My son would like a Desktop PC system for xmas … found a great deatl on PC with RTX3070 intel i7-12700 32MB Ram 3600 and 2TB NVME
is this enough for FS (no other games)
That should perform very well if using either a FHD (1080P) or 2K (1440P) monitor. My system is similar and reasonably well balanced for MSFS, since it is heavily reliant on CPU performance rather than GPU.
It would provide you with good frame rates at mostly Ultra settings, given a bit of time and attention paid to it. If locked at 30FPS or thereabouts it will be nice and smooth with lots of detail, and should avoid the dreaded stutters too. 2TB of storage is more than enough for most people, and you can always expand that by adding drives in the future if you wish.
If you wanted to use 4K or multiple monitors, or if you want to drive a VR headset really well, then a higher spec GPU like a 3080 ti would probably be more suitable.
Also, don’t forget peripherals - a decent yoke or joystick plus throttles and maybe also rudder pedals make a big difference to the immersion and controllability - trying to fly with a keyboard and mouse is very difficult and frustrating! Good luck, and have fun with whatever you choose!
2 Likes
I’d agree with @MagicQuasar1176 's statement. Depending on the age of your son, and his experience with flightsims, you might want to consider just buying a joystick for now. Most come with a throttle lever of some sort. Controlling an airplane realistically (i.e. with no in-game “helpers”) with yoke & rudders takes time, and for young children can lead to frequent crashes & frustration, resulting in them abandoning the game as too difficult to play. If your son is new to flightsimming, I’d suggest an inexpensive joystick with throttle & twist-rudder control (maybe a good xmas gift from an aunt or uncle?). If he is still flying by the time his next birthday arrives, a yoke & rudder combo would make a great gift…
Hope this helps,
Jon
2 Likes