Pre-built computer rig recommendations?

tommieboy

tommieboy

Charter Member
Hi all,

I'm looking to replace my Windows 7 Pro based computer system with a new Windows 11 based computer system. I'll probably reuse my monitor/keyboard/mouse. Are there any companies that specialize in pre-built systems with flight simming in mind? Not sure what my budget will be at this point. I've built all of my gaming systems in the past, but Windows 11 seems to have some bells and whistles that are tied to specific hardware specifications, so I'm a bit leery of getting caught in an expensive "gotcha".

Thanks,

Tommy
 
CyberPowerPC lets you configure just about every component, so if you don't want to build yourself, that's probably the way to go.

That said, I bought a prebuilt from them back in 2020 (had issues, but that was due to buying it from Best Buy when prebuilts were the only way to get 3080 cards, vs configuring it myself) and after having to go in and redo the cooling setup myself, I decided to go back to building my own rigs.

FWIW, the stuff in Win 11 that's hardware-dependent is present on any modern motherboard; if you get a Z790 chipset board or the AMD equivalent, you shouldn't have any issues. If you DO want to build yourself.


Here's links to all the parts I used for my latest build:

Cooler Master NR200P Max case(includes power supply and cooler)

MSI MPG Z790I Edge WiFi Gaming Motherboard

Intel Core i7-13700K (you could also opt for the 13900K for $160 more -- that's what I have in my full-size rig)

Corsair Vengeance DDR5 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 5600 MHz]

WD Black SN850X 2TB m.2 SSD (the motherboard supports two m.2 PCI 4.0 m.2 drives and one PCI 3 drive; this rig wasn't primarily for MSFS and if you like add-ons like I do, I'd add a second drive for more storage)

MSI Ventus RTX 4070 TI OC (bought from Best Buy because it was $40 cheaper than the same card on Amazon)

Arctic MX-4 Thermal Paste (the case includes paste, but I like this stuff, better cooling)

Guide to free (if you have an older Windows install on a previous PC) or cheap Windows 11 https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/get-windows-10-free-or-cheap,5717.html

It's probably the easiest build I've ever done, as the pre-installed cooler and power supply in the case mean there's very little to deal with as far as cable management, etc. The only issue I had is that you need to make sure to download the network card and RAID drivers into the USB stick you use to install Windows, because Win 11 stupidly doesn't include drivers for the latest Intel networking stuff.

I used this YouTube video as a guide just to make sure I didn't miss anything specific to this setup. If you're considering this, I'd suggest giving it a watch to see if you feel comfortable with the process. It's easy, just requires patience and making sure you plug everything in. :)


An even more thorough video... Note that he installs two additional case fans in the bottom; I didn't bother because they only drop temps by about 2C and they add noise.


The end result is a super-quiet, very compact, rock-stable PC at a good price. I get over 100 fps (90 in the most demanding areas) in MSFS on a 4K OLED TV. Cost was right around $2500, which was about $500-1000 less than a preconfigured PC with the same specs.

If I was building or configuring a rig for VR, I'd sub a 4080 or 4090 for the 4070Ti, since VR doesn't support DLSS3 and really benefits from the extra memory. That said, even the 4070Ti is going to a dramatic jump from what you're using now. This is my living room TV PC, and get a little MSFS usage and does great, but I have a 4090 rig I use for VR gaming in my office.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!
 
If you live anywhere close to Greensboro NC, I recommend Intrex, but there may be other small outfits like them that do the same thing. You have the option of spec'ing out all the needed parts, buying them, and putting everything together yourself, or for another hundred or so, they'll build it, install Windows, and then give you a warranty of their own on top of the component warranties. I paid Intrex the extra to assemble mine, and I've been quite happy with it so far. Specs are in my sig...
 
I know I'll get razzed for this, but I gave up trying to fix my lightning-struck computer last spring and bought a Dell from COSTCO. Less than 1K$.
It works for me. It runs MSFS with no problems. I haven't had any stutters, etc. The fps is always somewhere around 40 to 50.
I have many add-ons and usually fly GA - no total immersive tube liners.

Win 11 Home
Intel i7-11700 @2.5Ghz
NVIDIA GeForce 3060
32GB ram
4Tb - 3 1TB SSD & 1 TB HDD internal
1 external USB3 two-slot chassis that will take either full-size HDD or small SDD
 
i bought the my last two pc's from https://ecollegepc.com/ ,they're reasonable. you can but prebuilt if you want.they have home,business,gaming and such. what i did both times was to call sales,i told them the specs on MSFS,and they worked with me.the decisions had to be mine so to speak, but he guided me.in otherwords,he gave me choices as to what would be best,video card,hard drives,power supply.i use one in my livingroom for MSFS, and still use the other one in the bedroom for steam games,and google earth is nice on an 86" or 65" tv.lol
 
tommieboy, in late 2018 I was cautious to go pre-built and settled on the Cyberpower PC. Fast forward to now and haven't had any issues with components in the rig only adding more RAM and 1xSSD. I have maxed out what I can do with this rig, sporting an old 1080Ti that mostly allows me to fly in all my sims (MSFS,P3D,DCS) to a degree. I had to stop using my Reverb G2 in multiplayer DCS, with settings lowered still can't have enjoyable VR gameplay on a crowded server, so back to TrackIR. Knew I could update everything from Cyberpower or purchase new, but seeing DennyA's list I might just build my own.
 
Yeah, if you go CyberpowerPC, just be sure to fully spec out all the components. If you pick the parts, they do an okay build. Their prebuilts for Best Buy, Amazon, etc. are really badly configured. I bought one in 2021 that had a single-fan 120mm AIO cooler for an 10900K CPU. Between that and a dumb fan configuration, my CPU would hit max temp and throttle just loading MSFS. I was able to fix it by tossing their fans and controller and replacing the AIO with a Noctua air cooler, but the lesson was that the config was built to hit a price vs being an actual usable system.

If you go to their website and make sure you specify all the components, they're a decent solution.
 
Up until this recent one, all of mine I built except my first one that my father put together in his computer shop. Since day one simming, I've wanted a Falcon Northwest, which I consider the Rolls-Royce of flight sim computers. They are the only pre-builts I've looked at, that use about 95% of the same level and brands of components I would use if I built one myself. I can't say enough about their customer support through the whole process of having mine built. Runs MSFS and all my other gaming titles like a champ.


Forest
 
CyberPowerPC does a good job. Since FS2004, I'm now on my third system from them. The most recent being a year or so ago, for this sim. Since then I have started building PCs again. There are a few new things to learn since 386 and 486 days! Built a "media computer" for the living room and it came out great. I don't need a new FS computer yet. At this point the best improvement would be a 40 series card, but they are still expensive. My next flight sim box I will build myself.
 
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