Would appreciate some help planning a PC upgrade for MSFS in VR

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I’ve been playing FS2020 for 4 years now, with a Reverb G2 on a system I bought specifically for it, although I’ve upgraded the processor and SSD a couple of year ago. Later this year, or early next year, I’ll have funds to move to an entire new PC as major upgrades will require a new motherboard, ram etc. I’d been holding off to see what the 50 series graphics cards might bring but the current suggestion is not much over a 4090, which I’m considering buying in the near future.

At some point I know I’m going to need to upgrade from the G2 but that’s a completely different topic for now.

I know very little about PC hardware, having been exclusively a Mac user for over 30 years and buying the current gaming rig was my first ever PC, bought as a complete system, though I upgraded the processor to the current 5800x3d a couple of years ago.

I’d appreciate any advice on whether there are any major hardware updates expected to be coming in the next year or so or whether to start looking into building a new system now.

This is what I currently have:

ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming 4 motherboard

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D 8-core 16 Truead 3.4ghz L1cache 512KB L2 cache 4MB L3 cache 96MB

32Gb RAM Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3000Mhz

Geforce RTX3080

WD Black SN850X 2TB SSD M.2 2280 NVME PCI-E Gen4 Solid State Drive with Heatsink (WDS200T2XHE) (upgraded to this when I ran out of space)

Corsair RM1000x SHIFT Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (upgraded to this when the old PSU failed, hoping it’ll have enough power for future GPU upgrades)

All in a full size tower case.

HP Reverb G2

Windows 10

Given that I can’t currently upgrade the processor to a 98003dx because of the socket, the obvious upgrade would be to a 4090 GPU which would be a simple swap out and just requires buying one, although the prices are crazy for second hand ones currently.

From what I have read, it sounds like a 9800x3d would be an ideal processor upgrade but for that I’d need a new motherboard with AM5 socket and new fast memory to go with it. I’ve no idea how you even go about choosing a new motherboard to be honest. Would a new motherboard fit in the same case? If so then that upgrade just comes as a motherboard, processor and RAM. Something I could update when funds are available and concentrate on getting a 4090 first as that can be moved to a new motherboard when I can afford that.

Is water-cooling a requirement in this day and age with a processor like that and a 4090 GPU and do you need a case designed for it?

Thanks very much.

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Thanks for all the detailed info. It makes recommendation much easier!

  • Motherboard:

Your current motherboard is an ATX form factor. The only motherboards that are larger are EATX form factors. You need to check the specs of your case, but as a ‘full tower’ it’s likely that it can accept EATX motherboards. But make sure before you buy an EATX motherboard (which are rare these days.)

Your current motherboard is a decent design, but it has a fairly weak 10-phase VRM (Voltage Regulation Module) design. I think VRM is one of the most important aspects when choosing a new motherboard. My AORUS X670 Pro X has a 16+2+2 design, which is not ‘high end’ but it’s very good, and helps contribute to overall stability as load increases.

There are three main AM5 motherboard chipsets that are appropriate for 7xxx and 9xxx CPU’s. They are: X870, X670, B650 (and X870E, X670E.) The feature sets are more comprehensive in the X870E, less so in the non-E version, X670E, and even less in the B650. I bought an X670E (Gigabyte X670E AORUS Pro X because it has a good feature set without being outrageously expensive (some X870 boards can cost up to $1000, and frankly, I don’t need the extra features they offer.)

For a more budget build the B650 boards can be just fine. I think X670E is the sweet spot. Here’s a video that can help you decide which one to purchase. There are other videos like it for X870E and B650 boards.

  • RAM:

DDR5-6000/CL30 is considered the ‘sweet spot’ for AM5 CPU’s. The reason is that the memory controller timings are negatively affected when you exceed DDR5-6400, and even 6400 can present some configuration challenges.

There are users here who have successfully configured DDR-8000 RAM, but that takes work, and it’s always a risk that you may end up with an unstable system if you don’t know what you’re doing. I went with DDR5-6400/CL32, and it was a painless install and my system has been very stable, with only a few tweaks. If you want the easiest and most reliable setup, get 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5-6000/CL30 RAM.

  • Cooling

I started my journey 3+ years ago and decided to build a liquid-cooled system. At the time, my 5800XD was liquid-cooled, and my 3090 Ti was air-cooled. I soon found that the GPU was pumping a LOT of heat into my case, and even though I have a large case with lots of fans, I felt like a change was needed when I built my AM5 system last October.

I bought a water block for my GPU, and the system runs very nicely. The 9800X3D will run just fine on a quality air cooler. Your tower case should be plenty big enough (but you want to measure twice to be sure when deciding which cooler to get.) But of course an AIO CPU liquid cooler on a 360mm radiator would be a great choice as well.

The problem with liquid-cooling a GPU is cost and complexity. They make very few AIO (All In One) cooled GPU’s (I don’t know if anyone even makes a 4090 AIO model) so you’ll have to invest in a water block and a custom loop (reservoir, pump tubing, fittings, radiator) and that can drive the cost up. To me it was worth it. In fact, it was kind of fun!

Modern 3-fan 4090’s will stay cool in their stock configuration, but that heat has to go somewhere - which is inside the case. Make sure you have plenty of fans in that case. If you don’t, you may want to invest in a new one. I’m very happy with my Corsair 5000X RGB. The 5000D Airflow is excellent as well. I’ve only had one complaint, and that’s when one of the ‘tempered’ glass side panels shattered as I was handling it. Corsair admitted that they’d had a defective lot of glass panels, and sent me a new one. Cleanup was a pain, but stuff happens, right?

  • One last thing:

When I built my new system I installed a clean copy of Windows 11 Pro. I was a bit unsure about following the instructions in this video, but so far, having a debloated Windows install has been a great decision.

Best of luck. We have lots of knowledgeable folks here who are happy to help guide you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help as you continue your journey from AM4 to AM5.

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I think most would agree that the best gaming CPU right now is the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, as it offers excellent performance in demanding titles.

When it comes to CPU cooling, I can highly recommend AIO Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360. It’s a great AIO cooler with an offset design specifically for new Ryzen CPUs, including Ryzen 7 9800X3D mentioned earlier.
It offers excellent cooling performance and reliability for high-performance setups like this one.

As for the motherboard, you can opt for a solid one with an X870E chipset. A good example would be the MSI MPG X870E Carbon WIFI or Tomahawk WIFI. I personally have the MSI MPG X870E Carbon WIFI, and I can highly recommend it – great stability and functionality.

When it comes to GPU I recommend choosing a Gigabyte model due to its high-quality coils, which do not produce coil whine like those of other manufacturers.
I had the chance to test RTX 4090 GPU from MSI and Gigabyte. 3 MSI cards had loud coil whine which was very annoying.
RTX 4090 Gaming OC from Gigabyte didn’t have any issues with coil whine. Currently, the king of gaming graphics cards is the RTX 4090. However, it will soon lose its crown to the upcoming RTX 5090, which will be the recommended choice. In any case, I personally have the RTX 4090 Gaming OC from Gigabyte and highly recommend it.
It’s a great card and it comes with an anti-sag bracket which is really important because RTX 4090 Gaming OC is heavy.

When it comes to RAM it should be selected based on compatibility with the motherboard and CPU. Currently, DDR5 memory and motherboards supporting DDR5 are the standard. Memory modules are also divided into two categories: those dedicated for Intel with XMP profiles (XMP compatible) and those specifically for AMD with EXPO profiles (EXPO compatible).

There are also universal memory kits that support both XMP and EXPO profiles, with Corsair being an example of a manufacturer that produces these. On the other hand, companies like G.Skill produce memory specifically tailored for either Intel or AMD.
Of course there are exceptions. Some G.Skill memory modules are compatible with both XMP and EXPO profiles.
It’s worth mentioning that there is another classification of memory modules. For example, G.Skill produces A-die and M-die memory modules. The key difference between them is that A-die memory typically allows for better tweaking and overclocking compared to M-die.
This detail is crucial because certain timing values won’t work with M-die while they should be fine with A-die.
Currently, it’s recommended to go with 2x32GB of RAM - 6000 CL30 or 6400 CL32.

PC case - I recommend a large case that won’t limit the possibility of installing a bigger graphics card now and in the future.
Be Quiet Silent Base 802 - the case offers excellent airflow and plenty of space making it ideal for high-performance components.
Additionally, when it comes to cleaning your PC components everything is easily accessible which makes maintenance a breeze.

As for the power supply, think long-term. My gaming PC is powered by MSI PSU and I also recommend that PSU - MSI MEG Ai1300P.

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All great suggestions from TenPatrol, as usual.

I neglected to mention the PSU. He’s right about the importance of a high-quality PSU with sufficient wattage.

I bought a Seasonic Vertex GX-1200, but the MSI model he listed would be an excellent choice. The main things are enough wattage, and ATX 3.0 compatibility. Also, I much prefer a single-rail design, as opposed to a dual-rail design. Both the Seasonic and MSI are single-rail.

Don’t make too much of Gold, Platinum, Titanium…those represent efficiency levels. A high-quality Gold is better than a low-quality Platinum. The MSI is a Platinum model, but it’s very high quality, and is ATX 3.1 capable. Probably a better (though much pricier) option than mine with an X870E motherboard.

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I don’t know how much longer you would want to stick with Windows 10, but you would have a hard time keeping the G2 if you go windows 11.

As for the boards I usually pick the high-end chipset, at least for bragging rights :), and then find the board that fits the budget. Usually something between the $300 to $500 range. I’ve been eyeing X870E boards.

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I just finished a journey similar to the one you are beginning.

I’m very happy with where I ended up – my wallet may beg to differ though :thinking:

If you like to read a lot, it’s all in a thread titled “Hardware: do brands matter?”

Or just skip that and see what I built below (spoiler alert: it’s almost identical to what TenPatrol suggested above):

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D 4.7 GHz 8-Core Processor Part# 100-100001084WOF

CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 360 56.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler Part# ACFRE00136A

Motherboard: MSI MPG X870E CARBON WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard Part# 911-7E49-08S (also 7E49-001R)

Memory: G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Part# F5-6000J3040G32GX2-TZ5N

Storage: Samsung 990 Pro 4 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive Part# MZ-V9P4T0B/AM

Video Card: Gigabyte GAMING OC GeForce RTX 4090 24 GB Video Card Part# GV-N4090GAMING OC-24GD

Case: be quiet! Silent Base 802 ATX Mid Tower Case Part# BG039

Power Supply: be quiet! Dark Power Pro 13 1600 W 80+ Titanium Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply Part# BN332

Operating system: Windows 11 Pro

Thermal paste: Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut

EDIT: like you, my upgrade was born of necessity (HP Reverb G2 and old"ish" computer).

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Did I help you pick your PC parts in another thread? Cause your gaming rig looks almost exactly like the one I built at home… Are we long-lost twins or what? :rofl:

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Twins? Us? Ah, not if you look anything like your profile picture.
You might want to ask Matthew McConaughey that question though :wink:

And yes, except for the power supply and one less fan (I just have the two included ones on the front) our rigs are identical. I researched all the advice people gave me in my other thread and that build was the result.

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Robert Kubica Google Search :innocent:

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So triplets then? Robert Kubica, Matthew McConaughey, and TenPatrol :rofl:

… I’ll let myself out now.

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Thank you everyone for such kind and detailed replies, that’s really given me quite a lot to consider. Mostly, I’m now thinking that a slow upgrade of parts isn’t the best option and I’m most likely to build a complete new system and then sell the old one to recoup a little of the cost.

Given that that 4090’s are so expensive currently, I’m probably going to just go for a 5090 with the new system and be done for another 5 years which is what the current system will have lasted. It’s still a solid setup for someone that doesn’t want the latest high performance for something like flight simming.

It also means I can take some time to build and test it while still having my current system running. I think that the gpu’s probably won’t be in full supply for a few months yet so that gives me a sort of window to aim for and save up some pennies.

A quick look suggests the system will cost around £4k plus a new VR system and that’s another discussion to start looking in to but given a few months that hopefully will become a little clearer.

One thing I do also need to look into is whether to go with a Founders Edition card or what the various other manufacturers offer and whether they’re worth the extra cost. I won’t be overclocking anything, I leave everything pretty stock for reliability and because I don’t know enough to mess around with such thing.

Thanks again, I really appreciate the time taken to help inform my decisions.

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I have a bit different take on building a system but it’s because of power usage. I live in a completely off-grid solar house and, while I have enough panels and batteries here in sunny Spain to keep the electricity flowing pretty much year round (I would probably get nailed by a week of full clouds), one of my biggest power draws is my PC when gaming or simming. Of course toasters and air fryers use a lot more but they don’t run for very long where the computer is on all day.

My old system was built around a 3060ti graphics card and it would show 500-600w of usage playing games or flight sim. When it came time to upgrade, the obvious choice would have been a 4090 with a processor to match it but I knew that my power usage would soar so, when I investigated, it turned out the 4060ti 16GB card used far less power than the 3060ti. I opted for a 5700X3D processor. I also bought a Quest 3 headset. My monitors are 1080p so no need for a more intense system.

The good news is that system seems to handle VR well in 2024 and I get the additional feel good glow of knowing the power is all free and I’m doing my part for the planet. If I ever add more panels and batteries, I might just upgrade but I’m running out of roof space. I wonder how much global power usage went up after the release of MSFS 2024 and everyone upgrading. lol

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Just a little update as I ordered a new system yesterday. It’s a complete build and the YouTuber VR Flight Sim Guy had a £300 discount code for it and, given that you can’t get a 5090 for love nor (sensible) money these days, I pushed the button on it.

Now I need to order my Big Screen Beyond V2 as my current Reverb G2 needs replacing to work for the next few years. My last system lasted me 5 years and I hope this one will be similarly long lived.

Thanks again for all the help.

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How have you been getting on with that new system in VR? (Currently mulling the same system from Stormforce) @SafetyThird65

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Hi, the system has been fabulous so far. It came really well packed and ready to go. I’ve added an additional drive with win 10 because I’m using a Reverb G2 until the various new headsets have all been released in the coming months.

The performance is staggering, I’m getting 90fps in 2020 out in the countryside and about 70 over central London, about 10-15pfs less in 2025. I’ve not been on much lately due to some home stuff but planning to get back to it soon and need to do a bit of fine tuning still.

I can’t imagine anything beating it for performance and it’s a great price. Check to see if the discount from Steve (vrflightsimguy is still working, that gave me £300 off the retail.

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