If you can wait a year, there’s some big changes coming. Motherboards with ddr6 (twice as fast as ddr5), cpus with up to 54 cores.
And we can expect amd to come out with 32gb vram cards.
Maybe by then msfs2024 will be in better shape.
You can think through this until you have a heart attack.
There is no easy/one answer.
You have done good at trying to analyze it for the best purchase.
You just have to jump in the water.
Or wait.
But you are desperate for advice.
I am running :
Intel i7-14700K, 64 GB DDR5 7200, AMD RX 7900 XTX
(limited DDR5 to 6400 by the motherboard)
Gigabyte Z790 Motherboard
1000 WATT PS, Corsair 5000D Case
And I love it for FS2024.
If I were you, I would go with the AMD Prebuilt System: AMD 9800X3D, RTX 5080, 32GB DDR5 5600 RAM
Wont need to.
Not true.
Wont need to.
Go for it… or wait… or … or…
Thanks. You’re right. I really don’t want either - I’d be “settling” if I went either way. I was trying to convince myself to purchase the Alienware, but I really didn’t want it, as I could have had the exact same PC at Black Friday 2024 for slightly less. I considered it then and still passed it up. Although the logic for passing it up was the 14th gen Intel debacle, 9800x3d was just released, and thinking that better GPUs were right around the corner. I was terribly wrong on the latter. The GPU actions taken by both Nvidia and AMD this year have made it “SO MUCH HARDER” to get RTX 4090 level performance when that is what is needed when 5090 performance is not needed. From the looks of it, the GPUs I was hoping to get this year we may finally get in 6-12 months.
It’s tough - an AMD 9800X3D system is what I really want - both sims run best on that, no question. That also has upgradeable RAM and no “proprietary” parts. It’s just that the 5080 only has 16 GB VRAM, and the GPU is by far the hardest part to replace on the open market. Had there been a 5080 option with at least 20 GB VRAM, I already would have bought the machine, without even posting about it.
The whole tariffs supply chain inflation issue is what has pushed me to consider purchasing a “compromised/settling” product out of fear that when there is a 20-24GB 5080 Ti or 9900 XTX, that the system will be at least $1k, possibly $2k more than the 2 systems I’m considering now (5090 systems are currently at least $2-2.5k more than those 2 systems right now). Had that tariff supply chain threat not existed, I would wait til Black Friday - no questions asked, unless my current machine died.
Not sure if the combo is even available but have you considered a PC with the 9950x3d and a 4090? The 9950x3d will be a little more expensive than the 9800x3d however you won’t be compromising on gaming performance.
I am with @MSFSRonS on this, and if I had the choice you propose, I would go with the AMD prebuild.
The Alienware device will not be as good in 2020, and I don’t think it would be any different or better in 2024 either. Plus the RAM is slower, you can’t practically repair or upgrade it in any way, component quality e.g. power supply open to question, and the same applies to CPU heat / cooling solution. It might look like better value at initial purchase, but the whole machine or it’s component parts will depreciate in value & attractiveness on the used market.
The AMD prebuild will be great in both simulators. Personally I would change the RAM to 2 new sticks totalling 64GB at 6000 or 6400 asap, but the cost of this will be far less than with the Dell, and you’ll have 32GB of easily sellable RAM. If in future you find an RTX4090 available, swapping GPU’s is easy (so long as it will fit in the case!) and the power draw is only 100w more than the 5080. So unless the PSU is already marginal, you likely wouldn’t need to change anything more.
There is an issue muddying the water here, and that’s VRAM usage.
Supposedly the game is currently using excessive VRAM and Asobo are taking steps to reduce that. We can only speak as it stands at the moment, but it is without question that with the game in it’s current guise a 5080 simply will not cut the mustard if you intend to play in 4K.
If you play the game in its vanilla state you might be ok, but with 3rd party aircraft and scenery I am regularly seeing VRAM consumption well over 16GB. It’s a heck of a quandary made entirely by Nvidia’s inexplicable decision to saddle the 5080 with insufficient VRAM for modern 4K gaming.
You seem tied to going for one of the big brand name builders but I’d implore you once again to look on eBay for a seller who is selling a PC of the spec you want. Remember, eBay provide decent buyer protection these days and if you want to be absolutely sure pick somewhere with physical premises in addition to their eBay store.
FWIW I did just this earlier this year and paid £3300 (about $4300) for a 9800x3D / 4090 / 64GB DDR5 6000mhz build. I’m very happy with it and it will chew through anything I’ve thrown at it.
Just for a point of comparison (for the OP), I built this exact configuration myself a few months ago with new parts.
I purchased a 1300W psu, 360 aio cooler, 4TB storage, motherboard, case, keyboard/mouse, Windows 11 pro license, thermal paste, an anti static wrist band, and a UPS (because power quality and reliability in my area is an issue).
$5969.67 (converted to US dollars at time of purchase) was my all in cost (no monitor because I already had one).
That’s in an EU country with the highest VAT, at 27%.
Personally, I’d search out a computer build that you really want rather than one you are just settling for.
Mine was expensive – more than I thought when I began researching – but it is exactly what I wanted. No buyer’s remorse 
If I remember right, I helped you pick out the parts and hook up the Arctic Liquid Freezer 360 to the motherboard?
Yup 
Thanks again.
And for the OP, if you want to read through my whole “ordeal” researching this, the thread is: Hardware: do brands matter?
Interestingly, in the beginning I planned to buy a pre-built (like you) but that plan, uh, “evolved” shall we say 
Awesome to hear it all came together – seriously nice rig.
There are some suggestions that the 9800x3D core performs better (and with less faffing around with core affinity setttings than the 9950x3d) for MSFS2020 at least with the latter CPU being better for other PC tasks
FWIW this was my exact spec;
I took 2 2TB SSD’s out of my previous build giving me 6TB total storage.
I then bought a Corsair RGB keyboard/mouse combo for approx £60 / $80 on top.
It’s a beast of a machine and, as I mentioned previously, I can run FS24 with BeyondATC, AIG traffic at 100% or BATC traffic using AIG models, the TD GTnxi, the Fenix Airbus plus countless 3rd party sceneries in 4K, everything turned up to max (including shadow resolution) with 200 TLOD on the ground raising to 800 at about 1500ft. I use Frame Gen and DLSS4 (Preset K now set through the Nvidia app) and the new ‘Ultra Quality’ in-game mode and can maintain 60fps everywhere, all the time. It’s visually stunning tbh. I can even record 4K 100mbps video using Shadowplay and it makes zero difference.
I just worry that if you go for the 5080 this lack of VRAM will pretty quickly become an issue but it has to be your call at the end of the day. As mentioned above, get what you want, don’t settle. Even if that means waiting a bit longer.
My build a couple months ago after consultation with @TenPatrol
MSI MPG X870E CARBON WIFI, AMD X870E ATX AM5
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Arctic Cooling Liquid Freezer III 360 A-RGB Black AIO CPU Cooler
ASUS TUF Gaming 5080 OC
G.SKILL Trident Z5 Neo RGB 64GB DDR5 6000MHz CL30
SAMSUNG 990 EVO 2TB M.2 NVMe 2.0
MSI MEG Ai1300P PCIE5, 80+ PLATINUM Full Modular 1300W
be quiet! SILENT BASE 802 Window BLACK
At time of original build, I kept my 3090 until deciding what I wanted to do. Originally I had it in my head that I wanted a 4090 but they were next to impossible to come by.
Next thought was wait for 5090’s to get released and then grab someone’s used 4090.
Then I had a line on a 5080 at MSRP.
I debated for about 24 hours and then pulled the trigger. Obviously much better performance than my 3090, but at a cost of 8GB less VRAM.
I made that decision based on the fact that I’ve never come close to using all of the VRAM on a 3090. And… I still haven’t on a 5080…
That’s interesting and good to hear. Might make the decision easier!
So have an update. I’ve looked up the Alienware and realize that they use mostly proprietary parts. They have great service, but once the service ends and something breaks the system is SOL / DIW, as out of warranty, it would require an expensive part exclusively available from Dell that may or may not be available. So that Alienware would only be good for the 3 year warranty plus however long it lasts. If I get from another manufacturer after the 3 year warranty, I’d be able to tinker with standard aftermarket parts. I’ve also read that while 14900’s have improved, I suspect, that we may see failures at a slower rate, but still failures if it is a hardware defect that has just been slowed down.
So, I’m leaning towards getting a 9800X3D prebuilt with a 5080. Various systems come and go in different prices ranges. The specific one I was looking at before sold out, but another one popped up that is available. The three main ones are CyberPowerPC, iBuyPower, and CLX. Are those more or less the same “good enough, better than Alienware”, or are some better than others?
I would love to wait til Black Friday, but I am REALLY concerns about the tariffs, as it seems to hit gaming PCs extremely hard, and may take years to resolve at the individual consumer PC pricing / availability level.
In other words, I’d much rather get a 9800x3d / 5080 now, if that same machine will be thousands more come holiday season.
I was so fed up with this that I was about to pull the trigger on a Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 8 Tower that was 14900K and 4080 Super 16GB, not fully what I wanted, but they had a great sale that was $1000 cheaper than the Alienware 14900k / 4090 and Best Buy 9800X3d / 5080 options, and far cheaper warranty support than Alienware or Best Buy, well under budget >$1200 less out the door than the other systems, and would noticeably improve MSFS play until the whole tariff mess sorts itself out.
Well when I went to add to cart, the sale had ended, and the price went up by several hundred, so I obviously no longer wanted that at a higher price. I’m so fed up with this - wasted time for nothing.
I’m still baffled as to exactly what the problem is or why you’re limited to a choice of 2 specific machines, neither of which you particularly seem to want. You very clearly have very strong reservations about both options. FWIW I just did a quick search on eBay for a brand new 9800x3D 4090 system in the US and there are plenty of them available from a wide range of stores. It’s clearly a personal thing, but I don’t see this obsession with buying from BestBuy or wherever. The parts are the parts and, assuming it’s new, will come with a manufacturers warranty over and above anything the seller will offer.
Basically, certainly in my opinion, the 9800x3D is by far the stronger chip for FS24. Therefore it comes down to answering the following questions;
- Do you play in a resolution other than 4K?
- Do you play the game in its vanilla state?
If the answer to either of those questions is yes then you’ll likely be just fine with a 5080. If however the answer to either one is no, particularly if it’s the answer to both, then I’m almost certain you’ll find the VRAM on the 5080 a considerable problem. If that is the case then neither machine you’re looking at is suitable and you need to look elsewhere.
- I only play in 4K, since I have a 43" 4K monitor. But I have no issues using DLSS Quality.
- So far, yes, for now, but have a lot of add-ons in MSFS2020 that I will eventually want to use in 2024 in the future.
The issue is that anything other than that Alienware R16 with the 4090, I simply cannot afford higher than a 5080. 4090 is so rare, and 5090, the cheapest I can find other than Costco vaporware, is north of $5k prior to tax & warranty. I was looking at 4080 Super, as that is most of the performance of 5080, has the same VRAM, but I can save a ton of money for that over a 4080 for the future inevitable 24+GB VRAM GPU purchase.
I won’t fly anywhere with default scenery 