Moving up to a better rig -- please check my proposed specs!

User Support Hub Hardware & Peripherals
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I have decided to bite the bullet and buy a real gaming PC. As I have had generally good experience with Dell over the years, I am thinking of buying an Alien gaming computer. First, question, is there a better choice? Second, can the real sophisticates here (I am a lame, somewhat computer illiterate retired lawyer) instruct me as to whether the following specs are likely to be enough:

  1. Alien Aurora R11: Intel Core i7 (8-Core, 16MB Cache, 3.8GHz to 5.1GHz w/Turbo Boost Max 3.0)
  2. Windows 10
  3. NVDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6
  4. 32GB Dual Channel HyperX FURY DDR4 XMP at 3200MHz
  5. 512GB M.2MVMe SSD (boot) + 1TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s

And am I missing something that I will need? Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

3 Likes
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Not bad, but you’re likely paying way too much. Plus, you’ll get tons of “bloatware.”

I’d “roll my own” - that way you get exactly what you want, spend less, and skip all the junk Dell loads on to their boxes.

One thing we’ve all learned here on the forum: a clean system installation is one of the keys to a good experience with Flight Sim.

One additional note: the new Ryzen CPUs are getting really, really good reviews. Might want to consider building a rig around a Ryzen 5 5600X.

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Looks very nice on first sight. Make sure to understand that MSFS is very much hungry for a CPU with good single-core performance. Much more important than the GPU. MSFS is pretty stable if you’re GPU-limited, make sure you’re not CPU limited. Which i7 are you looking at?

A powerful GPU also needs a good CPU. Check an excellent article here: MS Flight Simulator 2020 Benchmarks: CPU, GPU, Memory Performance

If you can save money on the 3070, spend it on a better CPU. Also 512 GB M2 SSD for your OS plus other stuff plus MSS might be tight for space in the longer run.

Also, your display is important. This set-up is overkill for 1440p, you’d need a 4K monitor.

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Some pointers the GPU is equally as important as the CPU in this sim. Second you are looking at a 3080 at least for 4k.You do not want to be GPU bound in this sim either.That can also bring the sim to a crawl :wink:
@PHRodgers48 Not bad but you tend to save money building your own. Otherwise you need something up and running go for it!

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Dell (Alienware) is great IMO; good Warranty, build and components for a “production” PC. 1440p is the best resolution for FS2020 IMO. 4k might look great, but it’s too much resolution unless you’re running a RTX 3090 and the top tier CPU. I’d go for a 3080 over a 3070 without a doubt; always sink $ into the best GPU. The graphics eating power of the 3080 is significant over the 3070 too. Look up any of the bench marks; 15 fps (example) on FS2020 is a huge advantage.

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Looking on the Dell Alienware website; there is no 3080s in stock; if it was in stock, the difference in price is justified. The 3090 is not worth it though IMO.

The 10700k is a solid CPU and unless money is no object, there’s no point in spending more on an 10900 IMO. A 3070 with a 10700k will not run FS2020 in 4k well; I have a system (personal build) of equal stats and play in 1440p getting 30fps without all settings at Ultra.

The 3070 will run 1440p just fine; down the road it will be a good performer when next gen CPU’s come out too.

If and when you buy that rig
 Delete all the anti - virus programs and any 30 day trial stuff etc.

The extra $90 for the 1gb SSD is worth it too.

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Many thanks to all for the very helpful advice. One added question. When I started looking for a possible Ryzen build, I noticed that a lot of the dealers were out of stock on various components. Any recommendations on specific dealers that you trust and may have the stock that I would need?

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I am not a lawyer but I am retired; I have previous experience with Dell / Alienware; and I am not an especially savy computer nerd (I wish I was
).

I am awaiting delivery of the last component of my new gaming setup - the HP Reverb G2. I have the computer, an Alienware R11 w/ i9 10900KF w/ variable clock speed, 32 GB Dual Channel DDR4 XMP Ram @ 3200MHz, Nvidia RTX 3080, WIFI 6, 1TB SSD, Liquid cooling and a 1000 w power supply. On a whim, I also sprung for the Alienware 3440 x 1440, 120 Hz Nvidia G sync monitor.

I recently joined this forum to try to better understand how to set up this equipment to support MSFS2020. Amazing number of very talented and generous computer nerds live here!

One article I would suggest may provide you very clear, very technical insight into the balancing of the three major components of a system: CPU, GPU and Memory. I was concerned I may have bought too much computer till I read the article. I am now less anxious. The article provides test results showing various components by various vendors and their relative performance. This info should help you tune your purchase options.

The article is here: MS Flight Simulator 2020 Benchmarks: CPU, GPU, Memory Performance

My new monitor is fantastic. Being an older guy, my vision is degrading. Flying FS planes requires reading complex dashboards while maintaining flight control (has been very challenging for me). I had been sitting at the optimum distance for my 55 inch TCL 4k TV as my monitor but could not read the dashboards. Now I sit at about 15 inches in front of my new monitor and everything is very legible plus the surround like nature of the ultra wide screen is much more immersive. Likewise, when in VR mode, my current Vive Pro headset makes reading the screen difficult, the new HP Reverb will (from all expressed opinions on this forum) eliminate the screen door effect and at least double the resolution / image clarity. It seems the G2 is very demanding on both the CPU and GPU. From the article I referred to, it seems very important for VR success to not have the CPU be the processing bottleneck - you want your graphics card to do the heavy lifting.

I am sure you will receive other input that will better clarify this relationship. However, I am extremely pleased with my Alienware rig (I am an industrial designer and these products meet my demands for quality engineering, interesting packaging and product support that is pretty exceptional in my consumer experience.). I also believe they do a very good job of balancing the elements of a system to meet specific performance targets. They certainly did that well for the first rig I purchased 5 years ago which I just replaced. I believe that will be the case this time, too.

Oh, almost forgot, you identified Windows 10 in your listing. If that is NOT Windows 10 Pro I would up that spec


Good luck and happy flying!

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Ornaryox
 You have a top tier rig and I’m sure with that Ultrawide monitor, you are in heaven. :grinning:

1 Like
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I am extremely pleased with my choices - particularly around the monitor and the fact I am now using a headset in lieu of the TV surround sound - they seem to focus my attention on the game to a greater degree and the sound clarity is much better - an unexpected benefit.

I am still learning about setting up my system. It can be very challenging - it is a very steep learning curve for people like myself who have little computer background. Just all the references to various control programs, schemes and settings by forum members makes my head spin
 However, I am getting 45+ frames per second with all settings on Ultra when flying smaller GA aircraft. My favorite is the Long Easy! Learning to fly is awesome!

I am guessing the tuning will become even more challenging when the G2 headset arrives.

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Ryzen prices have inflated due to availability; they finally made a chip that’s as fast as Intel so everybody bought them up. Unless you stream your flying live, listening to music and watching a movie at the same time
 There’s no reason to choose Ryzen over Intel. Look up the bench marks and reviews online. If you want to sim on FS2020, the 10700, 10850 or 10900 are all great choices and will match Ryzen frame for frame in game. Intel is actually less money right now too! And in stock!

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Sounds like you have reached the “pig in sh
” stage! Congrats. With your comments and those from FallBrake669307, I think I’ll make my life easy and go with the Dell Alienware. That’s all assuming that my wife won’t kill me when she she’s the credit card bill!

Have you ventured into VATSIM or IVAO yet? It still scare the ■■■■ out of me, but it really does enhance the experience.

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I placed my order with Dell / Alienware on January 10. All components were in stock. At first I ordered a system with an RTX 3090 card. It was shown on the website as a standard part of a distinct product. There were other adjacent product categories displayed to the left representing standard choices but at a lower performance level. I waited a while to press the buy button and in that time read an article arguing against the 3090 in favor of the 3080. I decided to change my order. The 3080 was not an option in the category I had originally chosen. I went searching the other categories. The one to the immediate left which, if I remember correctly, headlined an i7 CPU. This computer may have also had, as standard, a 3070 or 3060 GPU. However, it did have as an upgrade to a 3080. I then reconfigured all the elements in the column to arrive at my final order. This could explain why the 3080 doesn’t appear available on first glance


I support the opinion that a 3080 is the card to get. It seems be the sweet spot for performance intensive use like MSFS2020.

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I’m less of a nerd than you! I don’t even know what those acronyms refer too!

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They are the two available virtual ATC networks. Check them out.

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I will do that. Thanks. Are you an actual pilot as well as a virtual one?

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I wish, but no. The closest I got was taking flying lessons after law school (without ever getting my private pilot’s license). Part of the reason I started with Flight Simulator games (in the 90s) was a frustration with being unable to do the real thing.

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Do make sure you Maintain a Positive Attitude ! Everything else look’s very ‘Capable’.

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You will not be disappointed with the Alienware; some would say build your own or order through someplace else, but Dell will take care of you if you have any issues. I’ve built my own PC’s since 1997 and have bought an Alienware once. Do you already have a monitor?

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I am replacing an all-in-one desktop. So I will need a monitor. Don’t want to spend a fortune, but was thinking of the curved 32" gaming monitor that Dell is promoting. Thoughts?