Been outta the PC-building/gaming arena for many, many years and FS2024 seems to be pulling me back in. Looking to get the MSI Aegis R2 Liquid Cooled Gaming Desktop, Intel Core i9-14900F, GeForce RTX 4080 Super, 2 x HDMI-out (2.1a), 2 x DP-out (1.4a). Limited office space and the monitor needs to do double-duty for work. I’ve been researching all over but not sure if flat or curved would be best. Any suggestions for a sub-$500 (maybe a little more if necessary) monitor for me to consider would be much appreciated. I also would appreciate some insight on key specs to look for.
For the monitor, a lot of people swear by OLED screens, but I prefer to stick with trusty IPS LCD screens. This is especially true with computers where there is a lot of static imaging that can accelerate screen burn in with OLED. Curved vs flat is personal preference, but there aren’t many curved LCD’s (I have a flat screen). Refresh rate isn’t all that big of a deal either. A 60Hz monitor is plenty for the sim if you are budget constrained, and anything over 120Hz is simply overkill unless playing e-sports and the like competitively. 4k resolution looks phenomenal on the sim as long as the computer can support it and you tune settings well.
Speaking of, I would hold off on the PC purchase. The 14th Gen Intel CPUs have had issues lately that has their reputation knocked down a few pegs. Long story short, a fix was supposed to be sent out as micro-code updates, but it’s still too soon to tell if it actually fixed the underlying issue, which they were caught trying to hide in the first place. The problem would cause physical damage to the CPU, so any 13th and 14th Gen CPU is at risk of damage until patched, assuming the patch works. There’s also the 15th Gen chips coming out soon.
Plus there’s the AMD X3D lineup of processors. Those are currently the king of CPUs for gaming, with the 7800x3d at the top if you can find it at retail price. They are cheaper than a 14900f, generally better gaming performance at a lower wattage, and are not such a beast to keep cool. The 9000 series x3d chips are expected to roll out by the end of the month, which could mean seeing a new king. If you also need heavy production loads for work (not simple checking emails and spreadsheets), then the 7900/7950x3d, or 9000 series equivalents should be on your list as well.
And if that wasn’t enough to think about, the recommendations are only in regards to the current version of the sim. There are claims that 2024 will be highly multi-threaded, which could throw those recommendations out the window anyway. 2020 primarily hammers only a couple of CPU cores, making it easy to bottle neck there. One of the developers recently said of 2024 that if you have 20 cores, the sim will use 20 cores. If that’s true, then maybe Intel would be the best choice with their high core counts (current issues aside). I personally don’t believe marketing claims without seeing proof. That means my suggestion is if you absolutely need to buy right now, go with an AMD 7800x3d or up CPU. Otherwise wait until 2024 is out and we get some real world benchmark results in.
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Great advice and much appreciated. Learning the latest tech as well as trying to guess the impact of the new releases coming out (CPUs, Procs, graphics cards AND FS2024) is just way too much. And I’ve been an IT professional for over 20 years! Although my only use for desktops is as a tool to do my work with servers and such. So, I definitely understand your advice. It’s hard for me to be patient when I’m finding decent deals on current hardware that should perform well for FS2024. Maybe I should just be watching for a good deal on the monitor at this point and get the PC later.
If anyone is thinking about upgrading their PCs for MSFS I suggest holding off until the release of MSFS 2024 and test how it runs on your current gaming rigs first.
Also, leading up to the MSFS 2024 release, there will be a wave of launches: the new Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Intel new CPUs.
So, once again – don’t buy any new PC parts now. Wait patiently for the launch of MSFS 2024 and the upcoming AMD and Intel CPUs.
If you’re building a PC specifically for MSFS there’s something you need to know - this hobby isn’t cheap 
Below copy/paste my response from another thread which might help in choosing components for your PC.
Currently, the best CPU for gaming in terms of price-to-performance is the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D. It’s an outstanding CPU specifically for gaming, offering top-tier performance but it’s not recommended for multitasking or heavy workloads outside of gaming.
We shouldn’t forget the competitive Intel i9 14900K either, which is also excellent for gaming.
However, Intel is currently facing some issues with its microcode so at this time I wouldn’t recommend going with Intel.
Long story short, Intel has found that faulty processor microcode has been causing the processors to operate under excessive core voltages. CPU sends a signal to the motherboard indicating how much Vcore it needs at any given moment. Therefore, if there is an issue with the microcode CPU may request higher voltage. This issue was supposed to be fixed with the new microcode 0x129 along with BIOS updates.
That said, Intel will soon release new CPU which might be worth considering once they hit the market.
As for graphics cards there’s only one king: RTX 4090. This incredible card excels at 4K gaming and VR, ensuring smooth gameplay across the board, which I’m sure is what you’re aiming for, right? The only downside to this card is the price - a bit on the high side - but I can confidently say it’s worth every penny. If I had to choose a graphics card again I would go with the RTX 4090 Gaming OC from Gigabyte - an incredible card that I’ve been using for a year. I specifically chose Gigabyte because their GPUs don’t suffer from coil whine which is a major plus.
Additional advantage of this GPU is the inclusion of an anti-sag bracket in the package.
There’s also AMD line of graphics cards but unfortunately their driver issues make them less appealing so I wouldn’t recommend them.
When it comes to RAM (computer memory) it should be selected based on compatibility with the motherboard and CPU. Currently, DDR5 memory and motherboards supporting DDR5 are the standard. Memory modules are also divided into two categories: those dedicated for Intel with XMP profiles (XMP compatible) and those specifically for AMD with EXPO profiles (EXPO compatible).
There are also universal memory kits that support both XMP and EXPO profiles, with Corsair being an example of a manufacturer that produces these. On the other hand, companies like G.Skill produce memory specifically tailored for either Intel or AMD.
Of course there are exceptions. Some G.Skill memory modules are compatible with both XMP and EXPO profiles.
It’s worth mentioning that there is another classification of memory modules. For example, G.Skill produces A-die and M-die memory modules. The key difference between them is that A-die memory typically allows for better tweaking and overclocking compared to M-die.
This detail is crucial because certain timing values won’t work with M-die while they should be fine with A-die.
The power supply (PSU) is one of the most important, if not the most crucial components of a computer. You should never cut costs when it comes to the power supply, and it’s essential to always buy from reputable brands. It’s important to emphasize that cheap, no-name power supplies can damage or even destroy your computer’s components. As I mentioned, you should never compromise on the quality of the power supply.
On various forums you might come across recommendations suggesting that an 850W power supply is sufficient for high-end PC components, including the RTX 4090 - don’t trust those suggestions, please.
PSU should be chosen based on the components you buy now, but more importantly, with an eye on the future. A good, branded PSU should last you for years and it’s important to ensure it can handle future upgrades to your PC.
In the future, new PC components will likely require more wattage for proper functioning. Add to that multiple M.2 drives, SSDs and if you plan to overclock your GPU, CPU or memory an 850W PSU will not be enough. It’s better to go with a 1000W or 1300W power supply that is fully compatible with PCIe 5 and ATX 3.0 standards. Brands like Be Quiet, Corsair, MSI and Thermaltake produce such high-quality power supplies. Personally, I have the MSI MEG Ai1300P, which comes with a 10-year warranty and offers everything I need for both now and the future.
PC case - it’s crucial to choose a case that is spacious enough to accommodate large components such as 420 and 360mm water cooling radiators and heavy, oversized graphics cards.
It’s also important that the PC case can easily accommodate Extended ATX motherboards (E-ATX), which are larger than standard-sized motherboards.
Fan installation options are also important - the more installation points available, the better.
Consider ease of access and maintenance. Choose a case that allows for straightforward cleaning of components without needing to disassemble everything. PC cases like those from Be Quiet, particularly the Silent Base series starting from 802 are known for their ease of cleaning and maintenance.
For example, one feature I really like about the Be Quiet Silent Base 802 case is the removable top tray. This design allows you to install a water cooling radiator and easily clean it without needing to detach the radiator from PC case.
When choosing a monitor you need to consider whether you prioritize matrix speed (refresh rate and response time) or visual effects (color accuracy, HDR and overall image quality).
For a setup with the RTX 4090 and Microsoft Flight Simulator a 4K monitor with HDR and IPS or OLED matrix would be an excellent choice. This combination will enhance your experience and allow you to fully enjoy the immersive visual details of virtual flying.
One important point to mention is refresh rate. I’m not sure about others, but I can easily notice the difference between a 60Hz monitor and one with 120Hz or 144Hz. So, Hz really does matter when it comes to the overall experience.
As you might noticed I didn’t recommend a specific motherboard. The reason for this is that we’re currently waiting for the new AMD X3D series processors and the upcoming Intel CPUs. It’s best to choose the one that meets your needs and performs significantly better in gaming and multitasking benchmarks. Therefore, I advise waiting a bit longer before purchasing the motherboard, CPU and RAM.
If you don’t want to purchase the RTX 4090, you can go for the RTX 4080 instead.
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Also a lot of much-needed clarification I needed. Thanks.
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Currently I am using a HDR400 monitor, and in my point of view, MSFS2020 really benefits from HDR. Nowadays, HDR600 screen are available in average price range.
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So for MS2024, I shouldn’t worry about refresh rate from 60 to 120hz as long as the TV is 4k? I have a RYZEN 7 9800X3D and RTX-5080
Tell me about it ! 
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Back to the drawing board for me …
This is where getting into the nuance comes into play. On a typical monitor size and viewing distances, 60Hz is fine (more is better, but 60 is fine without breaking the bank).
What makes the TV different is you can now be talking about much larger screens taking up a larger field of vision. That means small movements on a monitor will appear much larger on a large screen TV. In this case, a higher refresh rate can be beneficial to reduce the frame to frame “jumps,” but is still dependent on your specific use case.
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