Advice on Locating a Dream Rig (Early 2024)

User Support Hub Hardware & Peripherals
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Hey everyone. :wave: First time posting, and I’m sorry it’s such a long one.

When I was a kid my dad owned a 1976 Centennial Edition Piper Warrior (PA-28). I have many fond memories of going up with him, together with my sister. That first time breaking through the clouds is still etched in memory, over 40 years later.

He is pushing 80 now, but still very active, and highly coordinated. He wants to relive that experience in as high fidelity as possible, and to do it together …in 3 weeks time when I’m back in the U.S. for a visit. If we succeed, I promise to post a photo of it here.

So I’m looking for advice on what components you would recommend to create a solid desktop flight experience in early 2024, with a budget of 5 to 7K. But please keep in mind we are up against the clock now, and therefore need to get off-the-shelf components that are in-stock and available.

For this reason I have been looking at BestBuy or other pre-fab options that can deliver a machine in days, not weeks.

I wouldn’t rule out a self-build from components,…it would be fun. But in the interest of time my preference is toward a pre-built machine.

Spec wise all I know is that it should probably have an RTX 4080, …and that we could spring for a 4090 if we can find one. AMD or Intel?, 32 v. 64 GB? – no idea.

Again, this will be a desktop setup. He isn’t interested in VR, though might be tempted by a dedicated chair if it made sense…though I am not sure that is compatible with flying a prop plane, seems mostly oriented toward stick/throttle setups.

He thinks he wants either one large, curved display or maybe 3 displays arranged in an arc. Really need a recommendation on this part as well. Also on eye + head tracking, if you would recommend it.

Lastly – ideas on controls – from the standpoint of being very MSFS compatible, but something that would also best correspond to a late 70’s single engine like the Piper Warrior.

That’s it. :sweat_smile: Sorry to come in hot like this,…probably with multiple rule violations. But if you’ve read this far, I really appreciate your time, and ANY positive contribution you can make if you’re current on the landscape.

Please chime in with concrete options to consider, or options to avoid …or anything else you think could be useful to us in this dream project. :pray: You can never go home again, but you can break through the clouds and remember what it felt like that very first time.

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32 and 64 GB will make no difference. The game doesn’t use 32. The most I see used is running VR and a total use of 20 or so on my machine.

Intel or AMD? I like Intel myself. Asking for advice on that one is hard since there’s die hard fans on both sides. They’ll both work fine.

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A pre-built PC will almost always have hardware compromises for cost purposes. There are companies that offer ready-made pc’s for flight sim purposes, but by the time you have ordered one and had it built, tested and delivered, you might as well have bought the components and done it yourself.

I prefer the self-build approach, so that you can customise the machine to specific requirements and avoid the usual weak spots like PSU’s or minimal RAM and storage space.

Having said all that, if you want one quickly and don’t have the time to read up on parts, select matching components from the various compatibility lists etc., then I’d suggest discussing it with a local computer store if you have one, as they may be able to advise and construct one for you.

CPU is king in MSFS and other simulators, so you want either the latest Intel i9 or an AMD X3D chip, either the 7800, 7900 or 7950.

A 4080 or 4090 are the best GPU’s. If you want multiple 4K displays, go for the 4090. Multiple displays work well but can be a hassle to set up so they look perfect. If you want simplicity, an ultra widescreen curved monitor from Asus, LG or Samsung might be more effective, and you could run that very happily from a 4080.

32 or 64 GB Ram makes no odds. Plenty of people will insist that 64 or even 128 is essential, but 32 GB on two sticks is more than enough. Get as fast as you can though - DDR5 at 5600mHz or more.

The tobii head and eye tracker 5 is very good, and I much prefer this over VR. I suspect it would be better for your use case as well. If you go for a headset, you are stuck with a smaller, lower quality image than you will see from 4k monitors, and you can’t see your flight controls and any other displays, charts etc.

When discussing / buying parts for your pc, don’t skimp on things like fans and the PSU. I like be quiet! for these components, and they are widely available. If you have a computer shop with stock anywhere near, you might be able to try out chairs too, as these are highly subjective.

Flight controls are essential - you really don’t want to try and fly using just a mouse and keyboard. If you want something similar to the PA-28 then you want a yoke. Something like the Turtle Beach Velocity One would be a solid choice, and comes with throttle controls too. If you go for a yoke, you will need rudder pedals too.

You could go for a joystick / hotas instead, which twists to control the rudders and means you don’t need additional pedals. The VKB Gladiator is an excellent choice, and you can add throttles and other controls to it as well.

Good luck with it!

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Nice response here MagicQuasar. I am also interested in the same overall question as I am embarking on a triple 4K 55" TV build. All the research I’ve done so far seems to indicate 7800X3D is an outstanding CPU choice for MSFS, and as you say 4090 for the GPU. It’s the rest of it that is confusing - RAM as a good example, how much is overkill and just wasting money?

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Great post, overall. I especially like this idea, given OP’s time constraint.
A passionate employee in a quality shop will strive to build a system that meets both needs and budget.

I will only add two comments:

  1. Don’t forget about internet connectivity. I have a 1Gb fiber connection, a WiFi 6 router, and run the sim using a WiFi 6 card in my computer. I never have connectivity issues. Skimping on that side of things will result in pain. Of course I realize that some don’t have access to 1Gb fiber. I’m just saying to pay for the best connection you can afford. This will become even more important with FS2024.

  2. I have 64GB RAM because I run my Rolling Cache in a RAMdrive that is copied back to a physical drive when I logoff. The cache file is copied back to the RAMdrive at logon, so I don’t lose anything. Any competent computer builder will know how to create this setup, and use Task Scheduler to make it work.

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Not sure where you are located but Micro Center if there is one nearby would be a great resource for you with your limited time frame.

Hope this helps\

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Thanks BuzzJungle, that’s much appreciated. Welcome to the forum, btw.

It’s hard to argue against the 7800X3D as one of, if not the, best choice for MSFS. If you wanted to use the PC for daily work and have lots of applications running simultaneously then the 7900 / 7950 may be better, but they need a little extra setting up to use the 3D cache in the most beneficial way for MSFS. This is only going from things I have read - I use an i9 13900KS in my pc.

Unless you want to use some RAM for additional purposes, 32GB is more than enough, as I understand it. Again this is just from my reading around and participation in various groups and forums, but quite a few issues seem to come up with 4 sticks of fast DDR5, and the general consensus seems to be that 32 or 64 across 2 sticks is best practice. I have 32GB of Kingston Fury 6400mHz in my pc and it has been no trouble at all.

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I’ve heard that for AMD. Is that true for Intel-based memory controllers as well?

I personally have 4x16GB DDR4-3600/CAS14 with my AMD 5800X3D and MSI B550A-Pro, and measured XMP-enabled frequency/latency/stability is unchanged (very good) from when I had 2x16GB.

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If you are considering Intel based PC, here is my basic PC to use when evaluating pre-built systems.

Note:
My PC has 64 GB of memory and I fly at 4K resolution.

Additional Costs to add
GPU - mine is an Intel A770 Le 16 GB ( Choose 16 GB GPU as minimum)
Display - mine is a 65 inch 4K TV

New PC Cost - Minus GPU
New PC Cost - Minus GPU1275×1023 240 KB

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I have the Corsair 5000D. I’ve been building computers for a long time, and frankly, I don’t think I’ll ever use anything else. I love it.

If I may suggest: Themalright Peerless Assassin CPU cooler. I am highly impressed with its performance, and it’s a LOT cheaper than the Noctua NH-U12A. In fact, it compares very favorably with the NH-D15. No knock against Noctua, as they make a great product. But the Thermalright is a tremendous value, and you can use the money saved towards other components. My 5800X3D runs around 55°C in the sim (no undervolt) which is the same as it did when I watercooled it with a 240mm rad. Impressed, am I.

Just paying my good fortune forward… :grin:

image

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I bought an additional 2 fans, Noctua NF-A15 140 mm, but have not
installed them yet.

The 2 fans that came with the Corsair 5000D case keep it well cooled
and are super quiet.

Might install them if needed with the future purchase of Battlemage and
Gen15 with new motherboard.

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Really appreciate the feedback and advice so far. Top shelf guidance.

I will spend some time this weekend collating input into a list of components and take it from there. Maybe I can edit my OP to include a running list of components as I lock them down. Or as suggested by a local shop.

Just remembered actually there is a local PC service and build shop just next door to his office… I know he has had help from them before, so could be ideal that they were involved from the start to give support if needed. Not sure how game oriented they are but yeah, I’ll give them a call.

Otherwise, any favorite component retailers come to mind? Is Newegg still good?

Thanks again y’all.

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Amazon is my #1 and Newegg.

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In my 5000D I have 3 intake fans in front, 3 intake fans on the side that are ducted over the MOBO, 1 exhaust fan in the back, and 2 push exhaust fans on the 240mm radiator attached to my watercooled GPU. Overkill? Maybe… :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: I like positve pressure.

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Thanks for the welcome. My machine will be solely dedicated for MSFS, but perhaps I should start my own thread to seek advice? I don’t want to distract or de-rail from OP.

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Now that I can’t really answer with much reliability. I have certainly seen lots of posts on here and in the many FB groups where users report various issues which they attribute to running 4 sticks of ram. I don’t think it is always made clear or even mentioned if this specifically affects only AMD-based systems, or Intel as well.

My previous pc had an 11th gen i7 along with 4 sticks of 8GB Corsair Vengeance 3600mHz CL 16 Ram in a Gigabyte Z590 motherboard, and it definitely had some crashes in MSFS (as well as in regular, non-game use) that were memory related. On a few occasions it wouldn’t boot properly, and would only post correctly if the ram was reset to 2300mHz in the bios. After doing that, I could reactivate the XMP to 3600mHz and it would be fine for weeks or even months.

Exactly what caused this I could never determine, but my new build has a 13th gen i9 with 2 x 16GB Kingston Fury 6400mHz DDR5 in an MSI Z790 board, and it has never had a memory-related crash despite being much, much faster than the old one.

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I bought a pre configured barebones setup from Scan Computers in Bolton so I knew all was working and Windows 11 installed as was all the drivers etc. I then just put everything together and added a couple more M2 drives

I7, 32Gb, 4090 GPU, Gigabyte MOBO, 2 M2 drives, case, etc

Decide on what you want then ring them to discuss or if you live near them take a visit, they are near the Football Stadium.

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Should I rule out a dedicated chair? Are these remotely affordable or even desirable in the configuration we would want to be flying? :thinking:

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It’s obviously a question of budget, but if that is workable, then I think it is a no brainer. Definitely take a look at the Next Level Racing gear - this is the one I am going for, but there are cheaper options on their website:

The modular nature and customisation of this is awesome. Caveat - mine is on pre-order and I don’t have actual setup experience yet, but lots of positive feedback out there. Really looking forward to mine and the level of immersion it will bring.

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Cool. Thank you. How appropriate/ergonomic do you think for yoked, vintage piper style flying?

I think he went Honeycomb for the, uh… above-waist controls and Logitech or something basic for pedals.