Need help with what spec my new PC should be!!

[Pilotculk]

Hi guys! Its time for the next step for me and start to build my own cockpit in the spare room. My pc at the min just abouts runs fsx with a couple of add ons. Im looking to buy a new one with the view to running 4 screens for my glass cockpit, plus one projector. Also i will be have various hardware and software addons to make it a realistic 737-800. As a starting point will the spec on this computer be okay and not slow me down?
thanks

[dodiano]

I recommend if you can instead of a Hard Disk use an SSD! Runs everything Faster and 16GB OF RAM more than enough!!

[Pilotculk]

Thanks for reply, Will this happily power eveyting id need on 1 pc for building my own cockpit?

[dodiano]

You need to add more details bud! What software will you be using?? IFLY? PMDG?

[Pilotculk]

Im thinking of using ifly, with ifly cockpit builders additition aswel. Im going to build my own overhead panel so will need something to configure that if ifly cockpit builder doesnt... Mabey PM or prosim737. Also hoping on running vatsim aswel
thanks

[tiburon]

16 Gb is overkill for FSX, it doesn't use more than 8.Get RAM with the fastest cas latency you can find. Second, instead of using two cards in SLI buy one, for your processor it should be a GTX 780.
I have the same specs and it can take anything I throw at it.

[Pilotculk]

Im wanting to run 6 screens in total, thats the reason i went for the 2 graphics cards. But if i lower the RAM I i should be fine with what i have powering 6 screens ifly prosim PM etc plus hardware?
Thanks

[tiburon]

I wouldn't connect 6 screens to my flight sim pc. I'd use two more pc's with wideview, they don't have to be very powerfull.
8Gb is fine, especially with just prosim etc.

[Pilotculk]

Sorry keep asking questions but as you can tell computers arnt my strong point. Whats needed to run more than 1 pc?

[tiburon]

That's quite ok.
I don't understand your question though, what do you mean what's needed ? Just make sure all the pc's can communicate over your network, wide view is a program that synchronizes the screens across your pc's : http://www.wideview.it/
But then, maybe you don't want 6 screens for the outside view? In that case, nothing else is needed.

[Pilotculk]

I mean do the computers all have to plug in to a kind of hub or how do you sort out networks are the computers all joined by usb i havent got a clue as u may tell. I was planning on 1 projector for my view and 4 for my glass cockpit, leaving me with one screen to use as a kind if control screen.

[tiburon]

Ok, if you're just using a glass cockpit the displays can run on one or two less powerful pc's and the beamer only on your flight sim pc. Connect them to a router or a switch (networking basics are a bit much to explain here)
Something like this :
9353

[Pilotculk]

Okay so i should run fsx glass cockpit and addons on the more powerful pc, then scenery etc on slave pc's.
canr thank you enough for your help

[tiburon]

Glass cockpit on slave pc's. FSX and addons only on the power pc.

[nebulawars]

This has sort of been stated before in the thread, but I will take it up again cause it hurt me when I bought my PC.

Get faster RAM, I thought get MORE ram was the correct thing and that was what I did. What I should have done was getting FASTER ram. Why you may ask? Well first of the flight sim does not need so much ram (and I went with 32Gb, 1600Mhz). And more important faster ram lets you overclock your CPU more stable. Why is that important, well it really isn't when it comes to CPU speed, but it is when it comes to BUS speed to the graphic card. Since CPU and BUS speed often follow each other, just raising the ram speed to 1833 made a huge difference of what my machine could push to the graphic card. Sadly it works for a while and then hangs cause of my cheap memory I put in.

I'm currently thinking of ripping out my 32GB of 1600Mhz, and putting 8Gb-12Gb of 2100Mhz or 2400Mhz depending on what the mother board can handle (have to check).

Also, from what I heard, SLI works in best cases and can cause a lot of trouble. Meaning, it does work, but not trouble free. But take that as rumours. I would go with one card or with two card but not in SLI mode. Important, many motherboards cuts the PCI multiplier in half when more then one card is inserted. A PCI x16 would go down to x8, meaning less BUS speed to push graphics to the card per slot if more then one card is installed. Read up on the motherboard before you put in two cards.

Also you only need two outputs from your card, cause you can get a Matrox TrippleHead2Go. That connects three screens and merges those so it looks like one screen for the card. Adding one projector to that setup and you only need two outputs.

However, if you want something more configurable you could go with something like Eyefinity, Club 3D has a card with 6 outputs! BIG Warning tho, Radeon drivers are no way near the stability of the NVidia ones.

I went with one of those, its a bit less powerful, but it works great cause I connect 3 projectors and 3 screens. Yes with that amount of hardware connected, I have to run on low graphical settings in X-plane :-) .. my 2 cents.

Cheers!