Want to make a brand new system? Need some help getting started?
Want to make a brand new system? Need some help getting started?
I need some assistance with a new budget system. I'm really only interested in Microsoft Flight Simulator programs. I currently have an Asus Z270-A motherboard, an Intel i5 7600K processor, 32g of DDR4 memory at 3000MHz, a 750w power supply, and an Nvidia 750Ti graphics card. It has worked fine for me over the years but cannot run newer programs well. With all this modern stuff, I don't know where to start. ANY help would be appreciated. Thanks, Ron
How much money do you have to spend? Do you want every single piece of the kit or just a few things? If I tell you nothing else about it, my guess is that a 5060 Ti with 16GB of RAM and an Intel 12700K processor would be perfect. You can keep your memory stick, hard drive, case, and power supply on hand.
Here is how to get advice on upgrading your computer or getting a new one built: At first, be polite so it doesn't seem rude - this version comes from an old post called "How To Ask For New Build Advice" by the animal. I wrote this because lots of people are asking for help here and on CPU forums lately, and they feel...
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024 are some of the hardest games ever to run, maybe even the toughest ones out there. They need a strong CPU and lots of fast storage and memory because they use "streaming." To actually play them, especially the newest one, I would get either a Ryzen 7800xd or a 9800x3d, a really good speed NVMe drive like the WD black or Samsung pro at least with 1 TB of space, and 64 GB of RAM that runs at 6000 MT/s speeds. The graphics card mostly depends on how high you want to set your screen resolution.
If you are on a tight budget, this setup should work well. Here is the list of parts I picked for you: The CPU is an Intel Core i7-12700KF which costs about $180 to buy from Amazon. It comes with a cooler called ID-COOLING FROZN A620 PRO SE that costs around $30. My motherboard is a Gigabyte Z790 S WIFI model for $120. This one has some Wi-Fi and supports DDR4 memory, it's an ATX size and fits LGA1700 pins. The RAM is Klevv BOLT X which holds 32 GB (two sticks of 16 GB) running at 3600 speeds with good cooling for $50. For storage I got a Silicon Power UD90 that has 2 TB of space on an M.2 slot and runs fast because it's PCIe 4.0. The whole thing costs about $475 in total, including shipping, taxes and any discounts from Amazon or Newegg. These prices are the best ones available right now based on my search for low prices.
OP needs to buy a new graphics card too. This game runs fine with older GPUs like the Radeon RX 6800 XT or 7700 XT, so if you are on a tight budget, check second-hand markets for a used video card with at least 12GB of VRAM. This simulator loves to use lots of memory, which means both graphics and system RAM get busy. Two sticks of 16GB won't work well; the game can easily need up to 30GB and you will have to turn off other programs just to play it. You probably need at least two sticks of 24GB, ideally three or four sticks of 32GB. For the processor, X3Ds are the best choice, but even a cheaper 12600K or 7700X would work on a smaller budget. A computer with an Intel i7-12700KF and lots of RAM (48 to 64GB) will give you about 50 to 55 FPS in Ultra at 1080p, especially if you lower the graphics settings and keep your VRAM needs down. This setup is very cheap: CPU Intel i5-12600KF ($137), Cooler ID-COOLING FROZN A620 PRO SE ($29.99), Motherboard MSI Z790-S WIFI ATX ($129.99), Memory G.Skill Ripjaws S5 48GB DDR5-6400 ($134.99), Storage WD_BLACK SN7100 2TB SSD ($139.99), Graphics Card Asus PRIME GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB ($479.99), Case Montech AIR 903 BASE ($65.99), and Power Supply ADATA XPG Core Reactor II 750W ($89.99). The total cost is $1206.94. You can save money by choosing a motherboard that supports DDR4 instead of DDR5, which would let you buy two sticks of 32GB DDR4 for less: Total $205.98. In most games, using both DDR5 and DDR4 gives similar results, but many games perform slightly better with DDR5 than with DDR4 when paired with the Alder Lake processor. Also, that MSI motherboard has stronger VRMs and supports PCIe 5.0 x16, which is much better than a Gigabyte Z790-S WIFI that only supports PCIe 4.0 x16. This matters more if you have an 8GB graphics card with fewer video lanes than the newer models, though it's still important for a 12GB or higher card like the RTX 5060 Ti. If you can find a good deal on a second-hand GPU, buying an i7 processor might be worth it, but that already costs about $200. Instead of spending that much on an expensive CPU, I would choose a Ryzen 7600X or a better option like the 9600X because they have better performance for one core and you can upgrade them later in the future.
I really appreciate everyone's replies to my questions. I have a budget around $1000, and this is probably the last time I'll spend money on things for my "hobby". By the way, I own three monitors. The big one is 32 inches at 3840x2160, the middle one is 1920x1080, and the small one is 1280x1024. Where can I find some good used hardware?
Here is the shopping list I made for building a computer. The CPU is an AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, which runs at 3.9 GHz and has six cores. It costs $179 on Amazon. To keep it cool, I bought a Thermalright Assassin King SE cooler that pushes out 66.17 CFM of air with a price tag of $19.39 from Amazon. The motherboard is an Asus PRIME B650-PLUS WIFI model for AM5 socket, and it costs about $129.99 on Amazon. I added some RAM in the form of TEAMGROUP T-Create Expert memory, which comes in 32 GB (two sticks of 16 GB each) running at DDR5 speeds. This RAM is 6000 MT/s with a low latency setting called CL30 and costs $91.99 on Amazon. For storage, I chose a Western Digital WD Blue SN5000 SSD with 1 TB capacity that fits in the M.2 slot. It supports PCIe 4.0 speeds and is an NVMe drive costing $59.79 on Amazon. The graphics card is a Sapphire PULSE Radeon RX 9060 XT with 16 GB of video memory, priced at $379.99 from Amazon. Finally, I bought an Aerocool Prism V2 RGB case that fits in the mid tower size and costs $59.99 on Amazon. The power supply comes from ADATA XPG Core Reactor II with 650 Watts of power, which is Gold certified for safety, and it's a fully modular design costing $89.99 on Amazon. Putting all these pieces together costs me $1010.13 in total, and the prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts that I got when shopping. This list was made using PCPartPicker tool from June 2025, but it's a guess because maybe too much sleepiness will mess up my memory of this task.
Most of my buying is done on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist, but eBay works too. Usually, if something feels weird or way too cheap for the quality, it's probably not safe to buy. I also attached a new parts build that costs a bit more than planned, but it should last me for a while. The PCPartPicker list says here: CPU is an AMD Ryzen 7 7700X at $249.99 from B&H. Cooler comes from Thermalright Assassin King SE at $19.39 on Amazon. Motherboard is ASRock B650 PRO RS AM5 for $149.99 on Amazon. Memory is Patriot Viper Venom with 32 GB of DDR5 RAM at $79.99 from Newegg. Storage is Crucial P3 Plus M.2 SSD at $56.95 on iBUYPOWER. Graphics card is Asus PRIME OC Radeon RX 9060 XT at $379.99 on Newegg. Case is Aerocool Prism V2 RGB for $59.99 on Amazon. Power supply is Corsair CX650M at $79.98 from Amazon. Everything adds up to $1076.27. Prices include shipping, taxes, and any discounts.