufacturer's webite to make sure.

 

Having checked that motherboard out I see it has quad Crossfire/SLI capability. If FSX is all you'll be doing gaming wise then you could save some money here I think.

 

Don't worry about the memory voltage, this is a commonly asked question and Haswell has no issues with 1.65v memory. I've read that overclocking to 1.7v is pretty much risk free and no problem for the IMC. Just enable your XMP in BIOS and you're all set. Intel don't officially support it but if you had any issues they would never know you had been using it. My RAM runs at 1.66v in XMP which is pretty common I think.

 

As your motherboard has Ultra M.2 support, have you considered buying an SSD to take advantage of this?

 

I'm not saying you should but I would advise doing some research as you might decide you would be happy to sacrifice some storage space (or spend some more money) to get the fastest drive you can.

 

I managed to find a second EVO fan which I added to my "list" under the custom tab. I'll have to order separately but it's nice to have the price included. Actually holding-off on the wireless adapter before I talk to the person who manages our "hub". Will get his recommendation(s) and then order an adapter. 

 

The motherboard may be overkill, and my tentative plan is FSX at the moment, but I won't rule out P3D or other games, so I'll stick with the overpowered MB for the time being. 

 

Thanks for the clarification on the RAM -- that's pretty much what I've read elsewhere, so it's nice to know it will be a non-issue. 

 

I did some research on the Ultra M.2 and figured the SSDs I have will be adequate. Some additional speed would certainly be nice, but not worth the trouble of upgrading (and having to downsize/spend more) at this point. Perhaps down the road. I really appreciate the suggestion, though! The SSDs will be fast enough, anyhow.

 

I believe I'm pretty much set. Only change is that I added the additional EVO fan. Should be good-to-go, outside of the wireless adapter that I will address down the road.

 

Thanks for all the help. If there are any lingering issues that you see, totally feel free to mention them. 

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/KZXZrH

Have fun, I was where you are now about 3/4 months ago (I added gpu and cooler when the 970 came out and got my cpu in August).

 

Only now am I completely happy with my pc following a lengthy fsx tweak session and ironing out some gremlins plus plenty of time overclocking.

 

I can just fly now without the fps counter on, it's great.

 

As we have similar systems, give me a shout if you want any help tweakingZ

Have fun, I was where you are now about 3/4 months ago (I added gpu and cooler when the 970 came out and got my cpu in August).

 

Only now am I completely happy with my pc following a lengthy fsx tweak session and ironing out some gremlins plus plenty of time overclocking.

 

I can just fly now without the fps counter on, it's great.

 

As we have similar systems, give me a shout if you want any help tweakingZ

 

Really, thanks for all the assistance, it's hugely appreciated. 

 

I will absolutely reach out when I have FSX up and running and am ready to begin tweaking, overclocking, and the like. 

 

I owe you one! Thanks again. 

Good luck, just put together a similar system: Transferred my HD and SSD from my old system to the new one so I wouldn't have to re-install everything.

Enjoy!

 

Cooler Master HAF X - Full Tower Computer Case with High Airflow Windowed Side Panel and USB 3.0 $159.00

Cooler Master V8 GTS - High Performance CPU Cooler with Horizontal Vapor Chamber and 8 Heatpipes by Cooler Master $99.99

FirePower Fatal1ty 750W 80Plus Bronze Fully Modular Gaming ATX PC Power Supply FTY750W, formerly PC Power & Cooling by FirePower Technology $124.60

ASUS MAXIMUS VII HERO Z97 ATX DDR3 2600 LGA 1150 Motherboards MAXIMUS VII HERO by Asus $204.99

Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB 2x8GB DDR3 2400MHz PC3 19200 Desktop, Red CMY16GX3M2A2400C11R by Corsair $182.99

MSI GTX 970 4GD5T OC Graphics Cards GTX 970 4GD5T OC by MSI $336.27

Intel Core i7-4790K Processor (8M Cache, up to 4.40 GHz) (BX80646I74790K) by Intel $329.99