Returning to Flight Sim after 4 years and need GPU suggestions

User Support Hub Hardware & Peripherals
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Hi Guys,

Newbie here and I did a lot of flight sim thru covid years. Have a 9600K with a 3080ti with 32gb RAM and was using a 2K 3 monitor setup. Was flying on X-Plane 11 and want give MSFS 2024 a shot.

Now planning 4k, so getting the 9800x3d, 64gb RAM but undecided about the GPU. Choices are

4070 ti Super
5070 ti
9070XT
7900xtx

All are within my budget where I live.

Would really appreciate suggestions.

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New PC pilot here coming from 1,000 hours in Xbox Series X, so I had been shopping around for a configuration to achieve modest 4k. What I found shopping around was that there were next to no prior generation GPU cards (or built gaming computers) available that would fill the bill. Went with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, 64GB, and when ONE 5070 Ti appeared in a nearby store, I bought it. Works great in both 2020 and 24 in 4k, so no buyers remorse and I’m very happy with it.

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Thanks. What fps do you get in 4k?

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No idea. Coming from Xbox, I’m not chasing FPS as a number. That said, everything runs smooth, no stuttering, pauses or slide shows. When hand flying the aircraft is responsive. Of course some of this may change now that DLC is coming on-line to challenge 24, especially since most if not all DLC is still from 2020 and not yet fully compatible with what’s new in 24.

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Depends on your preference.

Do you fly for scenery or FPS?

If scenery, the the more VRAM you have, the better the scenery.
I have a RX 7900 XTX with 24 GB and it is great in FS2024.

If FPS, then DLSS is what you want. Go for a Nvidia GPU.

The 9070XT is getting some good reviews.

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Thanks, but isn’t fps important for smoothness too?

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No, not at all.

High FPS matters in you are in a gunfight and quick response is required to beat the other players at the draw and gun them down before they get you.
To see them first and react.

The plane’s scenery move very slowly.
FPS for me in FS2020/2024 is okay at 20 FPS or higher.
Others require higher but 30 or more seems okay for most.

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Thanks, but isn’t fps important for smoothness too?

Not at all,

As already mentioned, you want to achieve smoothness first, FPS second. You can have low FPS, but as long as it’s smooth.

You’ll see posts on here “I have 120FPS but stutters every 2 seconds” etc… I’d rather have 60FPS and butter smooth.

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What they said. The PC is outputting to a 64" Samsung Q80 which is limited to 60Hz, so my maximum FPS is 60. My minimum FPS is set to 30. So far, the flight experience in-between 30 and 60 has been satisfactorily smooth with the desired levels of detail rendered. Pilot life is good!

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Thanks guys, but being the duffer in the room a couple more questions.

  1. Today at ultra settings I was getting only 15fps even though it was smooth but gpu AND cpu usage was always 35-45 percent. If neither are the bottleneck, why didn’t the fps increase? Its a 9600k, 3080ti and 32gb RAM. Temps were also normal.

My thoughts are that the CPU is the bottleneck as only one core is being used to its fullest, but overall that will show a CPU usage of 20-30 percent? Does this even make sense?

  1. Just curious as to why/how stuttering happens if fps is high?
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The CPU usage is an average of all cores.

9600K ? That’s a pretty old CPU.

Question3 - I don’t know the answer.

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With the amount of vram 2024 uses I really can’t recommend the 9070XT.

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7900XTX without any doubt i have it and love it so much

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Yes, I really like my 7900 XTX.

Mine is the Sapphire Nitro + Vapor-X. (Amazon)
It died about 4 weeks ago.
Amazon said to report it to Sapphire.
Sapphire sent me an RMA.
Returned it with a new RX 7900 XTX after around 10 days.

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