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Posted

Hoping to start the research process on a new PC 2nd half of 2018 for IL2, DCS, X-Plane. Is now the time to build? Should I wait for the next round of cpus/video cards to come out? Are they due out pretty soon or no?

 

I've had my case for over 8 years now...what's new in case tech in that $100-$150 range? I'm seeing lots of fans with fancy LEDs. What are some good cases? Would love some red LEDs could look cool. My Antec 902 has lasted me forever and is still going strong so I've been out of the case game for a long time.

[CPT]Crunch
Posted

First your going to have to decide what internal options, for starters water cool or not.  It's not so easy to just pick any old case as it was a decade ago, has to match up with your components a bit better.  Lot's more unique hardware and component combinations out there.  Some whopper vid cards now days, they won't fit all cases.  Case might be the last part or near last to figure.

Posted

I will be doing a new build a little later on in the year. As I game only in VR I will be going with the best that I can get at that time, in both CPU and Video Card.

 

If I were buying today I would go 8700K  with closed loop water cooler like the Corsair H100i, 32 GB DDR4 ram, GTX 1080 Ti video card ( already have that now).

Full tower case ( just because that is my preference), lots of room for hoses and fans).

 

When the time does come for me later in the year, I will get whatever the best I can with my funds at that time. VR will swallow it all and want even more.

  • Upvote 2
Posted

Current top CPU coffee lake 8700k  is expected to heve refresh Q4 this year, with next generation late/mid 2019

 

Next generation Nvidia 11xx series expected this year as well 

 

Always a tricky one to say when to upgrade as there is always the "next new thing" around the corner and budget has big considerations, I would personally be looking at those two developments carefully before jumping right now

 

Cheers, Dakpilot 

Mitthrawnuruodo
Posted (edited)

For high performance in Il-2 VR, get the following:

 

  • i5-8600K or i7-8700K (performance in Il-2 is practically identical at the same clocks)
  • GTX 1070 or better
  • 16 GB high-performance 3200CL15 or better RAM (more won’t give any additional performance)
  • Strong cooler for OC (large air cooler will do nicely; only get an AIO water cooler if your particular build demands it)

 

I usually say that you shouldn’t wait for new hardware; it’s best to buy the best thing you can afford unless a huge release is very near. 

 

edit:

Make sure to buy a Z270 chipset motherboard that has comfortable overclocking features if buying a -K CPU.

Edited by Mitthrawnuruodo
  • Upvote 1
chiliwili69
Posted

I am quite aligned with Mitthrawnuruodo.

 

The decision/building process would be:

 

1) Choose CPU: in this case OC (or high freq) is a must for IL-2 VR. In this case i-5 8600K could be as good as i7-8700K, but with a bit less heat generation (this was reported by i5-8600K user with IL-2 VR). The new i7-8086K is also good since it guarantee 5.0GHz from factory. You also can consider to get one already delided from Silicon Lotery.

 

2) Decide CPU cooling: large air cooler or 240mm liquid AIO. The liquid could allow you to reach a bit higher freq. If you like lights and colors, the NZXT AIO liquid cooling produce a very nice rainbow colors (but this doesn´t help to cool better :biggrin: )

 

3) Choose Mobo. Here ATX size is a must for large CPU cooling (don´t take micro-ATX). Of course with OC capability and good Voltage Regulator Module heat dissipation and plenty of USB slots.

 

4) Take a 1070 or above. If new cards arrive, the second hand market for pascal GPUs is working very well.

 

5) 16Gb RAM at 3200 or better (IL-2 doesn´t need more than 8Gb, but I don´t know the RAM req for DCS or X-plane)

 

6) Hard drives: Samsung Evo SSD with 250GB or above for the most played games. Then an extra 1-2 TB HD just for store.

 

7)Power Supply Unit: 750W or above, but be sure to have 60 amps for the 12V output (just in case you upgrade GPU later)

 

? And lastly the case, with red LEDs!!: Choose a ATX case with with dedicated location for PSU (typically at bottom) and also space at least for 2 frontal fans and 1 rear fan (it is important to circulate air inside the case for the RAM and VRM). Also removable air filters for front, top and PSU, so it is easy to clean the accumulated dust. It is also nice to have a transparent side if you like to see lights and everything working. This is the one I took: http://megamatica.eu/store/gb/atx-cases/1135-atx-nox-zx-box.html

 

The good thing of a PC is that you can expand things as needed (better GPUs, extra cooling, extra fans, more LEDs!)

 

PD: According to Silicon Lotery at present day:

 

97% of the i5-8600K were able to reach 4.9GHz

88% of the i5-8600K were able to reach 5.0GHz

68% of the i5-8600K were able to reach 5.1GHz

36% of the i5-8600K were able to reach 5.2GHz

12% of the i5-8600K were able to reach 5.3GHz

 

99% of the i7-8700K were able to reach 4.9GHz

86% of the i7-8700K were able to reach 5.0GHz

50% of the i7-8700K were able to reach 5.1GHz

17% of the i7-8700K were able to reach 5.2GHz

3% of the i7-8700K were able to reach 5.3GHz

 

or the new CPU released recently

100% of the i7-8086K were able to reach 5.0GHz

92% of the i7-8086K were able to reach 5.1GHz

60% of the i7-8086K were able to reach 5.2GHz

14% of the i7-8086K were able to reach 5.3GHz

  • Thanks 1
Posted

Going from past build experiences, there's certain brands I'd like to stick with that I've had good luck with and good support from.

 

I'll probably be going Intel for cpu. Most likely i-5 8600k if I buy this gen. Always been an ASUS mobo person. Whatever has a ton of USB ports for all my throttles, sticks, USB 3.0 for VR stuff. I don't need wifi or anything too fancy on the mobo. Always done air cooling too I have a Noctua fan in my current PC and really like it.

 

1 stick of GSkill 16GB RAM to start...and get another stick down the road for 32GB.

 

PSU I've always gone Corsair. Think I have a 650w PSU new in box under my bed I want to use. Too small?

 

GPU I've always gone AMD. I'm just comfortable with the drivers, and all the settings, and the 3 screen support. Buuut if I want to go VR looks like Nvidia is the way to go so I might have to switch.

 

For a case yes washable filters, lots of big fans. Maybe some LEDs :)

Mitthrawnuruodo
Posted
1 hour ago, kestrel79 said:

1 stick of GSkill 16GB RAM to start...and get another stick down the road for 32GB.

 

Do not do this. Buy memory in pairs to use the dual-channel architecture. You will lose performance in certain situations with only one stick.

 

1 hour ago, kestrel79 said:

PSU I've always gone Corsair. Think I have a 650w PSU new in box under my bed I want to use. Too small?

 

That’s adequate as long as it’s a reputable model.

  • Upvote 1
Posted
48 minutes ago, Mitthrawnuruodo said:

 

Do not do this. Buy memory in pairs to use the dual-channel architecture. You will lose performance in certain situations with only one stick.

 

 

A big +1 to this. Buy matching pairs.  If 16GB is all you want, two 8GB sticks.

Posted

I'll splurge for 32 then. DCS or X Plane could probably use it.

 

Is Newegg still a good place to buy stuff from? Or is Amazon better now for PC stuff? Which has the best return policy? I've never had to RMA much but whatever has the easiest would be my choice.

 

I started a Wishlist on Newegg. I'll have to post it once done to make sure it's all good. Exciting!

Posted (edited)

In my experience both Newegg and Amazon have very good return policies. I am an Amazon Prime Member and theirs is pretty much a no questions asked policy, they are very good at that. Last build I did was in Dec 2013, used Newegg for all of that plus many previous ones.

 

Will be doing a new build later this year, and will definitely be checking Amazon and Newegg out when I do.

Edited by dburne
Mitthrawnuruodo
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, kestrel79 said:

 

Is Newegg still a good place to buy stuff from?

Both have worked for me in the past. Newegg had better filters that made it easier to find computer parts.

 

Check pcpartpicker.com for the best prices. Be particularly careful with RAM; vendors will charge significantly more for very high clocks, but a cheaper, slightly slower kit with lower latency can often function just as well.

Edited by Mitthrawnuruodo
Posted

This is what I have so far. Hope everything is compatible:

 

 

CPU:

 Intel Core i5-8600K Coffee Lake 6-Core 3.6 GHz (4.3 GHz Turbo) LGA 1151 (300 Series)

 

 

MOTHERBOARD:

 ASUS Prime Z370-A LGA 1151 (300 Series) Intel Z370 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 ATX Intel Motherboard

 

 

VIDEO CARD:

 EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 FTW GAMING ACX 3.0, 08G-P4-6286-KR, 8GB GDDR5X, RGB LED

 

 

RAM:

 G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 2400 (PC4 19200) Intel Z170 Platform

 

 

CPU COOLER:

 Noctua NH-D15 SSO2 D-Type Premium CPU Cooler, NF-A15 x 2 PWM Fans

 

Still need a case, SSD, PSU I have already new in box Corsair 650w modular psu. What kind of copy of w10 is best these days? USB stick? I don't think I need a cd drive on this pc as all my games are pretty much from Steam of online on PC these days anyways.

 

 

Posted

Check before buying RAM if your motherboard can handle this type of RAM, there is always a list of supporting memory that has been tested by the motherboard factory. 

I know from the past that I did use RAM that was not listed for my Asrock motherboard and it did not work well. 

Mitthrawnuruodo
Posted
14 hours ago, chiliwili69 said:

my only concern, Why do you go to 2400MHz RAM?

I agree that the RAM could be faster. However, 2400 CL15 isn't terrible; the frequency could probably be pushed further. If you're after that ~1% performance increase, do get something like 3200 CL15. Beyond that, there are rapidly diminishing returns.

 

25 minutes ago, Dutch2 said:

Check before buying RAM if your motherboard can handle this type of RAM, there is always a list of supporting memory that has been tested by the motherboard factory. 

I know from the past that I did use RAM that was not listed for my Asrock motherboard and it did not work well.  

If you must, check the QVL for your motherboard. However, you're extremely unlikely to have problems with this platform.

Posted

Just in case you don't know , check Amazon tomorrow for some of your pc needs, it is Prime Day ( sort of like Black Friday for Amazon ). If you don't have Amazon Prime you can sign up free for 30 days as a trial. They will probably have some decent deals on a few of these items. I also tend to think Newegg will compete with some low pricing as well tomorrow. 

Here is a good resource for pricing   PCPARTPICKER, just click on the individual parts tab on the home page and you can select the parts and check pricing from some of the main retailers.

cheers--sf-

Posted

Prime Day had some great deals! But the site locked up on me before I could buy the items I had in my cart. Oh well there will be another day.

 

So I've always liked ASUS motherboards, I've noticed these newer boards have wayyy less USB ports than my current board from 2010. What do you guys do buy extra USB ports? We flight simmers need a lot of ports! :)

Posted
1 hour ago, kestrel79 said:

Prime Day had some great deals! But the site locked up on me before I could buy the items I had in my cart. Oh well there will be another day.

 

So I've always liked ASUS motherboards, I've noticed these newer boards have wayyy less USB ports than my current board from 2010. What do you guys do buy extra USB ports? We flight simmers need a lot of ports! :)

 

Powered USB Hubs.

  • Upvote 1
chiliwili69
Posted

The total number USB ports will determine the Asus Mobo you will want (apart from allowing overclocking).

But "the problem" is that new Mobos have a mix of different types of USB ports:

 

- USB 2.0 (red color)

- USB 3.1 Gen 1 (former USB 3.0,  Blue color)

- USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type A (Cyan or Blue color)

- USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C (this is a different shape USB connector, so you can use a Type-A-female to Type-C-male connector to use it with your old devices)

 

Normally, they are backward compatible, so the important thing is the total number of USB ports of your new Mobo.

 

If you use the rift, try to connect the Rift and the cameras directly to the motherboard (without  USB hubs in between)

Posted

Thanks for the help. VR will probably be a little down the road. Maybe this Xmas :) But a new PC hopefully by end of summer is the goal. Alright looks like I'll need a powered USB hub. I'll try to get a 3.0 one and 2.0 the more the merrier for all our sticks, pedals, throttles, button boxes, TrackIR, eventually VR stuff. Fun!

 

Prime Day had a $299 i7 8700k...but the site froze they sold out so quick. Should of pulled the trigger sooner.

Posted
On 7/13/2018 at 8:38 AM, kestrel79 said:

Going from past build experiences, there's certain brands I'd like to stick with that I've had good luck with and good support from.

 

I'll probably be going Intel for cpu. Most likely i-5 8600k if I buy this gen. Always been an ASUS mobo person. Whatever has a ton of USB ports for all my throttles, sticks, USB 3.0 for VR stuff. I don't need wifi or anything too fancy on the mobo. Always done air cooling too I have a Noctua fan in my current PC and really like it.

 

1 stick of GSkill 16GB RAM to start...and get another stick down the road for 32GB.

 

PSU I've always gone Corsair. Think I have a 650w PSU new in box under my bed I want to use. Too small?

 

GPU I've always gone AMD. I'm just comfortable with the drivers, and all the settings, and the 3 screen support. Buuut if I want to go VR looks like Nvidia is the way to go so I might have to switch.

 

For a case yes washable filters, lots of big fans. Maybe some LEDs :)

Unfortunately the boards with lots of usb ports are expensive and few. z370 sucks for USB support. Get an Asus Maximus X code or formula if you are doing water cooling. It has the most.

Posted (edited)
4 hours ago, kestrel79 said:

ASRock any good? This one has great reviews and lots of USBs. I've always been an Asus guy I like the easy BIOS.

 

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157792&ignorebbr=1

 

Any drawbacks to using a slightly older motherboard (non 300 series) with the latest 8th gen intel cpus? What are the advantages?

You have to use a 3 series chipset with the 8th gen chips. No previous boards work. Don't even waste your time with anything besides the z370 series, it's the only chipset that lets you overclock. I'd personally go with this.. It's the board I use, it's amazing. Has the most USB ports out of any other boards in the z370 series. That stupid onboard video kills intels usb capacity.

 

https://www.amazon.com/ROG-MAXIMUS-CODE-LGA1151-Motherboard/dp/B077DS18BZ

 

That board you posted is really good, but for me 5-6 USB ports just wasnt enough. The code has 10 I believe.

Edited by JonRedcorn
Posted

Thanks Jon that thing looks beefy. I like it.

Posted (edited)
5 hours ago, kestrel79 said:

Thanks Jon that thing looks beefy. I like it.

It's an absolute monster of a motherboard. Has everything you could ever need, plus the almost double the usb slots makes it my top choice for z370. I'd also stay away from gigabyte anything, they have terrible support in case you get a bum product. Which happens. I'd go with some type of EVGA or ASUS 1080/1080ti. EVGA has by far the best customer service in the business.

 

Case

 

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAG9P7B01136&cm_re=master_case-_-9SIAG9P7B01136-_-Product

 

CPU

 

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117827

 

CPU Cooler (the intel chips don't come with a stock cooler)

 

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181103

 

GPU - Can also be changed out for the 1080ti of the same type about 200 more dollars though.

 

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487319

 

Motherboard - it's out of stock amazon has it

 

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813119045&cm_re=code_x-_-13-119-045-_-Product

 

Ram

 

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820232475

 

PSU

 

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151187&cm_re=seasonic_750-_-17-151-187-_-Product

 

Then hard drives whatever you'd like, I'd go with a 2tb regular HDD and a 500gb SSD of your choosing.

 

This is basically my setup with a slightly better case but same series and I only have a 1070 FTW2.

 

 

Edited by JonRedcorn
Posted

Very nice thanks! I'll consider these parts. Many I have already checked out. What's the difference between the FTW2 and the FTW? High clock speed? The 1080 I was looking at was around $500-550 not $599.

Posted
3 minutes ago, kestrel79 said:

Very nice thanks! I'll consider these parts. Many I have already checked out. What's the difference between the FTW2 and the FTW? High clock speed? The 1080 I was looking at was around $500-550 not $599.

 

Typically maybe a little better in the boost and cooling dept.

AuburnAlumni
Posted

i7-8700k

1080 ti

 

If you're going to do VR...IMO...you should go as top notch as possible to keep you "future proofed" for a good bit.

 

I will say this regarding cooling....

 

I'm still using my trusty old CM Hyper Evo 212 in my CM Storm Scout 2 Advanced Case.  My 8700k is running at the turbo 4.7 and I rarely get over 80c in game.  Considering that the 8700ks don't even throttle until 100c (which I will never hit) I'd say you don't need to spend a ton of money on a water cooling system unless you plan on OC'ing to 5.0 or so.  A Noctua, etc would do the trick just fine if you have ample airflow in your case.

 

Personally..I'm fine at 4.7.  I may upgrade my cooling down the road..but I can live with temps in the 70s with the occasional 80-83c spike.  

Posted (edited)
On 7/19/2018 at 6:04 PM, kestrel79 said:

Very nice thanks! I'll consider these parts. Many I have already checked out. What's the difference between the FTW2 and the FTW? High clock speed? The 1080 I was looking at was around $500-550 not $599.

It was only made to replace the broken FTW original version, they just added some thermal pads, there's nothing else different. If you are doing VR I'd save the extra 200 bucks it would cost and get the 1080ti.

Edited by JonRedcorn
Mitthrawnuruodo
Posted
On 7/19/2018 at 3:49 PM, AuburnAlumni said:

you should go as top notch as possible to keep you "future proofed" for a good bit

"Future proofing" rarely works. Technology marches forward so quickly that you will be left behind regardless of your choice. Buy the best thing that you can reasonably afford now. 

 

Ultimately, a $1500 dollar system purchased approximately every two years will keep you ahead for more time than a $3000 system purchased every four years.

 

On 7/19/2018 at 3:49 PM, AuburnAlumni said:

I'd say you don't need to spend a ton of money on a water cooling system unless you plan on OC'ing to 5.0 or so.  A Noctua, etc would do the trick just fine if you have ample airflow in your case.

Absolutely. The low cost and reliability of air cooling make it the best choice unless

  • You're trying to fit in a case that makes large air coolers impractical
  • The aesthetics or noise profiles of water cooling really excite you
  • You buy a very high-end water cooling setup for extreme overclocking
On 7/19/2018 at 3:04 PM, kestrel79 said:

What's the difference between the FTW2 and the FTW? High clock speed? The 1080 I was looking at was around $500-550 not $599.

We're talking about performance deltas of perhaps a few percent between variants with the same GPU; don't sweat it if you don't like the higher price.

  • 6 months later...
Posted

Alright giving this another go and hoping to pull the trigger next month around my birthday! :) We got a baby on the way this summer so I'd like to buy a new PC before all my money is gone haha.

 

What's a good 390 motherboard for under $200? I don't need wifi, but I'd like as many USB ports as possible on the back of the motherboard and on the front of the case for all my racing/flying sim gear. I've always used Asus on the past. But I'm open to other brands. 16GB of fast ram. GSkill has always worked good for me. What's the best I could get paired with a 390 motherboard?

 

I got a 650w Corsair modular PSU already new in box, but it's probably from 2011 or so. Still good? Always had good luck with that brand of psu.

 

Probably going intel i5 9600k for cpu. Graphics card I'd really like to stick with AMD, I'm comfortable with the drivers but am open for going to team green. Seems to be what most simmers use anyways.

Posted (edited)
On 2/15/2019 at 9:39 PM, kestrel79 said:

Probably going intel i5 9600k for cpu. Graphics card I'd really like to stick with AMD, I'm comfortable with the drivers but am open for going to team green. Seems to be what most simmers use anyways.

 

If you want to stick with AMD, I'd recommend to wait for next GC comming out in the mid/late 2019 which are supposed to reach nVidia level for a best price. Long time they're out of the course now and I guess it will be a very good thing for us customers to get them really back !

Edited by Solmyr
  • 2 weeks later...
BornToBattle
Posted

It’s like anything in life. How fast you wanna make it go? How much moolah you got?

 

Currenly, it’s the VR headsets themselves (aka Rift) that is the weakest link. VR clarity cannot even come close to 4K resolution on a screen, but the immersion level is so great that even (Mr. Eye Candy Man) can overlook VR’s present shortcomings. VR is in its infancy, things can only get better.

 

I’m running the Rift with everything maxed out graphics-wise in game, including light bloom. Water cooled i7 5930K, Corsair case (which I love), GTX1080ti, 16GB DDR4 @ 2666 and an SSD drive. 

Posted
11 hours ago, BornToBattle said:

It’s like anything in life. How fast you wanna make it go? How much moolah you got?

 

Currenly, it’s the VR headsets themselves (aka Rift) that is the weakest link. VR clarity cannot even come close to 4K resolution on a screen, but the immersion level is so great that even (Mr. Eye Candy Man) can overlook VR’s present shortcomings. VR is in its infancy, things can only get better.

 

I’m running the Rift with everything maxed out graphics-wise in game, including light bloom. Water cooled i7 5930K, Corsair case (which I love), GTX1080ti, 16GB DDR4 @ 2666 and an SSD drive. 

Gunna try these settings just for shits and giggles.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Ok it's my birthday this month. Think it's time to finally pull the trigger. Here's what I got so far that stays within my budget of around $1500. Thoughts?

 

I can't spend huge $ on a graphics card right now, so 2060 it is. Seems best bang for buck while possibly giving VR a try. Do you guys recommend the one 2060 model with the USB-C input for VR? I think it's $50 more than the one I have picked in this list. I can always upgrade GPU and more RAM later down the road.

 

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i5-9600K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($269.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($89.95 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte - Z390 AORUS PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($185.06 @ Newegg) 
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung - 970 Pro 512 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive  ($167.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: MSI - GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB VENTUS OC Video Card  ($359.99 @ B&H) 
Case: Fractal Design - Design Define R6 USB-C - TG ATX Mid Tower Case  ($119.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Corsair - HX Platinum 750 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($113.96 @ Newegg) 
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  ($109.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1516.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-11 23:38 EDT-0400

 

 

 

[CPT]CptJackSparrow
Posted

If you go with this build, please update here on how it runs VR. I'm in need of a update this spring and this looks like it would fit the bill.

E69_Qpassa_VR
Posted

Save on that windows 10 license and upgrade to an used 1080ti 

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