CPU/GPU Combo advice on specific budget

[mulder85 1]

Hello all,

I am hoping for some advice. After 10 years without a desktop PC, I will finally build one most specifically for MSFS plus some other games which don't require extravagant performance and therefore left out of the equation.

Although by no means under a strict budget, I don't want to go over budget as I feel the law of diminishing returns seems to be taking place. I am not going to put on price numbers as I live in  a completely different country(Greece) than most, with different VAT and thus prices don't align with the majority of other countries, I will only say that things are a bit more expensive here. I will speak in relative price terms to avoid dragging local prices into the discussion.

I have decided not to wait for new releases as they seem to be significantly increasing the total cost via the DDDR5 and motherboard price difference. I don't care about future proofing as I know that I will be upgrading the entire core set after 4 years, if I am still playing. I have figured out the majority of components, save 2, the CPU/GPO combo.

The game will be played most probably at 3440x1440 and hopefully at the most eye-candy settings. The minimum performance target threshold is to fly with a >=30fps 1%Low over Manhattan with some minor sky/weather effects.

I know for a fact that the CPU is going to be an AMD. My initial research came up with the 5800X  as a good choice, paired with either a 3080 12GB, or a 6900XT(minimum prices for these GPUs are near identical locally). The release of the 5800X3D complicated things, as it seems the consensus is that the performance increase is big enough to justify the upgrade. However, (in my country), it costs 30% more than the 5800X, money that I don't want to spend.

An alternative would be buy the X3D and drop the GPU to an 6800XT, but I worry that then the X3D would not show its merits. I have read that the X3D variant requires a big juicy GPU to show its merits, and I am trying to understand which current GPU draws that line between main thread or GPU bound, when paired with the X3D.

Most benchmarks that I am seeing of the X3D are with a 3090/3090Ti, which removes the GPU performance from the equation and allows the CPU to fully unfold its capabilities. But my budget does not allow for a 3090 and 5800X3d combo, for sure.

I have also heard that as you increase resolution, the performance increase from the X3D is much smaller, and therefore I wonder if the fps difference between the 5800x vs the 5800X3D when paired with a 3080 12GB would be negligible enough to justify not going for the X3D variant at a 30% premium.

Any elaborate advice will be welcome, thanks in advance!

[Reset XPDR 1,271]

As you say, it is hard to find MSFS benchmarks of this combo, but I found one site that had them for the https://www.gpucheck.com/game-gpu/microsoft-flight-simulator/amd-radeon-rx-6900-xt/amd-ryzen-7-5800x/ultra and https://www.gpucheck.com/game-gpu/microsoft-flight-simulator/amd-radeon-rx-6800-xt/amd-ryzen-7-5800x3d/ultra. While it doesn't show 1% low performance, they do show average performance at w1440p Ultra settings in MSFS to be just over 55 FPS for the both of them.

On 9/5/2022 at 10:16 PM, mulder85 said:

The game will be played most probably at 3440x1440 and hopefully at the most eye-candy settings. The minimum performance target threshold is to fly with a >=30fps 1%Low over Manhattan with some minor sky/weather effects.

Given this stated performance target, either option you present (5800X/6900XT or 5800X3D/6800XT) should achieve it through sheer average FPS being nearly double what your stated 1% low performance floor is and the fact that charts like below (albeit at 1080p) show 1% low performance with either CPU is no worse than 80% of average FPS. That is, if average FPS is 55 then 1% low should be no worse than 44 FPS, which is well above your stated floor.

TL;DR - either option should do the job.

Edited September 6, 2022 by Reset XPDR

[mulder85 1]

Thanks a lot @Reset XPDR. It is good to know that both builds will achieve almost identical performance. The only subsequent question then would be: Would any of those two builds cause less bottleneck? I am trying to understand in which of these two options would minimize the effect of leaving performance on the table due to one component preventing the other component from performing at its best. 

[Reset XPDR 1,271]

If I had to choose between the two options, I'd pick the 5800X3D/6800XT as the GPU is still a solid choice for w1440p and the CPU is renowned for being a minimal stuttering MSFS powerhouse.

[Reset XPDR 1,271]

To add to my response above, check out the following post which shows how a 5800X3D/6800XT combo is performing with the MSFS SU10 beta. At 1440p, DX12, Ultra Settings and LODs at max, the 1% low framerate is 68.3 FPS, more than double your desired outcome!

Edited September 15, 2022 by Reset XPDR

[mulder85 1]

Wow, thanks a lot again @Reset XPDR! That is indeed pretty good performance. I guess that the 5800x3d is a much better option, even if it means that with the 6800XT the game will be more heavily GPU limited than on the 6900XT/3080. That option also maxes out the AM4 chipset(no better CPU for this will ever come out), and then perhaps down the road I may want to upgrade the GPU to something better to try and balance the bottleneck.

[pgde 571]

You may now want to consider the 6900xt whose price is now 32% below MSRP -- see https://www.tomshardware.com/news/radeon-rx-6900-xt-dips-to-dollar679-32-percent-below-msrp

[ryanbatc 12,855]

On 9/13/2022 at 5:37 PM, Reset XPDR said:

If I had to choose between the two options, I'd pick the 5800X3D/6800XT as the GPU is still a solid choice for w1440p and the CPU is renowned for being a minimal stuttering MSFS powerhouse.

  @mulder85 I would go for the 5800x3d as well - I just got a 12700K in February so I won't be changing for a long time.  That cpu didn't exist when I bought mine though 😞

AMD is coming out with an even faster 7 variant of that X3D too so maybe just hold off until that one comes.  As for video cards... I'd wait until the nvidia 40xx series comes out...  the big cards should be showing up soon with the medium level like the 4070 and 4060 in Feb 23 or so.

Edited September 15, 2022 by ryanbatc

[mulder85 1]

@ryanbatc Unfortunately I do not think I have the luxury to wait until then since a) I currently do not have a PC at all, b) The DDR5 platform and new chipset mobo prices will completely shatter my budget, without taking into account the actual CPU/GPU prices for these new releases.

@pgde Thanks. However in my country the cheapest 6900XT still costs more or less as much as a 3080 12GB, and from what I have seen as the resolution goes up, the 3080 actually comes on top, so I am not sure about how much of a wise choice it might be....

[ryanbatc 12,855]

What about a Intel 12600K system with ddr4 ram (32gb) and a 3070?  That's a med-high end build that would be plenty powerful.

[G-RFRY 1,712]

An Excel bar graph can be misleading.

   Ryzen 7 5800X3D vs Core i9 12900K - Test in 10 Games - YouTube

The KS is faster.

[pgde 571]

Here is another YT video with different conclusions -- 

 

[G-RFRY 1,712]

In CPU intensive titles Intel still leads. 

[pgde 571]

5 hours ago, G-RFRY said:

In CPU intensive titles Intel still leads. 

Yes, but you initially posted that the Intel CPU is faster in games and I called you out on it. 

Edited September 16, 2022 by pgde

[G-RFRY 1,712]

That video shows in MSFS Intel still holds up. and AMD is not 33 fps faster than the 12900K on average. 

Edited September 16, 2022 by G-RFRY