LucShep

With that kind of system there shouldn't be a big problem with performance, but that does not mean that you should crank it all up. It's DCS after all. Anti Aliasing. MSAA x4 currently gives the best image quality, but is very heavy and will impact, regardless of hardware. MSAA x2 is "good enough" in 4K, but won't be perfect image wise. TAA is probably a better alternative, it looks a little blurry (so you may wish to play around with the sharpeness setting to counter it) but does the job and has okay performance. Upscaling is a reasonable solution, though it's one of those things that work better for some than others. I'd suggest to at least try DLSS at "Quality" if you're using a screen monitor (and not VR). It can provide a big performance boost in situations where that's welcome, and works pretty good with latest DLSS .DLL. Anisotropic filter Personally, I think more than "8x" is not necessary and becomes a waste of resources, but won't be really a problem there if you crank it to "16x". Settings that you should refrain from cranking up... "Forest Details Factor" and "Scenery Details Factor" are like LOD switches for details at distance, and can be complicated at a certain point. I'd avoid more than "0.5" for those two. Similarly with "LOD switch factor", I'd avoid more than "1". "Preload Radius" at 75000 (+/-) is a good idea. More than "90000" the loading times become long and definitely impacts RAM (+ pagefile), even with 64GB of RAM. "Wake Turbulence" is better disabled (tick off) as it can greatly impact performance when number of aircraft ingame increases. (this particular setting is found under "Gameplay" settings) Lastly, not sure what you mean with "pairing DCS with Nvidia control panel"(?), what are you looking for?

For me with the RTX3090, no. I've been thrilled to rigorously test every single new driver release from Nvidia, only to realize my previous opinion above remains the same.

@Blackhawk163 and @Aapje The suggested build I posted from SCAN.UK is somewhat restricted in variety of parts to choose, to what they list in the configurator. For example, the Thermaltake Phantom Spirit SE (or Peerless Assassin SE) are mostly sold on Amazon. There isn't any other equivalent price/performance part in SCAN.UK or OcUK (and others), and why the Noctua NH-U12A was chosen, also because of compatibility with the Corsair Dominator Ti RAM (another thing where variety is limited). If I could, other equivalent components would have been listed instead (such as other air cooler, pc case, PSU, lower profile RAM, and own source Windows installation and key). But, that said, the components they list are very good (no complaints there). It's just that those are more expensive than other possible equivalents in the market. Yes it's expensive, but that system is a mighty good one for sure, and includes all the service commodities for people who are not building their own systems, within the UK. I agree that the RTX4090 might be too much, as is the 1500W PSU to go with it. But it's all under the OP's budget, and doesn't look to me like someone who upgrades often... If the intention is to get a top gaming system like that specific custom one from SCAN.UK, but price needs to go down a bit and/or there's less need for "extreme horsepower", the only things I'd change are the graphics card to the RTX4080 Super 16GB (Asus TUF listed only) and the PSU to the Corsair HX1000i (again, from their configurator choices).

I don't work for them nor do I want to advertise for them, but... SCAN.UK can build and deliver it for you. Which is also a good idea, because they then have to ensure everything is working and also provide assistance, besides the mandatory warranty on everything. But if you trust your local guy, then nothing wrong in it. Show him the following system, and see if he can do something equivalent to this: Custom PC with AMD Ryzen 7800X3D / 64GB DDR5 / NVIDIA RTX 4090 - 3XS (scan.co.uk) Within SCAN's selection of parts (which has limits), I've configured that to a combination that is all around top performance, and still below your max budget. But it can be reconfigured (again, within their parts list) if you prefer a different GPU, or Motherboard, or NVMEs, or PSU, etc, etc. As you can see from that link, that custom system is currently composed like this: PC case: Fractal Design Torrent [Black with Light Tint] Motherboard: ASUS ROG STRIX B650E-F GAMING WIFI CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12A Chromax Black RAM (DDR5): 64GB (2x32GB) Corsair Dominator Titanium RGB 6000MHz [Grey] GPU: ASUS GeForce RTX 4090 24GB TUF GAMING OG OC PSU: Corsair HX1500i, Modular, Silent, 80PLUS PLATINUM (ATX3.0 Certified) NVME storage #1: 2TB Solidigm P44 Pro NVMe PCIe 4.0, 7000MB/s Read, 6500MB/s Write, 1400K IOPS (for system, apps, dloads and docs) NVME storage #2: 2TB Solidigm P44 Pro NVMe PCIe 4.0, 7000MB/s Read, 6500MB/s Write, 1400K IOPS (for DCS and other sims/games) O.S.: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro 64-Bit TOTAL: £3,844.33

If I understood correctly, you're not using VR. If so, no need to buy the latest and greatest, though the most potent machine for your budget is obviously the best idea. But we need more info to recommend or advise hardware... What are your current system specs? What is your total budget (rough estimation)? What is your screen (native) resolution? What DCS modules+maps you intend to use? Are you computer savvy, i.e, will you be building the system yourself?

The latest updated DLL file of DLSS is always made available in techpowerup: https://www.techpowerup.com/download/nvidia-dlss-dll/ The download comes in ZIP format. Open it. Then drag (or copy/paste) the nvngx_dlss.dll file over the exhisting one, replacing it. Which is located in same folder where the game executable is. This goes for any game that makes use of DLSS.

Ah no, many thanks for the offer/idea but, truthfully, I have no interest. I've tested nearly all maps (not tested Afghanistan map yet) and I'm really only interested in the ones I currently own.

@Hawkeye60 Many thanks for the compliment, glad you enjoy it. Unfortunately I won't be able to help with Normandy, I don't have that map.

Without going into much detail (not even trying to know what I don't!), real-time shadow mapping has always been very expensive on resources, affecting performance. DCS uses cascaded shadow mapping, which means that the more distant, the less resolution (in steps) it'll be on shadows. This is what you're seeing. This is unavoidable, unfortunately, and it's been the same for nearly every other sim/game (FWIW). It just becomes more obvious with flight sims like DCS because it renders objects at very far distances (farther than other games) and a compromise must be met. Otherwise, the game would run to a crawl. Now, if you imagine "circles within circles", where the center is your plane, you may now understand that at some point, and if you look for it, you can see where the "steps" are, where the higher resolution shadow ends and the lower one starts, and then the same for that one to the following one and etc (with some flickering at times). One scenario where you can easily see this effect is when flying low over forests (if you use tree shadows, that is), it's like you're inside a ring. This is the "cascades" effect that you see there too. If you are not playing on online servers that disallow mods (or if it's for single player only), then I'd suggest trying a mod that was initially started by @Kegetys years ago in these forums, that I've adapted for DCS 2.8 (and also 2.9) and works wonders also in VR. It provides better performance (less impact) with reduced cascades, for which you can also increase/decrease shadow resolution as you see fit (follow the "Read Me"):

I wouldn't recommend turning off the pagefile, because some programs may look for it and problems arise if there's none (IIRC some older ones require virtual memory to start). If you have 64GB or more of RAM , then what you can do is to reduce the pagefile to a very small ammount, say, 1024 min (1GB) and 2048 max (2GB), but not less than that. That way, the pagefile is reduced to a minimum without creating issues, while making good use of the now much larger RAM capacity.

There's the old saying "If something looks too good to be true, it most certainly is". And it often applies to used GPUs. This happens for years now, IIRC it goes back to when used 2080Ti crazy deals with tempting prices appeared (maybe even before that). Also with AMD RX6000 and Nvidia RTX30 series, during the GPU mining boom era. But, it seems, never at this scale. Now with the AI market explosion, especially in the far East region of the globe, and the plethora of RTX4090 models being overused by those in that business, there are some clever scammers taking advantage of naive people who are (still) desperate to get them. There are two ways these people are working: They reuse the board and cooler from a RTX4090, and swap the core and memory chips taken from something else that can fit in it. Even laser printing the model code in those parts, to make it appear as if it was the real thing (but it's not, they're fake parts!). And then resell them as any normal RTX4090 (cheaper than others, but not cheap!), either as fully working or just needing a minor repair..... This one is technically not a scam but, still.... They sell the board and cooler from a RTX4090, without the core and memory chips. With that info not imediately visible in the page details. Unaware buyers run to make the offer, skipping the details (not reading it), thinking they're getting a fully working RTX4090 at a really low price..... Either way, there's no way to know unless you dismount the whole thing. (then already too late!) Be aware.

Since 2005 when FC1 was released for LOMAC, following a review of it in good old SimHQ (here) which provoqued enough curiosity to make me get it. I still wish more detailed reviews were put in articles out there, like those guys used to do. But, at that time, it ran so bad on my PC and, as I was much more into WW2 warbirds (and sim-racing), other sim titles took my attention. It was only later when I picked FC2, then DCS BlackShark and DCS A-10C (the standalone titles, not the modules) that I really got into the "modern" groove of DCS. Aaah good old ModMan! Ricardo's cockpits were the bee's knees!

Nicely done, glad you sorted that one out! And yes, Norton goes to the drawer! LOL (please do NOT use it). Not sure if that's done already but, make sure to put the heatsink cover in there again (peel the plastic sticker off in it, the "gum" is to make contact with the NVME). That helps with lower temperatures quite a lot in those fast hot NVMEs, which also translates to highest speeds going even at intensive loads. Same one as posted before, but watch the last part of this video (at about the 38 seconds mark): Exactly!

Maybe cancel your pre-order and wait a little longer, see what news come up in the coming days/weeks? I doubt Moza will be shipping their new FFB sticks before end of the year anyway(?).

Yeah, it seems like 2025 will be year of the FFB flight sticks ressurgence. Virpil has something planned as well (to be announced soon?). https://forum.virpil.com/index.php?/topic/21078-back-from-fsexpo-2024-force-feedback/

I concur on some points, but not on others. I had the VKB NXT Gladiator and it's a really good stick, almost perfect for those who don't use a dedicated cockpit (i.e, HOTAS on a table, or mounted to the sides of their chair). Awesome feeling, durable and affordable flight stick? Yes, it's the proof it can be done. The major gripe I had with the VKB NXT Gladiator was the small deflection on both Axis, so much that it eventually took a toll on my experience and I just couldn't keep using it. And I'm seeing that the WW Ursa Minor has even less deflection on both Axis than the VKB Gladiator..... I ended selling the VKB NXT Gladiator to a friend, and getting a used TM Warthog stick from a fellow member of this forum. The TM Warthog stick imediately felt much better (still does) for me. And, regardless of the ball and socket gimbal bad rep (it's older inferior tech), I have never regretted the move. My flight-sim experience (mostly with the F-14B module, my favorite) has increased pretty noticeably. Really, I only wish it had FFB. Where I think you probably hit a good point (knowingly or unknowingly) is, that FFB stick iterations of what the VKB Gladiator and WW Ursa Minor are today, will eventually come. It just won't be now, because the "mainstream" (as in "non boutique") FFB stick market has just reborn. There will be plenty small obstacles (software and reliability, for instances) with mostly "early adopters" who don't mind paying and going through that. And manufacturers need to create the biggest imediate impact (image and product wise) while getting the biggest profit margin per unit. Which more expensive and complicated "bigger" flight sticks, like those announced, will suit. The more affordable sticks, like FFB iterations of the VKB Gladiator and WW Ursa Minor, would (and will, I think) obfuscate all that. Their time will eventually come.

As far as I know, all those mods you've listed are installed in the "Saved Games" folder. Which means then that there should be no issues and you won't lose them (i.e, will work same as they currently do). So, whichever of the two methods you choose to move your DCS main installation, you're OK. Either by the "cut/paste" method (to move it from one NVME drive to the other), or by uninstall DCS and reinstall it on the new drive. There should be no issues with the mods you list.

Yes, I'd only bother with the "cleanup/repair" if there's some issue that you can't solve. As for the mods, it depends on the mods that you are using. Most mods are instaled in the "Saved Games" folder (located in "C:\Users\"your-user-name"\Saved Games\DCS"). As said, this "Saved Games" folder is to be left where it currently is, on your Corsair NVME. No matter where you install DCS, it'll will always look up for that specific folder, to run your game settings, controller settings, password, and also mods. So, it is of no concern, just forget about this one. Any mods in there will still work. But there are a few mods that alter original files, and are installed in the main DCS installation folder - which is the "big one" you'll be moving to the new NVME drive. As said before, you have two ways to get DCS onto the new drive. But one of the two ways will lose such mods: If you use the "Cut/Paste" method, all of the content inside the main installation folder is moved, so everything in it will work as before - including such mods. (that's also why I prefer it) If you intend to uninstall DCS, to reinstal to the other NVME, then such mods will be lost in the process (the uninstallation process wipes everything in that main folder). Also note, the "cleanup/repair" also deletes such mods - it wipes any "non official" files inside the main installation folder, and reverts everything inside it back to "stock". It does not touch the "Saved Games" folder though, so everything inside that one is always safe. Do you know which mods you are currently using?

I'll it say again - that's what I'd do (cut/paste way). But if you feel uninstall then reinstall in the new drive is simpler and safer, then go for that instead. Do what is easier for you. If all went well, yes that is it. You'll be done and ready to go. In some rare cases, files can get corrupted (sometimes happens with large file transfers). If an error does happen during the start of DCS, or during the gameplay, then you may want to run a DCS cleanup/repair. For that, if necessary, then follow this tutorial in the official DCS website: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/support/faq/repair/ I'll quote: And if the very worst happens (panic, the game gone kaput!!) then you can always directly contact the support from ED: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/support/ They're a helpful bunch in my experience.

Nah, don't copy the saved games folder. Leave that one as it is in your Corsair NVME. You only need to move the DCS installation (yeah, the big one!) to the new NVME drive. You can do this either by the "cut/paste" way (to move it from one drive to the other), or to uninstall DCS and reinstall it on the new drive. One way or the other, do what is easier for you. And either way, you will not lose save games and configurations. Some people prefer to uninstall DCS and reinstall it all over again on the new drive. It's simpler, but it does take longer time because it has to download all the files. Personally, I just go with what I'm accustomated with - I'd go the "cut/paste" route. But it may be complicated for some people. This is how I'd do it:

Nice, you're already inspecting territory for the soon to be coming procedure.! hehe That "disc 0 partition 1" with 499MB that you see there is the EFI system partition, also known as "Boot Drive" (more like "boot partition", actually). That's required for Windows to start. The EFI system partition is a partition on your main disk that is used by computers adhering to the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). Your motherboard uses UEFI, and that EFI Partition is an interface for the computer to boot Windows off of. It's like a step taken, before it runs the Windows partition. It's really small as you can see (499MB) but, basically, without that partition your computer wouldn't know how to boot Windows. To resume.... everything is absolutely fine there in your Corsair NVME.

We're going off-topic, and I'm afraid this is going to cause confusion (pardon the long post) but, I guess, it's worth commenting for general knowledge (if any interest). There is a huge misconception regarding "Dram-less" NVME drives. This is due to the stigma of ultra-budget (and older) QLC "Dram-less" drives that have flooded the market. Which noone wants (nor should get) because those NVME drives get to HDD write speeds when heavily loaded. I'd certainly agree that those are crap, they're awful NVME drives. But noone has recommended those in here (I certainly didn't). There are great quality and really fast Gen4 "Dram-less" drives which are TLC based, and they are well worth the attention. For example, the WD SN770 and the newer LEXAR NM790 (among others) are very highly praised (rightly so), because they are competitive even if put against the best models with DRAM cache, and are available at far more affordable prices. And while "Dram-less", these drives do have their own cache, it simply isn't physical (and hence is cheaper!) -> SLC cache. This is, just like DRAM cache, to keep higher speed at continuous data transfers, in this case up to a certain limit (270GB in the case of the LEXAR NM790 4TB), it's only after hitting such limit that speeds decrease. It may look like 270GB is small cache (when taking 4TB into account) but it's not, it's still big enough for nearly all workloads. And there is no game or sim in current or upcoming exhistence that can even reach that limit, not even close! When the data burst is stopped, the (SLC) cache is refreshed, and therefore available again. Which is exactly the process that always happens with whatever sim/game, because the files ingame (in any game or sim) are loaded in bursts, not in a single continuous (i.e, sustained) transfer. All this to say: these are perfect as a second NVME drive (or third, or fourth) for gaming systems and real world usage. It's exactly their purpose, what they were designed for. Now, if you're going to use only one single NVME in your system, or if you're the type of user that is into really heavy (sustained) read/write workloads then, sure, get the more expensive drive with big physical DRAM cache. That's what makes sense then - it's what they're designed for, and are better for it. Otherwise, if you're adding another NVME drive to your system just for gaming purposes (even most demanding ones), it's not worth paying extra for one of these, and I don't care what ubber gaming rig it is for. It's paying more for something that, while valid for the specs, is extremely unlikely to ever provide benefits for anyone's gaming experience. Which also applies (even more!) to latest Gen5 drives (PCIe 5.0 x4). They're meant for enthusiasts and professional applications (where they can make some difference) where "time VS cost" can be beneficial to business, even at such prices. No game today sees any advantage whatsoever with NVME Gen5 drives, and the biggest fool is the one buying a separate Gen5 drive today thinking his gaming experiences will benefit with it, now or in near future, when they're still double the price(!!) and run really hot (they all surpass 75ºC when loaded). Compromises in everything are just so big with Gen5 drives, that these are, for now, rightfully reknowned as the absolute "emperor's new clothes" on a gaming system. BTW, the "future proof" argument for Gen5 drives doesn't apply to gaming either (it's like snake oil). And it won't really differ in coming years, the gaming industry has pretty much stagnated, generally still in (somewhat of) an ongoing crisis. Direct Storage on PC hasn't been getting much traction, it will be years before it's even relevant. 99% of newer games are GPU starved, and will remain so. Not drive, not RAM, not CPU limited (provided you have a decent well rounded system, that is), no matter if 2D or VR. The NVME market is then about having different products for specific purposes and use cases. Like the WD SN770 before it, the LEXAR NM790 is a "budget" NVME drive for no other fact that it's "Dram-less". The lower prices compared to far more expensive drives with physical DRAM cache (like the WD SN850X and SAMSUNG 990PRO), comes down to that. No physical memory, no added cost of production and lower final price. Therefore, the lower price of the mentioned quality "Dram-less" drives (WD SN770 and LEXAR NM790) doesn't have anything to do with shortcuts, bad construction or bad quality, it has everything to do with specific use case. Know what is right for you before opening your wallet, if the money difference gets to be important. That is all. EDIT: reviews and "versus" benchmarks of the LEXAR NM790 4TB: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/lexar-nm790-4-tb/16.html https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/lexar-nm790-ssd-review/2 https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/lexar-nm790-4tb-ssd-review/4/ https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/lexar-nm790 https://www.servethehome.com/lexar-nm790-4tb-ssd-review/ https://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Reviews/lexar-nm790/ https://thepcenthusiast.com/lexar-nm790-m-2-ssd-4tb-review/ https://www.dexerto.com/tech/lexar-nm790-4tb-review-2364095/

For games, and even intensive ones like DCS, you will not notice difference in performance or behaviour per se. The difference between WD SN850X and LEXAR NM790 is mainly down to the internal memory, which the SN850X does have, and the NM790 does not ("dram-less"). So, the SN850X has its own dedicated DRAM to use, while the NM790 will instead use the system's RAM if and when needed. Without going too far and complicated, it's useful to have internal memory on the NVME to maintain very long and heavy read+write transfers consistently fast for longer periods. For example, for video conversion, and other professional inclined aplications that are very heavy drive data workloads (think, for instances, youtube content creators, etc). But, let's be real, even demanding games like DCS are only going to intermittently read files, ocasionally writting others, in bursts from the drive. And, as constant as that seems to us when in the game, and as big as some files are, for super fast "dram-less" drives like the NM790 that is "peanuts", really. And no, it won't "eat", choke or impair your system RAM at all (you won't even notice it). Doesn't change the fact that the SN850X is better for having its own memory though. To resume..... If this would be the only NVME in your system with Windows (etc) together with games, or frequently doing heavy read+write transfers, then I'd recommend the SN850X. If this is an additional NVME, for games and etc, differences won't be noticed at all (either will be awesome for this), then I'd say to save the money and get the NM790.

If it's an additional NVME drive just for games and archives, then I'd say to have a look on the LEXAR NM790 4TB (£234,00). This is a really fast drive that is more affordable simply because it's dram-less (i.e, no internal memory, it uses the system's), which makes no difference for whatever sims/games. https://www.scan.co.uk/products/4tb-lexar-nm790-ssd-m2-2280-pcie-40-x4-3d-nvme-ssd-tlc-7400mb-s-read-6500mb-s-write-pc-ps5 But if you want one that is among the bestest and fastest NVMEs out there, with internal memory, then it's hard to go wrong with the well proven WD SN850X 4TB (£290,00): https://www.scan.co.uk/products/4tb-wd-black-sn850x-m2-2280-pcie-40-x4-nvme-ssd-7300mb-s-read-6600mb-s-write-pc-ps5 I also have a Corsair MP600 ProXT 2TB and, while I have no complaints (I like it a lot), there are other models from other brands that are also Gen4 (PCIe 4.0 x4) and just as fast (if not more) and also reliable, which you can buy with confidence. Such as those two I just mentioned. No need to get Corsair again, really.

I see that you have an ASUS TUF B650+ motherboard, and you also have a nice and fat RTX4090 graphics-card. That's a nice setup there, congrats. You can install the new additional NVME without removing the graphics-card, but it may be a bit tight for your hands, in regards to space, to handle things (see picture below). If it is too tight for you to do the work, then yes remove the graphics-card before placing the new NVME drive. NOTE: if you do remove it, once refitting it make sure the cable on the graphics-card is well plugged in, completely inserted and tight. That is a sensitive piece. The whole process is done in two phases, 1) the physical installation of the drive and 2) the activation of the new drive on Windows. I'll leave two videos below, hoping it makes sense and is easy enough to understand (which it is, you'll see). This first video is a step-by-step guide on the whole process, it's a "How to Install and Activate a Second NVME Drive on a Windows 11 PC" (note, it's the same on Windows 10). Nice and simple, good to learn. But please notice that his motherboard is not same as yours. You can ignore the part of this video where he lays and tighten screws to attach the NVME, as you won't need that (yours will be as on video below of the guy with the gloves). Now this second video is the installation of the new NVME in a fairly similar motherboard to yours. Please note that he's installing it on the most upper slot (that one in yours should be already populated), but it's the same procedure on the lowest slots (in the picture you took), which is where you'll want to install that new second NVME. With the heatsink cover removed there in the lowest slots, you'll see that there's two NVME slots to chose - one or the other doesn't matter, both work the same. And that's it, should be pretty much the same on your motherboard. And yes, ignore the gloves, you won't need them. Lastly, if you can afford it, then I'd say to get a 4TB. But it's still very expensive (at about $340 +/-), hence why it's usually not recomended to go above 2TB (at about $170). You don't need that much space (and 2TB is still a lot of space!) but it's nice to have so much of it and not worrying about it for years, especially on supper dupper fast NVMEs, for huge size modules of DCS and other games/sims installed on the same drive. That is up to you, it's your call.