Question Looking for help on a new build for MSFS 2020

[Citationx]

Hello,

Its been a couple years since I was in the flight simulator world, but I am looking to get back into it with the new MSFS 2020. What would be a good custom build for the $2000-3000 price range in the USA. I'm imaging that the simulator is still very CPU intensive.


Thank in advance for any help.

 

[Darkbreeze]

I don't normally recommend to people that they wait, because there is always something better coming down the pipe and around the corner, but in this case I think if you are going to spend that kind of money it would be a very good idea to wait and for a couple of reasons.

For one, the prices on graphics cards are dropping currently, so waiting a couple of months might result in a substantial savings PLUS the next generation Nvidia cards are supposed to release no later than October, and you're looking at a probable minimum based on early projections of something like 35-45% performance increase on the upper end cards. Obviously, this isn't a "just buy it" moment, so actual reviews would be desirable before making any determinations on that but regardless it is probably a good idea to wait if you can even get 25% more performance for something near the price of existing upper end cards.

And then both AMD and Intel are releasing new CPUs in the not so distant future. AMD is expected to release it's Ryzen 7000 series in September and I'd be very surprised if the Intel Raptor lake models didn't release somewhere in the same-near timeframe or not very long after. Given that both these architectures are expected to bring a 10-12% performance increase over current models and if you don't want to be CPU limited, assuming you go with a relatively higher end graphics card AND especially on a very CPU intensive game like flight simulator, you'll actually have a very strong desire to see that additional 10% in single core performance especially when applied across the six or so cores that it can utilize.

If you MUST have something now, I'd be glad to help you with a build outline, but I seriously think waiting a couple of months for the core hardware is a good idea. Cases, power supplies, memory, SSDs, these are all currently trending downwards in price for the most part so even for those items it might be worth waiting at least a little while.

 

[Citationx]

I don't normally recommend to people that they wait, because there is always something better coming down the pipe and around the corner, but in this case I think if you are going to spend that kind of money it would be a very good idea to wait and for a couple of reasons.

For one, the prices on graphics cards are dropping currently, so waiting a couple of months might result in a substantial savings PLUS the next generation Nvidia cards are supposed to release no later than October, and you're looking at a probable minimum based on early projections of something like 35-45% performance increase on the upper end cards. Obviously, this isn't a "just buy it" moment, so actual reviews would be desirable before making any determinations on that but regardless it is probably a good idea to wait if you can even get 25% more performance for something near the price of existing upper end cards.

And then both AMD and Intel are releasing new CPUs in the not so distant future. AMD is expected to release it's Ryzen 7000 series in September and I'd be very surprised if the Intel Raptor lake models didn't release somewhere in the same-near timeframe or not very long after. Given that both these architectures are expected to bring a 10-12% performance increase over current models and if you don't want to be CPU limited, assuming you go with a relatively higher end graphics card AND especially on a very CPU intensive game like flight simulator, you'll actually have a very strong desire to see that additional 10% in single core performance especially when applied across the six or so cores that it can utilize.

If you MUST have something now, I'd be glad to help you with a build outline, but I seriously think waiting a couple of months for the core hardware is a good idea. Cases, power supplies, memory, SSDs, these are all currently trending downwards in price for the most part so even for those items it might be worth waiting at least a little while.

I like the idea of waiting, but if I was looking at doing something now, what would you recommend? The only dilemma with waiting is that I am using the simulator to help with some real world ratings I am getting. It helps with my flight planning and etc.

 

[geofelt]

With your $2-3K budget, I think a i9-12900K processor at about $560 is about as good as it gets.
Budget about $800 or so for a 3080 class graphics card and you should be able to do very well.

New products will probably bring a 10-15% boost in price/performance.
But, if they are really good, expect shortages, scalpers and early adopter price premiums.
If you have a need now, buy now.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Do you have ANY parts currently that you believe can be reused in this build, or are you intending to go new with everything? Including a Windows license, which of course can be moved to the new system so long as it is valid and attached to a MS account.

 

[Citationx]

Do you have ANY parts currently that you believe can be reused in this build, or are you intending to go new with everything? Including a Windows license, which of course can be moved to the new system so long as it is valid and attached to a MS account.

no I am starting from scratch. I currently have a
Mac and it’s been a few years since I’ve had a PC.

 

[g-unit1111]

Hello,

Its been a couple years since I was in the flight simulator world, but I am looking to get back into it with the new MSFS 2020. What would be a good custom build for the $2000-3000 price range in the USA. I'm imaging that the simulator is still very CPU intensive.


Thank in advance for any help.

I do dabble in Flight Simulator 2020 and not only is it CPU intensive, but it is very detailed and very GPU intensive (like think even more detailed than GTA 5). If you're going to be playing this I wouldn't recommend getting anything less than a 3070 minimum. A 3080 is definitely preferable, 3080TI is better. You will also need some hefty storage for it as well, since it takes minimum 128GB and some installs can go over 200GB depending on which version you get.

This is like the minimum I would suggest for MSFS:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-12700K 3.6 GHz 12-Core Processor ($389.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM 97 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($189.00 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z690 AORUS PRO ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($289.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5200 CL40 Memory ($259.99 @ Corsair)
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($139.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Samsung 980 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($99.41 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 10GB LHR 10 GB FTW3 ULTRA GAMING LHR Video Card ($779.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic ATX Full Tower Case ($164.99 @ Adorama)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 1000 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($240.69 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 11 Home OEM 64-bit ($119.95 @ Adorama)
Total: $2673.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-07-26 20:07 EDT-0400

Or if you want to go AMD:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 3.7 GHz 12-Core Processor ($358.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM 97 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($189.00 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX X570-E GAMING WIFI II ATX AM4 Motherboard ($379.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB RS 32 GB (4 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory ($179.99 @ Corsair)
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($139.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Samsung 980 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($99.41 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 10GB LHR 10 GB FTW3 ULTRA GAMING LHR Video Card ($779.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic ATX Full Tower Case ($164.99 @ Adorama)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 1000 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($240.69 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 11 Home OEM 64-bit ($119.95 @ Adorama)
Total: $2652.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-07-26 20:09 EDT-0400

 

[Why_Me]

https://www.newegg.com/black-lian-li-lancool-ii-performance-atx-mid-tower/p/2AM-000Z-00086
LIAN LI LANCOOL II MESH C PERFORMANCE BLACK Tempered Glass ATX Case $124.99

https://www.newegg.com/corsair-rmx-series-rm850x-cp-9020200-na-850w/p/N82E16817139272
CORSAIR RMx Series (2021) RM850x 850W 80+GOLD Modular Power Supply $139.99

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813145392
GIGABYTE Z690 GAMING X $219.99

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-i7-12700F-2-1GHz-6xxChipset-BX8071512700F/dp/B09NPJDPVG/
Intel Core i7-12700F $312.96

https://www.amazon.com/DeepCool-AK620-High-Performance-Dual-Tower-Dissipation/dp/B09CSXS3X4
DeepCool AK620 CPU Cooler $64.99

https://www.newegg.com/corsair-32gb-288-pin-ddr5-sdram/p/N82E16820236827
CORSAIR Vengeance DDR5 5200 32GB (2x16GB) CL36 $184.99 + $5 off w/ promo code W2BBU26278, limited offer

O/S (Windows) SSD

https://www.amazon.com/CS3030-500GB-Internal-Solid-State/dp/B07MW3NQKW/

PNY XLR8 CS3030 500GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Gen3 x4 Internal SSD $49.99

Storage SSD

https://www.amazon.com/PNY-CS3030-Internal-Solid-State/dp/B07QM2HD7B/
PNY XLR8 CS3030 2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe Gen3 x4 Internal SSD $168.95

https://www.antonline.com/Evga/Computers/Video_Cards/Graphic_Cards/1429478
EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 12GB Graphics Card $974.99

https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Windows-11-USB/dp/B09V6R9QZZ
Microsoft Windows 11 Home - USB Flash Drive $139.00

Total: $2375.84

A better look at those components.

https://lian-li.com/product/lancool-ii-mesh/

https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/Z690-GAMING-X-DDR4-rev-10/sp#sp

https://global.deepcool.com/product...-High-Performance-CPU-Cooler/2021/13067.shtml

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/deepcool-ak620-review

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...2700f-processor-25m-cache-up-to-4-90-ghz.html

i7 12700 / 12700F gaming benchmarks.

 

[Why_Me]

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16824012015
GIGABYTE G27Q 27" 144Hz 1440P Gaming Monitor, 2560 x 1440 IPS Display, 1ms (MPRT) Response Time, 92% DCI-P3, VESA Display HDR400, FreeSync Premium, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 2x HDMI 2.0, 2x USB 3.0, Height Adjustable $249.99

https://www.gigabyte.com/Monitor/G27Q#kf

https://www.pcgamer.com/gigabyte-g27q-gaming-monitor-review/
G-SYNC Compatible

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/microsoft-flight-simulator-will-receive-dlss-support-this-year
Microsoft Flight Simulator Will Receive DLSS Support This Year

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/technologies/dlss/

Spiele auf Grafikkarten der GeForce RTX 40-Serie

Frames Win Games. Sichere dir einen Wettbewerbsvorteil mit über 144 FPS.

www.nvidia.com

 

[Why_Me]

mATX w/ RGB version of that build up above.

https://www.newegg.com/black-fractal-design-pop-mini-air-rgb-micro-atx-tower/p/N82E16811352164
Fractal Design Pop Mini Air RGB Black TG mATX High-Airflow Clear Tempered Glass Window Tower Computer Case $89.99

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099821FWG
EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G6 850W 80+ GOLD Modular Power Supply $104.99

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813144521
MSI MAG B660M MORTAR WIFI DDR5 $159.99

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-i7-12700F-2-1GHz-6xxChipset-BX8071512700F/dp/B09NPJDPVG/
Intel Core i7-12700F $312.96

https://www.amazon.com/DeepCool-AS500-WH-Universal-Compatibility/dp/B08PYPGMFQ
DeepCool AS500 Plus A-RGB CPU Cooler $69.99

https://www.newegg.com/g-skill-32gb-288-pin-ddr5-sdram/p/N82E16820374350
G.SKILL Trident Z5 RGB Series DDR5 5600 32GB (2x16GB) CL40 $229.99

https://www.amazon.com/PNY-CS3030-Internal-Solid-State/dp/B07QM2HD7B/
PNY XLR8 CS3030 2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe Gen3 x4 Internal SSD $168.95

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09622N253
EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming ARGB 12GB $1,089.00

https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Windows-11-USB/dp/B09V6R9QZZ
Microsoft Windows 11 Home - USB Flash Drive $139.00

Total: $2364.86

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-B660M-MORTAR-WIFI

https://global.deepcool.com/product...500-PLUS-Dual-Fan-CPU-Cooler/2021/11415.shtml

DeepCool AS500 Plus White Review

DeepCool's AS500 Plus delivers compelling performance for a single-tower cooler that gives some of the biggest air coolers a run for their money. Add the white version's aesthetically pleasing looks, simple installation, and acceptable noise profile and anyone looking to grab one for their build...

www.techpowerup.com

https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases/pop/pop-mini-air/rgb-black-tg-clear/

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aukcnCb-64U

 

[Citationx]

Is Intel chip better than the AMD chip? Also would this card be a better GPU to go with?

EVGA NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming Triple-Fan 12GB GDDR6X PCIe 4.0 Graphics Card

 

[Why_Me]

Is Intel chip better than the AMD chip? Also would this card be a better GPU to go with?

EVGA NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming Triple-Fan 12GB GDDR6X PCIe 4.0 Graphics Card

That's a solid card ^^

 

[Darkbreeze]

Is Intel chip better than the AMD chip?

First of all, I recommend that you ignore some feedback in this thread, for your own good.

Second of all. Neither of them, AMD or Intel, are necessarily "better" than the other. It 100% depends on "what" you need to do and which gen from either camp you are talking about. Also, what country you are in, because what brings more value in one region may not bring the same value everywhere else that members post from.

 

[Citationx]

First of all, I recommend that you ignore some feedback in this thread, for your own good.

Second of all. Neither of them, AMD or Intel, are necessarily "better" than the other. It 100% depends on "what" you need to do and which gen from either camp you are talking about. Also, what country you are in, because what brings more value in one region may not bring the same value everywhere else that members post from.

I am in the US. What would you recommend @Darkbreeze ?

 

[Darkbreeze]

So, you need everything then, right? Case, power supply, motherboard, CPU, memory, storage devices, CPU cooler, keyboard, mouse, graphics card, Windows license, monitor? All of it? Do you require WiFi or do you have hard wired ethernet available where your system will sit?

Do you have any kind of color scheme preference or a need for unicorn puke RGB?

 

[Citationx]

So, you need everything then, right? Case, power supply, motherboard, CPU, memory, storage devices, CPU cooler, keyboard, mouse, graphics card, Windows license, monitor? All of it? Do you require WiFi or do you have hard wired ethernet available where your system will sit?

Do you have any kind of color scheme preference or a need for unicorn puke RGB?

Yes I need the whole setup. I do need wifi as I do not have a hard wire where the system will sit. No color scheme preference. @Darkbreeze

 

[g-unit1111]

First of all, I recommend that you ignore some feedback in this thread, for your own good.

Second of all. Neither of them, AMD or Intel, are necessarily "better" than the other. It 100% depends on "what" you need to do and which gen from either camp you are talking about. Also, what country you are in, because what brings more value in one region may not bring the same value everywhere else that members post from.

Yeah searching MS Flight Sim forums I didn't really get a clear answer on which CPU was better. As long as you have minimum a 5800X or an i5-12600K you should be good.

 

[Zerk2012]

I am in the US. What would you recommend @Darkbreeze ?

It would really depend on the monitor resolution and what in game settings you wish to have to pick a video card.

The rest is easy.

 

[Darkbreeze]

I'll work up another build later today for you that includes everything you need.

 

[Citationx]

It would really depend on the monitor resolution and what in game settings you wish to have to pick a video card.

The rest is easy.

i have (2) 48” widescreen 4k monitors double stacked currently with my Mac that I would like to use with this PC build

 

[Zerk2012]

i have (2) 48” widescreen 4k monitors double stacked currently with my Mac that I would like to use with this PC build

Ouch.

A single 4K monitor with a RTX 3080ti with high settings will get you about 50 FPS.

 

[drea.drechsler]

Yeah searching MS Flight Sim forums I didn't really get a clear answer on which CPU was better. As long as you have minimum a 5800X or an i5-12600K you should be good.

@Citationx should checkCheck out Linux TechTips' review of the 5800X3D where it absolutely dominates all other CPU's in their MSFS 2020 testing. Jump ahead to about 3:20 into the video. Yes, they're testing at 1080p but that reduces GPU contribution and puts much more of the effort on the CPU.

Clearly, MSFS2020 is a GPU killer at higher resolutions, so much so even a 5600X would probably be good enough with a dual 4K monitor setup on a single GPU.

 

[g-unit1111]

@Citationx should checkCheck out Linux TechTips' review of the 5800X3D where it absolutely dominates all other CPU's in their MSFS 2020 testing. Jump ahead to about 3:20 into the video. Yes, they're testing at 1080p but that reduces GPU contribution and puts much more of the effort on the CPU.

Clearly, MSFS2020 is a GPU killer at higher resolutions, so much so even a 5600X would probably be good enough with a dual 4K monitor setup on a single GPU.

Definitely no debate about that. My 3080 barely cuts it on my monitor at any decent resolution, even with the current drivers installed. Interesting about the 5800X3D though. I'll be sure to do some more research about it. Kind of makes me wonder how the Ryzen 7000 is going to handle it.

 

[drea.drechsler]

... My 3080 barely cuts it on my monitor at any decent resolution, even with the current drivers installed. Interesting about the 5800X3D though.
...

I am surprised how it kills my RX 6800 XT at 1440P...I can't play with the top settings unless I run RSR (it doesn't support FSR). Reports are FSR 2.0 is coming, I can't wait.

Oh yeah...and it's really a DX11 game still. DX12 is available but it's still in beta and extremely buggy with no performance improvement for me.

 

[Citationx]

I'll work up another build later today for you that includes everything you need.

ok cool! I appreciate the help! @Darkbreeze