Upgrading for DCS

Hey, I have a i7 4770k @ 4GHZ but if I got it right even a i5 9600kf would be a great boost for DCS. I could also use the boost for the wireless adapter for my Vive pro. The cpu is too bad for it. Also I’m limited to my 4x4 GB on my old Z87-A mainboard.

My GPU is a 1080ti OC, the SSDs from various years but System ssd is from 2013. PSU has 720W.

What CPU,RAM and Mainboard would you recommend? Should I also change System SSD (DCS is on a newer SSD).

Hey, I have a i7 4770k @ 4GHZ but if I got it right even a i5 9600kf would be a great boost for DCS. I could also use the boost for the wireless adapter for my Vive pro. The cpu is too bad for it. Also I’m limited to my 4x4 GB on my old Z87-A mainboard.

My GPU is a 1080ti OC, the SSDs from various years but System ssd is from 2013. PSU has 720W.

What CPU,RAM and Mainboard would you recommend? Should I also change System SSD (DCS is on a newer SSD).

"I’m limited to my 4x4 GB on my old Z87-A mainboard."

Not sure what you mean here Atelophobia

Looks to me you can go 32 GB DDR3 ( 4 x 8GB )

https://www.asus.com/au/Motherboards/Z87A/

I'm still on a 4 core too (The only little benefit is DDR4) Compared to you, way good enough for me with the 1080ti or the 2080ti even.

I would check how you are doing in DCS with MSI afterburner and perhaps Overclock that chip a little, have you got decent cooling on it?

This guy tested the 2080ti with that chip and still good. You would possible get only a few extra fps, say 5 to 10 maybe? Like I said, check with MSI in sim.

His running this chip at 4.4 Ghz and a bump up on the RAM in the video below.

+1 what David says but I will go a little further, on how I would approach this.

Either way, you may need a new cooler, a good one, that fits all 115x Sockets and AM4, so you could possibly use it on a new CPU if the following won't bring the desired FPS. So, if you do NOT have a decent cooler, either a top notch Noctua Air Cooler or equivalent or a 2x120 or better BIGGER AIO or DIY Watercooling solution for your CPU. If you have none, I recommend one with a 2x140mm radiator at least. Check your case what's the biggest it can take, buy that size. If you buy it all new, you would need such a cooler anyway cause the 9600KF come as WOF, WithOut Fan boxes.

Once you proper cooling, overclock that chip as far as you safely can. If that saturates your GPU at your choosen and desired LOD and good fps rate at near 100% GPU usage it's all fine. If however your fps lack behind and your GPU never runs at or near 100% usage, then your CPU cannot keep up with the GPU, the classic CPU bottleneck. Then you would need to buy new gear.

The tool to measure things in DCS is MSI Afterburner with it's detailed OSD, which you can and should configure, so it shows all data you need to know. Remember that you have 8 logical cores, so 12.5% usage is 1 full core in use, if needed, show all 8 cores, GPU usage, RAM usage, VRAM, temps for CPU + GPU, etc etc.. YOu will need to dig into Afterburner a little to tune your setup and find weak spots. It really pays.

If you need to buy new, I'd go AMD with a 3600, that equals in price and should be no lesser but 6 more threads and less vulnerabilities, PCIev4 and a big choice of motherboard chipsets it can run on, B450, X470, X570, to fit the budget and needs.

If, and only IF, overclocking is enough to saturate the GPU you can think about a 32GB kit DDR3, just that this is wasted money if you upgrade anyway to new CPU next 12 month or so. It will help to get it smoother but it cant speed up DCS as a faster CPU and faster RAM possibly could with new bare bones, CPU Mobo and RAM. The rest seems fine to me for now. Maybe a new PSU was wise.

My i5 7600K overclocked to 4.6GHz bottlenecks my 1080 Ti in some situations...for example, in the Hornet and Tomcat (worse in the F-14) on the ramp or carrier deck surrounded by a few aircraft, FPS drops into the 50's with GPU usage significantly dropping as well. I have even bumped my overclock to 4.8GHz but it still bottlenecks at times. I don't know what kind of CPU it would take to prevent this.

@Atelophobia: What are you aiming at?

We have +/- the same system, just my CPU is clocked higher (through watercooling).

I added 16GB RAM totaling 32 now, thinking i would need the extra memory for VR but the thing is, i still have to see RAM usage over 12MB.

Same goes for my GPU, it has 11GB of RAM but still have to see it use more then 9GB. GPU usage sometimes hits 100%, avg on 79%, CPU never hits 100% avg out on +/- 43%. So on my system, the GPU is still the bottleneck. There is still some room left for improvement but i don't go there because i prefer a smooth ride instead of a bit more stutter.

Test mission: F-16C Take-off Caucasus: Rift-S

Settings: Textures: High, Civ traffic: OFF, Visible Range: High, Water: Medium, Shadows: All OFF (gives way to much shimmering depending on what angle you look at it), Blur and other FPS eating stuff: OFF, MSAA: x4, SSAA: OFF, Anisotropic filtering: x16, Pixel Density: 1.4

Sorry for the 4x4 GB confusion. I’m stuck adding more without replacing the given RAM for other old RAM if I want more. I like to be able to use wireless adapter without artifacts. The wireless adapter relies heavily on CPU. I’d play wired but there is no good solution for my Vive Pro to change easily. Plus I think my system is very slow in DCS. Even with rather low settings I don’t get decent FPS in DCS. Single core speed wouldn’t be that much higher as would expect it to be after 6 years between CPU generations but it looks like newer CPU generations add more to performance than just core speed. Really difficult task :/

You have a hungry (250w+) video card. I'm curious. What is your PSU? How old he is?

Because 720w is a weird number. Look like a PSU (model or series) who failed the 750w bench test, has been rated at 720w to sell. :)

You have a hungry (250w+) video card. I'm curious. What is your PSU? How old he is?

Because 720w is a weird number. Look like a PSU (model or series) who failed the 750w bench test, has been rated at 720w to sell. :)

It’s a Cooler Master Silent Pro MII. I bought the computer in 2013. Guess the model is from 2012. on the PSU casing is „720W“ in very big letters

@Atelophobia: What are you aiming at?

We have +/- the same system, just my CPU is clocked higher (through watercooling).

I added 16GB RAM totaling 32 now, thinking i would need the extra memory for VR but the thing is, i still have to see RAM usage over 12MB.

Same goes for my GPU, it has 11GB of RAM but still have to see it use more then 9GB. GPU usage sometimes hits 100%, avg on 79%, CPU never hits 100% avg out on +/- 43%. So on my system, the GPU is still the bottleneck. There is still some room left for improvement but i don't go there because i prefer a smooth ride instead of a bit more stutter.

Test mission: F-16C Take-off Caucasus: Rift-S

Settings: Textures: High, Civ traffic: OFF, Visible Range: High, Water: Medium, Shadows: All OFF (gives way to much shimmering depending on what angle you look at it), Blur and other FPS eating stuff: OFF, MSAA: x4, SSAA: OFF, Anisotropic filtering: x16, Pixel Density: 1.4

Thanks Lange! I ll test your settings as soon as I can access my computer again without risking my family ????

Thanks Lange! I ll test your settings as soon as I can access my computer again without risking my family ????

Family 1st !

Do not risc the unspoken :huh:

Family 1st !

 

Do not risc the unspoken :huh:

So true ;)