LucShep

Absolutely. Anything over 85% is pushing the GPU, thermally and performance wise (not to mention electricity cost as it ramps wattage up!). Aim at 75% ~ 85%, and set your game settings for that GPU usage percentage. That way, you also have margin for a framerate hit in certain unplanned situations (explosions, low altitude over forests and towns, etc).

As much as I like the RTX3060Ti 8GB (I had one for a while), it isn't a Quest2 VR capable GPU for DCS. You really want an RTX3080 10GB or better. With your system and Quest2 VR, an RTX3080 will boost immensely your DCS experience, great stop-gap upgrade that'll do the trick, until you can plan a total system upgrade. You'll notice that it's still very hard to get a brand new RTX3080 10 or 12 GB below the £700 mark (the insanity of the GPU market) and for that price I don't think it's worth it. So, get a used RTX3080 (10GB or 12GB) currently going for around £420 (probably less if you can negotiate or go into bidding auctions) on Ebay and etc. Be patient and look for those from trusted sellers and at the right price, they're there for sure. You don't mention what PSU you have. 750W+ is recomended for the RTX3080 so, if you decide to get one, make sure you have a good PSU for it.

Hmmmm... This is going to be long bare with me... Intel 12th gen is 2021. There is a newer generation after that, released in 4th quarter 2022 and it's faster - Intel 13th gen ("Raptor Lake") and respective Z790 motherboards. You want an Intel system and, in my opinion and as of today, a good one for DCS and gaming in general would be something like this: CPU (Processor): Intel 13th gen "Raptor Lake", either the i5 13600K or the i7 13700K. Also note that either of these two Intel CPUs also exhist in "KF" versions - only difference here is no onboard graphics, and that makes them slightly less expensive. There isn't much difference (if any) for DCS and gaming in general. So it's hard to justify going for anything higher than the i5 13600K, if that's the only use case. But if it's meant to be used for many years and especially if you're frequently streaming, or doing heavy workloads, VMs, etc, then yeah the i7 13700K is totally justifiable. CPU cooler: Very important for Intel 13th gen "K" processors - make very sure that whatever you get is a newer version with LGA 1700 compatibility, no matter the brand/model. A few personal recommendations: If you prefer air cooling (best value choice, and if not overclocking) - Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 (ARGB or non-ARGB). If you prefer liquid cooling (better choice if overclocking)- Arctic Liquid Freezer II 280 or 360 (ARGB or non-ARGB). Motherboard: I see you're a fan of ASUS motherboards, but they haven't been the most stable (BIOS issues and mem instability with XMP have occured) with 12th and 13th gen Intel. I'm a sucker for MSI (they still are the most consistent in quality, and great compatibility), so I'd recommend the MSI MAG Z790 TOMAHAWK WIFI DDR5. RAM: DDR5 6400 CL32 is the sweet spot for Intel 13th gen, and 64GB total memory size is the most recommended for DCS. There aren't many of such kits around, but the ones available are great (Hynix M die, good stuff) and usually cost around $370. I'd recommend this kit: G.SKILL Trident Z5 RGB 64GB DDR5 6400 CL32 - F5-6400J3239G32GX2-TZ5RK Besides in black, it's also available in white (the "S" final word in the part n. determines that), your pick. Storage: NVMe gen4, either 1TB (minimum) or 2TB (ideal). If your preference is for Samsung, then the 980Pro is excelent indeed, but avoid the newer Samsung 990 models (RMAs gallore!). An alternative is the Corsair MP600 Force series if you find the 1TB and 2TB models at discounted prices - fast and durable, no difference in DCS or any other games. Avoid any cheaper model that is Dram-less, even if low prices are tempting (only exception is the WD Black SN770, it's great considering price), especially if you're going to use Windows and DCS in the same drive. GPU (graphics card): Nvidia for sure, which one will depend mostly on the screen(s) resolution you're using (or if using VR). You chose the RTX 4080 16GB - that's excelent, right now the 2nd fastest available in the market. Any RTX4080 model is good, go for whichever is most affordable. However, if you're intending to keep a GPU for four years or more, and/or a VR junkie and not caring about expense, then get the very best - RTX 4090 24GB. PSU (Power Supply Unit): ≥ 1000W top rated model from renowned manufacturer, "80+Gold" (minimum) or "80+ Platinum" (preferable), and better if newest ATX 3.0 spec (though not mandatory). You've chosen a Corsair RM1000e and that's a good choice for a i5 13600K (or i7 13700K) and RTX4080 16GB system. There are some excelent alternatives to it that are newer ATX3.0 specification, such as the Bequiet! Pure Power 12M 1000W and the MSI MPG A1000G PCIE5. That said, if going for a far pricier i7 13700K and RTX4090 24GB system, and even if these mentioned PSUs work quite OK there, perhaps to consider a good 1200W or 1300W PSU wouldn't be a bad move (slight overkill but sure to last reliably, even be used on a following system). Computer ATX Case: Best build quality and airflow for lowest price, I don't think there's any better than the Lian Li LANCOOL III.

We're talking +20% gaming performance improvement in general (about the same in DCS, I suspect) but well over 45% in multithreaded workloads - this is where it'll excel. That's the good news. Now the bad news.... The i9 13900K runs very, very hot when pushed, so that means that, on top of the motherboard and etc, you may also have to consider even better cooling. You can, of course, consider Z790 D4 motherboards, in case you wish to re-use your current DDR4 RAM from that system, saving a bit in the upgrade process. The thing is, when all is said and done, we're talking close to, if not beyond, $1000 (doing quick math, $590+ for the processor, $290+ for the motherboard, $170+ for the 360AIO cooler).... all done for "brute force problem disguising", for a simulator/game with real and specific optimization issues (multicore + vulkan can't come quick enough!). So, the TLDR: yes it will make a difference (especially with that RTX4090) but not enough to justify the investment, IMHO.

Certainly looks like a PSU related issue, not really something caused by fans (which is odd IMO).

If it's a 7000X3D chip you want exclusively for gaming, then get the 7800X3D and avoid all the others. On the 7900X3D and 7950X3D the 3DV cache (what you want these for) is available only on one of the CCDs.

I have to agree with others here. At such price, that DDR4 64GB mem kit is an absolute rip off. Contrast it with a 3x more affordable (£185) and pretty good DDR4 64GB kit (yes, even for AMD 5800X3D): https://www.newegg.com/global/uk-en/mushkin-enhanced-64gb/p/N82E16820226993?Description=MRF4U360GKKP32GX2&cm_re=MRF4U360GKKP32GX2-_-20-226-993-_-Product&quicklink=true There's also the RGB bling-bling version (£206) if you're really into that stuff: https://www.newegg.com/global/uk-en/mushkin-enhanced-64gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820226962?Description=MLA4C360GKKP32GX2&cm_re=MLA4C360GKKP32GX2-_-20-226-962-_-Product&quicklink=true It's Samsung B-Die DDR4 memory built for overclocking, and IIRC that one is a 4x double-rank modules kit. Very good stuff, though extremely overrated. The problem is, instead of buying the less expensive B-die 3200 CL14 quad-kits (or that far more affordable Mushkin 3600 CL16 dual-kit) and then overclocking it to 3600 CL16 tight timings (16-16-16-36) and maybe even CL14 (14-14-14-34), most people are illiterate on the matter, and have no idea how to do it at the timings and sub-timings level. So they buy the more expensive B-die 3600 CL16 (hardly available now) and, lately, the even more expensive B-die 3600 CL14, only to leave it instead at the XMP/D.O.C.P. profile "becauje Aimedee Raijen needje it for tweee perchent moar pefomanche" (yes, it's comical, has been for the last few years). So, they pay exploitative prices (these days 3x over the alternatives in fact)... Unless you're into overclocking, DDR4 3600 CL14 is a waste of money (buying a Ferrari to run around the block) also if it's just for DCS. And at the current outrageous prices of that kit variant of B.Die, I'd seriously avoid it. But that's probably just me...

hmmmm.... I guess the 4090Ti 24GB at $2.900, and the rumoured RTX 4090 Titan 48GB at $5.000 price tags are next? I'm happy and will be holding what I have for a long time, but wonder sometimes what'll be the price and power consumption of the following RTX5000 series flagship launch? I guess a $6.000 price and 1800W PSU requirement for the RTX5090 would not be too unrealistic, given the sorry state of the GPU market?

Gaawwww... that'd be so sweet. I think so too. Much as I love the more modern "C" module, and everytime I'm on it, it's the original CW-era F-16A in DCS that I keep wanting. And maybe it would have made more sense to have that instead, considering the rest of the content.

Well, maybe next time be more generous with words and explain yourself a little better... It's a matter of checking the boxes on the parameters you want to see, right there, in Afterburner OSD options. Plenty tutorials on the web and youtube vids if you find that difficult.

You mean the numbers on screen displaying stats (OSD, On Screen Display), I presume? If so, that's something you can arrange with a software program called RivaTuner, usually combined with MSI Afterburner. Both these two programs come in one installer. Download it only from their official webpage, avoid fake versions: https://www.msi.com/Landing/afterburner/graphics-cards Among so many other ones on Youtube, here are a couple video tutorial guides on Afterburner+Rivatuner, to get in-game OSD:

That is a wrong assumption. All hardware is meant to run in at lower than 45ºC environment temp for long-term reliability. If pushing CPU, GPU, RAM and storage components, you can not ensure that in an enclosed case without fans, even with a spacious High-Tower case. Unless you use an open-bench in mild temp room, or fit such a case in a freezing AC'ed closed room (like its done for servers), it's a pretty bad advice to tell other fellow users (likely missing experience) to not use cooling fans in a PC case. You need cooling fans in enclosed cases with modern mid to high end systems. The "few fans" with correct airflow, pulling in cold-air and pushing out hot-air, do work a treat. What you really, really need to avoid is the el-cheapo bling-bling crap they try to sell you as if it's something nice to have (newsflash - it isn't). Tight on a budget and need fans for your case? Arctic P12 or P14, or Noiseblocker XL2, are great options. Contrary to the impossible rule, they're very cheap, reliable and effective.

While I'd usually agree with the "keep it as a backup" opinion, this time I'd like to offer a different perspective. ....I bought my TM Warthog, used (2nd or even 3rd hand, don't know and don't care), from a fellow member of this forum, and have been very happy with it. So, I'd say to at least consider at some point to sell yours, to a friend or a forum member in here, as most likely you'll make someone like-minded really happy with it.

I have to agree, if buiding a rig from scratch right now, then DDR5 is the way, be it AMD Ryzen 7XXX or Intel 13th gen. The only reason I can think not to go for DDR5 is if you're updating a DDR4 system, for example a CPU upgrade on a good DDR4 mem + mobo platform you already own, or if willing to reuse a good kit of DDR4 64GB that you may be already in posession of. You have to understand that the latency issue of DDR5 was mostly mentioned for the initial kits (4600 to 5200 and CL40+, etc), it's no longer an issue these days with higher speeds and lower latency newest kits, no more than it was for DDR4 in relation to DDR3, and that one over the previous, etc. What really, really sucks is the motherboards pricing, for both AMD and Intel newest chips rocking DDR5. Any good "budget" mobo now goes over 300€ (ouch!). After over a year of DDR5 introduction on the market, we got to a point where DDR5 6400 CL32 is cheaper than B-Die DDR4 3600 CL16, and performance of the former is better in 99,9% of gaming situations (although not by a lot), whatever game/sim you throw at them. The gains with memory speed are noticeable, just like previously happened with DDR4, DDR3 and DDR2 over their previous iterations. And it'll only get better from here on.

700$ ?!?! My dude, for 700$ you can't even get a sole RTX3080, much less one with a kickass 11700K, motherboard and 32GB RAM on top! JUST GET THAT RIG NAAUUU (...and worry about possible upgrades later, that's definitely worth it!)

Welcome! It really depends on price, and if VR is something you really want to get into. For a single monitor at 1440P (2560x1440) and even 4K (3840x2160) resolution at high settings, that "i7 11700k, 32Gb 3200 Ram, Rtx 3080" combo will absolutely kick ass. That is still a very potent and up-to-date system. Yes there is newer and faster hardware combinations, but you may have to pay a LOT(!) more if buying new, merely to notice differences in performance increase, at all, over that. So, if the price is right (depending where that friendly price is really "friendly"), it might translate into very heavy savings and be a great option for you. The thing is, you mention VR is in the cards... And perhaps later you'll also want to use it in online Multiplayer... If you're aware of the poor optimisation of DCS, you may also know that, for VR and online Multiplayer, things get even worse and requirements become pretty steep (even more). Here, you'll want the biggest baddest Nvidia GPU you can afford (RTX4080 is a great choice then) to brute force your way into the smoothest experience. You'll also want 64GB of RAM, as any busy and populated server will fill 32GB of RAM very fast. (side note: remember to increase the Windows pagefile to 32GB) If in the end you decide to invest in a completely new rig from scratch, I'd recommend to wait for the new Ryzen 7800X3D (8c/16t) to be reviewed and released, as over 30% performance increase is rumoured, over the 5800X3D (which is still very good but to be discontinued - AMD AM4 socket platform is now dead). Of course, the new Ryzen 7800X3D willl require different motherboard (AMD AM5 socket, B650 or X670) and different memory (DDR5 6000 CL30 or whereabouts), both of which are much newer and dearer, but it may be well worth it in the longer run.

Although not ideal, yes, it's ok to run the Ryzen 7 5800X3D on a MSI B350 Tomahawk with updated BIOS to support it. The caveat is, while very capable, that motherboard's VRMs may get toasty with that specific processor, so better make sure your PC case is really well ventilated (or get a fan blowing air onto that motherboard's VRMs). That said, either the Ryzen 5 5600X or Ryzen 7 5700X are a better match to the MSI B350 Tomahawk (perfect with that motherboard?), and are also far cheaper. So, it's much easier to recommend either of these in such case, for an excelent upgrade (interim or not), and without breaking the bank. I'd say even if using an RTX 4090. FWIW, it's been tried and tested by Steven Walton (TechSpot website and HardwareUnboxed youtube star). Here's the article: https://www.techspot.com/review/2475-ryzen-5800x3d-older-am4-motherboards/

Well, there's more than just airflow and filters, even if those are very significant aspects when choosing a case. Quality of construction, the internal layout, spacings and extra room for cable management and peripherals, plus other little details (side panel fittings, screws fitting, PSU, SSD, HDD and filters mounting/dismounting ease, front panel and respective cables quality) are all aspects that are worth the extra money when you're building or doing maintenance with a pretty expensive system. Build two identical systems, one in an el-cheapo garbage case, and the other on a top quality contender case, you'll notice huge differences 100% sure.

The "budget" segment for PC cases is filled with pure garbage, such as those CM Q300L and Q500L -they're awful- and most of Zalman's cheapest stuff. There are far better options for little more money. Aim for at least 70$ budget just for the PC case (which will also have fans included) and you'll be much better served, more so for the longer term. Probably the best option right now in the "budget" segment for PC Cases: Montech X3 Mesh - https://www.montechpc.com/en/products_detail.php?nid=229&s_ok2= Other great options in same segment, though for these you'll have to buy and install 120mm fans separately into the front and/or rear: Phanteks Eclipse P300A - https://www.phanteks.com/Eclipse-P300A.html Phanteks Eclipse P360A - https://www.phanteks.com/Eclipse-P360A.html Silverstone FARA R1 - https://www.silverstonetek.com/en/product/info/computer-chassis/FARAR1/ The downside with cases in the "budget" segment is, for the most part, their front to back size. Most of the available lower priced models are unable to fit a GPU inside with more than 305mm of lenght (only a few allow 355mm or bigger clearance for GPUs), so take your own GPU length measure into account when choosing one of these for your system. Lastly, if your budget is tight and looking for a CPU cooler for your Ryzen 5XXX CPU, then the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 is a phenomenal option at just $40. It's a dual tower (+ dual fans) six heatpipes air-cooler, capable of handling 200W+, so it has room to mess about with OC, PBO and etc if ever desired - even on a 5800X3D.

Try one of these (or similar) on your RTX3090 (non Ti) using MSI Afterburner: 1785 Mhz core frequency @ 825mv or 1800 Mhz core frequency @ 831mv or 1815 Mhz core frequency @ 837mv or 1830 Mhz core frequency @ 843mv or 1845 Mhz core frequency @ 850mv If necessary to adjust core values for whatever reason, decrease/increase in steps of 15 Mhz, in the core clocks graph curve of MSI Afterburner. In addition, you can also safely overclock your memory up to 1312 Mhz (that's 20.992 Gbps effective). Which translates to +748 in the memory value setting in MSI Afterburner. Note that the stock memory is 1219 Mhz (19.5 Gbps effective). So, doing this adjustment in the memory puts it right in the ballpark for what the Micron GDDR6X memory in the RTX3090 is rated for from factory (21.0 Gbps effective) - good gains added, no stability issues. From there on, it's all diminishing returns. The undervolting core frequency values won't differ much (if at all) from one specific model of RTX3090 to another. At least for my EVGA RTX3090 FTW Ultra, those values are certainly the sweetest spot (fully stable, cool and performant) that I've stress tested, among so many other combinations, in benchmarks and games (including DCS). Expect very small but noticeable performance gains (~5%), all the while you're running far lower voltage (~100W less) and quite a bit cooler (over 10ºC cooler). For example, with Heaven Benchmark @1080P Ultra... All stock settings: score 5980 (+/-), 430W peak GPU Power, 90ºC Mem Junction temp (highest overall temp) After Undervolting: score 6190 (+), 340W peak GPU Power, 78ºC Mem Junction temp (highest overall temp) - 1830 core / 1312 mem @ 843mv It's a "Win Win" !! FWIW, a very quick tutorial on "how to undervolt":

Hello Any news, any progress?

LOL Now that's a good point!

Yes, I think so too. Either Intel 13th gen (13600K/KF especially) with 64GB DDR4 3600 C16/C18 and Z790 D4 mobo, or AM4 5800X3D with 64GB DDR4 3600 C14/C16 and B550/X570 mobo, still seems the way to go, bang for buck.

Agreed, that's not good at all. Countless gamers, reviewers, overclockers, system builders/repairers and, I suspect, even manufacturers, all use Afterburner or something derived from it. Alexey Nicolaychuk is a small genious, and one we all have a lot to be very thankful. Unfortunately, he's one more victim of this stupid war (as all wars are). I've been using RivaTuner since 2005, and MSI Afterburner since 2011 (also EVGA PrecisionX, back then was basically same thing with different skin, before their split in 2014). It's one of those tools that I always use no matter what GPU I install, be it in my systems or of friends, or of customers. Would be sad to see this tool stagnate or, even worse, abandoned then disappearing.

+1 (Ditto).