RTX 3090 owners - worth it?

[turbomax 3,263]

"Everybody knows, that msfs is heavily main thread limited."

I don't know that. nor does Asobo.

Sebastian Wloch/Asobo in their latest Twich interview:

"we are not going to DX12 for performance, maybe there will be a small increase. some people may not get any difference. Rendering process runs on a separate thread and doesn't collide with anything we do. this rendering thread is very small, usually only a few milliseconds. It can get smaller in DX12, but it is never blocking".

3080 class GPU shows nearly some 100% fps increase at 4k over 1080Ti, so definitely great improvement, according to first testers on youtube. MSFS is clearly GPU locked at 4K resolutions with ULTRA settings at 99% load most of the time.

and you don't need 90 fps for VR in MSFS, we didn't have or need 90 fps in VR in x-plane or P3D either. some estimate similar fps in VR as you get currently at 4K, that should be very enjoyable on 3080 class GPUs. if it wasn't, Microsoft would not provide that feature for MSFS

 

[HiFlyer 9,333]

 

[Bosco19 198]

I think a thread like this can give a lot of potential buyers the belief that only a high-end card can make this sim usable. I'm only using a 2060 Super and am able to enjoy a very good experience scenically and have only occasional stutter. I guess it all depends upon how much one feels is necessary to experience a rewarding level of immersion. And how many people except real geeks realize, as someone mentioned, that these high end cards require monster power supplies and cooling systems. That means big noise!  My wife constantly complains about the noise my modest system makes. I've been chasing the performance curve and building systems since the Commodore 64 days. I have almost always been behind the latest and greatest curve, usually because of cost. Now that I'm older and can afford more I still don't feel good about spending the ridiculous amounts charged for cutting edge hardware. It has taken me over 7 decades to understand it's all about the experience, and not the numbers. The things that ruin MS 2020 for me right now are the bugs and glitches, not my pitifully equipped machine. Yes, some day, when the price becomes more reasonable, I too will step up a bit.

[Ixoye 1,812]

I get 60fps in Ultra with my 2080Ti with my 1340 x 1440 monitor, I don't think I need more performance as long i keep that monitor, maybe if I go 4k in the future.

[Bert Pieke 7,584]

46 minutes ago, Bosco19 said:

I think a thread like this can give a lot of potential buyers the belief that only a high-end card can make this sim usable. I'm only using a 2060 Super and am able to enjoy a very good experience scenically and have only occasional stutter.

I'll add my voice... with a 1080 monitor, a GTX 1070 does the job nicely.

And if you use RTSS to limit fps at 30,  the 1070 GPU only runs at 60% load.

Edited October 4, 2020 by Bert Pieke

[turbomax 3,263]

that video clearly illustrates what Sebastian Wloch/Asobo said in that Twitch session.

no CPU core was ever above 65% load, on average some 30% in total for all cores together. sim was running on i9900K @ 5GHz @ 2560x1440 resolution, graphics @ Ultra settings.

GPU never reached 100% load.

4k resolution might reach 100% GPU load. so I take it a 3080 class GPU running approx. @ 90% of a 3090 RTX, be it NVidia or AMD will still be powerful enough. frame rates will be limited by TV set, you will not see more than 60 Hz, which is more than enough for smooth gameplay.

"Everybody knows, that msfs is heavily main thread limited."

???

 

[turbomax 3,263]

"with a 1080 monitor, a GTX 1070 does the job nicely"

Yes - but ... how can anybody read the "fineprint" in the MCDU or in the Garmin 1000 @ 1080p?

the new RTX 3080/3090 class GPUs are mainly for people running very high resolutions like 4k or VR headsets at Ultra settings and want constant 30-60 fps and above. you can not achieve that with anything below RTX 3080/3090.

[RichieFly 712]

FWIW, I get an average of 48 fps running mostly Ultra and 120 render scaling at 2560x1440 on the specs you see in my signature. I get lower, sometimes much lower fps in built-up urban areas, but that's not where I fly. My CPU is generally between 40-60 utilized.

Do I need the new GPU? For MFS, not really. But for rendering and processing photos and videos, heck yeah. And also, I can upgrade to a 4K monitor as well. So, I'm in when it becomes possible to find one.

I'm interested in AMD, but have large doubts I would go that route.

[himmelhorse 1,276]

5 hours ago, ahsmatt7 said:

hen why in the world did he come into this thread and give a response that literally has zero context???? Just to hear himself talk?

and before you argue that his response to the OPs question actually is worth anything....consider if one would be able to use his response to help one make an informed decision to buy the 3090 for a flight simulation PC. You and both know the answer to that...

just because someone types something into a forum doesn’t mean it has any value. 
Yes, I do hold myself accountable to the above statement. Which is why I personally do my best to make sure that if I’m going to respond to a question or enlighten others based off my experiences with hardware or software, it’s going to be quantitative in nature. Not just some....lazy...go check the reviews out. If that’s how he really felt. Then once again, why did he even bother responding? 

this kind of word not allowed runs rampant on a sim and tech forums....

forgive me for actually pressing someone to give a valid response to a pretty darn simple and question.

Also, you are absolutely right to say that he doesn’t have to get off his word not allowed and give me some tailored response about his experience with the card. At the end of the day though, I might be considered “rude” however his post and the two others with the 3090 will be utterly useless and have once again, misses the make of actually adding substance to this thread and this forum. All this considering that very very very few people have the 3090. 
 

cut the self righteous attitude out as well. No one needs your help in these forums for back up. 

I would like to issue a challenge to one and all.

Can anybody come up with a topic that does NOT introduce this kind of response at some point of the conservation.

My immediate response to this kind of reply is to not respond at all.  How do you placate or please someone with this attitude? There has just GOT to be some better way to get the response required.

Beyond me I have to say

Tony

[Bosco19 198]

4 hours ago, turbomax said:

"with a 1080 monitor, a GTX 1070 does the job nicely"

Yes - but ... how can anybody read the "fineprint" in the MCDU or in the Garmin 1000 @ 1080p?

the new RTX 3080/3090 class GPUs are mainly for people running very high resolutions like 4k or VR headsets at Ultra settings and want constant 30-60 fps and above. you can not achieve that with anything below RTX 3080/3090.

Well u certainly hit the nail on that! I’m running a 1920x1080 144hz monitor and I have to zoom to see the small stuff! Still, the reality for me is that the same poor vision that caused me to retire from the cockpit also hinders my ability to see instruments and glass panels on a monitor. You work with what you have - both gear-wise and biologically. I feel grateful for a sim of this capability because it does a pretty good job of letting me relive some memories. More than anything, the key to that is ms2020’s ability to render light and space and terrain contours - especially on or near the ground, and as long as my GPU  can render that stuff effectively I don’t feel compelled to upgrade it any time soon. 

[SierraHotel 974]

(1) The 3090 bottlenecks, there isn't a cpu out there fast enough (yet)

(2) Nvidia have released new drivers which throttle both the. 90 & 80 to alleviate the crash problems.

(3) AMD announces their new gpu on the 28th, which begs the question, why have Nvidia rescheduled their 3070 launch for the 29th. They obviously fear AMD have something to shout about.

Edited October 4, 2020 by SierraHotel

[zemez 184]

Main thread assings jobs to other threads. So, it is bottlenecking the whole system if that one cant keep up. CPU frametime is always bigger than gpu. 

Edited October 4, 2020 by zemez

[turbomax 3,263]

"I feel grateful for a sim of this capability because it does a pretty good job of letting me relive some memories."

you took the words right out of my mouth.

"I’m running a 1920x1080 monitor"

now imagine 2160x2160 per eye on the new HP Reverb G2 VR headset, coming to a GPU near you by the end of this month. wait for the new threads flooding this forum of people reliving their flying moments thinking they are in a real cockpit. best times to be a virtual pilot ever.

[turbomax 3,263]

37 minutes ago, zemez said:

"So, it is bottlenecking the whole system if that one cant keep up. CPU frametime is always bigger than gpu. "

render thread is only a few milliseconds according to Sebastian Wloch/Asobo, but GPU frametimes on my system vary between 30 - 50 milliseconds on my 1080Ti @ 4K, how does the CPU bottleneck the GPU here?

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

1 hour ago, Bosco19 said:

Well u certainly hit the nail on that! I’m running a 1920x1080 144hz monitor and I have to zoom to see the small stuff! Still, the reality for me is that the same poor vision that caused me to retire from the cockpit also hinders my ability to see instruments and glass panels on a monitor. You work with what you have - both gear-wise and biologically. I feel grateful for a sim of this capability because it does a pretty good job of letting me relive some memories. More than anything, the key to that is ms2020’s ability to render light and space and terrain contours - especially on or near the ground, and as long as my GPU  can render that stuff effectively I don’t feel compelled to upgrade it any time soon. 

2060 6GB with a 1440p 144 hz monitor and all is fine. Though MSFS did inspire me to redo the thermal paste on my GPU as the fans were ramping up at times.