Flight Simulator X
- Thread starter Crucify
- Start date
Associate
- Joined
- 28 Sep 2010
- Posts
- 162
ya got to start with whats your budget for the build...
Associate
- Joined
- 28 Sep 2010
- Posts
- 162
Start with two 690's/quad sli..
What about http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-216-OE&groupid=43&catid=2040&subcat=
But with 2 x GTX 680s
But with 2 x GTX 680s
Associate
- Joined
- 20 Jan 2012
- Posts
- 698
I'm personally waiting on
two of these atm http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-013-KF&groupid=701&catid=1914&subcat=2255
and I'll be playing FSX and X-Plane 10
two of these atm http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-013-KF&groupid=701&catid=1914&subcat=2255
and I'll be playing FSX and X-Plane 10
FSX is all about CPU power, so pour all your funds into an i5/i7 with 5Ghz overclock. I5 is better as FSX does not do hyperthreading. Graphics cards hardly matter with that game, some middle of the road 560Ti will be enough in all likelihood, 580 will certainly be - even with demanding addon payware stuff.
Borsch is pretty much correct, FSX is an old 32bit simulator software with many issues and problems. That said, once you do master the ins & outs of FSX, there is plenty that can be enjoyed & learned from it, depending on what you are after of course.
There are many thread/posts on many forums (check AVSIM hardware forums or google search on fsx hardware), inc here http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18172358 that will give you hardware advice.
My advice in short:
CPU: Get the best stable OC CPU you can buy, could stick with value for money in the i5/i7 range but I recommend at least quad core as you might need the extra cores/horsepower for any other programs you may decide to run along side FSX which can be shoved on other cores, so perhaps even look at a fast running six core, if your budget allows it.
GFX: Depending on the resolution you going to be running FSX at, if anything of 1920x1200 or below, stick with a single decent Nvidia 500 range card, with at least 1Gb of Vram (useful when you start having lots of HD textures in FSX). If you planning to run higher res on either single monitor or multi-monitor, then perhaps a SLI option is worth thinking about (not that FSX takes any advantage of SLI but higher resolutions/multi monitor eats up Vram quickly so having 2x 1GB Vram cards is handy). Again, you could go for value for money and get 2 cheap Nvidia 500 range cards, or perhaps get a single 580 or 680 with 3Gb/4Gb of Vram.
HD:
Get a fast small SSD drive for OS, get a decent sized SSD for FSX (I recently purchased a Crucial M4 512GB but using it on SATA2 atm till I can afford a major upgrade in both CPU & M/B and hit SATA3 but in the meantime, I have FSX already build on it). You could also choose a cheaper option and still fast by getting 2 or more fast HDs raided for FSX, there are some 10000rpm drives about which go pretty fast when raided. Still SSD is getting cheaper now and is simply faster then mechanical drives.
OS: Definitely a 64 Bit OS, again FSX is 32bit program but other addons/programs you might decide to run along side FSX may utilize a 64bit environment better, besides it better using your memory above 3Gb, FSX won't but other program most likely will.
RAM: at least 6Gb+ but no need for massive RAM as that will reduce your OC potential on your CPU, sweet spot is usually 6-8Gb.
Controller: Find a joystick with both thrust and rudder control, again, no need for expensive stuff unless you have the budget and you really need it.
Most important advice: DO NOT throw money into the wind. Because FSX can turn into a very expensive hobby both on hardware & software front. Best thing to do is start with a decent but good value for money custom build PC with room to expand in the future. Once you really feel the flight sim bug bite you, then you can always start throwing more money into it for either hardware or some nice aircraft/scenery/util addon.
That is my advice, in short, sorta...
Good luck.
There are many thread/posts on many forums (check AVSIM hardware forums or google search on fsx hardware), inc here http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18172358 that will give you hardware advice.
My advice in short:
CPU: Get the best stable OC CPU you can buy, could stick with value for money in the i5/i7 range but I recommend at least quad core as you might need the extra cores/horsepower for any other programs you may decide to run along side FSX which can be shoved on other cores, so perhaps even look at a fast running six core, if your budget allows it.
GFX: Depending on the resolution you going to be running FSX at, if anything of 1920x1200 or below, stick with a single decent Nvidia 500 range card, with at least 1Gb of Vram (useful when you start having lots of HD textures in FSX). If you planning to run higher res on either single monitor or multi-monitor, then perhaps a SLI option is worth thinking about (not that FSX takes any advantage of SLI but higher resolutions/multi monitor eats up Vram quickly so having 2x 1GB Vram cards is handy). Again, you could go for value for money and get 2 cheap Nvidia 500 range cards, or perhaps get a single 580 or 680 with 3Gb/4Gb of Vram.
HD:
Get a fast small SSD drive for OS, get a decent sized SSD for FSX (I recently purchased a Crucial M4 512GB but using it on SATA2 atm till I can afford a major upgrade in both CPU & M/B and hit SATA3 but in the meantime, I have FSX already build on it). You could also choose a cheaper option and still fast by getting 2 or more fast HDs raided for FSX, there are some 10000rpm drives about which go pretty fast when raided. Still SSD is getting cheaper now and is simply faster then mechanical drives.
OS: Definitely a 64 Bit OS, again FSX is 32bit program but other addons/programs you might decide to run along side FSX may utilize a 64bit environment better, besides it better using your memory above 3Gb, FSX won't but other program most likely will.
RAM: at least 6Gb+ but no need for massive RAM as that will reduce your OC potential on your CPU, sweet spot is usually 6-8Gb.
Controller: Find a joystick with both thrust and rudder control, again, no need for expensive stuff unless you have the budget and you really need it.
Most important advice: DO NOT throw money into the wind. Because FSX can turn into a very expensive hobby both on hardware & software front. Best thing to do is start with a decent but good value for money custom build PC with room to expand in the future. Once you really feel the flight sim bug bite you, then you can always start throwing more money into it for either hardware or some nice aircraft/scenery/util addon.
That is my advice, in short, sorta...
Good luck.
Silly Question but have you just installed it or have you done the service packs? there's a massive thread on here already regarding FSX which would most certainly help you
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18172358
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18172358
Thanks for the wealth of information guys, big help. Thanks Soya too, you seem to know what your talking about with FSX.
I was sort of looking at this system http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...d=2040&subcat=
Purely because I want the best available, even if it's too good for FSX.
Would probably have the new Ivybridge, I don't know what the maximum overclock is on the 3770k?
Maybe 2 GTX 680s. I thought the 690 would have been better than the 680?
How do you think that would run FSX?
I was sort of looking at this system http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...d=2040&subcat=
Purely because I want the best available, even if it's too good for FSX.
Would probably have the new Ivybridge, I don't know what the maximum overclock is on the 3770k?
Maybe 2 GTX 680s. I thought the 690 would have been better than the 680?
How do you think that would run FSX?
No reason to get a dual gpu setup since FSX doesn't support SLI. And VRAM doesn't add up with multiple GPUs, contradictory to what Soya have said. So just get a single GTX580 or a GTX680 because it's pretty much guaranteed that you will be limited by the buggered engine's optimisation either way. Depending on the resolution you're planning to play at, the requirements may vary, but they won't be any higher for sure.
I don't think FSX makes much use of hyperthreading or multicores for that matter (not more than 2 or 3 cores are utilised in a meaningful way anyway). Get a Core i5 2500K and overclock it as much as you can since the more IPC you have, the better. The Ivy Bridge CPUs don't overclock as well and don't warrant any performance over the Sandy Bridge counterparts but you may as well look into buying a Core i5 3570K.
You're better off saving your money for a multi-screen setup and a proper controller, like Saitek Yoke with Track IR, or whatever else you think is necessary to enjoy the flight simulators...
Caporegime
- Joined
- 1 Dec 2010
- Posts
- 53,766
- Location
- Welling, London
I run FSX very well on my system with lots of payware add on's. It's all about the setup. personally, my shopping list for a very nice FSX system within your budget would be.
YOUR BASKET
1 x msi geforce gtx 680 oc twin frozr 2048mb gddr5 pci-express graphics card £479.99
1 x asrock z77 extreme6 intel z77 (socket 1155) ddr3 motherboard £169.99
1 x intel core i5-2500k 3.30ghz (sandybridge) socket lga1155 processor - retail £161.99
1 x western digital caviar black 1tb sata 6gb/s 64mb cache - oem (wd1002faex) £109.99
1 x crucial realssd m4 128gb 2.5" sata 6gb/s solid state hard drive (ct128m4ssd2) £105.98
1 x corsair enthusiast series tx750m high performance 750w '80 plus bronze' modular power supply (cp-9020003-uk) £86.99
1 x antec kúhler h2o 920 high performance liquid cpu cooler (lga775/lga1155/lga1156/lga1366/am2/am2+/am2+/am3+) £84.98
2 x kingston hyperx genesis grey 8gb (2x4gb) ddr3 pc3-12800c9 1600mhz dual channel kit (khx1600c9d3x2k2/8gx) £44.99 (£89.98)
1 x samsung sh-s222bb/rsms 22x dvd±rw sata rewriter (black/silver/biege) - retail £19.99
total : £1,322.48 (includes shipping : £10.50).
add a case of your choice.
everyone knows how good a chip the i5 is, and with that cooler you should be able push 4.8, which is a major factor in fsx performance. i would like 16gb of ram because, depending on the way you use your system, sometimes, with only 8gb, it's quite easy to only have a gig or so free with all the bloatware that pc's seem to run in the background these days.
one thing you could do if you had the money would be to add a smaller 64gb ssd for the os and use the big ssd for your fsx and add on installations.
i mean we are talking probably overkill here, but if you have the budget, why not. also a lot of fsx performance is in the setup as well. when setting up, print this out and have a follow. it's very good.
http://www.simforums.com/forums/setting-up-fsx-and-how-to-tune-it_topic29041.html
YOUR BASKET
1 x msi geforce gtx 680 oc twin frozr 2048mb gddr5 pci-express graphics card £479.99
1 x asrock z77 extreme6 intel z77 (socket 1155) ddr3 motherboard £169.99
1 x intel core i5-2500k 3.30ghz (sandybridge) socket lga1155 processor - retail £161.99
1 x western digital caviar black 1tb sata 6gb/s 64mb cache - oem (wd1002faex) £109.99
1 x crucial realssd m4 128gb 2.5" sata 6gb/s solid state hard drive (ct128m4ssd2) £105.98
1 x corsair enthusiast series tx750m high performance 750w '80 plus bronze' modular power supply (cp-9020003-uk) £86.99
1 x antec kúhler h2o 920 high performance liquid cpu cooler (lga775/lga1155/lga1156/lga1366/am2/am2+/am2+/am3+) £84.98
2 x kingston hyperx genesis grey 8gb (2x4gb) ddr3 pc3-12800c9 1600mhz dual channel kit (khx1600c9d3x2k2/8gx) £44.99 (£89.98)
1 x samsung sh-s222bb/rsms 22x dvd±rw sata rewriter (black/silver/biege) - retail £19.99
total : £1,322.48 (includes shipping : £10.50).
add a case of your choice.
everyone knows how good a chip the i5 is, and with that cooler you should be able push 4.8, which is a major factor in fsx performance. i would like 16gb of ram because, depending on the way you use your system, sometimes, with only 8gb, it's quite easy to only have a gig or so free with all the bloatware that pc's seem to run in the background these days.
one thing you could do if you had the money would be to add a smaller 64gb ssd for the os and use the big ssd for your fsx and add on installations.
i mean we are talking probably overkill here, but if you have the budget, why not. also a lot of fsx performance is in the setup as well. when setting up, print this out and have a follow. it's very good.
http://www.simforums.com/forums/setting-up-fsx-and-how-to-tune-it_topic29041.html
Last edited:
I run FSX very well on my system with lots of payware add on's. It's all about the setup. personally, my shopping list for a very nice FSX system within your budget would be.
YOUR BASKET
1 x msi geforce gtx 680 oc twin frozr 2048mb gddr5 pci-express graphics card £479.99
1 x asrock z77 extreme6 intel z77 (socket 1155) ddr3 motherboard £169.99
1 x intel core i5-2500k 3.30ghz (sandybridge) socket lga1155 processor - retail £161.99
1 x western digital caviar black 1tb sata 6gb/s 64mb cache - oem (wd1002faex) £109.99
1 x crucial realssd m4 128gb 2.5" sata 6gb/s solid state hard drive (ct128m4ssd2) £105.98
1 x corsair enthusiast series tx750m high performance 750w '80 plus bronze' modular power supply (cp-9020003-uk) £86.99
1 x antec kúhler h2o 920 high performance liquid cpu cooler (lga775/lga1155/lga1156/lga1366/am2/am2+/am2+/am3+) £84.98
2 x kingston hyperx genesis grey 8gb (2x4gb) ddr3 pc3-12800c9 1600mhz dual channel kit (khx1600c9d3x2k2/8gx) £44.99 (£89.98)
1 x samsung sh-s222bb/rsms 22x dvd±rw sata rewriter (black/silver/biege) - retail £19.99
total : £1,322.48 (includes shipping : £10.50).
add a case of your choice.
everyone knows how good a chip the i5 is, and with that cooler you should be able push 4.8, which is a major factor in fsx performance. i would like 16gb of ram because, depending on the way you use your system, sometimes, with only 8gb, it's quite easy to only have a gig or so free with all the bloatware that pc's seem to run in the background these days.
one thing you could do if you had the money would be to add a smaller 64gb ssd for the os and use the big ssd for your fsx and add on installations.
i mean we are talking probably overkill here, but if you have the budget, why not. also a lot of fsx performance is in the setup as well. when setting up, print this out and have a follow. it's very good.
http://www.simforums.com/forums/setting-up-fsx-and-how-to-tune-it_topic29041.html
What FPS are you getting and where, with what scenery and aircraft?
Caporegime
- Joined
- 1 Dec 2010
- Posts
- 53,766
- Location
- Welling, London
I'm getting in the 50+'s with 737NGX and UTX, and drops to about 30+ over the Aerosoft X scenery.
Wierd, I get 25fps minimum at all times on my system. Even over NYC and London, including the UK2000 City Airport. I do use default mesh etc though.
Saying that, there is a website where you can upload your .cfg file and you give them your computer details. They then tweak the cfg to match your system. I applied the tweaks I wanted to apply, rather than just using their personalised cfg file. That got the sim running so sweet compared to previously. However, ive lost the link.
I do get stutters still when looking at magnified ground though, just cant seem to solve that.
So you do not need to throw 3k at it, IMO. Some excellent suggestions here in this thread.
Saying that, there is a website where you can upload your .cfg file and you give them your computer details. They then tweak the cfg to match your system. I applied the tweaks I wanted to apply, rather than just using their personalised cfg file. That got the sim running so sweet compared to previously. However, ive lost the link.
I do get stutters still when looking at magnified ground though, just cant seem to solve that.
So you do not need to throw 3k at it, IMO. Some excellent suggestions here in this thread.
Just to add to my previous spec:
There are many choices for a motherboard and whether to get an i5 2500K or i7 3770K, I suppose that it all comes down to how much you want to future proof your build and if you have any other uses for the system than FSX.
You can fit nicely in the £2000 budget if you get the Asrock Z77 Extreme4 board, that fits nicely in the white and black scheme I chose for you, and downgrade from the GTX 680 (that is IMO a huge overkill) to a GTX 580, like this EVGA.
Cutting down on the monitors is also an option but I highly recommend some quality IPS panels, as big as you can get. If 3x24" are too large for your needs, get one 27" or 30", preferably Dell, HP or Hazro, and a smaller monitor for additional control panels.
Controller and additional accessories can cost a lot of money so set a budget for that too.
There are many choices for a motherboard and whether to get an i5 2500K or i7 3770K, I suppose that it all comes down to how much you want to future proof your build and if you have any other uses for the system than FSX.
You can fit nicely in the £2000 budget if you get the Asrock Z77 Extreme4 board, that fits nicely in the white and black scheme I chose for you, and downgrade from the GTX 680 (that is IMO a huge overkill) to a GTX 580, like this EVGA.
Cutting down on the monitors is also an option but I highly recommend some quality IPS panels, as big as you can get. If 3x24" are too large for your needs, get one 27" or 30", preferably Dell, HP or Hazro, and a smaller monitor for additional control panels.
Controller and additional accessories can cost a lot of money so set a budget for that too.