Your previous posts along with another user was one of the reasons I was actually considering Alienware. Which Alienware did you have (I see you have r11 - I meant which processor), and how did it play the sim stock? I was thinking of r12 (or future version of it), with Core i9 and 3090 or 3080ti. I read that AMDs run hotter than Intel, at least current generation of these.
Sure, I can probably figure it out building my own, but the reasons I’m most concerned about is: 1) Damaging CPU when hooking up cooling or not thermally pasting correctly and damaging expensive CPU if have to repaste. 2) Not hooking up all of the wiring correctly (causing hundreds/thousands in damage). 3) GPU availability - nothing I actually want is available, and I will not support scalpers. My responsibilities don’t allow me the time to attempt to get one at MSRP. 4) Yes, I can probably figure it out eventually, but it would take me a month of weekends (I have both a demanding job and a demanding family), cost thousands more just to get the parts and potentially hundreds/thousands more in damaged parts if I mess up the installation.
My time to build would be my current available time to play the sim, which is roughly up to 3 hours every other weekend, that would likely take me several months to build even if I were confident in my abilities and could get a 3080ti or 3090 at MSRP. Also, given how hard it is to get GPU, would want extended warranty including accidental damage on GPU, which of course is a pipe dream.
The most expensive system I would be comfortable even attempting to build myself would be i7, 32GB, 3070ti or 3080, if GPUs were actually available for MSRP. I would think a prebuilt i9/3090/64GB would perform better than that.
Also building means have to account for Windows, so that’s an extra hundred or two.
I had an R11 with the i9 10900kf, a 3090 and 16gb from Dell. I put in new ram sticks to the Dell to get to 64gb and a second SSD….it ran ok, meaning it never thermal throttled from what I could tell but it was always around 80C on the cpu and GPU when running the sim in VR. I had the fan curves set to run at high speed. Aside from that though, it did what it was supposed to do and my re-build was certainly an optional thing that cost a fair amount but I wanted that upgrade path and cooler temps to maybe extend life a bit and run the overclock a bit. Given GPUs are still hard to get, a Dell or HP is the cheapest way to get something quick. A few bucks more and you can go with Origin, Nzxt, or a few other boutique builders that have 3080/3090s. I’m glad I went with the 3090 but if they had the 3080 with more vram than 10 it would have been a better buy. I wasn’t comfortable spending that much and only having 10gb vram knowing how much of a hog MSFS is, but that was before SU5 where they now restrict the vram usage to like 7gb and even on ultra it is like 8-9gb. Sure the 24gb of the 3090 is way too much but unless you can get a 3080ti you would have to go AMD to get their cards with like 12-16gb. I also like the intel choice as it appears to have less problems to deal with in vr as compared to AMD, but that is temporary I suppose as vr keeps evolving and getting better slowly on all platforms (amd, intel, WMR, steam, etc). I also like the unlocked processor so it can be mildly overclocked (I used the Dell factory OC and it was great). The non-K processors can’t be OC’d so maybe avoid those in case you ever want to try that out. Happy to try to help more too as you decide what to do amidst the crazy markets for pc parts. Oh, and a 3080/3090 for sure will work better than a 3070 if you plan to or want to run VR in MSFS which is so demanding and not well optimized yet, so I think that’s a worthwhile thing to invest in.
I had to replace my laptop (Acer Predator). No way was I touching HP, Alienware/Dell. Researched the other suppliers and settled on Ironside. Their responsiveness is great, both before and after sale. They sell ‘pre-configured’, but can modify them where possible or will build to your specs. If your specs are incompatible, they’ll tell you. I ordered a simple system; water cooled Intel I7-10700K, Asus Prime Z590-P MOBO, GeForce RTX-3070, 32 RAM. It didn’t come with Thunderbolt, but that was my fault. I forgot to specify. You can go online and configure to get an idea of the cost. My machine runs beautifully, 3 32" monitors, 1 15" touchscreen. Everything on Ultra. MSFS is very smooth. I am happy.
I’m sure Ironside is fantastic, but they are extremely expensive. They are charging lower level scalper prices for getting anything higher than a RTX 3080. I can get an RTX 3090 Alienware or HP for what they want for a RTX 3080 system.
Now if an RTX 3080 Ironside performs as good as an RTX 3090 from Alienware/HP, then I’m interested. How is their support if you need something?
I’m willing to pay more and avoid HP and Dell.
My unit is new so I haven’t had any problems. I did ask them about my problem not having Thunderbolt. They responded the next day suggesting a bi-directional cable. I would still be using my laptop, it was running MSFS and all my equipment with no problems. It gave a loud screech and the fan now runs fast and extremely loud, so decided to retire it from flight ops. It is similar to your machine, 1060 GPU. If your machine is working OK, just hang on and wait a year or so, see what develops on the hardware front.
I bought an Alienware R11 a while back to get the rtx3090 at closer to MSRP prices…it ran well enough but all of the other parts were mediocre at best. Cooling was a challenge and there was no room inside the case for adding any cooling. Proprietary parts were the MOBO, PSU, cooler, etc. I ended up getting a new high airflow case, MOBO, PSU and moving the existing GPU, CPU and RAM over to the new build and it runs waaay cooler. R11 was running the CPU at 80-82C and GPU at 80C in MSFS using VR with fans at 100% and noisy. Now I am running CPU temps at <45C and GPU at <68C even with overclocking. So, I am glad I bought the Dell for the GPU and CPU availability but to get the same thermals and upgrade path I ended up putting more money into the swap and at the end of the day probably paid close to what it would have cost to go with another builder like Origin or NZXT (here in the US). But the upside is that I learned how to build a PC from scratch and that was a good skill to now have. I also think pricing for GPUs seems to really vary by country with some places a bit closer to MSRP by the middleman builder companies and others are way scalped with $500-$1000 overcharging to MSRP. Crazy and an awful time to be in need of a new PC.
I’m in the US. Dell/Alienware and HP seem to have best pricing on near MSRP GPUs. If I go Alienware, will definitely get liquid cooled CPU. The boutique builders look nice, but they are like $1000-2000 more expensive for the 3080 & higher GPUs and have to ship the system back far vs. in-home support (Dell) or taking to a local service center (HP).
How do you find the Ironside PC? Can get a i9/3080 close enough to Alienware MSRP that I’ll be OK with it if Ironside has decent support. Just their higher GPU options are ridiculously priced. Is a well cooled 11th gen i9/3080 combo good enough for the sim? How will maxed/full Ultra settings behave for either 1440p or 4K with that combo?
So far I’m happy with my Ironside PC. My system is running very well. I have everything on Ultra. The fans are dead silent. Had to open the case to see if they were running. FS runs very smooth. No idea about FPS, don’t care as long as it looks good to me. I’m running 3 32" at 2560x1440 with no problems, I also ran them easily with the laptop. If you’re going with I9/3080, you should have no trouble, barring any Gremlins (always possible). Don’t know anything about 4K. I do wonder that most of the people having problems with FS claim to have top gear such as 3090s. One reason I didn’t want to go that high. As a former programmer, I subscribe to the idea that you should get the most computer power you can afford, but not just for gaming. I know you’re concerned about having to ship for repair, But I always have looked at that as remote; only had to do it once in over 40 years. At any rate, they are in Texas, so I don’t think it’s a big deal if you’re in the States.
Good Fortune however you choose.
Thanks. I may give it a try. Did you go with the extra fan option? I think they offer up to 6 extra fans, but have no idea where they’ll put them. Did you talk to someone before placing the order? I think the thunderbolt is handled through the Motherboard. Unfortunately the specific motherboard I was interested is not in stock. I like that they’re still offering Windows 10. Alienware/HP/Lenovo switched to Windows 11. I suspect it may take a good bit of time to sort out performance/bios options for Windows 11 new builds. I would not touch a new Windows 11 prebuild for months.
Didn’t go for the extra fans. It runs pretty cool with the glass sides and almost completely open back. I have it on a side desk so there’s plenty of open air. It was under my desk but the concentrated heat was cooking my legs. Yes, I did talk on the phone first. I don’t like the ‘online chat’. The agent gave a code to use for 5%, not much, but a good marketing touch. I then placed the order online, after thinking it over a few days. Asus has a Thunderbolt 4 card that plugs into the motherboard, but I decided to go with the cheaper bi-directional cable for now. If I need the Displayport later I can go for the card. Don’t want to tinker with it while it’s this new. I believe I read something on their site about providing Win 11 when released, but not sure. You can ask.