Hi all,

After 7(!) venerable years i'm looking to upgrade from my spec'd for p3dv4 i7-6700k, 1070, 16gb ddr4 3200 system, which has been running MSFS on the whole adequately (with appropriate medium settings) to a new build.

In the real world with things running in the background (FSLTL, Volanta, Simbrief downloader blah blah) and not a clean install to do 'what are the numbers tests' every other day, and dirty great pile of things in my community folder fbw a320 (and others using the avionics base) pmdg 737, fenix A320, upcoming TFDI MD-11 and loads of european airports (big to small) what is overall best way to go to bring my computer into the modern world? (noting i'll probably do the main build and reuse the 1070 for a short while to control cash flow):

17,-13700k, i9-13900k, 7800x3d, 7900x3d?

I'm planning to go 64gb RAM, pair the CPU with a corsair h100, a 1TB NVME, and a couple of 2tb barracudas (256mb cache version), probably a ROG Strix MB to match the CPU choice, all powered by 1000w psu. I'm likely to go 4080 when GPU upgrade comes along.

I would also be using the system for TSC, Assetto Corsa and BeamNG, but i'd rather compromise those games for best MSFS performance (on the basis of the various notes in comparisons that MSFS is an outlier), and probably looking at a similar life length!

Any real world, 'dads on his computer whilst he can be' types like me who want a great looking ultra, possibly 4k, smooth experience without some of the age old constant fiddling recommendations?

TIA

JPFLIGHT

1 hour ago, JPFLIGHT said:

i'd rather compromise those games for best MSFS performance

7800X3D will do you best then.

i5 13600k overclocked: A beast at a moderate price! Runs my MSFS and P3DV5 installations in VR mode perfectly (combined with a 2nd hand RTX3090). 

Don‘t waste your money for an overkill CPU or too much RAM (32 MB is more ths enough)!

Current benchmarks would say the 7800x3d is the best bet for MSFS.

The new Intel 14 series CPUs are inbound so could be another option to watch once benchmarks are out.

If building for MSFS then 7800X3D

32GB ram is fine

I don't know your specific storage requirements but 1 large M.2 would be nice and fast and simple.  Your proposed storage setup has (presumably) a 1TB M.2 for the (I assume) boot/OS and then some Barracudas for everything else.  In my opinion it's good to have the OS on the fastest drive but I would put it all on the fastest drive (i.e. a single 4TB M.2).  I haven't priced out a 1TB + 2 Barracudas but I would think that would cost more and isn't as ideal as a single fast M.2.