9900K here @5ghz, Z390 mobo 32 Gb of 3200mhz corsair memory running MSFS 4k on pretty much ultra. Went from a Aorus 2080ti extreme, to an EVGA 3080ti FTW3. Saw zero difference in performance- on msfs anyway…
That’s not to say bad performance. I’ve had a stable sim since launch, with none of the horror stories others have endured with forced reinstalls and CTD’s. With an unlocked framerate at ultra flying the FBW exp, I average about 25-35fps on the ground at EDDF or EGLL, and 45-55fps at flight level 300 or above. When I’m not testing for performance though, I lock the framerate at 30fps and buttery smooth all around, with the occasional drop to ~25fps on the ground depending on the airport. And of course the momentary stutters on final approaches to large airports.
That has not changed with the 3080ti…
As a seasoned simmer since fs 98 and all MS/P3D sims in between, as well as four versions of x plane. I can tell you with the MSFS franchise since FSX, this was always the case. Video card upgrades give you little or no returns. Find the best CPU with the highest single core clock that you can afford, in order to gain FPS stability. Aim for a locked 30FPS, and THEN start tuning your graphics options to KEEP it there.
That is just as true today as it was with FSX. There is no magic bullet that will get you to a steady 60fps As wonderful as MSFS 2020 can look, let’s not kid ourselves. At it’s core it is FSX code and file structure, albeit with modern bells and whistles. But IMHO as such, still suffers from not being able to leverage multiple CPU cores effectively. There is always one CPU core getting hit the hardest today, as it was in the FSX days.
I would not harp on Asobo for this. Asobo is a very capable studio. The fact that they have come this far with MS legacy code is a miracle in itself. And I am enjoying MSFS 2020 immensely today! But we have to be realistic with our performance expectations, and remind ourselves not to chase the magical FPS dragon by throwing $$$ at our hardware and hoping for the best.
So why the 3080ti then? Well I’m not exclusive to MSFS when it comes to gaming, and I’ve seen performance increases in other titles vs the 2080ti, especially with raytracing. The 2080ti has been given a second life on another pc in the living room.
So in general:
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Unless your GPU is a potato by today’s standards, (below GTX 980) Don’t expect much by upgrading. YMMV. A 2080ti or even a 1080ti is adequate. TODAY.
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A CPU with the best out- of box single core clock.
Also not mentioned before:
3) DDR 4 memory with the lowest CAS latencies you can find. 3200mhz is the sweet spot as you can find it with decent timings. Don’t waste your money on DDR5, unless your board already has support for it, in which you have no choice. Even then, don’t go for the highest speed, go for the lowest CAS latency, for the highest speed you can afford. Prices increase for a given ram speed, when the timings become tighter.
4)Optimize windows for MSFS (tons of tutorials on youtube specifically for MS)
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Install MSFS in a custom folder location and NOT the default folders that MS pushes you to install on. Preferably a separate drive.
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Tune Graphics options for MSFS based on a locked 30FPS and frame time stability as close as you can while maintaining a 1:1 render scale. (Render scale 100) Less than 100 may perform better, but introduces more aliasing artifacts. Tune elsewhere in the graphics options. No need to run LOD higher than 200 for example.
The sim will get better over time. Asobo are working on it, and they have a 10 year commitment to the title. Ample time for the sim to get rewritten entirely it that is their plan.
