Last week, I finally replaced my old computer. Ever since, I've been experimenting to determine the best MSFS graphics settings when using a 4K TV for display with a 4000 series card. Before giving you my settings, however, let me clarify that I'm talking about a typical 60Hz 4K TV (as sold over the past decade for normal TV viewing). In contrast, many of the newer, high-end TVs now have variable refresh rates with G-Sync and FreeSync and, as such, are essentially dedicated computer monitors as well as televisions. So my MSFS graphics settings below apply only if your 4K TV is the traditional 60Hz. (I have a 4090 card, but the same settings should apply to the 4080 and 4070 as well.)

 

Display Mode: FULL SCREEN

Full Screen Resolution: 3840 x 2160

Anti-Aliasing: TAA

Render Scaling: 100  (3840 x 2160)

Nvidia DLSS Frame Generation: (Off and grayed out.)

AMD FidelityFX Sharpening: 150

V-Sync: ON

Nvidia Reflex Low Latency: ON

Frame Rate Limit: 100% Monitor Refresh Rate (60fps)

DirectX Version: DX11

Global Rendering Quality: ULTRA

Advanced Settings: Do not tweak any of these. Leave them all on default ULTRA. And for heaven's sake, don't hand-edit any of the system configuration files!

 

Many of you will no doubt ask why I didn't use Nvidia DLSS Frame Generation and Super Sampling, and why I chose DX11 over DX12. All fair questions. Remember these settings are for a 60Hz TV. My new computer is perfectly capable of generating over 60fps even without Frame Generation. With Frame Generation turned on (under DX12), however, a 60Hz TV shows tiny elements of screen tearing -- meaning that various parts of the screen aren't quite in sync with each other. This visual aberration is something that a lot of people wouldn't even notice. But I prefer to get a perfectly stable display at 60fps than an imperfect display at higher fps. (Those with dedicated monitors or new, high-end TVs won't face such 60fps limits.) The Super Sampling (available only with DX12) essentially has the same effect as lowering your Render Scale below 100. If you bring up the in-sim Developer Mode, you'll see that Super Sampling does indeed increase frame rates, but at the expense of a very slight lowering of screen resolution (again something that many people wouldn't even notice.) I prefer a perfectly crisp, full 4K display, at 3840 x 2160, at a solid 60fps. The reason I'm currently using DX11 over DX12 (again on a TV remember) is that I can fly anywhere, under any weather or scenery circumstances, and never experience any stutters at all using DX11. With DX12 enabled, however, I would occasionally (like once every thirty minutes) suffer a tiny stutter during my testing -- which probably resulted more from my flaky internet service than from anything related to DX12 or DX11.

One final comment: I've seen a lot of discussion about how many fps the human eye and brain can actually discern. The reason that TVs (under the US-invented NTSC system at least) used 30fps had nothing to do with this question of eye and brain perception however. The reason NTSC televisions used 30fps was because the TVs' vertical sync pulse was tied to the frequency of the incoming electrical power source. The United States uses 60Hz power and so the televisions used 30fps (recalling that there are two interlaced fields per frame). Likewise, many European nations use 50Hz electric power sources, and so their PAL television standard called for 25fps.

To me, a perfectly smooth 60fps in MSFS with full 4K settings is something I'm absolutely thrilled with, especially considering the intricate graphical detail of the gorgeous scenery and aircraft. Looking forward to New Zealand, even on my antiquated TV!

 

My guess would be to go with vsync on whether it is via the Nvicia CP or MSFS own. That is actually what i am doing but with 30hz. I am eagerly awaiting my new rig to arrive next week and will have to pick the same options as you do now (i9-13900k/RTX4090 etc.). I am planning to play at 60Hz with vsync on but am open to suggestions.

 

 

1 hour ago, ThomseN_inc said:

My guess would be to go with vsync on whether it is via the Nvicia CP or MSFS own. That is actually what i am doing but with 30hz. I am eagerly awaiting my new rig to arrive next week and will have to pick the same options as you do now (i9-13900k/RTX4090 etc.). I am planning to play at 60Hz with vsync on but am open to suggestions.

 

 

When my new rig arrived last Thursday, I spent most of the evening smiling and giggling in delight, like a small child on a roller coaster. My system is the same as the one you ordered. I think you'll be extremely pleased with the way MSFS looks and performs.

1 minute ago, David Mills said:

When my new rig arrived last Thursday, I spent most of the evening smiling and giggling in delight, like a small child on a roller coaster. My system is the same as the one you ordered. I think you'll be extremely pleased with the way MSFS looks and performs.

Hopefully! Really can't wait! Christmas in February! Would you mind sharing some information in regards of CPU/GPU temperatures? I guess you're too running a liquid cooling system?

Happy landings!

2 hours ago, David Mills said:

(I have a 4090 card,

welcome to the forty niners club 😊

I suggest you check out Noels post re. how to achieve optimal nearly constant frame times, that is key to a smooth experience. 60 fps would be absolutely sufficient then. I am also using a 60Hz TV with 4090, but fly mostly VR, where FrameGeneration is not available, but even 35-40 fps feels totally smooth (everything on max), except in steep curves and fast view changes.

Just now, ThomseN_inc said:

Hopefully! Really can't wait! Christmas in February! Would you mind sharing some information in regards of CPU/GPU temperatures? I guess you're too running a liquid cooling system?

Happy landings!

Yes, and the cooling system initially caused me alarm. It's so quite and efficient compared to my previous machine that I thought it wasn't working! The cooling system makes almost no sound at all. That really surprised me. My GPU temp is currently 41C. My CPU temp is 38C. Coolant temp is 31C. Running MSFS will raise the temps a few incremental degrees but nowhere near the temps of my previous older machine -- and nowhere remotely approaching a dangerous level. The new machines are so powerful that they don't need to stress themselves. It's like me running a race against an Olympic athlete. I would be the one overheating. The Olympic athlete (the 4090) just coolly strides along. The stories you may have heard about the 4090s burning up concerned an issue of faulty power plug installations rather than any fundamental heat-management issues with the 4090. You old machine is much more likely to overheat than your new one. 

1 minute ago, David Mills said:

Yes, and the cooling system initially caused me alarm. It's so quite and efficient compared to my previous machine that I thought it wasn't working! The cooling system makes almost no sound at all. That really surprised me. My GPU temp is currently 41C. My CPU temp is 38C. Coolant temp is 31C. Running MSFS will raise the temps a few incremental degrees but nowhere near the temps of my previous older machine -- and nowhere remotely approaching a dangerous level. The new machines are so powerful that they don't need to stress themselves. It's like me running a race against an Olympic athlete. I would be the one overheating. The Olympic athlete (the 4090) just coolly strides along. The stories you may have heard about the 4090s burning up concerned an issue of faulty power plug installations rather than any fundamental heat-management issues with the 4090. You old machine is much more likely to overheat than your new one. 

Yes and indeed it was running hot in some scenarios. I am so curious how the new rig will work out in the end. I am sill a bis sceptic if it will be able to maintain a steady 60 FPS or not. Hopefully!

8 minutes ago, turbomax said:

welcome to the forty niners club 😊

I suggest you check out Noels post re. how to achieve optimal nearly constant frame times,

I don't suppose you'd have a link to Noel's post easily at hand? I always benefit from what he has to say.

10 minutes ago, David Mills said:

It's so quite and efficient compared to my previous machine

RTX 3090: 8 nanometer structure

RTX 4090: 5 nm structure

14 minutes ago, David Mills said:

I don't suppose you'd have a link to Noel's post easily at hand?

you assumed correct, why not send him a p.m. I am sure he would love to share his results. to quote him:

"I've tried my darndest to share this but I think it largely falls on def ears and probably because of the belief you just stated, 'just an illusion'."

Edited February 21, 20233 yr by turbomax

13 minutes ago, ThomseN_inc said:

Yes and indeed it was running hot in some scenarios. I am so curious how the new rig will work out in the end. I am sill a bis sceptic if it will be able to maintain a steady 60 FPS or not. Hopefully!

You and I have identical systems. Just use the settings at the top of this thread, and I guarantee you'll get a steady 60fps at 4K. Just don't go rouge and start tweaking the LOD to ridiculous numbers or setting the Render Scale to 8K or something like that. Remember, I'm limited to 60fps at 4K by my old television, not by my computer. I'm not even using the Nvidia Frame Generation yet because its astronomical frame rate causes small tearing on my 60Hz display. With a new TV or monitor, you could easily get 100fps.

Edited February 21, 20233 yr by David Mills

6 minutes ago, David Mills said:

You and I have identical systems. Just use the settings at the top of this thread, and I guarantee you'll get a steady 60fps. Just don't go rouge and start tweaking the LOD to ridiculous numbers or setting the Render Scale to 8K or something like that. Remember, I'm limited to 60fps at 4K by my old television, not by my computer. I'm not even using the Nvidia frame creation yet.

I guess i'll stick to the settings above or the settings i am currently running which are giving me very pleasant results and start from there to see what the new system is capable of. Thanks for your replies. I'm getting impatient 😄

1 hour ago, David Mills said:

I don't suppose you'd have a link to Noel's post easily at hand? I always benefit from what he has to say.

I was in the next room haha!  Actually I'm at FL360 in the FBW A320NX midway to NZQN.  

David, before doing anything run a quick simple check of your current Frame Time Variance using the lovely freeware CapFrameX.  If you're not familiar once installed you just hit F11 to start a capture of your performance while flying.  My benchmark is I will start it at the start of taxi and stop maybe at FL150 or something like that.   

I've posted several times about this after being goaded to do so by folks sounding skeptical, but as I say I think it falls on deaf ears often.   The tacit understanding is that FPS reins supreme, but my contention is that ultimate smoothness, especially relevant at modest framerates, plays a very big role in perceived smoothness/fluidity.  The problem with the approach is that you probably need Gsync to get around a visual artifact that comes w/ this method of syncing.

Anyway, try a capture and see what you get as you're setup now.  This was in the PMDG 738 w/ frames capped at 34.  The reality is I could have run this at 44 or more but my practice is to limit to 34 and leave ample headroom to accommodate transient increases in demand.  I don't have top hardware but sufficient to deliver stutter-free smoothness in and out of any airport anywhere in any plane.  I only got on to this 2-3 months ago or so and prior to that it was FPS at 30 by MSFS half refresh option, and even then I had troubles with stutters on arriving into complex airports, but I don't have that anymore.

DX12 frame generation on

Nvidia 60fps

Nvidia vertical sync on. 

Smooth as butter and 60fps always 

I have a 3060TI running at 80fps at 1440.  What is the advantage of a 40 series card if 1440 is best for my 60fps screen?  Keep in mind that I will move to a 4070TI in the near future when I move to the 7950X AMD.

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