DavidE

Finally pulled the trigger on the Pimax crystal today. The deciding factor was being able to order from Amazon in the UK for the discounted price. Controllers will see me through for now, can consider the lighthouse / valve controllers at a later time if I think it’s worth it. I was also able to take out the 3 year insurance via Amazon, expensive at £173 but worth it especially as it’s Amazon insurance and not Pimax, can also be cancelled within 45 days if I have major problems. I took out the G2 insurance and this proved to be a good call. Once I get it working reliably I will look to get the Apache strap + counterweight and the DMAS. Can find a euro DMAS suppler, is there a UK source for both items. Apart from the above are there any other recommended additions. Is there good DCS related guide to setup, presume its best to fully uninstall the G2. Just tested positive for covid so will have a few spare days to prepare for delivery.

Was hoping that this would be the headset that I would buy but the very initial reviews are disappointing and in particular the price is far higher than I expected, even for the base model. Seem to be drifting with some reticence towards the Crystal. One thing that would help is to know where the UK Pimax Crystal units are shipped from and where the return would be to if I had a bad unit! Seems to be some talk re Amazon, does anyone know the current situation

Many thanks for the reassurance, may have to do a bit of tinkering but sounds like no major issues.

Thanks, that’s the issue I am trying to get some someone with real world experience to advise on.

I am close to upgrading my 9900K PC, already have a 4090, play mainly VR (looking at the Somnium when it comes out). If I was playing DCS / games only, I would go with the 7800X3D. I also do astro imaging processing which is extremely CPU intensive, processing can take 12 hours, with a higher resolution camera could be 24 hours on my existing kit. I am therefore looking at the 7950X3D as a compromise solution. Does anyone have any experience with this CPU for DCS VR gaming, wondering if the higher boost clock of the 7950X3D gives any advantages. I am aware that the 7950X3D can be a bit more temperamental but its an (expensive) compromise. Will be aiming for 64 Gb of memory.

Having built up a decent rig 9900k 4090, G2, I have just been diagnosed with mild epilepsy. All started about a year ago with short 10 second deja vu moments about once a month, I am fully aware during the incidents. While in themselves the symptoms are very minor, I thought I should get it checked out and its come back as mild epilepsy, have voluntarily started tablets which should get it in check. For the last few months I have kept away from VR just in case. Due an EEG shortly which might narrow down the type. From my experience over the last year I have noted no correlation with VR use. I do sim racing as well so fortunately I have a triple setup which has a lot of benefits over VR while not being as good (when VR is working properly). Flight sim and sim racing tend to be relatively slow movement which helps. I have been saving up for a new processor and headset but am now wondering if its a potential waste of money if I can't use VR longterm, my rig runs the 1440p 32 inch triples very well. The doctors have little experience of VR so thought I would reach out here to see if any one has any experience of the issue. As i have said its very minor at present.

I have used PC specialist for 2 computers (UK) in the past. You specify each component and they build it. Also found that this way it makes me more comfortable with changing out items over time. The first of the computers failed a few months ago after 11years, case and power supply were fine as over specified them initially. Found it relatively simple to put in a new motherboard etc, you can always buy a partially pre built motherboard, cooler, CPU, RAM bundle. Did this a long time ago and windows, drivers etc was a pain. This time the drivers self installed and my windows drive worked first time. All looks scary at first but got a lot of satisfaction in effectively building a PC from scratch. Been very happy with the PC specialist route and their customer support.

Thanks, sounds like its a good time to update to windows 11. On the other point I was in effect asking whether the non beta version ran MT as a standard executable rather than as an option.

I am still using windows 10 with 9900k, 4090, G2 setup. Seems like windows 10 is getting to the end of its update life, although it will still be supported for some time. Is there any advantage in going to windows 11, read some posts that say it doesn't play well with graphic drivers. Also I only have beta downloaded, was thinking of downloading alpha now it caught up, does alpha use the the multi core feature now as standard?

Have just upgraded from 9900k, G2 , 3080ti to 4090. On single player and MT I am still more GPU bound than CPU bound on roughy high settings. Found visual distance to be be a resource hog for the GPU. HT on also helped. Now getting close to 80 to 90 FPS. Saying that only just changed so lots of short testing, longer sessions may still have some stuttering. Posted my settings a few days ago. Now looking to upgrade the G2 before the 9900K.

Been doing a lot of testing tonight. Using the spitfire Atlantic wall start up as a base, I am still clearly GPU limited even with only a 9900K. using the high preset as a base, visibility to med, (big hit) civ traffic off, water medium, cockpit res 512, shadows flat terrain shadows flat Aniso x16 open X-RAY fov rendering on performance, wide getting close to 90FPS, the CPU timings are about 3 ms less than the GPU. Haven't tried out the setting in anger yet but see no need for a new CPU at present. Turning on HT and EMC in the bios helped a lot. Got distracted trying out Alyx at 150%, amazing clarity. So pleased with the 4090 and that I don’t need a new CPU at present. About double the FPS of the 3080ti although I didn’t get the settings so dialled in for that. Of all the settings, visibility was one of the most critical. I may see how I go sacrificing about 5FPS for MSAA at 4. I know my testing is very basic compared to many of you but I now have a totally transformed experience. Tomorrow will look at my racing sims.

Have finally bit the Bullitt and purchased a MSI 4090 Suprim X, was going to go for a cheaper card but found a very good price on Box UK. Used them before and have found them very reliable and often cheaper than the main two UK suppliers. The timing of the MT release made the difference to me in going ahead. Based on initial testing I am finding that with MT the 9900K is not such a bottleneck with my G2 as I thought (don't play multi player servers at present. With modified high settings I can now get circa 60 - 70 FPS with the GPU still being often the higher frame time. Yet to overclock the 4090 which may gain a bit. Question 1 With FPS well above 45, is there any benefit to turning on motion reprojection in OpenXR toolkit? Initial thoughts are leave it off. Question 2 If I use MSAA at 2x, do I still need Aniso at 16 as well. From what I can understand, MSAA is pre and Aniso post processing so I think the answer is Yes. Does the MSAA mask size setting make much difference? I am assuming that SSAA, SSLR and SSAO are still relatively pointless options, if so maybe ED should remove them to simplify life. Question 3 In OpenXR do users recommend using NIS,FSR or CAS, if so at what settings. My initial thoughts is that if you do then what you gain in frame time you will give back by having to set MSAA higher in DCS. My understanding of this is very limited at present. Question 4 Now we have MT, the DCS notes say we should ensure Hyper Threading is enabled, thoughts on this, made an improvement in Time spy in initial tests. Overall To run through all the combinations will take days when I could be playing with the new toy so I would be happy to take advice. Apologies if this has been covered before. The 4090 has been a revelation and with the timing of MT has really made DCS a different sim from using it with my 3080ti. Thanks to ED for this, they well enable me to divert future funds from a new PC towards the Pimax Crystal or similar.

Very pleased to see the update with the MT, came sooner than expected. Is there a CPU that now well matches the 4090 so you get a balance between being CPU and GPU limited at high settings. Have a 9900k at present and was looking to upgrade both CPU and GPU to 4090 7800X3D. Does MT mean I might be OK with the 4090 and 9900k and use the CPU funds to get a Pimax crystal or similar to upgrade my G2? Don’t tend to use multi player servers that much and also into racing sims which are not such a CPU hog.

I an slowly sorting a specification for a new system based on a 7800X3D / 4090 / G2. Currently I am running my flight sims and boot disc from a Samsung 970 Evo Plus m.2 drive which is gen 2 I think (3500mb/r). I can save some money by moving the 1TD flight sim drive to the new machine. Will having a gen 4 drive such as the Samsung 980 Pro (7000mb/r) make any practical difference in DCS. The extra money I can then spend on a better motherboard which might be worth it if I can one day slot in say a 9800X3D. Have had motherboards fail on me in the past just after the warranty expires. The extra capacity from using a 2TB m.2 could be useful as both DCS and others seem to get larger with each update. Has anyone tested M.2 speeds or have any experience or thoughts on the matter. Like everyone else I just want (dream) to get to a system that I can just use without constant tweaking. My existing 9900K / 3080ti will make a great productivity / desktop gaming machine compared to my 4790K / 1080ti which is now constantly crashing on me. Every time I research a new component area, the eventual cost seems to creep upwards. I am very fortunate in having nearly saved up enough cash for a new dream machine but this may well be my final build for the next 6 plus years so want to get it right. Problem with flight and racing sims is that you ideally need 2 computers, one dedicated to sims and all the chair / hardware that goes with them and one for day to day use.

Thanks for the comprehensive replies, looks like both options will have benefits even if bound by the other component. Tending to think I will go for the CPU first with a 7800X3D (subject to reviews). Part of thinking is that the 7800X3D may be the only CPU I will ever need (said that before with 9900K!), this could be especially true if multi core is enabled. In a years time the GPU market may have moved forward with a 4090Ti or something and perhaps slightly lower prices for the 4080. The 5080 may also be on the horizon by that time. If the 3080Ti works OK, it also opens up getting a Pimax Crystal or similar although same argument could be said for getting the 4090 first and DCS becoming kinder to the 9900K. Probably change my view again in a few days!

My current system is a 3080ti / 9900K / G2 / triple 32 1440, I find it reasonably balanced in terms of being GPU v CPU limited, depending on the situation. For triple use, not a huge need to upgrade but would like to play more VR which is not ideal at present. Would like an AMD gen 5 + 4090 but at present can afford only one of these. I am trying to understand the interrelationship between being CPU and GPU bound. situation 1 - game is GPU bound If I upgrade the CPU will I get any benefit if the GPU is the limiting factor or will the CPU take off some of the load from the GPU leading to better FPS situation 2 - game is CPU bound If I upgrade the GPU, presume I will gain little in terms of FPS but would I be able to up the resolution of the G2 while keeping similar FPS. Not sure how CPU and GPU limits interact, can anyone help with practical experience? I play mainly the 3 main flight sims plus racing sims such as ACC, the latter works well with the triples. Also some games such as COH3 when it comes out. Third option is a newer headset but think the market needs to progress a year or two and will still have marginal performance. Thanks

I have used PCspecialist twice and have been pleased with the service , can custom build using a configurator

Currently I have a 9900k / 3080ti / G2 using an old 34inch 2K low response time 60 Hz monitor. While it works reasonably well it is far from the ideal, particularly in DCS, I also have a decent racing sim set up that I can interchange for the flight sim set up (bit like the thunderbirds 2 pods for those old enough to remember). Looking at the upgrade path - new CPU (7xxx3DX) - 4090 GPU - Aero / Crystal etc / monitor, this the choice of headset seems to imply that as things stand, I will have to shell out for a Nvidia card, the only practical option being the 4090. This long and costly upgrade path is making me consider an alternative path. This path (all start shouting at the screen) is upgrading the CPU and then getting 32 inch triples such as Odyssey G7 (16:9, 2K), the cost of triples is a bit less than the Crystal and a lot less than the aero. I could then use the G2 or triples, hopefully the 3080ti would drive the triples OK, if not I could upgrade to the cheaper 7900XTX (or 7950TXT by then). I do enjoy VR but seem to spend half my time setting up and chasing acceptable performance. The G2 also gives access to Alyx etc. I do find that VR can make me feel a bit odd and don't always sleep well after using it, another reason to have the triples. Overall, I keep VR for when I want it but also have the width and height for racing and flight sims via the monitors Has anyone been through the same sort of thought process, seems for less money I get triples and VR at the cost of next gen VR, maybe at a point in the future VR headsets will become more affordable and work without having to continually tweak.

When I am not playing in VR I am using a 34 inch 3440x1440 super wide monitor at 60 Hz. With new tech coming out I am looking to get a leading edge 4080 / 7xxx3DX system and team it up with a samsung ultra wide G9 in the next 12 months. The G9 would be 5120 x 1440 but a r1 curve and a higher refresh rate, g sync etc. This will work well for sim racing but still leave the vertical resolution a bit short for flight sims. Is it feasible to put the existing 34 inch above the ultra wide. The combined pixel count would be 12.3 m pixels, the G2 is 2160 x 2160 x2 = 9.3 m so the system might just cope. Is it possible to stack the monitors in DCS without effectively going 5120 x 2880 which is 14.7m and might be too much. Could always use a smaller monitor above if the pixel count was too high. I have set up an MFD panel on a side monitor in the past so have a broad idea of what to do, just not sure it is feasible from either a DCS or hardware power point of view. Other option is to forget the G9 and go for a next gen VR headset but do find VR use a bit fatiguing and I do less quick sessions with VR. Any thoughts welcome

Seems like all the technological changes are coming into alignment around about the same time, hoping that in the next 6 months or so I can get a VR rig that delivers good / acceptable performance with something like the pimax crystal (or even G2) and it will be the last rig I will need for a very long time, especially if the software improves as well. Retired now and don't have the cash to throw continually at this hobby.

This is the setup I am thinking on or maybe I will wait for a 7xxx3DX, with the 5800X3D and the 4090 are you still CPU bound at times (reverb G2 use)?

Thanks for the prompt response, have checked and both use the normal variant, not the CW. The wind on the Caucasus is 4m/s but only 1m/s on the Normandy map, so Normandy should in theory be easier. The bindings are unchanged between the maps and take off is OK when I return to the Caucasus. Will try out the Channel and Nevada maps tomorrow and see how I get on with those. Will also try creating my own take off practice missions using the quick mission option for both Caucasus and Normandy maps, so can zero the wind etc. Nevada might be a bit different due to the altitude. The MSFS version feels like an arcade version in comparison. Will also see have the IL2 version takes off and lands. I do enjoy the challenge that DCS gives. Will also compare the P51 instant take off missions between the maps to see if there is a difference, as that is far easier than the Spit. Amazing how many hours you get swallowed up into DCS over just the basics.

After a couple of days I can now take off the spitfire using the instant action take off on the Caucasus map with no assist. Thought I would try the same instant action on the Normandy map. Should in theory be easier as its a lovely wide runway. In practice I am getting the huge torque when the tail wheel rises using the same technique as before, where I had them all under control, but not on the Normandy map.. Would have thought the flight model was consistent over all maps. The only thought that comes to mind is the elevation but both seem to be coastal settings. Any thoughts? Just tried the Flying Irons version and that's really easy to take off and land by comparison, full hard settings. thanks David

Mine was shipped on 11th March and arrived this morning (UK), no updates from Deutsche Post until it was transferred to the Royal Mail, they are taking longer than usual, but it should arrive soon. Have been chasing VR covers and they have been very quick and efficient in responding to any emails. Yet to try the covers, I have VR optician inserts so will be interest to see how they combine

Received mine this week, very happy with it. Was a bit of a risk as my IPD is 73 but no issues. Have sold my Valve Index, the Index has a bit wider FOV and better controllers but I have had no tracking issues with the G2 and its a lot more comfortable to wear for extended periods, played a mixture of stuff including sim racing and Alyx. Also played Eleven table tennis which needs a high refresh rate and good controllers, thought I would have to forego this but was playable, not as good as the high refresh rate of the Index but OK. Sims is 80% of its use and the resolution and lack of glare is a big plus. WMR is a bit of a pain but OK once I got through the learning curve. Also got back a lot more money for the Index than I paid for the G2. Not really tried DCS much yet as my Virpil stuff is unavailable at present due to my son moving back in for a while. Running a 1080ti for now and was surprised at how ell it ran with this, Hopefully will get a 6900xt or 3080 / 3080Ti sometime next year when things settle down, but for now the 1080Ti is fully usable with my 9900k. Overall very please with the G2.