Hello all! Man it's been AGES since I last came here and posted. I have been super busy but finally resumed real world flight training and thinking of setting up a new flight sim PC for training on days the weather keeps me grounded.

I would like to go the VR route though, so I would need to hear from you guys as to what type of CPU, motherboard, GPU, RAM, and VR set would be a good build.

 

Also, is MSFS 2020 the go to sim now? I installed it on my current PC just to see how it is and I felt it's not as customizable as FSX back in the days. For instance, I wanted to save a cold and dark flight with the C172 at a certain location in the airport, but every time I choose that flight, it starts me off in the air already. Maybe I'm just lost and haven't quite figured it out yet.

Anyway, I would love to hear some feedback on the above mentioned hardware so I can have a better idea of what I need.

Thanks in advance!!!

 

Break,out your checkbook Efrain, this is going to be expensive!  I just got into VR myself and IMHO, it revolutionizes flight simming. But for a good experience, you shouldn't compromise. A 4090 GPU and AMD 7800x3d CPU are the way. Jury is still out on what VR HMD to get. I went cheap with the Pico 4 goggles as a stop-gap and I'm very satisfied with them, but having had a taste, I know the experience can be improved. But there's a lot going on right now with no optimal choice.

Edited June 11, 20232 yr by odourboy

3 hours ago, odourboy said:

Break,out your checkbook Efrain, this is going to be expensive!  I just got into VR myself and IMHO, it revolutionizes flight simming. But for a good experience, you shouldn't compromise. A 4090 GPU and AMD 7800x3d CPU are the way. Jury is still out on what VR HMD to get. I went cheap with the Pico 4 goggles as a stop-gap and I'm very satisfied with them, but having had a taste, I know the experience can be improved. But there's a lot going on right now with no optimal choice.

That's what I was afraid of, Odour! 🤣 I am currently going through PPL and Instrument Rating concurrently and that is going to empty my bank account as well, so it's a juggling act. Of course I favor real world training but I know how much simming does help, especially when it comes to IFR training.

Ok, so a 4090 GPU and AMD 7800x3D it is. As for RAM, I'm guessing 64GB? Any mobo/RAM combination to look for especially for mating with the 7800x3D?

My current PC has an SSD and SSD M.2 drives which I can reuse with the new build and some some money. I will probably need a new power supply as well as a new case.

As for the goggles, you said you went with the Pico 4 as a stop gap, so with that being said, which ones are the go to goggles for the best experience?

Sorry for so many questions, I'm so rusty with the latest hardware!

24 minutes ago, BimmerCop said:

Ok, so a 4090 GPU and AMD 7800x3D it is. As for RAM, I'm guessing 64GB? Any mobo/RAM combination to look for especially for mating with the 7800x3D?

32GB is adequate for MSFS, but if you want 64, go for it. The CPU is optimized for DDR5 6000 RAM I believe. Somebody who's actually running that CPU will probably wade in with a specific recommendation. 

31 minutes ago, BimmerCop said:

As for the goggles, you said you went with the Pico 4 as a stop gap, so with that being said, which ones are the go to goggles for the best experience?

Varjo Aero is one of the best in class but is super pricey and needs base stations and controllers (extra). Pimax Crystal is being touted as 'better than Aero' but is just exiting beta and is having some teething problems, not cheap either, but considerably less than the Aero. Just about everything else is a compromise in one way or another. I think we'll see a new generation of 2X4K goggles out over the next 18 months, which is why I decided to grab the Pico now.

If you're going to get a RTX 4090, I'd suggest a PCIE5 rated PSU with a 12vhpwr power connector for it. Also, watch the case dimensions and AIO cooler placement as those GPUs are friggin big! 

@odourboy Hey my friend, this is what I'm looking at so far:

 

CASE: HYTE Y60 

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

MOBO: NZXT N7 B650E - N7-B65XT-W1

RAM: G.Skill Trident Z5 NEO Series 64GB (2 x 32GB) 288-Pin SDRAM DDR5 6000 CL30-40-40-96

GPU: ASUS TUF GeForce RTX® 4090

PSU: MSI MPG A1000G PCIE 5 & ATX 3.0

VR HEADSET: HP Reverb G2 VR Headset with Controller, Adjustable Lenses & Speakers from Valve, 2160 x 2160 LCD Panels

 

What you think? Am I on the right track for a VR gig for MSFS 2020 only?

3 minutes ago, BimmerCop said:

@odourboy Hey my friend, this is what I'm looking at so far:

 

CASE: HYTE Y60 

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

MOBO: NZXT N7 B650E - N7-B65XT-W1

RAM: G.Skill Trident Z5 NEO Series 64GB (2 x 32GB) 288-Pin SDRAM DDR5 6000 CL30-40-40-96

GPU: ASUS TUF GeForce RTX® 4090

PSU: MSI MPG A1000G PCIE 5 & ATX 3.0

VR HEADSET: HP Reverb G2 VR Headset with Controller, Adjustable Lenses & Speakers from Valve, 2160 x 2160 LCD Panels

 

What you think? Am I on the right track for a VR gig for MSFS 2020 only?

@turbomax This is more in your wheelhouse. What do you think? 

looks very good to me. AMD 7800x3D + RTX 4090 seems currently the most powerful combo money can buy, I doubled my fps in VR (quadrupled in 2D with frame generation ON) coming from an Intel i9900K + RTX 3090. see my signature. 😊

5 hours ago, turbomax said:

looks very good to me. AMD 7800x3D + RTX 4090 seems currently the most powerful combo money can buy, I doubled my fps in VR (quadrupled in 2D with frame generation ON) coming from an Intel i9900K + RTX 3090. see my signature. 😊

Yea, I looked at your sig and was pleased to see that my tentative build was almost exactly as yours! 💪🏼

What about the choice of VR headset with the HP Reverb G2, @turbomax ?

BTW, if it matters at all, I will be using a LG 55C1PUB OLED TV as my "monitor". It has HDMI 2.1 ports and is 120Hz natively. It's where I also game with my Xbox Series X. 🙃

8 hours ago, BimmerCop said:

What about the choice of VR headset with the HP Reverb G2

it was the best available when I bought it, now it is probably Pimax Crystal or Varjo Aero, but I doubt the Varjo can still justify their over $ 2.000 against the $ 1.600 Pimax Crystal. I am still very pleased with the HP G2 and will be waiting some more before getting any newer VR generation. I got special VR prescription lenses for $ 60,- from:

vroptician.com

46 minutes ago, turbomax said:

it was the best available when I bought it, now it is probably Pimax Crystal or Varjo Aero, but I doubt the Varjo can still justify their over $ 2.000 against the $ 1.600 Pimax Crystal. I am still very pleased with the HP G2 and will be waiting some more before getting any newer VR generation. I got special VR prescription lenses for $ 60,- from:

vroptician.com

I saw on Pimax's website that their release date for the Pimax Crystal is June 30th, or is that the latest date to pre-order? If June 30th is the release date, then I'll just wait and get the Crystals.

I wouldn't mind going for the Reverbs but I just saw their pov is 96~ degrees. I would prefer it be much wider than that.

Is pov that much of an impact on visuals and immersion?

I was also thinking about the Pimax Vision 8K X.

Edited June 12, 20232 yr by BimmerCop

1 hour ago, BimmerCop said:

Is pov that much of an impact on visuals and immersion?

good question, I can't tell or compare because I have only the HP G2, but I never felt uncomfortable because I turn my head whenever I want to see something far left/right anyway. resolution is not everything. comfort, build quality, weight, bulkiness all those features combined add to the total value. therefore I would order the Pimax only if you could return it. I wouldn't take their release date too seriously, they keep delaying their release date since last fall.

Edited June 12, 20232 yr by turbomax

1 hour ago, BimmerCop said:

I was also thinking about the Pimax Vision 8K X.

I think it's discontinued. I certainly wouldn't buy a previous generation Pimax product.

And just so you know, Pimax has fibbed about the FOV on the Crystal. It's generally reported by testers and bloggers as being about 104 degrees.

I measured my Pico at about 102 degrees. It's a nice viewing area but in an ideal world, something in the 120 to 140 degree range would be amazeballs. But that comes at a price... more pixels to render to get a good density and more GPU to render them.

Edited June 12, 20232 yr by odourboy

46 minutes ago, turbomax said:

good question, I can't tell or compare because I have only the HP G2, but I never felt uncomfortable because I turn my head whenever I want to see something far left/right anyway. resolution is not everything. comfort, build quality, weight, bulkiness all those features combined add to the total value. therefore I would order the Pimax only if you could return it. I wouldn't take their release date too seriously, they keep delaying their release date since last fall.

Gotcha! That's an excellent point. What good is it to have a good pov and resolution but the thing weighs like a motorcycle helmet made of kevlar! 🤣

I think I might just get the HP G2 for now and see how it goes. Once the Crystal comes over, whenever that is, I can consider that option as well.

I've read that the HP G2 is more compatible with MS windows something, I can't remember the term right now lol

 

44 minutes ago, odourboy said:

I think it's discontinued. I certainly wouldn't buy a previous generation Pimax product.

And just so you know, Pimax has fibbed about the FOV on the Crystal. It's generally reported by testers and bloggers as being about 104 degrees.

I measured my Pico at about 102 degrees. It's a nice viewing area but in an ideal world, something in the 120 to 140 degree range would be amazeballs. But that comes at a price... more pixels to render to get a good density and more GPU to render them.

 

Ha! I didn't know it was discontinued! Glad I know now. Like you, I stay away from discontinued products.

Edited June 12, 20232 yr by BimmerCop