First Time Gaming Computer for IL-2 Recommendations

[Spitfire50]

I am trying to decide on suitable entry point for better configuration to play IL-2 GB (just have Normandy in series) Enjoyed MSFS WWll Combat series in old days and research led me to try IL-2.

Current machine is a 5 year old Dell laptop configured for business travel with i7 6820HQ at 2.7-3.60 Hz, 16 GB RAM, Nvidia 2 GB Quadro M1000M GPU, 64 bit Windows 10 Pro and a 1 TB SSD.

 

I understand I need more RAM on the CPU and a better GPU - this laptop cannot be upgraded.

 

My approach is to consider a refurbished desktop gaming computer on a modest level and if I really enjoy it I can upgrade further down the road. I am not a serious gamer, just want to have best experience with IL-2 so question is how far up the food chain do I go with CPU and GPU. 

 

GPU - is an RTX 3000 series or AMD equivalent too much, too little or there are real benefits for IL-2 in going higher?

CPU - is an i5 or AMD equivalent with 4+ MG VRAM  fine or does an i7 make a difference to IL-2? I would look for minimum 3.0 Hz speed on the low end with turbo boost to 4.5 Hz? How many cores?

Joystick - I am looking at purchasing a VKB Gladiator Combat WWll joystick as well to replace my ancient Logitech Wingman Attack 2...

Brand - I know nothing about gaming brands I see here (Canada) like AQVIN, AXOII, Hajaab etc so tend to focus on Dell, Lenovo or MSI. I do want quality in the components beyond the CPU and GPU. 

 

So looking for simple advice to make a good start on flying in IL-2 and learning more - it looks very complex with all the options for setup but the current experience on the laptop and Logitech stick is not so great!

 

PS - I understand it downloads VERY slowly by all accounts and that is very frustrating when you crash every 5 minutes and then have to go get a coffee while it restarts a mission. Do higher end CPU or GPU components help with that?

 

Cheers!

[marcost]

Have a look at the SYN_Vander Hardware topic, there is a spreadsheet showing different rig performances in IL2. I used that when I upgraded mine.

 

Cheers,

 

M

[Spitfire50]

Oh my! Lots of data but looks way above my pay grade to understand what to be looking for. Any particular column and "score" to focus on for CPU and GPU? For example - Column P "Avg CPU" and look for numbers above 100?

Appreciate this.

D

[marcost]

I used column P as a starter as I thought it was better to maximise the CPU first, then GPU. It's easier to upgrade the GPU later. 

 

If by best experience you mean high graphics settings and fluid gameplay then yes above 100 is where you want to be. You also need to think about the monitor you will use - if you want to run at 4k resolution then the graphics card will have to be more powerful. I would have thought that a decent CPU and a Nvidia 3080Ti or better will fit the bill for what you have described. The benefits of going above this level of GPU are higher frame rates at higher graphics settings. I went for an AMD 5900X with 32gb memory and a 3080ti. Later upgraded to a 4080super as I am running a 2k monitor but upscaling to 4k.

 

You only download the game when you first install it and afterwards when there are updates (a few a year at most). Download speeds and spec are therefore irrelevant for offline, there shouldn't be any crashes or delays when flying.

 

BTW I'm not an expert in general and definitely not with multiplayer or VR requirements!

Edited July 3 by marcost

[Spitfire50]

Thanks very much. This is helpful - I planned to stay with 1080 monitor for now so will scour that list for tested i5 level chips and not worry about going above Nvidia 3000 level GPU series. 

The download I refer to is the "restart" of a mission or the first time you load a mission. So "loading" may be a better term - it takesabout 2-3 minutes every time.

The "crashes" i refer to are when I fly the plane into the ground...!

Cheers

D

[marcost]

Ah, ok then...

 

Faster CPU, RAM and don't forget the hard drive will all improve loading times significantly. Shouldn't take minutes. I have both the OS and IL2 on NVME drives(samsung pro ones). If you want to use an nvme/m2 drive you'll need to make sure the motherboard supports it.

 

Can't help you with those crashes 😉

[Spitfire50]

That sounds encouraging re the possibility of faster loading speeds. Thanks again for taking the time with me on all this! 

[Aapje]

The problem with getting a refurbished older system is that it is going to be very hard to get a system that is actually properly upgradeable. And you tend to have to compromise with the components in the system, so you don't actually get the optimal system. Also, my experience is that the second hand market is often not so great a deal if you are good at finding good deals for new stuff. Especially refurbished 2nd hand deals, since the refurbisher wants his cut, and they are not going to underprice the system.

 

Also, a lot of these prebuilds have issues. For example, Dell loves proprietary parts, which makes upgrading their systems very hard.

 

Since you seem to be comfortable with working on your system, I would suggest building your own.

 

A build like this would be a pretty good budget system:

Case: Montech XR

Motherboard: MSI B650 GAMING PLUS WIFI

CPU: 7500F from Aliexpress (China-only CPU that is extremely cheap for what you get)

CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE or Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition

RAM: TEAMGROUP T-Create Expert 32 GB

Storage: Samsung 990 Pro 2 TB

GPU: Sapphire PULSE Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB

Power: MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 850 W

 

Why:

- This list contains a lot of components that punch above their weight, so you get a lot for the money, and these components are more likely to fetch good second hand prices if you want to upgrade. For example, the 16 GB video card has enough VRAM to be viable for a long time, while 8 GB cards are likely to suffer from much lower 2nd hand prices in the future.

- The AM5 platform is long-lasting, so this provides a lot of opportunity to upgrade. For AM4, you could get a huge boost by buying the last generation X3D-CPU of that platform, and you can probably do the same on AM5, if history repeats itself. Those last-gen X3D CPUs for the platform also have extremely high 2nd hand prices, so if you upgrade to the last gen X3D-CPU and then later on sell it again, you can probably recoup a very high percentage of what you paid.

- I put in a relatively big power supply, since these tend to last forever, so you can reuse them for a future build, and with this headroom you have a lot of options for upgrading.

 

Upgrade paths for the future:

- New X3D CPU

- RAM to 64 GB or more

- Add extra 4 TB storage drive

- Replace the GPU with something better

 

This build should be ready for IL-2 Korea as well, because IL-2 GB is actually a pretty old game, so you might want to move up to the more demanding game.

 

As for the joystick, I would advise the Space Edition of the Gladiator (preferably the Premium version). It has way more buttons that the WW 2 edition and that is really useful. Keep in mind that a real WW 2 plane has a lot of switches around the cockpit, and unless you build a full cockpit, you will have to bind some of these switches to the joystick. Especially since I doubt that you have a throttle.

Edited July 3 by Aapje

[Spitfire50]

Thank you for all that Aapje! I am in no rush so have time to think all this through and am open to all advice from those more experienced than I. I am in Canada and many of the names you note are not familiar so I will start digging...

Regards,

Don

[Aapje]

You can use this site to find pricing & sellers for these products, just make sure the location is set to Canada: https://pcpartpicker.com/

 

They also have reviews.

 

If you have questions, you can always ask them.

Edited July 3 by Aapje

[=7s7=mahu]

Hi,

a good piece of advice: No matter how much RAM you put in, never, under any circumstances, put in more than two bars, regardless of whether it's an AMD or Intel system. If you are thinking of upgrading, forget it, put in 64GB, i.e. 2x32 GB bars or better 96GB, i.e. 2x48GB bars. This will save you many inexplicable problems. You won't be doing me any favors if you stick to this, but you'll be doing yourself an even bigger favor.

 

Edited July 3 by =7s7=mahu

[Spitfire50]

I will heed those words... thank you!