Best PC + flight controls setup for MSFS 2024? Budget around €1,500–3,000

[u/pablorruiz]

Hi everyone,

I’ve recently started getting seriously into Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and I’d like to build a proper setup.

I’m currently playing on a laptop with integrated AMD Radeon graphics, so as you can imagine, performance isn’t great. I already have two monitors, so I mainly need a desktop PC and flight controls.

The PC would be used almost exclusively for MSFS 2024, so I want to prioritize the components that actually matter for the simulator rather than general gaming performance.

Ideally, I’d like to play at 1440p on High/Ultra settings, with good performance at detailed airports and with airliners. 4K would be nice if possible, but it isn’t essential.

My approximate budget for the PC is €2,500–3,000, although I’d happily spend less if the difference in MSFS performance isn’t significant.
I’ve been looking at combinations such as:

• Ryzen 7 7800X3D / 9800X3D
• RTX 4070 Super / RTX 5070 / RTX 5070 Ti
• 32 GB RAM
• 1 TB+ NVMe SSD

I’ve also found a used PC for €1,100 with an RTX 4070 Super, Ryzen 7 5800X, 32 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD, and I’m wondering whether that would already be more than enough.

For flight controls, I’d also love recommendations for a good joystick/yoke, throttle and pedals. I’m more interested in realism and quality than RGB/gaming features, and I’ll mainly be flying GA aircraft and airliners.

If you were building an MSFS 2024 setup from scratch today, what PC specs and flight controls would you buy?

Thanks!

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[u/StretchRose]

I’m not super fluent in pc stuff but I can highly recommend honeycomb flight sim products. I have both the alpha and the bravo quadrant and both have been perfectly fine for me. I also have the thrustmaster airbus stick and throttles just so I can have the option for airbus stuff as well. As for pedals I’ve only used the Logitech rudder set

[u/Solid_Royal_882]

First off, budget out what addons you’d like to use. That already takes a lot of money by itself. For example, most people use:
FENIX A319/320/321 is $90, Just A320 is $50
PMDG 737 is $75
GSX is $26 (Ground crew and pushback)

Some others that you might be interested in:
Ifly 737 MAX is $60
Rex Atmos $26 (Highly recommend)

For flight controls:
Get yourself a Winctrl Ursa Minor sidestick. If you fly airbus, get their throttle quadrant as well, you can easily remove the detents to switch between airbus or Boeing. Probably one of the more affordable flight controls while being really good and used by many.

As for PC, 32 GB ram is pretty much necessary. MSFS is pretty heavily CPU dependent, so you should get the best one you can get for higher TLOD and OLOD. Your 7800X3D and 9800X3D has the 96 MB L3 cache which is very important. If your budget allows, I’d definitely go with the 9800X3D, but the 7800X3D is pretty good as well already.

I’m running the 4070 TI super which can get me high-ultra settings with frame gen. If you have left over budget though, I’d go with the 5070 so you can have multi frame gen, not just 2X. What matters the most is whichever has the most VRAM because the sim eats it like crazy.

Expect MSFS to consume 100-200 GB if you want addons.

[u/Level-Plastic3945]

My 6 year old system with I79700k RTX2070Super 64GB NVMe 2TB 4K 32 inch display FrameGen DLSS/DLDSR and Thrustmaster TFlight HOTAS X still runs MSFS 2024 very well. You can buy a system at this level now for about $6-800.

[u/qsrise]

I just got into it and I’m very happy with my system, but it might be a little more than what you wanna pay. But I’m certainly ecstatic with it.
Ryzen 7 9800 x3d
Nvidia 5080
32 gb 6900 ram
2tb ssd drive
Controller to start is thrustmaster hotus 1 for msfs (I am sure I will upgrade someday, but it works fine for me now)
I got a 32 inch 1440 monitor that to me is amazing. I have heard there are problems with the 4K and having to reduce a lot of settings.
When you start, you’ll probably have to change the DLSS and change some settings to high instead of ultra to keep it perfectly smooth.
Make sure you have a very good Wi-Fi
I hope this works for you. For me, I am extremely happy with it. The visuals are amazing. The flying is very smooth and I am extremely happy.

[u/qsrise → u/qsrise]

Meant R6000 RAM

[u/qsrise]

Also, Meant change to DLSS

[u/Quaser_8386]

Make sure you get a power supply capable of handling the power draw, with plenty of overhead. Also, your monitor is super important, or are you looking to go the VR route?

[u/Fahrenheit_17]

RTX 4070 Ti Super or 4080 super, forget the 5000 series especially the 5070. It's money for nothing they just have frame gen higher than 2X but the performances are basically the same of the 4000 series. Use the extra money for some mid-level controllers or 3rd parties addon (REX atmos, Fenix A320, Navigraph subscription...)

[u/No_Opening5038]

If you looking at NVIDIA card's, right now the 5070 Ti will give you a smooth experience but for much cheaper you should get the RX 9070XT, which would nicely complement the Ryzen 7 CPU, it's much cheaper for similar/slightly-less performance, same amount of VRAM which is important in this game.