Another New FSX PC Build

[Monjardino 1]

Afternoon All,

 

I've been spending some time putting together a list of components for building myself a new PC. Primarily I'll be building it around FSX but as a photographer I've also compiled the components with Adobe Photoshop CS in mind.

 

I think I've covered all bases relatively well but please feel free to post comment and suggestions for any alterations you think I should consider. I'll be using my current monitor which is ilyama Prolite B2409HDS, I guess its getting on a bit now but I think a monitor upgrade can wait for now.

 

CPU - Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core

 

Motherboard - Asus Z97-E ATX LGA1150

 

RAM - G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133

 

Drives - Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive

                  Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive

 

Graphics Card - EVGA GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card

 

CPU Cooler - Thermaltake Water 3.0 Performer 99.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler

 

Case - Fractal Design Define R4 (Arctic White) ATX Mid Tower Case

 

PSU -  Fractal Design Newton R3 800W 80+ Platinum Certified Semi-Modular ATX

 

Optical Drive - LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer

 

Operating System - Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)

 

All in all, this lot comes in at £1175 and hopefully will see out maybe 5-6 years

 

 

Please feel free to comment and post advice or suggestions.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

Luke Harvey

 

 

[Richard Sennett 2,499]

That graphics card is not going to cut it imo

[max2770 75]

I don't know what UK prices are like, but to me, you should upgrade:

 

• Corsair H60i cooler
• WD Black instead of Blue
• GTX970 - definitely above all else

Also, see if you could get the newer 850EVO for the same price.

[Monjardino 1]

Hey guys,

 

I've updated the parts that you questioned at its bumped the cost up to nearly £1400, damn I have expensive taste!! Admittedly I have added a second smaller SSD simply to install FSX on its own. I remember reading somewhere that FSX operates better if you can install stall it on its own drive.

I've changed the graphics card to an EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB FTW ACX 2.0 Video Card, the WD HDD to a Black, changed the 840 evo to an 850evo and swapped out the cooler for a corsair H80i.

 

Do you think that I can achieve some pretty decent results with this kind of set up?

[ryanbatc 12,839]

Wait, SSD smaller than your original proposed 120GB? That's too small imo. 256 min for FSX

[max2770 75]

I highly recommend a 250GB SSD for OS and stuff, and a WD Black HDD for FS and games.  An SSD won't make much of a difference except for loading times - there's also photoscenery but then you need a LOT of space on it.  It's the most cost-effective way.

[Monjardino 1]

This is the revised set-up so far - http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/fRrPNG

[max2770 75]

Seems like a great setup.

[TurboKen 221]

Go for it! This build will work great with FSX and Photoshop. As I use both programs and have basically the same setup.

[ryanbatc 12,839]

Seems like a great setup.

 

Agreed...  not a budget built by any means haha, but will be very very excellent!

[Djang0 1]

Monjardino is this deja vu LOL?

 

Year with the ££££ your spending definitely go for a 4GB GTX970. I'm no expert on SSDs but for my i7-4790k build I'm considering one for the OS only, I'm going to be sticking with SATA3 7200 drives for everything else.

 

May I ask what made you go for DDR3 2133 vs 2400?

[Monjardino 1]

Hey Guys, sorry for the delay in replying.

 

Django, yeah I like your thinking regarding the drives. SSD for my OS, one SATA3 simply for FSX and one for the 'other' software i.e. REX, Active Sky Next etc. Regarding the RAM, I've recently been doing some more reading up on the stuff and how it all work, so I'll be looking into possibly changing that in my actual 'finished' build. But lets face it, no build is ever truly finished is it.

 

I'm really pleased that people seem to like my proposed set up, hope fully it'll give the performance Ive wanted for a long time. Although with my wedding coming up next August, I think my purchases might have to go somewhat under the radar  ^_^

 

I'd really like to know peoples thoughts on Prepar3d Vs FSX? I know Prepar3d looks great and looks like its supported better by LM but is it worth making the jump from FSX just yet?

 

Again, thanks in advance!!

Django, I've just remember why I've opted for 2133 over 2400 RAM. Its to do with the voltage of the RAM slots in the mother board, it'll only support up to 1.5 volts.

** UPDATE **

 

This is taken from the PC Parts Picker site, with regards to selecting RAM with a hight voltage of 1.5volts. Its to do with the processor, not motherboard, my mistake.

 

• The Kingston Beast 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory operating voltage of 1.65V exceeds the Intel Haswell Refresh CPU recommended maximum of 1.5V+5% (1.575V). This memory module may run at a reduced clock rate to meet the 1.5V voltage recommendation, or may require running at a voltage greater than the Intel recommended maximum.

[Djang0 1]

The Kingston Beast 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory operating voltage of 1.65V exceeds the Intel Haswell Refresh CPU recommended maximum of 1.5V+5% (1.575V).

 

Hey thanks for pointing that out! From what I can gather online the 1.5V recommended limit is because the memory controller is onboard the CPU, so I imagine if you run the higher voltage RAM you risk damaging the CPU. (Plus it might invalidate your CPU warranty - but I'm not sure how Intel would know you were running the higher voltage RAM!)

 

Re the M/B, swap that Z97-E for a Z97-A, Z97-ProGamer or Z97-Pro which have better power phase designs.

 

By the way, what made you go for the Define R4 as opposed to the Ark Midi R2 case?

[Monjardino 1]

Yeah I think you're right. For the sake of a probably unnoticable performance boost, I'd rather stick to the right voltage around. On pcpartspicker it said there was an incompatibility for my original choice of 2400.

 

I'll look into those Mobos and see if it would benefit me to change, this build is getting more and more expensive haha.

 

With regards to the case, I really want a white case. I liked the rubber grommets to aid air flow and keep things all tidy. There's also a good number of fans.

I'm going to be building a little plinth platform for the tower to sit on and also install some dust filters that I can change on a regular basis. I'm also going to get some kind of cover for the tower when not in use. On my current pc, the top fan has quit and you wouldn't believe how much dust gets in there.

[max2770 75]

You can't always trust PC Part Picker.  You're better off researching it by yourself.

 

And yeah, getting more expensive is a noticeable side effect.