X-Plane & MSFS2020 (Windows) and Ubuntu for coding

[nicrod]

Hi gang.

I'm trying to spec up a build for a PC with two purposes:

* Flight simulation - Windows - I mainly run X-Plane 11 but would also like to do the occasional FS2020 flight. I use X-Plane mainly as an instrument trainer so I don't need top end graphics, but I would like good graphics when I run FS2020 to do some scenic flights.
* Ubuntu - when I'm not in the sim, I'd be in Ubuntu. My day job is coding, so I run Docker and often have multiple docker containers running at once. Apart from Docker and an IDE, it'd be web browsing and that's about it.

I've used Macs for the last 20 years so this is my first step in to the PC world, it's been hell of a steep learning curve having to research every single component, but here's what I've managed to put together so far. I'd welcome your thoughts! I don't want to spend more than £2,000.

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 220T RGB AIRFLOW MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT Eight Core CPU (4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W CV SERIES™ CV-550 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Professional 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence

This is coming in at £1,964 inc vat.

 

[Martinr36]

what monitor do you have, resolution & refresh rate or make and model, and can you post the configuration link for the above build?

 

[nicrod]

I forgot to mention, I do not have any PC monitors so will be looking to buy some. This will obviously be in addition to the 2k budget for the PC.

1080p or 1440p would be sufficient, and initially I'd have 2 monitors. I may decide to add a third at a later date.

 

[Martinr36]

I forgot to mention, I do not have any PC monitors so will be looking to buy some. This will obviously be in addition to the 2k budget for the PC.

1080p or 1440p would be sufficient, and initially I'd have 2 monitors. I may decide to add a third at a later date.

Ok if going the 2 monitor route I'd advise a 1440p as primary and then a 1080p secondary for just browsing etc on

 

[nicrod]

can you post the configuration link for the above build?

sure, here you go:

PCSPECIALIST - Top Spec Custom PCs & Laptops Built to Order

Manufacturer of performance custom computers and laptops. Customise your ideal gaming PC or laptop using our advanced configurator.

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

 

[Stephen M]

The last few installs I have done worked best with Ubuntu in safe graphic mode, also finding it better with Nouveau drivers since 20. on, a few problems with the Nvidia proprietary ones, although if mainly coding on Ubuntu probably will not matter.

 

[nicrod]

Following a couple of recommendations from friends IRL, I've changed the spec slightly. I've upgraded the GPU and downgraded the CPU.

I've also chosen the two monitors I plan to buy:

LG 49WL95C​

iiyama ProLite T2252MSC-B1 21.5" 1920 x 1080pixels Multi-touch Black touch screen monitor​

Updated spec is below. Would appreciate your thoughts:

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 465X RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 - HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Professional 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 12 to 15 working days
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland
Price: £2,218.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/yYmpngZHcW/

 

[sck451]

There's no point getting two Samsung 980s if you're using a B550 motherboard: it only has one PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot. You'd be better off with a 500GB 980 and a 1TB 970.

The other (better) alternative is to go for the X570 motherboard, which has a second PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot. I'd still go 500GB and 1TB though.

On top of the X570, I'd get the RMx power supply, the AX200 WiFi card, downgrade Windows to Home edition (unless you are sure you need Professional), drop Bullguard and get the Silver warranty. That's a net increase of £10 over what you posted.

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 465X RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 - HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 12 to 15 working days
Price: £2,228.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/FgKcwV3Gqc/

 

[Scott]

I would be opting to increase the CPU rather than decrease it. Are the friends IRL Flight Simulator fans? Every simulator, certainly that I'm aware of, are far more bottlenecked by the CPU than the GPU. You want the highest frequencies possible. I think bang for buck the best option for that is either the 5800X or the 3900X(T) depending what's most available.

The 3080 would be significantly over-shooting your GPU requirements so I'm curious where this advice has came from.

 

[nicrod]

Thanks to both of you for such quick feedback!

The one friend is a big flight sim geek, he suggested the 3080 over the 3060 not so much because I'd benefit from it now, but for future proofing. In hindsight I think it was shortsighted to bump down the CPU for the sake of a few hundred quid, so I've gone with your suggestion and changed it to the 5800X. X-Plane and MSFS are single threaded so wouldn't benefit from the extra cores in the 3900X.

The 2 x m2 SSDs are due to me wanting to dual boot between Windows and Ubuntu, so I'd like to have a drive for each OS. I've update the motherboard as per your suggestion.

So here's the updated spec. I randomly picked the case, I have no idea how to choose so if you have any further suggestions for that please let me know!

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 465X RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 - HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Professional 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 12 to 15 working days
Price: £2,487.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/fSTM07nvNV/

 

[nicrod]

Also, regarding software, I would happily remove the MS Office trial if I could see that option, but it seems to be forced upon me!
If I remove BullGuard, what antivirus would you recommend instead?

 

[Resistance100]

Also, regarding software, I would happily remove the MS Office trial if I could see that option, but it seems to be forced upon me!
If I remove BullGuard, what antivirus would you recommend instead?

Window's defender is more than good enough and is included with Windows 10.

The office trial just appears when you open an office application. you can't remove that one.

 

[AgentCooper]

Eesh... There’s no such thing as future proofing when it comes to graphics cards so to be frank, your friend has given you some terrible advice. They’re updated and released often so a 3080 is not a great addition to that build and monitor combo. You should always match the card to the monitor so that there’s little to no bottlenecking. @Scott is our resident flight sim expert, I would highly recommend taking his advice 🙂👍

 

[Stephen M]

Windows Defender is fine, free and probably better for any paid for stuff. Plus, with Ubuntu you can use Clamtk for full system scans.

 

[sck451]

You don't need the Strix motherboard for the 5800X (or the 5600X for that matter): the Tuf X570 is fine. However, with the 5800X, you don't get a standard cooler, so you need to go for a custom one. The H100i is ideal for the 5800X. If you take it down to the 3070, you're at under £2400.

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 465X RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100i RGB PLATINUM Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Professional 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 12 to 15 working days
Price: £2,386.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/X96PBQZHp6/

 

[Scott]

I'm not convinced you're getting the best value with the 980 drives. It's your choice of course but they are very expensive. It's always poignant to have a very fast OS drive so I would tend to choose the one that needed the faster drive (Depends on software uses) and bump the other one down to a 1TB PCS M2 drive...... they are still BLISTERINGLY fast and will see the OS booted up in around 10 seconds.

Everything else has pretty much been covered. The recommendation for the 12 core chip wasn't for the 12 cores, it was the easiest way to get the highest frequency for your budget. The 5900X is the known king of the hill for single threaded operation over extended periods (the 5950X is technically higher). It would come with a high cost though which the budget isn't there for.

The above suggested spec, or thereabouts, is about spot on for your uses.... although actually quite lavish in areas. The 3080 would be wasted on your monitors, looking forward the savings would be far better spent on the next generation of card...... which will likely have a good level of RTX......... which WILL come into play in FS2020 at least. I would probably consider the 3060ti to be honest. The 3070 is going to be of very little benefit for your uses, never mind the 3080.

 

[nicrod]

I'm not convinced you're getting the best value with the 980 drives. It's your choice of course but they are very expensive. It's always poignant to have a very fast OS drive so I would tend to choose the one that needed the faster drive (Depends on software uses) and bump the other one down to a 1TB PCS M2 drive...... they are still BLISTERINGLY fast and will see the OS booted up in around 10 seconds.

Everything else has pretty much been covered. The recommendation for the 12 core chip wasn't for the 12 cores, it was the easiest way to get the highest frequency for your budget. The 5900X is the known king of the hill for single threaded operation over extended periods (the 5950X is technically higher). It would come with a high cost though which the budget isn't there for.

The above suggested spec, or thereabouts, is about spot on for your uses.... although actually quite lavish in areas. The 3080 would be wasted on your monitors, looking forward the savings would be far better spent on the next generation of card...... which will likely have a good level of RTX......... which WILL come into play in FS2020 at least. I would probably consider the 3060ti to be honest. The 3070 is going to be of very little benefit for your uses, never mind the 3080.

Thanks for your thoughts Scott, I will take your suggestion and downgrade from the 3080 to the 3060ti.

Whilst I could save a couple of hundred pounds on cheaper drives, I think I'll stick with the 980s because the extra performance will be useful when I'm coding.

With the 5800X CPU and the 3060ti, the configuration wizard is saying that I only need a 550W power supply (including a 20% allowance). Would you recommend I keep the 850W RMX series power supply, or should change it back down to the standard CORSAIR 550?

And do I definitely need the H100i cooling fan? Is it because of the CPU and GPU combo, or does it also relate to the motherboard and case choice? Would I be better using a different case and/or motherboard combination to avoid needing the extra fan? I am not at all wedded to the selected case or motherboard, happy to go with whatever is best value. If it makes any difference, the PC will be in a room with air conditioning (although we usually only use it in the hotter summer months, not all year round).

 

[Scott]

It's the best combination IMO.

The 850w allows for any future upgrades (ie, a 3080 GPU) and with it being the RMx offers the highest warranty. It's also a far more premium part. Zero fan (doesn't spin when not in heavy use), fully modular etc. IMO it's worth it overall.

H100i RGB is the best cooler of that size, it's an excellent performer and it runs almost silent too. When pushing even the single thread of the 5800X the H100i will ensure that you stay in the boost clocks. The performance of your chip is based on it's temperature band, so the cooler you keep it... the more performance you will get out of it. With it being an AIO it will also extract the air from the system, promoting airflow through the case. It's a win win win scenario.

The STRIX is overkill and more aimed at the 5900X and above. If you are thinking of upgrading in the future it's a fine choice as it will cover some bases down the line. Otherwise the TUF is more than enough.

5080X, TUF Motherboard, H100i RGB, 3060Ti in a 465X case will be a great combo.