This was first posted in the wrong forum so I'm reposting here and have noted that in the other post. Hope that's ok with the mods...

 

I was originally planning my first FSX build over a year ago when I had just started getting into FSX, but life got in the way a bit and here I am a year later, finally ready to pull the trigger on the new build.  It’s going to be a huge improvement over the laptop I’ve been using since getting into FSX (I know, awful).  Good news is that I now have a bit more spare cash to make this a good build I think, and I’ve also spent the last year becoming a much better virtual pilot. 

 

Listed below is the system I’ve put together from PCPartpicker.  I’m hoping the experts on here can spare some time to take a look and give me some feedback.  I’m reasonably handy and can self-teach pretty well, but by no means am I computer-savvy and I have never built my own system.  I’m just looking for some general feedback about the list or any glaring errors I may have made, and then I also have a few specific questions listed below the specs…

 

CPU                – Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core

CPU Cooler    – Noctua NH-D14

Motherboard   – Asus Z97-Pro (Wi-Fi ac) ATX LGA1150

Memory          – G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3-2133 - (9-11-11-31 - 1.6v)

Storage           - Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5” SSD - (for OS and other basic programs – ie office, adobe, AV, etc.)

                        - Crucial MX200 250GB 2.5” SSD – (for FSX and all addons)

                        - Western Digital Black 1TB 3.5” 7200RPM HD (for storage/everything else)

Video Card     – Asus GeForce 970 4GB STRIX

Case               – Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 ATX Mid Tower

Power Supply – EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Gold Certified ATX

OS                  – Windows 7 Home Premium

 

My questions:

1- I plan to overclock modestly to 4.4GHz.  This CPU already has a "turbo" rating of 4.4GHz, but  my understanding is that this is only with one core under load.  I’m hoping it'll be a relatively straightforward overclock process to get it to a steady 4.4.  Am I right in this assumption, and will my selected cooler be adequate for this?

 

2- With regards to the memory; pcpartpicker gives me a warning that, at 1.6v, the Ripjaws exceed the recommended 1.5v as per the Intel specs, and that it may not run at the specified frequency as a result.  Is this something I have to worry about?  Will it cause any problems with the CPU, and will it actually run at less than 2133?  I’m hoping not since there’s no point buying 2133 if it will run at a lower speed.  Also with regards to the memory, would there be a significant improvement if I went to the 2400 (10-12-12-31) Ripjaws over the 2133 (9-11-11-31), and would there be any logical reason to go to 2x8GB instead of 2x4GB?

 

3- Re the video card; Would there be any worthwhile improvement if I went with the GeForce 980 (at nearly double the cost) instead of the 970?

 

4- Finally, regarding the case, it comes with 3 built-in fans but lists space for 5.  Are the 3 it comes with enough, or should I look at getting 2 more?

 

Thanks in advance for the help.  This site is great and has been a great resource for me over the past year as I got into flight simming!

 

Corey

 

friendly bump