Delta Virtual Airlines Water Cooler - Computer specs

Delta Virtual Airlines Water Cooler | PC Support | Computer specs - Better GPU, or better CPU?

DVA7899
Captain, B737-800

Joined on October 29 2009
Online Double Century Club
Long Beach Century Club
Triple Century Club
DVA Ten-Year Anniversary

"PMDG or go home :)"
Springfield, MO USA

304 legs, 743.8 hours
283 legs, 682.2 hours online
303 legs, 740.0 hours ACARS
30 legs, 47.9 hours event

Posted onPost created on December 31 2009 13:06 ET by Skylar Macminn

Ok well I am building a computer with a budget ($2000 USD) and have ran across something I cannot decide!

Do I go with a bigger CPU, or the better GPU?

Better GPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143167 - GeForce GTX 295 1792MB 896 (448 x 2)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202 - Intel Core i7-920 Bloomfield 2.66GHz

Better CPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130480&cm_re=GTX_285-_-14-130-480-_-Product - GTX 285 1GB 512-bit DDR3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115201 - Intel Core i7 940 Nehalem 2.93GHz

These would both be in my budget. I am planning to run specifically FSX.

The other specs on the machine will be a 1TB HDD, 6GB DDR3 RAM, and (already purchased) TWOx22 inch (1650x1080) widescreen monitors. I plan to run the second monitor (Internet, etc while flying) off of a GTS250 that I also currently have.

So, do I go better GPU, or better CPU for FSX? Sadly, I cannot get both the better CPU and GPU, as it puts me 112.79 over budget frown

DVA4295
Captain, B767-300

Joined on April 05 2007
Online Century Club
Double Century Club

Stratford, CT USA

212 legs, 397.9 hours
194 legs, 368.4 hours online
190 legs, 356.7 hours ACARS
3 legs, 6.7 hours event
19 legs dispatched, 10.0 hours

Posted onPost created on December 31 2009 13:16 ET by John Alusik

FSX is very CPU reliant especially when using payware software like a PMDG and REX. My preference would be to switch to AMD, get a 3.4 ghz quad-core for under $200 and get a new ATI 5870 at around $400. But if you are set on intel/nvidia I would go with the faster CPU.

the AMD CPU is the 125W Phenom II 965: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103727
ATI 5870: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010380048%20106793261%201067949754&name=Radeon%20HD%205870

John Alusik

Captain, B767-300

Posted onPost created on December 31 2009 13:18 ET by Skylar Macminn

More or less set on intel

I did notice that the core clock is actually higher on the 285? And I remember reading somewhere that FSX cannot read off of two graphics in SLI, so would that apply to the fact that the 295 has two cores? So essentially FSX would only read off of one core, nullifying the whole point behind spending more on that card?

Skylar Macminn (DVA7899)

DVA1933
Senior Captain, B727-200

Joined on September 19 2004
Triple Century Club

Monterrey, NL Mexico

357 legs, 860.4 hours
72 legs, 132.3 hours online
255 legs, 668.3 hours ACARS
1 legs, 1.9 hours event

Posted onPost created on December 31 2009 13:20 ET by David Eugenio Gomez

I would go with better CPU and the GTX285, since that card is already powerful enough, and FSX depends a lot on CPU.

David Eugenio Gomez (DVA1933)

Posted onPost created on December 31 2009 13:27 ET by Skylar Macminn

Better CPU it is smile

Puts my total to just barely over my budget (after shipping) -- but I think I can manage the $11

Thanks guys

Skylar Macminn (DVA7899)

DVA7956
Captain, A320
OLP

Joined on November 05 2009
50 State Club
Event Half Century Club
Online Double Century Club
Everett 250 Club
Quatercentenary Club
DVA Ten-Year Anniversary

"Swing on a star"
Manassas, VA USA

478 legs, 905.6 hours
259 legs, 494.7 hours online
473 legs, 893.0 hours ACARS
70 legs, 123.9 hours event

Posted onPost created on December 31 2009 14:15 ET by Scott Bradley

Skylar - I have no doubt I could "build" a computer. Problem is I don't know what to buy and I am lazy about getting smart on all this,but you sound very smart and getting smarter. If you listed all the parts you finally decide on, I'd love to sponge off your knowldege. I suspect that I can't buy an off the shelf system (perhaps at any price) that will compare to what you are doing. And $2000 sounds good to me.

Scott Bradley

Captain, A320

Posted onPost created on December 31 2009 14:23 ET by Skylar Macminn

Pretty much I'm building my computer via newegg, and having a family-friend put the parts all together. I'd rather someone who does it for a living put it all in the case, as I'd fear I'd break something!

Toss me your email and I'll email you my current newegg cart for you to mull over. I did an initial build, and then modified a few things as per suggestion of my friend. The only real deviation is the casing (spacing issues), the CPU fan, and a slightly more-expensive, but higher quality RAM (the 2000 over the 1600 for OC purposes).

Edit: sent you the cart via the email you have with DVA.

Now, after shipping, the total cost is $2011 -- just under $2000 after a $20 mail in rebate on the ram.

If you plan to buy a new computer, please find someone who can help you assemble it and DO NOT order with a name brand computer company like Dell. They overprice FAR too much for a simple name on the casing! (Not to mention you cannot OC the CPU if you go with Dell)

Skylar Macminn (DVA7899)

Posted onPost created on December 31 2009 15:41 ET by Scott Bradley

Thanks Skylar. Got your e-mail. I have a long time friend who's son, I'm pretty sure, will do it for pizza and beer. We'll make a night of it.

Scott Bradley

Captain, A320

Posted onPost created on December 31 2009 15:46 ET by Skylar Macminn

Scott Bradley wrote:

Thanks Skylar. Got your e-mail. I have a long time friend who's son, I'm pretty sure, will do it for pizza and beer. We'll make a night of it.

Just actually spoke to my tech friend. The cost for the 10-15% increase in performance of the Ghz isn't worth it -- as the transfer rates remain unchanged.

Go with the GTX 295 from BFG (519.99) and the i7 920. The 940 is good, but the increase isn't large enough to warrant the 200-300 increase in price.

Skylar Macminn (DVA7899)

Posted onPost created on December 31 2009 16:12 ET by Scott Bradley

I'll put this out there as a possible "bad" rumor. I read somewhere that FSX does better on a dual processor than on a quad processor. I don't even know what that means. Does this resonate with anyone?

Scott Bradley

Captain, A320

Posted onPost created on December 31 2009 16:21 ET by Skylar Macminn

in regards to computer performance, I don't see how it would. It may be that FSX defaults only two processors -- but I believe you can manually modify the FSX.CFG to read all 4 cores.

Skylar Macminn (DVA7899)

DVA7373
Captain, B757-200
OLP

Joined on May 31 2009

"Howdy"
Southeastern United States

72 legs, 187.6 hours
32 legs, 85.4 hours online
67 legs, 153.2 hours ACARS
2 legs, 3.1 hours event

Posted onPost created on December 31 2009 17:37 ET by Nicholas Taylor

Scott Bradley wrote:

I'll put this out there as a possible "bad" rumor. I read somewhere that FSX does better on a dual processor than on a quad processor. I don't even know what that means. Does this resonate with anyone?

That is a horrible rumour! FSX can run up to 256 processor cores, people just say it's better on a dual core because the stock speeds of a dual core are much higher than the stock quads.

Skylar Macminn wrote:

Go with the GTX 295 from BFG (519.99).

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FSX CAN NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AN SLI CARD. If you want to spend that kind of money on a graphics card, get the GTX 285 2GB version for $409.99! It will make your performance much better. Also, the i7 920 is the best i7 out to get for many reasons. It's cheap compared to the others, and it's very widely known how to overclock to and beyond 4GHz.

Nicholas Taylor

Captain, B757-200

Posted onPost created on December 31 2009 17:39 ET by Skylar Macminn

Ok that's what I was asking in regards to a graphics.

Now, the 295 is two cores -- is that technically SLI? Or FSX just simply cannot run on two cores GPU wise.

Skylar Macminn (DVA7899)

Posted onPost created on December 31 2009 17:47 ET by Nicholas Taylor

Skylar Macminn wrote:

Ok that's what I was asking in regards to a graphics.

Now, the 295 is two cores -- is that technically SLI? Or FSX just simply cannot run on two cores GPU wise.

The 295 is basically two 275's in SLI put into a case with a fan and being sold for outrages amounts of money. FSX simply cannot recognize the second card/core (whatever you want to call it) when it comes to graphics. It's best to get the GTX 285 2GB, that is simply the best card for FSX right now.

Nicholas Taylor

Captain, B757-200

Posted onPost created on December 31 2009 17:51 ET by Skylar Macminn

alright, the 285 2gb it is.

Leaves me $150 playing room to get some more fancy addons, or just to hold onto the cash.

Skylar Macminn (DVA7899)

Posted onPost created on December 31 2009 17:56 ET by Nicholas Taylor

Skylar Macminn wrote:

alright, the 285 2gb it is.

Leaves me $150 playing room to get some more fancy addons, or just to hold onto the cash.

Yep! It also comes with a free life time guarantee if you get it from BFG.

Nicholas Taylor

Captain, B757-200

Posted onPost created on December 31 2009 17:59 ET by Skylar Macminn

lol my poor friend is going crazy. I keep changing things on him

That's too bad that fsx cannot read from a SLI setup.. oh well.

Skylar Macminn (DVA7899)

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