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jeffer_1

Looking to upgrade my system for FSX, will this system work?

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Hello there!

 

It seems that my 8 year old system ($1,400 worth in '06) needs to be upgraded.  I will spare you the hardware specs of that system (other than it worked good on FS9 with 35fps most of the time with 3D clouds and AI traffic on Win XP),

 

Here are two systems I am contemplating to upgrade to, with a big question at the end:

 

System 1: Elite

 

  • ASUS P8H77-V LE Mobo
  • Quad-Core Intel i7-3770k 3.5 Ghz (3.9 Turbo) processor
  • 16GB DDR-3 1600Mhz RAM
  • NVIDIA GF GTX 660 2GB GDDR5 video card
  • 180GB Intel 330 Series Solid State Drive
  • 1TB 7200rpm HD
  • WIN 7 Pro.
  • 500W power supply

 

System 2: Ultra

 

  • ASUS P8B75-M/CSM Motherboard
  • Intel Dual-Core i3 3220 3.3 Ghz processor
  • 8GB DDR3 1600Mhz RAM
  • NVIDIA GF GTX 660 2GB GDDR5 video card
  • 250GB Samsung EVO Solid State Drive
  • Win 7 Pro.
  • 350W power supply

 

The big question.....how well will system 2 fair (in FPS) with FSX with most sliders full to the right on default Scenery, Weather and lots of AI?

 

I never had FSX becuse my old system simply could not handle it for what I wanted to see on the screen.  So this is my chance to finally enter the FSX world for the first time, but I don't want to break the bank trying to do it.

 

Would giving System 2 -  an i5 - make a big diffrence compared to an i3 for the most part?

 

Thanks!

 

Jeff

 

 

 

 

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You will want to run your CPU at 4.0 GHz or more, if you can..

 

The 4770K will do that, no problem

 

Ideally you would have a Z87 motherboard / 4770k / GTX660 (keeping costs down..)

 

Current state of the art: Z97 motherboard / 4790K / GTX770 ^_^


Bert

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Look's like you are trying to update without breaking the bank, (nothing wrong with that) so to go to a IB CPU is a good compromise. That's what I have and it does just nicely with FSX.

 

Having said that, looking at your choices in system 1, I would go to the 3570k (i5) if you are looking mainly at FSX as your game of choice. It overclock's nicely and is cheaper than the 3770k. I would use your savings and go with a GTX770 and with as much VRAM as you can afford.

 

Secondly, I am surprised you can still find that Motherboard, my favourite stores don't have them in stock any more. If you check out my specs you will see I use a ASUS P8Z77-V LK. While it does not have all the bells and whistles, it is a basic but very solid board that will easily meet your needs with a 3570k + GTX770 and it is very user friendly when it comes to a not so expert overclocker like me, not to mention that although more expensive than the P8H77, not by much.

 

Lastly, I would go to a 750w PSU for a little bit of breathing space (especially if you do go to a better GPU with more VRAM)

 

Regards,


Rick Hobbs

Boeing777_Banner_Pilot.jpg

 

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It depends what add ons you fly and if you fly tube or ga planes. 660 and i7 3770k your fine at one monitor and default fsx settings. 770 gtx will max it out at one monitor but it requires higher power supply. The thing is 770 and higher gpu means need 700 watt power supply. You will never max out fsx and accepted it. Xplane 10 video cards are of more use.

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Thanks guys!

 

Ok, so let me find out one thing for sure, (since now I have other potential options with what was suggested)....if I do get system 1 (the i7 one) as is -  will FSX operate well under the defaults and sliders to the right?  Frame rates into the 20's at least at airports with AI, maybe?

 

Courious, what frame rates would I generally expect at LAX -  with about 40 AI Aardvark jets at their gates with that system? :BigGrin:

 

For you all to better understand what content I want to have in the FSX, it is basically what I have on FS9 now - a fair bit of Aardvark AI, some added EZ-scenery objects (and from others) here and there, and I fly SGA jets of the retro era ('70s).  I basically have turned my FS 2004 into FS 1974.  I would like to add some more realistic clouds in FSX, seems FS9 clouds seem better when I see screenshots of FSX.  I maybe wrong. 

 

Thanks!!

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Sliders to the right is never a good idea... keep that in mind.

 

There will always be trade-offs  :rolleyes:

 

If you want a really well performing system, your choice is:  4790K-GTX770-Z97 board, 2X4GB fast RAM.

 

Most performance seekers will add custom cooling and overclock to 4.5 GHz..

 

Personally, I would stay at 4.0 and ease off the sliders a bit.


Bert

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System1 will be decent... Definitely a budget in mind setup but you should be ok with some AI and addons. Probably 18-20 fps big airports with AI.

 

Don't skimp on the PSU 500w is ok but be sure it's a gold certified and get a brand like Seasonic, Corsair etc


| FAA ZMP |
| PPL ASEL |
| Windows 11 | MSI Z690 Tomahawk | 12700K 4.7GHz | MSI RTX 4080 | 32GB 5600 MHz DDR5 | 500GB Samsung 860 Evo SSD | 2x 2TB Samsung 970 Evo M.2 | EVGA 850W Gold | Corsair 5000X | HP G2 (VR) / LG 27" 1440p |

 

 

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Thanks Burt and Ryan!  And everybody else, keep the ideas coming please.

 

Ryan, the PSU is SeaSonic 500W 80+ Bronze.  I will have to check to see if they carry the Gold.

 

Ok, seems that System 1 will be the one I will need to get, with modifications based on suggestions presented here.  

 

Now to pick the monitor.... what size monitor (and Brand name) can I go up to without any negative effects, like screen resolution issues?  I have to have a sharp image and would rather have a smaller screen size than compromise on that. Basically I don't want to see the pixles if all possible.

 

Thanks!

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The thing is 770 and higher gpu means need 700 watt power supply. You will never max out fsx and accepted it. Xplane 10 video cards are of more use.

Sorry to say it, but that is absolutely wrong.

The 770 has one PCI-E 6 Pin and one PCI-E 8 Pin for power delivery. The official maximum wattage rating for 6 Pin is 75 Watts and 8 Pins are good for maximum 150 Watt (http://www.overclock.net/t/965818/potential-limitations-of-pci-e-6-pin-to-8-pin-adapters). So total maximum power draw of the GPU is 225 Watts. That is also confirmed in the official Nvidia fact sheet, stating in the specifications that the Graphics card Power is 230 Watts (http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gtx-770/specifications).

 

And a modern CPU like the haswell series has a tpd of 84 watts, or 88 watts for haswell refresh (http://ark.intel.com/de/products/80807/Intel-Core-i7-4790K-Processor-8M-Cache-up-to-4_40-GHz). If you overclock it, calculate with maximum 130 watts. So, 130 plus 230 Watts is 350 Watts for the main components. Therefore every well build 500 Watt PSU is absolutely enough for such a system. A good PSU for example is the BeQuiet E9 480 Watt CM, or the BeQuiet Dark Power Pro P10 550 Watt. 

 

Best regards.

 

Nils

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Well, kind of... PSU manufacturers recommend running a PSU at about 50% of max.. so you've got to add a bit of safety buffer to the numbers..


Bert

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I am going to seek to increase the PSU just for safety as well as possible later upgrades.

 

I have been going blind watching YouTube vids from people with the system specs I am looking at getting and seeing what their experience looks like.   One thing for sure I want - to max the "Ultra Realistic" slider on FSX.  That is really important to me for my FS experience.

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Some good advice here Jeff, but if I may add, to get the best from FSX with the kind of addons that are being produced today, it's really necessary to overclock the CPU as best and as safely as you can. To do this ensure you invest in a good cooler.

 

With respect Jeff, for your priority to   max the "Ultra Realistic" slider on FSX.  That is really important to me for my FS experience  I think you could end up being very disappointed. IMO, regardless of what anyone says, FSX is a compromise, it always will be. It doesn't matter what system you have invested in, even if you have the latest, fastest CPU and gruntiest GPU, there will ALWAYS be a scenario that you fly in that will return stutters and low performance. 

 

I have been going blind watching YouTube vids from people with the system specs I am looking at getting and seeing what their experience looks like   Jeff, do not base any buying decisions or create perceptions about performance in FSX based on YouTube videos. A lot of the guys who make these videos do so by recording FSX at half speed and then edit at twice the speed, this gives the impression of smoother videos!  :wink: 


Howard
MSI Mag B650 Tomahawk MB, Ryzen7-7800X3D CPU@5ghz, Arctic AIO II 360 cooler, Nvidia RTX3090 GPU, 32gb DDR5@6000Mhz, SSD/2Tb+SSD/500Gb+OS, Corsair 1000W PSU, Philips BDM4350UC 43" 4K IPS, MFG Crosswinds, TQ6 Throttle, Fulcrum One Yoke
My FlightSim YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@skyhigh776

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Years ago I always bought the lower horse power system from paper white VGA (FS in black and white!) to the 386SX as that's what my budget allowed.  I eventually started to realize that  the next year after plonking down $200 for a video card, I would try to upgrade that system by upgrading the video card for another $200.  Effectively, I spent $400 on a vcard.  I should of bought the better one and saved a bit more money and time and hassle. Of course, if you can maybe wait one more month and get a bit more money or maybe there may be another $20 off something.


10700k / Gigabyte 3060

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The other factor for GPU PSU requirements in amperage on the 12v rail... Just make sure you've got the required A rating for your video card.

 

Looks like the gtx 770 needs 42A.

The 660 needs 24.

 

I can't tell which PSU you are getting but be more cautious if you do buy a 770...


| FAA ZMP |
| PPL ASEL |
| Windows 11 | MSI Z690 Tomahawk | 12700K 4.7GHz | MSI RTX 4080 | 32GB 5600 MHz DDR5 | 500GB Samsung 860 Evo SSD | 2x 2TB Samsung 970 Evo M.2 | EVGA 850W Gold | Corsair 5000X | HP G2 (VR) / LG 27" 1440p |

 

 

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