LucShep

Sorry for hijacking the thread but it's kind of related. Linux distros such as Bazzite, Fedora, Nobara, Pop!_OS (among few others), and soon SteamOS coming to desktop, will present free direct alternatives to Win11 (if not already), more so when AMD hardware (CPUs, GPUs) is among the most widely used and seem really well supported on them. Because of a growing dislike towards Win11, and with more people converting to OSs based on Linux, also because other game devs are already doing it, it begs the question: Is ED already considering some sort of testing, towards potential support, of DCS on Linux? @BIGNEWY

RAM is short-term volatile storage that temporarily holds information which your PC needs to access. Depending on the number of assets and scripts in a given DCS mission, more RAM will help with that for sure, resulting in smoother gameplay, less stuttering. Another benefit with having more RAM than required is that you can drastically decrease the pagefile size (with 64GB RAM a pagefile of 1024 MB min and 2048 MB max is enough) as the demand for it is vastly reduced, which also frees up the load in the drive where it sits, for gaming and other purposes (faster loading in general). If you already measured RAM consumption during DCS gameplay, you may have noticed that as far as ~50GB of RAM can be consumed (depending on mission complexity). Yes, MP is more intensive, and that will happen more frequently there, but even in SP it can be very demanding. 32GB is considered a bottleneck for DCS today, even if assisted by a large pagefile (32768+ MB) to partially (and badly) mitigate that. At this point, and for sometime now, 64GB is the recommended RAM capacity for DCS, and the benefits are quite noticeable. In addition, I wouldn't be surprised at all if the majority of new higher-end systems for DCS will now start fitting 96GB kits (2x 48GB), aiming at next coming years.

Honestly, I'd only upgrade the memory, to 64GB (2x 32GB) or 96GB (2x 48GB) leaving the remaining system as is. Then, after that, maybe wait another year or so for the next generation of CPUs of AMD X3D and Intel 7 K, and decide wether to fully upgrade system or not.

Nice! Congrats I'd start by adjusting the Scale of Windows (125% is usually a good starting point for a screen like yours). If not sure how, check this tutorial if on Win11, or this other tutorial if on Win10. As for the desktop icons, if you already arranged them: While completely optional, I'd consider backing up / saving the desktop icons position, before messing with their scale size. It can be done with some simple software (I use DesktopOK - just need to press "Save" to do a backup, and press "Restore" to load selected backup). This is useful if you have lots of icons meticulously ordered in the screen, having backups to imediately revert if and when necessary. And then.... left mouse click anywhere on the desktop, then CTRL + mouse scroll (scroll up = icons get bigger ; scroll down = icons get smaller) Note that while this will change the scale of desktop icons, it may move their position and break their arrangement... ...and this is where loading your backup of icons position arrangement comes handy. You load/restore your previous save/backup and they're all displayed again in the position you previously set them, regardless of bigger/smaller scale.

Nvidia’s GeForce Experience ...yeah, no. That's one of the things to erase/debloat before installing new drivers from Nvidia (which always comes massively bloated) by using NVCleanstall (link here). If you never done this, there's a tutorial here (there may be others around) to see how it works.

AFAIK, all 4K OLED panels in the market are G-Sync compatible, and can confirm that both LG OLED42C4 and Sony XR-42A90K are. You're good there. I suspect you'll feel the Sony A90K has slightly better default calibration of color/brightness (it's usually so from Sony) but, still, nothing that you can't adjust in few minutes in the LG C4, if desired. (NOTE: I'd suggest looking at recommended calibration settings in RTINGS, left in their reviews of each model) Personal opinion only but, I consider the LG C4 the better purchase, not only because it's a newer product (2024 model, whereas the A90K is 2022) but it's a more mature product on a proven panel, one that is also widely available, is very popular (also among PC users) and well supported. That said, there's one caveat which may, or not, be a deal breaker for you (depends on personal preference) - the screen finish. The Sony A90K has a "semi-glossy" finish (slightly matt anti-reflective coating) that handles reflections better, though that can give everything a bit of a tint. Whereas the LG C4 is a "glossy" finish (almost like glass mirror) and, although it still reduces the intensity of direct reflections a little, the glare from lamps or windows opposite to the screen can be distracting. Same applies to the previous C2 and C3, and also the newly released C5. For you to have a better idea of what I mean, here's a reflection test between the two. Sony A90K on the left, LG C4 on the right: Either way, they're both amazing TVs that are also fantastic gaming PC monitors, I'm sure you'll be very happy whichever case. PS: the new LG C5, which replaces the C4, is out now. Differences are negligible (pretty much the very same thing), so if you are aiming for the C4 and see the new C5 with intrigue/confusion, then just get whichever of the two that is less expensive and call it a day.

I don't know of any monitor in 38" to 45" screen size that isn't below 4K resolution if it isn't ultrawide. If you want a screen space that big that isn't 4K, it will be a QHD ultrawide. If you don't want ultrawide, then it'll be 4K. But since you have an RTX 3080Ti, it means you can use DLSS (AI algorithm upscaling) in DCS, and many other games, which is very effective in practice, makes performance concerns with 4K solved for the most part. For example, by using DLSS at "Quality" settings (=66% upscaling) in a 4K resolution panel, you're basically running the game at 1440P, but upscaled to the panel (so, done with good image quality). That is one of the big advantages of AI upscalling -> less concern with the classic performance issues on a 4K monitor, for which there are quite good choices for the screen sizes you seem to look for. I'd strongly suggest looking at OLED 42'' monitors (or TVs), as all of them are as flagships and outstandingly good (and all are G-Sync compatible), some slightly better than others features wise (not all have USB-C) but you can buy any with confidence. That is, provided that you're already aware of OLED's risk of burn-in in with prolongued heavy usage of static images (but mitigations and routines to avoid it exhist). All have continuous support with own Firmware releases, which keep slightly improving things. As for the lack of DisplayPort 1.4 on those that are labelled as TVs, it's not a problem at all in practice when using them as a PC monitor, though you must have a good quality HDMI 2.1 cable (Zeskit, Maxonar, Stouchi, Audioquest, etc). There may be some newer models on the market now, but these are good ones that I know of and would recommend: 42” OLED 4K 120Hz (138Hz w/OC) --------------------------- ASUS PG42UQ - review: https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/asus/rog-swift-oled-pg42uq Philips 42M2N8900 - review: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/philips-evnia-42m2n89-review KTC G42P5 - review: https://www.guru3d.com/review/ktc-g42p5-oled-monitor-review/ 42” OLED 4K 120Hz --------------------------- LG OLED42C2 (TV, only HDMI, no DP) - review: https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/lg/42-c2-oled LG OLED42C3 (TV, only HDMI, no DP) - review: https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/lg/c3-oled LG OLED42C4 (TV, only HDMI, no DP) - review: https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/lg/42-c4-oled 42” OLED 4K 120Hz Bendable (flat to 900R curve) ------------------------------------------- LG OLED Flex LX3 (TV, only HDMI, no DP) - review: https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/lg/oled-flex If you need more listed specifications of these (and other) PC monitors and TV's, you have the DisplaySpecs website (https://www.displayspecifications.com).

Privy to ED's sales figures? No. Indications that player numbers have been lower than they were during the pandemic? For sure. Steam charts clearly indicate a boom in 2020 (like happened with every PC and console game) but then active userbase has been decreasing since the beginning of 2023. https://steamcharts.com/app/223750#All We're not counting the non-Steam users here. But I'd guess is safe to say their chart would be similar. Again - having free trials is great. But there is no such thing for Steam users, where a huge portion of the userbase is, and from where newcomers also come from (I'd wager far more than non-steam newcomers). DCS belongs to a niche genre of PC gaming. Relying on the current userbase only is short sighted. Newcomers must be taken into account. Once interested they will add to the userbase who continuously invests on paid content - what sustains DCS and makes it grow. Again, you only have one chance to do well on first impressions... I think sacrificing a simpler to operate, already mature (zero impact on development) and cheap (low revenue) module, to turn it into free default/included content, is the easiest and probably best solution to lure in new players. And the good old F-15C is the right module for that. Well, that's unfortunate but it's understandable. I didn't know that it had ended, I stand corrected.

I disagree. One could argue that the F-15C module is already extremely affordable and etc (like you just did), sure. But it is the comodity of having it already in the game, ready to be used, without any hoops and hassle of the extra content payment, download and installation to a newcomer (who is just dipping his/her toes into the water), that makes this the kind of decision that should have been (IMO) already made by ED. The initial impact with DCS for the newcomer would, undoubtedly, be far more positive, tremendously so. The aircraft that corresponds to your description is the F/A-18C and, perhaps, also the F-16C and the AH-64D Apache. Those are best-sellers, should not be made free for obvious revenue reasons. The F-15C is cheap as chips ($7.49) and there's also (still, I think) the 50% discount on the very first purchased module. In the end, the revenue on that module alone is meaningless - most will purchase the entire Flaming Cliffs bundle instead - in a list populated with modules at ten times over that price (bar the periodic discounts). Sacrificing the older and simple F-15C module's tiny revenue (by making it the "default free included" module) makes all the sense, for the greater good, both for the newcomer and for DCS's sustainability. We're no longer in the pandemic period with people forced to be in their homes and bored to tears. Sales numbers are not as it was then. ED needs to make revenue easier, and make the game imediately more appealing, grab and hook the curious newcomer from the start. Having some simpler cheap modules, free trials and periodic discounts, all that is great. But we're talking about the initial impact for the newcomer who may, or may not, like what he sees/feels when testing the (free) content provided with the game download - It's always the very first impression that counts.

Have to say, I resonate with what @cfrag wrote there. Pretty similar to my experience through the years, with many others who I've introduced to DCS as well. For all the reasons already stated, I think it's a given that it is the FC aircraft (the modern fighters in that collection) that get the attention from newcomers. Especially the F-15C - even more so than the Su-27 and Mig-29A - is the one that ticks all the boxes, in my opinion. That one would always be my candidate for a free included module, and as a module to recommend a newcomer to DCS (not the Su-25T, not the TF-51, and not a trainer). Because it's an iconic and popular fighter jet, modern enough, fun/easy enough, and serious enough, to begin with and get hooked. It's (still) extremely popular, judging by MP servers and number of downloadable SP and MP community missions. Plus, it's already made and in a very mature state - which means zero waste in development resources. There is no better aircraft in DCS than that to lure in more people (by making it the "default free aircraft", included with the game download). Once there's a real desire to progress and go down the DCS rabbit hole, anyone will eventually explore and buy full-fidelity modules and maps, which are also far more expensive.

Easily fixed with some velcro adhesive tape and a wee bit of foam (which may end up not being needed). Very effective and completely reversible. There are many other similar velcro adhesive tape products but, for example, something like THIS. In case the angle is too steep, or simply to create some support, you can also cut some foam (styrofoam, or regular foam, whatever works) to fill / shape the space, if necessary. Most products these days come with foam inside the boxes to secure content (and any type will do). You just need to be creative. As for the IR clip for headphones, I'd recommend a wireless one that is TrackIR camera compatible. Some good ones out there, that are also far more robust than the TrackIR Clip Pro. They're not cheap but are worth considering. DelanClip Fusion: https://delanclip.com/product/delanclip-fusion/ Grassmonkeysimulations (either Puck or Odissey, the TrackIR camera compatible ones) https://grassmonkeysimulations.com/product/the-puck-ir-w-o-camera-trackir-version/ https://grassmonkeysimulations.com/product/odyssey-ir-w-o-camera-trackir-compatible-version/

Yep, that latency tweak in the video will work for some. No harm in trying it (though I believe that "5000" in AC value is a bit too much, may cause instability). Another good latency tweak is this other one, for Windows 11 users (it unfortunately doesn't work with Windows 10 since year 2020). Lots of interesting stuff on that guy's YTB channel.

Yes there is. Look into "Miscelaneous Codewords and Abbreviations" (Meaning / Expand) in that page. I don't think you can get a list more comprehensive and extended than that one.

You mean, like this? https://wiki.hoggitworld.com/view/Brevity_List

So many good people doing tutorials, don't know where to point you to! I guess GS ones will be very popular, and a good start: https://www.youtube.com/@GrowlingSidewinder/search?query=explain These two BFM (Basic Fighter Maneuvers) tutorials from Echo Victor are also good and worth a look: https://www.youtube.com/@echovictordcsworld/search?query=BFM

Understandable, sure. I think that Intel, AMD, and especially Nvidia, do fully understand your point of view (lower power consumption, DLSS, etc). But thats also what they're exploiting. And that's why I emphasize that people should fight the temptation of buying a brand new GPU of this and other segments, as much as it may hurt. If everybody stopped buying new GPUs out of despair for three or four months, it would change the whole market picture. With shelves pilling up with overpriced items, now ignored, the message would be strong enough to force lower prices. But, alas... I gave the example of the equivalent RX 7700XT 12GB, which does perform similar at native resolution (upscaling is a different story, FSR3 is not as good as DLSS 3/4). But it's not just this one that is to be focused on. The RX 7800XT 16GB was launched in September 2023, sells for similar price of the RTX 5060Ti 16GB, and it is a better GPU. FSR4 seems as good as DLSS 3/4 now (no idea about custom tweaks though). The problem is how long AMD will take to bring it to previous GPU generations (6000 and 7000 series). My guess is someone will get a hack going before that. Also note when I'm talking about used (second hand) cards here. For example: - RX 6800XT 16GB - RX 6900XT 16GB - RTX 3080 12GB All of these make better sense, when they can be found at or below the price of a brand new RX 7700XT 12GB or RTX 5060Ti 16GB, and perform better. Not to mention the RX 6700XT 12GB, which is still a completely valid 1080P solution (even for DCS), with used units going for nearly half(!) the price of a brand new RTX 5060Ti. I know people feel uncomfortable buying used GPUs, but the reality is there are still HEAPS of them at reach, perfectly usable for years ahead, regardless of warranties ending. Places like CEX and Cash Converters (etc) have them, and there are small business PC hardware stores on EBAY selling them too. These can be a solution if you don't like buying directly from a private seller, becoming afraid (which you shouldn't be!) of being scammed or buying a lemon.

Many thanks for the review, well done. This sort of effort from DCS users is very appreciated. In the end, I can't help but still feel that "There are no really bad GPUs now, just really, really bad prices". An RX 7700XT 12GB from AMD gives the same performance, and it's been around since.... August 25th, 2023 (almost two years ago!).... for 450€. That was somewhat criticized back then (as was also the RTX 4060Ti) and so it appeared with the ocasional discount or rebate to bring that further down. Why then would this RTX5060Ti 16GB be worthy then? It isn't. There is no 5060Ti 16GB from Palit or Gainward below 525€ from what I can see (and yes, those are the cheapest). And yes, I know that corresponds to MSRP + VAT in Europe. The thing is, this a product so cutdown in specs (forget the VRAM, raw power will be long gone before 2/3 of it are used) that, for the current day/year, as a brand new product, it should have never had a price tag above 400€. Come on guys, I understand the despair from people willing to upgrade. GPU prices have been really bad, for way too long. But just get a used GPU with similar performance (or better, for less money!) if you have to. DO NOT BUY these overpriced products. It's the only way you have to send a message to those in charge, to stop the crappola they're pulling on everybody.

Yep, you can. Then just use the latest DLSS DLL (or any other of your preference) and, if desired, maybe use either DLSSTweaks or NVPI to adjust DLSS presets and etc. Personally (YMMV), I still prefer using the 537.58 drivers ("Clean Version") with my RTX3090, and then do for DLSS DLL, presets and settings (etc) as in the post linked below:

The way I see it, that system could be much more optimized for value (some things there are excessive)... but I don't know if budget is a concern or not. Nor if you're a content creator or just want this for gaming, and if you're hardware savvy (who's building this? you? or is it a prebuild?). Going in parts that I'd likely change: CPU - - - - - - - - - - - - - You don't need a 9950X3D ($699) if this is mostly for gaming - in this case the 9800X3D is more than you'll need, and it's far less money (at $499). I'd go for an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU Cooler - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you decide on the 9800X3D CPU (I would) then you don't need liquid cooling for it. Then I'd go for the Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 Note that any version of the Phantom Spirit 120 is good, among the very best air coolers and it's just $45 (even matches 240 AIOs at over double its price). Motherboard - - - - - - - - - - - - - X870 motherboards are great, but are a tad expensive (most at well over $300) and you really don't need it for a gaming intended system. A good mid-range B850 motherboard (usually around $200) is all you'll need then. I'm partial to the MSI Tomahawk motherboard in this segment, but any of these will be good: - Asrock B850 Steel Legend WiFi - Asrock B850 Pro RS WiFi - MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk Max WiFi - MSI PRO B850-P WiFi - Gigabyte B850 Gaming X WiFi MEMORY (RAM)- - - - - - - - - - - - - I don't know what is the purpose of 7200Mhz DDR5 RAM on an AM5 system (maybe I'm missing something?) and 48GB (2x 24?) is too little for DCS. I'd go instead with a good kit of DDR5 64GB (2x 32GB) 6000 CL30 "AMD EXPO". For example, Gskill X-Flare F5-6000J3040G32GX2-FX5 or Gskill Trident Z5 Neo F5-6000J3040G32GX2-TZ5N PRIMARY DRIVE (NVME/SSD) - - - - - - - - - - - - - Lexar NM790 is a great NVME but it's DRAMless, so I wouldn't recommend it for a primary (and sole) drive on a higher-end gaming system. I'd go instead with a good proven NVME gen4 with its own DRAM, if it's to be a 4TB capacity primary drive. For example, the Samsung 990 PRO 4TB or the WD Black SN850X 4TB Maybe see what next replies indicate.

Of those three you list, only the RTX 3080 is worth the money (the 12GB version, not the 10GB version!). Another alternative to the RTX 3080 12GB from Nvidia, that you may find worth looking for, is the RX 6800XT 16GB from AMD. Any triple-fan model of these two is good (they were near-flagships) and much, much faster than the 3060 and 4060 (forget these, not worth the money at this point). Still very good GPUs, pretty much equivalent in raw performance to the RTX 4070 12GB (far more expensive) and the current AMD equivalent, the RX 7800XT 16GB. The problem is... you can only find RTX 3080 and RX 6800XT in second hand market now (EBAY, etc) at around £400. I see that you're in Scotland - maybe try looking at good old CEX (https://uk.webuy.com/) as it could present the better solution. They sell used and refurbished units (with a warranty, although limited) and should also accept returns if any problems arise. They may also accept your older GPU (if you have any) as trade-in, which is worth considering. If you insist in buying brand new today, then the best solutions are from AMD, the RX 7800XT 16GB (around £500) and, as ideal minimum, the RX 7700XT 12GB (around £400). And if "it has to be Nvidia" then the newly released RTX 5060Ti 16GB (around £500) is the only valid solution, albeit at an inflated price. Note that these can also be found with ocasional discounts, and sometimes refurbished or open box (lower price, nearly same as brand new), worth looking for in places like Amazon.co.uk, Overclockers.co.uk and Scan.co.uk (etc). They may be also found in the already mentioned CEX. For DCS at 1080P resolution "High" settings, these are the only GPUs that I'd recommend in the current crazy state of the market. You could also wait for the upcoming AMD RX 9060XT 16GB (June 2025) and the RX 9070GRE 12GB (unknown date), then see from reviews if they're good options (should be?). Lastly (long post, I know), you'll notice Nvidia GPUs have generally inflated prices (now more than before), bonkers really, to a point where they're not getting recommendations. Nvidia does have better video encoders for streaming/content-creation, and it's better for 3D/rendering apps, but these are meaningless if the intended use is to run PC games. Nvidia is also still better for VR (Virtual Reality) but that gap is slowly closing and, really, at this price point DCS VR is out of the picture (needs 4070Ti Super 16GB or better). My point is, AMD has direct GPU alternatives for PC gaming at considerably lower prices and, unless you're a brand zealot, they now make all the sense.

Hey, nice one! Strange days we live in today, when people get to be congratulated for getting a GPU at MSRP or whereabouts! Agreed, it does make more sense for such tech to work the other way around, than currently, for triples. That said, maybe makes sense to use DLSS in DCS. Even if negligible as it may sound in this case (working on 1/3 displayed pixels only), theoretically it should reduce VRAM usage and make it less computing intensive to render from the game.

I always use "Quality", even if "Balanced" now is digestible with presets J and K (I'm quite alergic to aliasing *sigh*). I do notice that in dllstweaks.log, and on the app, it mentions DLAA not being forced onto presets. And only now I notice that I left that option by mistake earlier, guess was when testing the urban myth(?) that it applies an extra DLAA effect over DLSS presets regardless. ...may be a bug? ...or perhaps old eyes going for placebo Will have to disable "Force DLAA", yep. You're right about the Global Forced Preset. The thing is, some games prefer a different preset (Cyberpunk2077 "C", WRCG "C", GoT "K", ACC I prefer "C", and DCS I prefer "K") so that isn't always a universal aproach. And yes, I do rename the dxgi.dll regardless (to XInput9_1_0.dll, doesn't interfere w/ anything AFAIK) as I use Reshade, even in VR (VRToolkitReshadeUniversal, via SteamVR).

Yep, that's a very demanding display (triple 1440P) for DCS. It's a darn shame that both DLSS and FG only work on the main display in a multi monitor setup, or at least it was my experience helping someone a couple of years ago with triple screens. I don't have experience with AMD on triple screens, but I suppose it'll be the same thing for their equivalent FSR tech. Perhaps FG (x2) works on triples with Lossless Scaling (see here) ? I think you're in that position with a 1080Ti, where you'll be "damned if you do, damned if you don't", the upgrade will have to happen at some point, sooner rather than later. I'd have a look to AMD, the RX 7900XT 20GB and 7900XTX 24GB are still found, some at discount in the usual places if you're in the USA (MicroCenter, Newegg, etc), probably a few of the new RX 9070XT 16GB as well. Any of these three will be a tremendous upgrade over the good old GTX1080Ti and, worst case scenario, you can later sell them on 2nd hand market (or here in the forum?) if better oportunity later appears for an Nvidia higher end GPU. But as it is, better forget Nvidia for the next few months...

The newer presets J and K both have that soft image with less aliasing than any other preset (very nice there, though sometimes too soft), but the ghosting still present for me. The older presets C and E have least ghosting for me.

YMMV but, I'm getting better performance and image quality results just with DLSS Tweaks alone. No messing with DLSS settings in Nvidia Inspector (or equivalent NVPI Revamped), whatsoever - all those DLSS settings best left as driver default for best results. PS: if you're the impatient short attention span type, go to the end of this post * I get worse results if with DLSS settings messed on Nvidia Inspector. Slightly bigger hit in GPU usage and higher wattage consumption (so, worse impact) on my RTX3090 and, although subtle, image quality does not look as good. DLSS Tweaks with adjusted settings seem to be devoided of issues, and brings the desired results for me. I'm also using the latest Nvidia DLSS .dll files alone, which also means then that I don't have to download latest Nvidia garbage drivers either (can use whichever older ones I like). What I do is: Download the latest DLSS .dll files from TechPowerUp and unzip (or copy) the files in the folder where the game's executable is. Download the most recent DLSS Tweaks application and unzip (or copy) the files into an empty folder. Run the "EnableNvidiaSigOverride.reg" file (double-click -> Run -> Yes to all prompts) Double click on the DLSSTweaksConfig.exe file and change any settings to suit your preferences. And then press "Save" after changing settings. Personally, I changed mine to exactly as they are in this image : (click image to enlarge it) copy and place all the files into the folder where the game's executable is. side note and optional step - in case you use Reshade or any other app that needs to have its own exhisting dxgi.dll rename the dxgi.dll that comes with DLSS Tweaks to either XInput1_3.dll, or XInput1_4.dll, or XInput9_1_0.dll. Run the game and see how it goes. ____ ____ _____ * Now, let's imagine that you're the impatient type, and want the least fuss as possible.... Then you'd download THIS (includes all mentioned files, with tweaked settings, and compatible with Reshade), then unzip or copy all files into folder where game executable is. Now you'd only need to double click the EnableNvidiaSigOverride.reg (run and yes, etc), adjust settings in the app if you wish (though not needed)... and it's ready to go. Run the game, see how it goes (again, YMMV - may or not work better for you). BTW, personal opinion but I still think presets "C" and "E" are the best alternatives to preset "K" or "J".