We often receive letters from readers seeking advice on upgrading their PC - particular if they’re on a budget. The following email from Ian Hughes is typical of these types of queries. “Dear PC Pilot, after at least ten years as an avid PC Pilot and reader, I intend to start computer flying again but I have many questions about the optimal PC specification for running different flight simulators such as FSX, Prepar3D and X-Plane. I have a budget of approximately £1,500 to spend on a computer and plan to fly aircraft such as the Boeing 737 and the BAe146 with third-party scenery. Are you able to help me with the computer specification so I can run the above add-ons with reasonable frame rates?
Kind regards,
Ian Hughes.”
A budget of £1,500 should be ample for a solid flight simulator computer. FSX is really in its twilight years as more developers (and flight simmers) are moving to Prepar3D or X-Plane. Although the platform has served us well over the years, it is primarily governed by the speed of the Central Processing Unit (CPU) so upgrading the computer will not necessarily bring significant benefits in terms of performance. FSX only uses a fraction of the processing power on a modern graphics card…
