Best 737

[TimF 3]

I'm looking for a detailed 737 to purchase, that is somewhere near study level, but that doesn't turn my sim into a slideshow. My currect specs: P3Dv4.5HF3, i7 7700k 4.20ghz, GTX 1070 (running 3 identical monitors 1920 1080), 32gb DDR4 RAM at 3000mhz. My only additional scenery is ORBX Global Base. With these specs I currently run the Majestic Dash-8 with ease. Which 737 is best?

Edited May 7, 2020 by TimF

[Nyxx 6,993]

PMDG NGXu, simply the best.

A step down and cheaper iFly 737.

Edited May 7, 2020 by Nyxx

[Nickbe 401]

I also like PMDG737NGXu, but lately I like to fly on old planes that don't have a glass cabin. And in this case, I use Captain Sim 737-200 very often. For this aircraft, my colleague and I made a mod where there are many global improvements that in the latest version of "Total Overhaul" will be available for one or two days. Therefore, I can advise you to consider buying this old bird. I was even able to run CS732 in P3D v5 without any problems.

[Ricardo41 5,949]

21 minutes ago, TimF said:

I'm looking for a detailed 737 to purchase, that is somewhere near study level, but that doesn't turn my sim into a slideshow. My currect specs: P3Dv4.5HF3, i7 7700k 4.20ghz, GTX 1070 (running 3 identical monitors 1920 1080), 32gb DDR4 RAM at 3000mhz. My only additional scenery is ORBX Global Base. With these specs I currently run the Majestic Dash-8 with ease. Which 737 is best?

Best value for money: the ifly 737. It's also quite often on sale for 50% off over at Flight1.
Best for separating you from your dineros: PMDG

[FlyingBubbles 15]

... and if you ever feel like trying X-Plane out, the ZiboMod 737 is simply the best. It is free and a lot more immersive than the PMDG one.

[Chuck_Jodry-VJPL 663]

We all have preferences, these are from V5 , new PBR version of the MV737 on short final

 

Best CJ

[regis9 4,014]

Whoa, that’s the first I’ve heard of a PBR Milviz 732, exciting!  
 

To the OP, I run the NGXu on an i7 7700k and a GTX1070 and it runs very well.  2k resolution on a single 32” monitor. 

 

[CaptainIronside 52]

Not to be a debbie downer but I will say the NGXu can be pretty heavy on frames, sometimes getting close to Fslabs Airbuses for me, but I am running the sim at 4k, that might have something to do with it. 

[F737MAX 5,598]

2 hours ago, TimF said:

My currect specs: P3Dv4.5HF3

If you are going to buy a 737 now, but eventually move to P3D v5, then the cheapest version may be PMDG's NGXu.

iFly's 737 is incompatible with v5. They are working on an updated version that will be a paid upgrade.
No details yet as to how much it will be or what (if any) discount will be available for current users.

[rmeier 473]

A +1 for Nickbe's recommendation (and mods) on the CS737...very well done! If you like old school instruments and the option of only VOR navigation, this one is good. (Nick's mods include the option of the GTN750).

In fairness, the recompile of the MV737 to P3Dv4 had several gauge issues that did not port over well and are still unresolved (yes, it was a great aircraft in 32 bit...almost unflyable with the flight director and fuel flow faults in v4).

The latest update (3.2.3.4) for the iFly in V4 is actually pretty good. As mentioned, this product line is getting a major update for P3D v5 (which will require some $$).

The PMDG is well established and what appears to be one of two priority planes for them (the other being the 747 series). Many updates/expansions coming including an announced freighter and BBJ.

My $0.02.

[Chock 17,769]

You're going to get a whole host of (not always entirely bipartisan) opinions on matters, but it basically boils down to three choices (yeah I know there are things like the Ariane version as well, but we'll skip that on the grounds that it can end up being a money pit and it has draconian copy protection).

You've got the old-school MILVIZ 737-200 Combi. No FMS and no Sperry 177, so it's gonna be hand-on old-school navigation all the way using traditional radio navigation aids and a bit of ded-reckoning on occasion. It can use the WX Advantage weather radar if you have that. Being a combi, it genuinely can be used as a realistic passenger or freight version. So if you want it old school then it does a fine job of offering this experience and it taxies onto your hard drive for less than 50 Dollars, which of all the choices for realistic ones worth looking at, is the cheapest.

The PMDG 737 NG is for many the best choice and I think that's probably a fair assessment. But it's also the most expensive one and probably the most costly in terms of the resources it demands from your PC. You're going to have to throw 100 Dollars at it for it to end up in your virtual hangar, and if you want a 600 and 700 variant as well, then you're looking at another 25. With a colimated HGS and pretty much every other avionics system detail as per the real thing, if you want the best 'study sim' 737, there's really no alternative, and that is what you are paying for.

Then you've got the iFly 737 NG. It used to be the case that this was fairly hard to separate from the PMDG product in terms of which one was the most realistic, but in the time it has been available and the ongoing tweaks which PMDG have added to their 737 over the intervening years, that gap has widened a bit, pushing the PMDG product ahead in a few respects. Having said that, the iFly is still a good product and it offers a complete package which includes every major 737 NG variant there is for just one price - 80 Dollars. There is much to recommend it; lots of customisable avionics fits for different FMCs and cockpit layouts, good performance on even a mediocre PC (this is because whilst it looks nice, it isn't as complex a 3D model as the PMDG version, i.e the fuselage windows are textures rather than part of the model and the HGS is 2D, but having said this, that does mean you can use the textures to depict more variants). In spite of the PMDG version being a bit more flashy and generally more realistic, the iFly version does still have one or two tricks up its sleeve which the PMDG 737 cannot do in terms of avionics, so the PMDG 737, whilst generally better, is still not an absolutely hands-down winner.

So, if you want old-school, the choice is obvious, if you want variety and good performance, the iFly is the way to go, whereas if you want up to the minute development of what is, broadly speaking, the best one you can get, it's the PMDG. I don't think you'd be disappointed with any of them though, they all have their merits.

 

Edited May 7, 2020 by Chock

[OzWhitey 3,353]

1 hour ago, CaptainIronside said:

Not to be a debbie downer but I will say the NGXu can be pretty heavy on frames, sometimes getting close to Fslabs Airbuses for me, but I am running the sim at 4k, that might have something to do with it. 

My experience: NGXu significatly better than FSL bus on frames, it's actually a good performer on my system. 

As for the OP - NGXu is expensive, but it is worth it. Great plane.

[CaptainNick 575]

4 hours ago, TimF said:

With these specs I currently run the Majestic Dash-8 with ease. Which 737 is best?

Don’t expect that level of performance on any of the 737’s. The Majestic is easily the best performing “study level” sim plane in the P3D world I would have to say. Everything else will not run as well, FPS wise.

[Noel 4,499]

4 hours ago, TimF said:

I'm looking for a detailed 737 to purchase, that is somewhere near study level, but that doesn't turn my sim into a slideshow. My currect specs: P3Dv4.5HF3, i7 7700k 4.20ghz, GTX 1070 (running 3 identical monitors 1920 1080), 32gb DDR4 RAM at 3000mhz. My only additional scenery is ORBX Global Base. With these specs I currently run the Majestic Dash-8 with ease. Which 737 is best?

I think the NGXu could be a performance disappointment for you unless you are willing to dial back many sliders especially as you are spoiled by the Dash 8!  The NGXu killed my former GTX Titan and became much more friendly w/ the RTX 2070 Super ($499) I installed a few weeks ago.  The NGXu is the most demanding plane in my hangar which includes the PMDG 777.  The former PMDG NGX is a very good 737 and easier on frames for sure than the NGXu, so that would be my recommendation for you unless you plan to upgrade hardware then the NGXu is fabulous. 

Edited May 7, 2020 by Noel

[TimF 3]

Some very insightful responses here, thanks. Think I'm sold on the iFly.