So, I’m about to switch from the XSX to PC. It’s not that I’m not happy with the Xbox, but the deeper I get into simming, the more I feel limited by it (no mods for example) and that is starting to annoy me, for lack of a better word. A feel of missing out, you know?
I’ve done a few builds in my days but not for a long time now, so I’m a bit rusty. I’m wondering if the 7800X3D / 7900 XTX combo will get me smooth 4k simming with a high level of detail (preferably as high as possible). Anything over 30 fps will be ok for me, although higher fps is of course always welcome.
I’ve set myself a budget of around 2500 EUR so this seems like the best setup I can get for the money (including 32 gb RAM, 1 tb SSD etc. of course).
CPU choice is perfect. You could alternatively check a build with 5800X3D and RTX4090. Might perform even better. Total price should be similar considering motherboards are much cheaper for prev generation and so is DDR4 RAM.
I’m doubtful about the 2500EUR though. The GPU alone is ~1300EUR. MB is ~400. CPU is ~600? Doesn’t add up. Where is the RAM, SSD, good CPU cooler, quality case etc. I think it’ll end up closer to 3500-4000 EUR.
With GA at smaller airfields this is a highly consistent FPS experience — even at TLOD 400.
With airliners at complex 3rd party airports, this will vary, but the “worst” would be 30 FPS. Generally, it is higher. It just varies greatly. FSLTL has a major impact on FPS, even after playing with its settings. I’ve been using the real-time online traffic lately, because of this.
I’m definitely happy with this setup and I’m hoping that 2024 will utilize this all much better for a more consistent 60 FPS experience. If I wasn’t using Tobii Eye Tracker, I’d probably be happy capping it at 30 FPS, but the smoothness of the higher frame rate makes a big difference with head/eye tracking.
Hmmm… @Bondjpf Were you referring to ram or to vram? In any case, I do concur that I’m usually around 16GB ram (not vram) when running the sim and Chrome on the second monitor with something like 20 tabs opened. Also have a 6800XT, it’s a brotherhood
There were so many Xbox-based annoyances that I hadn’t even realized were, well, annoyances.
The performance is, obviously, significantly better, but you have to discipline yourself to not obsess with tweaking (unless you’re into that more than flying, of course). There was a few days of getting things “just so” and trying different options, but now I don’t mess around with it.
Having access to everything available for the sim is a massive boon, too. This is probably the biggest bonus of the switch to PC. There is so much more to enjoy about the sim, as a result.
The 7900 XTX is great at 4k rendering, I’m very happy with mine, and it’s even got some GPU headroom much of the time which I expect it to “grow into” with visual effects etc in some weather conditions.
I’ve got the older 5800X3D CPU which means CPU-limited areas are a little slower than the 7800X3D will do… I mostly do VFR in GA planes though, which is less intense on the CPU than the complex avionics systems in some of the 'liners. The 7800X3D will definitely do better on those than what I got!
Definitely get 32 GB RAM and at least 1TB disk; I went with 2 TB so I’ve got tons of room for captures and add-ons. More than 32 GB RAM will make zero difference to MSFS (even 32 is only moderately better than 16, but it gives you so much headroom you’ll never run out unless you’re doing developer / virtual machine stuff or super-intense graphics editing)
I moved from series X to PC a couple of weeks back, after 18 months on xbox.
Best move ever! While the core sim looks similar everything else is hugely different such that it’s like a completely different activity now.
I love FSLTL it makes airports look real, rather than post zombie apocalypse. This difference is huge. I have FSLTL cranked up so that even large airports are quite full.
The navigraph apps and integration are superb.
I’ve got the Fenix A320 and Headwind A330 (that one is free) and I’ve hardly flown anything else.
I have graphics set to Ultra which looks better than the X ever did. I get some stuttering at times with the airliners at locations with heavy add-ons (eg. London, Sydney, with airports and Orbx scenery) and FSLTL activity, but they don’t last long, are nothing like as bad as the slideshow I used to get on the xbox, and currently counting zero CTD or black screens!
I’ve just gone for maximum graphics rather than maximum framerate. I have this on my 65" FHD TV and cap to 30Hz which is enough if you don’t have eye tracking, and capped is smoother than variable except for those few stutters, all of which are CPU limited so I would focus on CPU while we have MSFS 2020.
Mine is 7800X3D and a 12GB 3060, the GPU I picked up cheap second hand as ex-mining on ebay and saved a lot of money! I’ve often seen the VRAM with 10Gb allocated around cities so I’m glad I went higher than 8GB VRAM.
Total cost for me was exactly 4 times the RRP of a series X including a boxed version of windows and 64GB RAM (but 32 is enough if you want to save cash).
I have a 2TB SSD of which I’ve so far filled about 850GB so I would suggest 1TB SSD is not enough for MSFS 2020 but maybe that will change in 2024.
This is so true! PC users have such a better life than xbox, especially if flying airliners, but everything else is better too. Also so many xbox specific bugs, all gone!
Add-ons linker is a must, best to do that before you download lots of stuff as it will be easier. I use it for managing both community folder and marketplace addons now, it works really well and means I can turn anything on and off with an instant click before I start the sim. Start times are much longer with lots of addons so it helps with that.
I have Flight Control Replay so I can finally replay and review my landings, or you can use the free skydolly.
I have Volante for flight tracking, this is free. I just added GSX Pro for pushback and proper ground services.
On the xbox the rolling cache didn’t seem to do anything, and I mostly had it off. On PC it clearly works, reduces or eliminates stutter when panning, so turn it on. I had mine on SSD but moved it to ramdisk because I had lots of spare capacity there. I didn’t find it performed much differently between SSD and RAM.
@NixonRedgrave@RagingWombat839 All these small annoyances are exactly the main reason for switching to PC, in addition to missing out on all the great mods and add-ons.
As a small example (which might actually have pushed me over the edge): I wanted a mouse with more buttons than the standard three buttons. I got one and it works great, but now the keyboard won’t work most of the time. Both are wired but it does not matter which ports I plug them into, or if I use a hub. MSFS won’t recognize the keyboard even though it works fine in the OS. Sometimes it does work, but you never know when or why, and there is exactly nothing you can do about it.
After months of research end of last year, i wanted to have the 7900XTX to use for MSFS. Since back at that time the 4080 was already cheaper than the 7900XTX, i went along with it, together with a Ryzen 7600X, 32 GB Ram (6000Mhz). Could not be more happy with the results.
Just adding my two cents on this to reflect alternative option at same cost. Here is the part picker listing: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/26Ms6r (only difference with it is I went for a Fractal Design Compact white, and the GPU was actually from Gainward but at same costs).
And with the savings done, I could afford myself to get the Honeycomb Alpha and Bravo, as well as the Thrustmaster T-Flight pedals. The only thing I would have changed in all this setting is another set of pedals, because they don´t feel as much as I thought they would what I have in the real Cessna 172 I am flying with.
