Best Gaming PC Builds for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a hit, and the game can even be taxing on PCs with the best graphics card, which is why we've put together a few build suggestions to get you on the right track. Whether you plan on building a new gaming PC from scratch or wish to upgrade an older desktop already in use, these PC builds surpass the requirements for Microsoft's expansive flight sim.
Header Cell - Column 0 | Minimum Spec | Recommended Spec | Ideal Spec |
---|---|---|---|
CPU | AMD Ryzen 3 1200 Intel i5-4460 | Ryzen 5 1500X Intel i5-8400 | AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 2700X Intel i7-9800X |
GPU | Radeon RX 570 Nvidia GTX 700 | Radeon RX 590 Nvidia GTX 970 | Radeon VII Nvidia RTX 2080 |
VRAM | 2GB | 4GB | 8GB |
RAM | 8GB | 16GB | 32GB |
Storage | 150 GB | 150 GB | 150 GB (SSD) |
Minimum OS version | Windows 10 Nov 2019 update (1909) | Windows 10 Nov 2019 update (1909) | Windows 10 Nov 2019 update (1909) |
Entry-level Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 PC build (1080p)
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Case
The H510 from NZXT is a solid mid-tower chassis for putting together one awesome-looking PC build. It has plenty of fan mounting options, clearance for even the most massive GPUs, and superb cable management.
CPU
AMD's Ryzen 3 3000 series of processors are ridiculously good for the price, and the Ryzen 3 3200G is more than capable of handling Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and other games and software.
GPU
The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is a fascinating, affordable GPU. It's based on newer tech from NVIDIA but doesn't support ray tracing or DLSS. It's a great budget-friendly GPU that can play Flight Simulator and other games at 1080p with great visuals.
PSU
EVGA' 500W PSU is all you need for such a PC build. It supplies plenty of clean, stable, and reliable power for all your components and comes with an 80 Plus Bronze efficiency rating.
Motherboard
This motherboard isn't the most powerful available for AMD's AM4 socket, but the B550 chipset offers what you need for the CPU and GPU we chose in this build to perform at their limits. It's also a little light on your wallet.
RAM
Corsair makes some of the best memory modules for desktop PCs, and the Vengeance series is super-good. We chose 16GB as the sweet spot for most systems running Flight Simulator and other demanding tasks.
Header Cell - Column 0 | Component | Price |
---|---|---|
Case | NZXT H510 | $69 |
CPU | AMD Ryzen 3 3200G | $100 |
GPU | MSI Gaming GeForce GTX 1660 Ti | $270 |
PSU | EVGA 500W Bronze | $50 |
Motherboard | ASUS TUF Gaming B550 PLUS | $170 |
RAM | Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB | $64 |
SSD | Samsung 970 EVO Plus 250GB | $70 |
HDD | Seagate BarraCuda 2TB | $55 |
Row 8 - Cell 0 | Total: | $848 |
Mid-range Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 PC build (1440p)
Case
There's really no need to move onto another case unless you have a personal favorite you'd prefer to use. With this mid-range build, the H510 still offers plenty of space to install everything and helps keep your system cooled.
CPU
Intel's new Core i7-10700K CPU is brilliant for gaming. It's not the most expensive processor from team blue, but it certainly is among the most powerful for running Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.
CPU Cooler
Intel doesn't bundle a CPU cooler with its Core i7-10700K, unfortunately. This means we need to add a cooler separately, and the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition is good enough to tame the beast, even under load.
GPU
The NVIDIA RTX 20 series will be replaced shortly, but these GPUs are still incredible for PC gaming. The 2060 SUPER is perfect for 1440p monitors, and ZOTAC has a perfect card in the form of the RTX 2060 SUPER MINI.
PSU
We've got the same PSU here since the GPU and CPU bump don't require additional headroom from the power supply. EVGA did a stellar job with this PSU, and we're using it once again for maximum system stability.
Motherboard
Since this is an Intel build, we'll need a Z490 motherboard to really push the Core i7-10700K further. You've got plenty of ports, bandwidth for gaming, and even space for some overclocking if you have the know-how.
RAM
There's no reason to swap out the Corsair Vengeance LPX RAM, and we're sticking to 16GB here, though you could push to 32GB if you find yourself running out of physical memory.
Header Cell - Column 0 | Component | Price |
---|---|---|
Case | NZXT H510 | $69 |
CPU | Intel Core i7-10700K | $400 |
GPU | ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER MINI | $420 |
PSU | EVGA 500W Bronze | $50 |
Motherboard | GIGABYTE Z490 AORUS Ultra | $300 |
RAM | Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB | $64 |
SSD | Samsung 970 EVO Plus 250GB | $70 |
SSD | Sabrent Rocket Q 1TB | $111 |
Row 8 - Cell 0 | Total: | $1,484 |
High-end Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 PC build (4K)
Case
Even with such capable hardware installed, the NZXT H510 will be more than up to the task of handling the heat. You can even throw an AIO cooler here to comfortably keep the Ryzen 9 3900X within a safer operating temperature range.
CPU
The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X is an impressive CPU. It houses 12 physical cores with 24 threads. You read that correctly. This is a 12-core processor you can buy at such an affordable price. It'll make easy work of Flight Simulator.
GPU
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 is the new king of GPUs and is about as good as you can get in terms of graphics processing. If you want 4K and don't mind turning just a few settings down, this is the GPU for you.
PSU
To better handle the 12-core processor and impressive NVIDIA GPU, we've upgraded our PSU choice to the new Dark Power 12 1200W unit from be quiet! It's incredible, fully modular, and is 80 Plus Titanium certified.
Motherboard
To hold everything together is the ASUS ROG Strix X570-E Gaming motherboard. It's powered by AMD's best chipset, the X570, and is more than ready for you to hook up all your favorite accessories and more.
RAM
The same RAM is used here as our other builds, except we've gone all out with 32GB of it from Corsair. These modules work very well with AMD's more powerful CPUs too.
Header Cell - Column 0 | Component | Price |
---|---|---|
Case | NZXT H510 | $69 |
CPU | AMD Ryzen 9 3900X | $430 |
GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 | $1,500 |
PSU | be quiet! Dark Power Pro 12 1200W | $399 |
Motherboard | ASUS ROG Strix X570-E Gaming | $297 |
RAM | Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB | $108 |
SSD | Samsung 970 EVO Plus 250GB | $70 |
SSD | Sabrent Rocket Q 1TB | $111 |
Row 8 - Cell 0 | Total: | $2,984 |
Choosing the right PC build for you
Putting together the right build for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 largely comes down to the GPU. Even with an NVIDIA RTX 2080 SUPER GPU, one of the best graphics cards available right now, you're going to struggle to play the game at 4K on maximum settings. It's possible, but you will notice some significant drops in the framerate. What we'd recommend for 4K is to wait for NVIDIA's RTX 30 series of GPUs and try out the RTX 3080.
If you don't mind turning down the settings a little and simply want to enjoy the game at maximum resolution on your brand new monitor, our high-end gaming PC build is the way to go. The RTX 3080 SUPER is an excellent GPU that will not only play Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 really well but also most other PC games available right now.
If you'd rather save a little and enjoy Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 at 1080p or 1440p, our other two recommended PC builds will be a good match for your needs and wallet.
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Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.