So here is what I'm currently running;

i7 7700K @ 4.6, Asus Dual OC GTX1070, 8gb Ram @2400 & the CPU cooler is a Coolermaster TX3 Evo.

Initially I was running the CPU at 4.8ghz with hyperthreading on but the temps were starting to creep into the mid 80's so I've turned hyperthreading off and gone down to 4.6ghz and temps sit at 70 or below which I'm comfortable with. I've set P3D up as per Rob's guide so I run the settings he recommends. For the most part I'm pretty happy with the performance but there are times where I think 'shouldn't it be running a bit better?' in terms of FPS. I can't run MSAA or SSGS without a massive FPS so I haven't bothered with that at all. I would have thought my specs could run it comfortably but unfortunately no.

When I built the PC this year to save money initially, I bought a single stick of 8gb ram at 2400mhz with the intention of getting better ram when funds allowed. I really want to get this PC 'dialed in' and setup so I can just fly. The last two mods I'm planning is the get some new ram which I can overclock and also a new CPU cooler so I can OC the CPU a bit more.

With this in mind, am I being unrealistic in expecting 2x8gb 2400mhz ram overclocked will give me a performance boost? Or would I be smarter to get a new CPU cooler first to keep it cool and OC higher?

 

Thanks.

2 RAM sticks vs one should help... but I would not expect magic.

You have a very capable system and the limitations are what they are..

4.6 GHz is a good place to be - i would not try to push it higher..

Thanks Bert. I figured I have a dual channel CPU so hoping for some gains there since I only have one stick at the moment. Hopefully a bit more performance with an overclock on the ram too. Well that helps answer the question, ram for the moment and then cooler down the track.

Thanks.

Why a dual-channel configuration is always prefered:

Ideally you want 2 sticks of 3200mhz+ stuff. 

Get faster memory.  Not even debatable.  FSX/P3D love memory bandwdidth.  On a modern DDR4 platform compared to a last-gen DDR3 platform, with very little difference in CPU performance (call it 15%) your minimum frame rate can go from low 30s to low 50s.  That's a massive increase.  I observed these numbers myself in FSX SE using FSX Mark 11 test protocol going from a 4790k @ 4.8/5.0 with 2400 RAM to a 7700k @ 5.2 with 3600 RAM.  Your results may vary, I'm not promising you'll get low 50s for minimum FPS in your use of the sim, just in FSX Mark which is a very specific set of testing conditions.  

Agreed - 2400mhz is not fast for a 7700K match.  3400-3600 is what you want.

Thanks for the replies guys. Interesting info on the RAM.

I was planning to get the 2400mhz based on this - http://ark.intel.com/products/97129/Intel-Core-i7-7700K-Processor-8M-Cache-up-to-4_50-GHz
I figure if Intel recommend 2133 or 2400mhz then I should get 2400mhz and then just overclock it but sounds like this isn't the case? I think I read somewhere that if I buy 3200mhz ram if it has to it will just down clock to the lower frequency.

So with that in mind it sounds like I am better to get the fastest ddr4 I can find?

Thanks.

14 hours ago, ryanbatcund said:

Agreed - 2400mhz is not fast for a 7700K match.  3400-3600 is what you want.

I know that this seems to be the general advice here, but is this specifically for flight simming? I have no personal experience of using different RAM speeds as I've not tried anything other than what I put in my system when I built it. However, if you're talking about RAM for gaming generally, then this article makes interesting reading: http://techbuyersguru.com/gaming-ddr4-memory-2133-vs-26663200mhz-8gb-vs-16gb?page=0 - like all online tests, I'm sure you could find contradictory results if you look hard enough! I've read a number of articles that suggest that DDR4-3000 is the best cost/performance buy. The faster speeds (3600, 4000) tend to cost significantly more whist only giving small improvements in gaming performance - the law of diminishing returns seems to apply here.

Someone did a RAM speed test specifically for flight sim, maybe FSX or P3D I can't remember.  I think it was a username of Saab340 maybe - I can't even find the link.  But basically his postings were what TechMax posted above.

The fastest I can find around the regular stores in Aus is 3200mhz. The difference is between $30-$40aud which I thought was pretty reasonable.

Haven't seen 3400 though.

Edited May 17, 20179 yr by johnnycrockett
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