Djang0

@ One WhoKnocks53 What CPU cooler are you using?

Go with the i7-4790K + GTX770 + 16GB RAM for P3D and other games which may also make us of the hyperthreading and more memory. If you were only using FSX then I'd say go with the i5-4690K + 8MB RAM. Re your planned build: 1) For overclocking get a better quality and more powerful PSU than a Corsair CX series (for my i7-4790 build I'm planning on a 750W Seasonic S12G). These PSU calculators might give you a rough guide: Coolermaster PSU calculator and eXtreme PSU calculator. 2) WD Caviar Black are slightly faster 7200 drives than the Caviar Blue series. Q) Will you be putting the OS on the SSD?

I haven't used P3D and have limited use of X-Plane, however: 1) I believe an SSD will mainly speed up loading times rather than contribute towards your frame rate. 2) If you're running lots of big scenery then perhaps in P3D and X-Plane you'll see benefits with 16GB RAM, although IMHO I'd save the memory upgrade to when you build a new system. 3) I don't think you'll see much improvement going from a GTX770 to GTX970 on a single display, maybe for multiple displays. Q1) Are you running a single monitor? Q2) What 7200 drive are you running? I'll be using an SSD and WD Caviar Black drives in my new build. Q3) What sort of frame rates are you getting? Q4) What kind of planes do you fly?

If things go "belly up" with the hard drive partitions or boot sector you'll find the GParted live OS really straight forward to use. It is a self contained OS that runs in memory and doesn't need to be installed to your system: 1) Download the GParted Windows ISO file. 2) Burn the ISO file to CD or DVD (or use the stand alone utility UNetbootin to create a bootable USB key). 3) Boot your PC into GParted from the CD or DVD (or USB key). 4) Now you have full access to your disks and can manage partitions, boot sectors, choose from a full range of formatting options, error checking. Don't be afraid of those hard drives - show them who's boss!!!

I think that would be a better option. I'm planning on getting some GSkill modules, but I think any of the known brands will give you good quality modules. Also consider the warranty. And re the i7-4790K vs i5-4690K, there will be no benefit getting the i7 for FS9 and FSX. The only think I can think is if Windows10 can somehow make better use of the virtual cores?

Hmm... that sounds a bit dodgy IMHO, perhaps just forcing you to pay more for a 16GB kit.

You've been around here longer than me - humble apologies!!! I really think for you the i5-4790K (get the overclockable version in case in the future you might use it in another build) + 8MB RAM kit would give you the performance you want and ave £££s. It's worth mentioning that some modern sims like DCS World don't utilise hyperthreading. The reason I'm going for the i7-4790K is for future-proofing as my new build has to last 4 to 5yrs. Re multiple cores in FS9. I believe that FS9 will itself be running off of a single core but which leaves the other cores for Windows or advanced addons to utilise. FSX will take limited advantage of additional physical cores, but I think it's mainly for things like terrain loading. FS9 would probably be good on a fast dual core system but for a new build, even on a budget, I wouldn't look at less than a quad core CPU.

Sorry but I don't understand what is preventing you from considering a 2X4GB RAM kit?

Hey make sure you go for 2X sticks to take advantage of the dual channel capability! For future RAM upgrades different sticks will make for a less stable system when overclocking.

Sorry I should have looked more closely at you avatar! Re the DDR3 speeds, when I last checked there wasn't a noticeable price premium from 1600 to 1866 and in synthetic benchmarks there wasn't much difference from 1866 to 2400, but the 1600 lagged behind a little. Q1) Will the board not support 1866MHz RAM via XMP profile? Q2) Maybe you should consider an i5-4690K CPU instead and save about £80?

Your system will be serious "overkill" for FS9 though! Remember that both FS9 and FSX do not take advantage of hyperthreading. I don't think a "back up" system needs an i7 CPU. I assume you intend to do some overclocking (that's what the K allows you to do with the i7-4790K processor). 1) Go for a Z97, Z87 series can have compatibility issues with Devil's Canyon CPU's, why are you looking at H series boards? 2) I'm also considering 16MB RAM for my build but 8MB is likely OK for most people, I wouldn't consider anything less than 1866MHz DDR3 though. 3) Can't help you much with 9## series GPU but more VRAM is definitely good for future-proofing the system. If you're rather new to flightsim or don't have lots of addons already then I would urge caution with FSX - all the tweeking etc - I still use FS9 sometimes! Please be aware of alternative sims: X-Plane Prepar3d Flightgear DCS World IL-2 Sturmovik Rise of Flight

If you end up having to fiddle with hard drive partitions etc (after backing everything up on the drive) then I'd recommend the following tools to help take the "mystery" out of managing drives in Windows!: GParted live Linux OS Burn the ISO file to a CD / DVD disk or make a bootable USB stick: UNetbootin bootable USB creation tool for ISO files

OK I can't give much advise re backups but I imagine that if there has been a hardware failure then data could have been corrupted but I doubt in a way that would recreate the same behaviour on another fully functional drive. Q) I assume the drive is out of warranty? Anyway for your WD Black drive you need to install the utility (scroll down for the download button): WD Data Lifeguard Diagnostic for Windows The utility includes various self tests including S.M.A.R.T. I suggest running the short test first and if that is passed run the full test. It should detect hardware failure of the drive and can warn of pending failure. *Remember to run it as an Administrator*.

Q1) What make and model is the hard drive? Q2) How old is the hard drive? Q3) Do you have a S.M.A.R.T. test utility for your hard drive? Q4) Any unusual sounds e.g. clicking when the hard drive is powered on?

Just an update (did I ever mention that I tend to procrastinate a little!): CPU = i7-4790K (OC to 4.6 - 4.8GHz) Cooler = Air ? [Not convinced I need a monster dual tower cooler.] Thermal paste = MX-4 GPU = GTX780Ti 3GB MB = Asus Z97-A RAM = G.Skill F3-2133C11D-16GZL 16GB DDR3-2133 (11-11-11-31 @ 1.5v) kit SSD = Samsung Evo 250MB SATA3 HD1 = Western Digital Caviar Black WD1003FZEX 1TB (64MB) SATA3 HD2 = 2TB (64MB) SATA3 ? OR Western Digital Caviar Black WD1003FZEX 1TB (64MB) SATA3 PSU = Seasonic S12G-750 750W Case = Coolermaster CM690 III CMS-693-KWN1 OR Fractal Design Ark Midi R2 Case fans = X6 ? [Feeling cynical about 140mm fans, particularly wrt static pressure!]

Hey Monjardino I was wondering how your system is going after a few months: Q1) What OC are you running? Q2) Are you happy with your RAM choice? Q3) What's performance like overall? Q4) How many fans (and which models) did you install in the R4 case? Q5) What's the airflow like with the R4 case? Q6) Do you need to open the front door for airflow (or even remove it)?

Glad your enjoying your system )). What model of memory do you have? I'm looking towards getting a 16GB DDR3 2133MHz 1.5v kit for my i7-4790K build.

Congratulations ! I'd be fascinated to know the temps you get when overclocking, please do give us updates on that.

I'm considering that combination and so is this guy.

As far as I can tell 8GB is adequate for most users at the moment, certainly in FSX. Apparently X-plane can need more than 8GB (I've never used Prepar3D so can't comment). Anyway if you're building a system with a GTX980Ti then I'd go with the 16GB. I assume it refers to the regulated voltages from the motherboard to components (others may know more about this???), so essentially better voltage regulation which helps with overclocking stability.

:o If it can be proven that Nvidia were: 1) Intentionally downgrading performance in Kepler as opposed to optimising Maxwell at the expence of previous generation cards; 2) Not being open about performance degradation with Kepler cards and newer drivers; then that would be *absolutely* appalling - it doesn't sound professional either... in fact I find it hard to believe since many people would simply not buy Nvidia again!

Your build, with the exception of the GPU is similar to what I'm planning. 1) I'm not convinced that for the price the GTX980Ti is worth getting above the GTX970 for flightsim applications. 2) I'm leaning towards the 8-phase Asus Z97-A too although the Z-97-Pro is a 12 phase power design. That's surprising to me, I assumed for such an overclock you'd need a bigger cooler like a Noctua NH-D15. Q) What temps were you getting under stress testing? I'd agree, and bear in mind that some performance memory runs at a higher voltage and since the memory voltage regulator is onboard the CPU. Q) I wonder if this might contribute to temps when overclocking?

I was thinking, with Skylake just around the corner, when would it be the best time to purchase an i7-4790K to get a good deal? (Also re my last post, this is so silly, a better estimate is: CFM = (m^3 per hr) x 0.588 ... in case anyone even cares!)

Yeah, tell me about it! I just don't understand what Microsoft and Aces were thinking with FSX. The fundamental consideration for a flightsim is fidelity. They should have released FS9.2 instead! Glad you've seen improvements. However you must realise that FSX ships with a DX10 "Preview Mode" which is known to be buggy. Many addons are not even DX10 compatible. Most people are running FSX in DX9.

I can't tell you much about the GTX980Ti but having replaced your old card you should check your system for stability - the OC effects the balance of the whole system. Anyway: Q1) Are you using Nvidia Inspector? (If so did you set up your profiles again?) Q2) Have you tried re-building the FSX cfg file?