Recommended hardware (September)

[Aerosoft Team [Inactive Account] 51558]

Suggesting computer hardware is always tricky because many people have their preferences. I know people who will never run an AMD CPU because they feel these are made by the devil. Other people swear that anything over 16 Gb of memory will never be used. 

What I propose here are basic systems. One in the 800 euro/dollar range, one in the 1200 euro/dollar range. What it costs for you depends a lot on where you live. The prices include European sales tax. 
There will be an update every 8 weeks because hardware changes and prices change significantly. Feel free to comment or tell me I am crazy; this is a discussion topic. By all means, feel free to post your own suggestion.

What I will not post is an expensive system, as in 2500 (euro/dollar) and up. People who spend that amount are normally well informed and even convinced only their system is correct. Keep in mind, though, that anything you spend over 1500 euro/dollar is much harder to justify. A 3000 euro/dollar system will not be twice as fast as a 1500 euro/dollar system!

And laptops? VERY tricky; you might get a laptop with a kick-ass CPU and GPU, but in a laptop, it is the cooling solution that determines the number of frames you get! Forget any laptop that is not called a ‘gaming’ laptop because it will not be able to keep the system running at high load for more than a few minutes.
 

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The 1080p system is priced under €1000 / $1000. Depending on your location, this could end up under 700 or up to 900. It is suitable for every simulator we discuss here at modest to high settings depending on your DLC and screen size.

1080p system
•    CPU: Intel Core I3-12100F boxed
This CPP is simply good value for money at this moment, a Ryzen 5 5600 is a good alternative but a bit pricier.
•    MOTHERBOARD: Gigabyte B660M
Simply a very good motherboard. Stable, 2.5 Gb networking and solid VRM.
•    GRAPHICS CARD: AMD Radeon RX6600
In GPU’s price determines everything at this moment and the RX6600 is good value for money and one of the best cards for flight simulators.
•    MEMORY: G-Skill Aegis F4-3200 (16 Gb)
Any 3200MT/s memory will do but buying a brand name is not a bad idea.
•    POWER SUPPLY: Seasonic G12 GC-550
You need a cheap but reliable PSU with Gold specifications. Electricity costs an arm and a leg these days, right?
•    SSD: WD Blue SN570 1TB
Do not even consider harddisks; even for storage, SSDs are cheap enough these days. The WD Blue is not the fastest but has a low price per Gigabyte, and on a system like this, you will never notice a faster SSD.
Possible updates:
•    32 Gb instead of 16. In complex situations, modern sims might use additional memory.
 
The 1440p system is priced under €1250 / $1250. Depending on your location, this could end up under 700 or up to 900. It is suitable for every simulator we discuss here at high settings depending on your DLC and screen size.
1440p system
•    CPU: AMD RYZEN 5 5600 boxed
At this moment, AMD owns this bracket of the market. Of course, Intel is an option, but you simply pay more for the same framerate in sims.
•    MOTHERBOARD: Gigabyte B550 Aorus Elite V2
Simply a very good motherboard. Fantastic vrm, has a lot of connection options, will handle faster CPUs.
•    GRAPHICS CARD: AMD Radeon RX 6700XT
The GPU’s price determines everything now, and the RX 6700 XT handles the benchmarks very well. If you can get the 6800 for the same money, even better.
•    MEMORY: G-Skill Aegis F4-3200 (16 Gb)
Any 3200MT/s memory will do but buying a brand name is not a bad idea.
•    POWER SUPPLY: CORSAIR TX750M
A bit too powerful, but prices very nicely. Partly modular.
•    SSD: WD Blue SN570 1TB
Do not even consider harddisks; even for storage, SSDs are cheap enough these days. The WD Blue is not the fastest but has a low price per Gigabyte, and on a system like this, you will never notice a faster SSD.
Possible updates:
•    32 Gb instead of 16. In complex situations, modern sims might use additional memory.