tower59

My son opened his birthday present today- a collection of VIRPIL controls! We plugged in the CM3 throttle, Constellation ALPHA grip and an extra control panel. Downloaded VIRPIL installation software, updated firmware, and we are able to adjust the LEDs on each of the controls and have calibrated the stick response. But now, our internet access is 0 to extremely slow. We've never had internet service problems before on the PC and typically have download speeds of 600+ Mbps. Have re-set router and re-booted PC multiple times. WIFI signal is good as laptop in the same room has great signal and good speeds. Running Windows 10 but admittedly know little about PCs. Birthday went from great to not so great all with a firmware update. Appreciate any advice- thanks!!! (Posted originally in PC section then remembered VIRPIL subsection. Sorry for the duplication.)

My son opened his birthday present today- a collection of VIRPIL controls! We plugged in the CM3 throttle, Constellation ALPHA grip and an extra control panel. Downloaded VIRPIL installation software, updated firmware, and we are able to adjust the LEDs on each of the controls and have calibrated the stick response. But now, our internet access is 0 to extremely slow. We've never had internet service problems before on the PC and typically have download speeds of 600+ Mbps. Have re-set router and re-booted PC multiple times. WIFI signal is good as laptop in the same room has great signal and good speeds. Running Windows 10 but admittedly know little about PCs. Birthday went from great to not so great all with a firmware update. Appreciate any advice- thanks!!!

We got the Reverb up and running! We'll work on getting things fine tuned over the next couple of weeks. Thanks again to everyone here who has helped us get this far!

Thanks for all of the responses- my son & I found the HP Reverb G2 on sale for under $499+ free shipping at the HP Store and figured it was a sign, so we should be joining the VR community any day. Will be looking through the optimization steps on the forum as we try to figure out how to make this thing work smoothly- appreciate any suggestions to that end. Gamersbynight site looks like a good resource-thank you for that. We are PC novices so we'll take all the help we can get! What do you guys recommend for frame per second/CPU heat & frequency tracking utility as we adjust settings? Thanks again!

Finally have a PC up and running and would appreciate your current recommendations on VR devices for a machine dedicated exclusively to DCS & MSFS. The market changes so quickly, I wanted to poll the experts here. Want to be able to read cockpit gauges and have reasonable frame rate (so I don't throw up!), price is secondary consideration at this point. Appreciate your suggestions. Thanks!!! 3090/12th gen Intel 12700K/64 GB RAM

Thanks for the help with the memory question. I've put G.Skill Ripjaws V 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL14 Memory for $540 in my parts list as you suggested. Any thoughts on the motherboard? I need Wifi and I also anticipate needing a good number of ports for USB devices (flight controllers) + audio out capabilities. Is the Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Elite AX DDR4 ATX LGA1700 $265 appropriate? Do I just get a USB hub if I need it? Any suggestions? Appreciate everyone's help here- my first PC!!!

How much in game FPS difference does RAM latency make? RipjawsV 3600CL14 (4 x 16GB) is about $540 while Ripjaws 3600CL18 is $270.

Yup, it's two sets of 32GB (2 x 16GB) x 2. Just cheaper that way Amazon- so a total of 4 16 GB sticks for a total of 64 GB RAM. I've edited the original post to make it clearer-thanks!

Hey, guys! For the last two+ years, my son & I have been building an F/A-18C simulator. (See link below for that thread.) Now, it's time to stop thinking about plywood and aluminum and think instead about the PC. Our goal is to have a system that will drive a VR setup with good resolution and smooth frame rate. We've invested two years and countless man hours, and I don't want to skimp on a PC that doesn't deliver. That being said, I have almost zero real experience with PCs and don't want to burn dollars that won't have benefit for a dedicated DCS machine. Last summer we purchased a custom built PC from Xidax but UPS repeatedly used the system as a soccer ball, so we've decided to order parts ourselves and start again. Planning around $5,000 for the system. I want to future-proof as much as practical and prefer not to run out of RAM or storage in a year and have to mess with upgrades (unless we can get our hands on a 4090!!!) We would greatly appreciate any suggestions for the build. Here's the current plan. We appreciate any and all suggestions. How would you build this system? (1) CPU: Intel i9 12900K $600 (2) CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 $115 (3) MOBO: Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Elite AX DDR4 ATX LGA1700 $265 (4) G.Skill Trident Z Neo [64 GB TOTAL] 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) [x 2] DDR4-3600 CL14 $290 + $290 (5) Storage: Western Digital Black SN850 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME [x2] $260 +$260 (6) GPU: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3090 24 GB Gaming OC $2700 (7) Corsair 5000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case $120 (8) PSU: Seasonic Prime Gold 1300 W $250 (9) Case fans: Arctic P12 PST 120mm fans 5-pack $40 Appreciate your comments!!!

Thanks for all who offered suggestions. We ended going with: •Intel i9 11900K •NVIDIA RTX 3090 •64GB RAM 3600MHZ •MSI MEG Z590 UNIFY motherboard •WD BLACK SN850 NVME GEN4 1TB M.2 [for Windows OS] •WD BLACK SN850 NVME GEN4 2TB M.2 [for DCS] •1000W power supply •DEEPCOOL CASTLE 360EX 360MM •Extra fans Thanks again!

We are getting closer! We've completed the aluminum skin, installed the windshield, and attached the LEX! We're working on designing a ladder and work platform that will allow us to climb up into the aircraft, following the same route the pilots do up and over the LEX. This simpit is massive now and boy is it heavy. It's 8 feet long, and a little over 6 feet tall. We were worried about stability initially, but this thing is rock solid and has not even a wiggle in it. We have a few more minor details to add (like bird slicers & HUD), but we are seriously close and will soon disassemble and move inside to my son's room. (If he had 4 more feet in his room, we could add an extra seat and pilot station and make this thing a two seater -D version!) We're getting ready to order a PC and would welcome any suggestions on a computer that will drive VR smoothly. See thread here:

Those prices listed are the differential price over the part initially selected at base. We don't want to build our own PC, and I want a reputable company with support to help us if we have any problems. Would be interested in looking at other well-regarded companies if there is an issue with Xidax. My understanding is that Xidax has a great reputation with real, live support.

Hey, guys! For the last two years, my son & I have been building an F/A-18C simulator. (See link below for that thread.) Now, it's time to stop thinking about plywood and aluminum and think instead about the PC. Our goal is to have a system that will drive a VR setup with good resolution and smooth frame rate. We've invested two years and countless man hours, and I don't want to skimp on a PC that doesn't deliver. That being said, I have almost zero real experience with PCs and don't want to burn dollars that won't have benefit for a dedicated DCS machine. (Have owned Macs since 1984 but do use a PC at work.) We don't want to build a PC and likely will buy one from Xidax, since they seem to be well regarded and have a great warranty. Planning around $5,000 for the system. I want to future-proof the system as much as practical and prefer not to run out of RAM or storage in a year and have to mess with upgrades. We would greatly appreciate any suggestions for the build. Here are the options and prices. We appreciate any and all suggestions. How would you build this system? Xidax X-6 GPU: NVIDIA 3090 24GB GDDR6X CPU: Intel Core I9 10900K 5.3GHZ or Intel Core I9 11900K 5.3 GHZ (+$127) Motherboard options: Asrock Z590 Phantom Gaming 4AC, MSI Z590-A Pro (+$16), ASUS Z590 Prime-P (+$16), MSI Z590 Pro Wifi (+$30), MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Edge Wifi (+$42), MSI MEG Z590 Unify(+$217), MSI MEG Z490 Godlike Wifi (+$529), MSI MEG Z590 ACE (+$334), MSI MEG Z590 Godlike (+$822) Memory: Xidax Extreme DDR4 3200MHZ 32GB (4 x 8GB), or 64 GB (4 x 16GB, +$197), or Trident Z DDR4 3600MHZ G.Skill 32GB (4 x 8 GB, +$51), or 64 GB (4 x 16GB, +$277) Power Supply: Seasonic Focus Gold 550W, Seasonic Gold 750W ($47), Seasonic Focus Plus 850W Gold (+$77), Seasonic Focus Gold 1000W (+$107) Storage: Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVME SSD vs 980 PRO vs WD Black SN 850 NVME Gen 4 M.2. Size? 1 TB x 2? Cooling: Be Quiet Rock Slim, Be Quiet! Dark Rock TF 220W (+$74), or DeepCool Castle 360EX 360mm (+$140) Paste: Is thermal paste worth it for $20 for CPU or $50 for GPU? Many thanks for your suggestions!!!

We've made some more progress: we've completed the aluminum skin on the lower level, added ribs and frames for the upper level, installed the windshield, and installed the LEX. Upper level skin and cockpit interior are next!

We're starting the process of attaching the skin to the frame of the lower level. Using sheet aluminum cut to fit, with torx screws that match the real ones. Starting to look like a fuselage!

My son & I made progress this weekend on the base layer of the Hornet. Once this level is complete, we'll start on the upper level which includes the cockpit floor and the base of the ejection seat.It's 8' long and divided into quarters, secured to each other by carriage bolts. We'll have to disassemble this beast to get it into the house!

This weekend we made great progress on the base level of the Hornet. Our plan is to build an 8 foot section of the fuselage- including the fuselage below the level of the pilot's seat. We're building a base section about 27" tall or so to get up to the ejection seat base. We ripped a piece of 3/4" plywood for the bottom of the base, and then cut it into four pieces so that the simpit will be movable. (We'll build this in our shop, then break it down, go through the narrow indoor hall, and then reassemble.) Then, we cut vertical support posts, cut a curve into them for the bottom of the fuselage, and then installed them on one of our four panels. (See pic.) Eventually we will attach aluminum panels to the ribs. Here you can see a small aluminum test piece that demonstrates the bottom curve of the fuselage. When complete, the simpit will be SIX feet to the top of the the seat. We'll have to climb up the LEX ladder to get in! Appreciate any suggestions from you experts out there- there is our first simulator!

Thanks, we'll probably go with a Thrustmaster Hornet stick and get an extension to make the stick the right height. Not yet sure on the throttle, there are a few cool options out there. No idea at all yet on pedals, because we'll have to be able to slide them fore and aft to adjust for big difference in my son's height vs my height. Open to suggestions for sure! Next step is working on the base of the sim. Will build the bottom portion of the fuselage and once complete then start on the upper half which will be from the cockpit floor and base of the NACES on up. At some point we will make a ladder that pops out of the LEX for ingress/egress. If we can pull this off, you'll have to climb up a ladder to get into the simpit- just like on the flight line (or so I imagine)! -Skip

Pit Update We've completed the Hornet windshield by heat forming the acrylic and it has turned out great, and even survived a move to a new house! It won't handle enemy bullets, but it looks pretty close to the real deal. We bought a large, thin mirror from Lowe's and were able to cut it to shape and coat the edges in PlastiDip to make the dogfighting mirrors. My son & I have all but finished the NACES ejection seat, and now are starting our design of the tub. Our plan is to make the tub 8 feet long (to correspond to the length of a sheet of plywood) and about 3 feet wide or so, excluding the width of the LEX. In real life, the actual Hornet is about 4.5 feet above the ground at the nose wheel. In the middle of the cockpit, the height of the Hornet is about 6 feet from the base of the fuselage to the top of the ejection seat headrest. The Hornet is tall! My son's room has a tall ceiling, so we are considering building the tub from the bottom of the actual fuselage- not from the bottom of the ejection seat. This would mean the simpit would be about 6 feet tall from the floor! Have any of you done this? Stability will be a bit of an issue, but I think a couple of bags of concrete in the subfloor of the pit will provide adequate ballast, and the starboard side of the pit will abut a wall, into which we could drop a few anchors. Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks!!! -Skip -FLY NAVY-

Appreciate all the suggestions. I guess we'll hang tight a couple of months in expectation of the new video card release. Hope to see some real specs on it soon- thanks!

Looking to purchase (not build) a high end gaming PC to allow for smooth VR. Sole use will be DCS. I've never owned a PC before (have had Macs forever), so I want to purchase a machine that will work and has a real person I can call to troubleshoot if there are issues. I'm willing to pay a bit more for such service. Also willing to pay for quality components, but want to put my money where the most benefit will be- don't want to spend $500 on a 1% speed boost. Purchase timeline is this spring or maybe summer. Want to keep the PC under $4,500. Here are the questions for you experts! (1) What company would you recommend? Maingear? Xidax? IBuyPower? Other? (2) Should I wait for the release of RTX 3080 cards, or stick with a 2080Ti? (3) What specific components do you think are important for maximizing resolution and frame rate in VR? (4) How much storage and what type do I need? I know almost nothing about PCs, so I appreciate all of your suggestions. Thanks!

What is the minimum internet speed for flying DCS in VR? Can wireless support it, or do you need to be hardwired into the net?

Are the plans or schematics for the tub available? My son & I just finished building a windshield and canopy bow assembly and are itching to build the fuselage. Many thanks!!!

Hadn't considered heat changing the acrylic, but once we get it done the sim will be housed inside air conditioned house, of course. It got crazy hot with the heat of the Texas summer and the heat guns when we shaped the acrylic, but thank goodness it's starting to cool off with Fall! Next steps are to finish up the canopy bow interior details. Anyone have a source for the small mirrors? Every one I find is too big- I think they are only about 6" or so in length. Ideas?

Windshield Hornet Update: After getting the aluminum fairing in place on our jig, we placed a series of poster boards inside the jig to precisely determine the multi-curved windshield shape. We then used that as a template to mark a large sheet of acrylic which we cut out using a saber saw. Next, we positioned the acrylic on the canopy bow and heated it. Gradually, we added clamps to the edges of the acrylic to act as weights and over time the acrylic bent into shape. Eventually, we were able to bond the acrylic to the canopy bow and aluminum fairing using E6000 adhesive. We're making progress!!! -Skip