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Buying new PC : NEED SUGGESTIONS !!!

menef

menef

Charter Member
Hi ! I'm going to buy a new PC, so I need suggestions about the minimum system requirements necessary nowadays to run quite well both FSX and P3D. I'm NOT interested in installing new global
sceneries requiring huge resources. My goal is to run well the latest addons ( =planes). So I won't buy a monster machine but an average system abreast with the times. Thank you in advance !!!
 
I went with AMD 8 core @ 4.0 16 gig set ram and 2 SSD's. One for FSX and one for the OS.. Add a AMD R9 280 Vid card and FSX for me is the best it's ever been.
 
FSX still performs best on Intel CPU's and Nvidia graphics cards. With an eye to the future, even though it is expensive, the new Intel Skylake CPU's seem to provide a good boost in FSX performance.
 
If you want a very good low price, the FX AMD 8 Core does very well with FSX, but if you want a kick-ass mid-range PC that will carry you well into the future I highly recommend the new Skylake i5 6600k LGA 1151 processors. The run circles around the best AMD out there, but you will pay around $270 for the CPU. I just built one for a friend on an ASUS Z170 platform with a refurbed Nvidia EVA Superclocked GTX 970 ( graphics card clocked at 4.5GHz. WOW what a speed demon! Makes FSX look next generation with DX10. I did stick with 64bit Windows 7 as it is still the most stable OS for FSX.
Ted
 
The Core2Extreme line OC'd to 4GHZ or higher + a decent SLI enabled LGA775 mobo would run you about 100 bucks on ebay and should match a mid end 1st or 2nd gen I5. A GTX 950 2GB should be enough for graphics unless youre going 4K then i'd recommend a GTX 970. As far as OS, i'd stay stick with Windows 7. I'd also recommend a SoundBlaster chip since those have THX audio enhancers, and with the proper speakers your engines will shake half the room.
 
I tell people this all the time..

Go to ecollegepc.com , and choose their custom Intel series. Then pick/choose what you'd like.

You'll save hundreds.

My last three FS PC's have been from them, and they are rock solid.

- Joseph
 
I think you will have to choose based on your simming future.

FSX still needs clock cycles.....does not do a good job of using more than 1 core.
FSX needs only a very good video card.

P3D uses multiple cores and getting better with each release. P3D has offloaded A LOT of work
to the video card (GPU) so you need to spend more on your video card than you had to with FSX.

I agree the 6600K is a great CPU for the price!!!

K
 
Just my 2 cents here: SLI is a waste of everything, energy, money and performance. Just save what you'll expend extra on the motherboard and extra card and... get a better card.

If you don't plan on overclocking, get the non K version of the same i5 processor and a cheaper motherboard.

Don't save on the power source, and get an ssd if you don't already have one.
 
Stefano Zibell said:
Just my 2 cents here: SLI is a waste of everything, energy, money and performance. Just save what you'll expend extra on the motherboard and extra card and... get a better card.

If you don't plan on overclocking, get the non K version of the same i5 processor and a cheaper motherboard.

Don't save on the power source, and get an ssd if you don't already have one.
Click to expand...

Thats only true to a degree. FSX doesnt like SLI. If he plans to play any other games, it would be an investment for the future to at least have a mobo that can accept an SLI configuration.
 
FSX don´t like SLI but P3D likes. And a ton of modern games/simulators in the market uses that too. Even if you don´t go that way for now, you need to think in future upgrades and a SLI setup is definetely a way to go :encouragement:
 
SLI never really pays. Future upgrades? Just get a new card, new cards replace older models, with the same price. It will do much better. And spend less energy.

Or just get a better card right away.

But each to their own opinion.
 
Stefano Zibell said:
SLI never really pays. Future upgrades? Just get a new card, new cards replace older models, with the same price. It will do much better. And spend less energy.

Or just get a better card right away.

But each to their own opinion.
Click to expand...

No offense, but are you stupid? Lets say i get a GTX 960 for 200 bucks and the mobo cost 100 bucks extra. Ive spent 300 bucks aka the price of a GTX 970. In 1.5 years i buy another GTX 960 for 120 bucks and SLI it. I now have the performance of a GTX 980TI for around 400 dollars when the GTX 980TI costs 650 right now. Its a long term investment but in also makes sense in the long term.
 
William said:
No offense, but are you stupid? Lets say i get a GTX 960 for 200 bucks and the mobo cost 100 bucks extra. Ive spent 300 bucks aka the price of a GTX 970. In 1.5 years i buy another GTX 960 for 120 bucks and SLI it. I now have the performance of a GTX 980TI for around 400 dollars when the GTX 980TI costs 650 right now. Its a long term investment but in also makes sense in the long term.
Click to expand...

You'll never get that performance, plus you'll get non-consistent framerate, will need to wait for driver fixes, you'll need a lot of power which costs money (both initial investment and long term), you are not considering that new cards will launch etc, etc.

Plus I'm not american. Price difference over here is different. No offense, but you call me stupid. That's an offense. Way to go.

SLI makes sense if you're stupid rich and wanna game at 5K with multiple titans. Otherwise it is not a good deal and terrible advice.
 
menef said:
Hi ! I'm going to buy a new PC, so I need suggestions about the minimum system requirements necessary nowadays to run quite well both FSX and P3D. I'm NOT interested in installing new global
sceneries requiring huge resources. My goal is to run well the latest addons ( =planes). So I won't buy a monster machine but an average system abreast with the times. Thank you in advance !!!
Click to expand...

Highly recommend the Lenovo Erazer 510 machine. I've had one for over a year and its AWESOME. Very cost effective new PC and expandable. I have put in two new hard drives (expansions) and a new video card and all popped right in. Great PC for the money.

http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/deskto...13300&ef_id=VN55@QAABaPJG5vS:20151020001829:s
 
Stefano Zibell said:
You'll never get that performance, plus you'll get non-consistent framerate, will need to wait for driver fixes, you'll need a lot of power which costs money (both initial investment and long term), you are not considering that new cards will launch etc, etc.

Plus I'm not American. Price difference over here is different. No offense, but you call me stupid. That's an offense. Way to go.
SLI makes sense if you're stupid rich and wanna game at 5K with multiple titans. Otherwise it is not a good deal and terrible advice.
Click to expand...

Well excuse me!!
I've been running high end cards in SLI for some time and the performance has always been better than a single card.
And I'm neither 'stupid rich' or 'gaming at 5K with multiple titans'.
But I build my own rigs and I choose carefully.
Driver updates have been free from trouble and the power issue is irrelevant. (But we are on Solar)
'Non consistent frame rates'?
FSX runs at high settings on my rig at a consistent 50FPS, so unless you have had experience in building your own systems and running SLI then perhaps you might just let the subject go.
:encouragement:
 
Many here have their computer specs in their sigs....
I can't be bothered...but since the Op's asking... [both FSX and the OS are on the M.2x4 - there wasn't a faster alternative at the time]....;)

FSX runs OK ...;)


Thermaltake Level 10 VL300A9N1N Titanium Limited Edition Case [No.221]
Corsair ASX 1200I Platinum Certified 1200w Modular PSU
ASUS X99 Deluxe LGA2011v3 MotherBoard
Intel i7 5960x 3.00Ghz @3.50Ghz LGA2011v3 CPU
Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 LGA2011 CPU Cooler
32G Corsair Dominator Platinum [4x8G] 2666MHz DDR4 Ram
ASUS Strix GTX980 4GB GPU
512G Samsung XP941 M.2 PCIe x4 SSD
2 X 240G Corsair Neutron GTX SSD
1 X 3TB Western Digital Caviar Green Sata2 HD
2 X 2TB Western Digital Caviar Green Sata2 HD
Thermaltake eSports Level 10 M Hybrid Wireless/Wired Gaming Mouse
ASUS BC-12D2HTBlu-Ray/DVD-RW
Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit.
 
txnetcop said:
If you want a very good low price, the FX AMD 8 Core does very well with FSX, but if you want a kick-ass mid-range PC that will carry you well into the future I highly recommend the new Skylake i5 6600k LGA 1151 processors. The run circles around the best AMD out there, but you will pay around $270 for the CPU. I just built one for a friend on an ASUS Z170 platform with a refurbed Nvidia EVA Superclocked GTX 970 ( graphics card clocked at 4.5GHz. WOW what a speed demon! Makes FSX look next generation with DX10. I did stick with 64bit Windows 7 as it is still the most stable OS for FSX.
Ted
Click to expand...


Between the specifications the OP asked for and what is available today, Ted's suggestion makes perfect sense (especially the Skylake solution), in my humble opinion.

Cheers,
Mark
 
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