Hardware Hardware configuration for a simming PC in 2023 ?

[N_Molson]

Most of people over there are hardcore flight (but also naval, rail, road...) simulation fans so having a "recommended" configuration could help many of us. Of course some products or more or less available all around the planet but nothing's perfect. It could also be interesting to suggest different hardware "tiers". The idea is to elobarate some kind of guide, that we can update every year or semester. The 3 tiers could be like that, with the "Budget" tier being defined as "recommended settings" for (Open)Orbiter/D3D9 :

Budget : "recommended settings" for (Open)Orbiter/D3D9, tries to be as cost-effective as possible.
Comfort : able to run most commercial sims (FS, X-Plane, DCS...) with decent FPS (and some visual/audio/tactile comfort).
Performance : a setup that puts performance and "close with the real thing" as a priority.

The main categories would be as following, I can update the OP from your suggestions :

Computer :

Motherboard :
RAM :
CPU :
GPU :
Hard Drive(s) :
SSD :
Power Supply :
Case :

Peripherals :

Screen :
Flight Control System (joystick, pedals...) :
Keyboard :
Mouse :
Speakers :
Headset : Beyerdynamics BT990 Pro
External USB Numpad :

 

[Ripley]

For an Orbiter-oriented configuration (at least until few years ago) an additional external usb numpad was often suggested.

 

[N_Molson]

I bought this "little thing"

HOTAS WARTHOG™

Ensemble de Joystick HOTAS™(**) (Hands On Throttle And Stick) réplique de l’avion d’attaque A-10C de l’U.S. Air Force.

shop.thrustmaster.com

What can I say ? Loved it from the first second. The control axis are extremely accurate, and they added some lead into those to make sure they sit firmly on your simpit. And if that's not enough, they are mounted on steel plates you can screw to your simpit.

The LED backlighting of the throttle switches labels is awesome. It might sound as a gadget, but it is very immersive, I love that, great idea. You can of course toggle it on/off and even choose between 5 luminosity levels...

Of course there's a script editor "TARGET" that allow you to map the controls the way you like, provided you get the time to get into coding.

Works superbly with DCS, of course.

However, know that there is no yaw axis. They explain they did that on purpose to make sure the stick bearing lasts in time (it uses magnets, actually, and not springs that tend to fail or get loose over time (went there, did that...). There is however a mini controller on the throttle that has two full axis, so I mapped it there. I could get used to that.

But I think I'm going for the Thrustmaster rudders pedals next (roughly the same price that the HOTAS set ). Yes, that's ridiculously overkill, but you live only once !

The stick is also sold separately.