A compact custom PC for serious flight simulation

Start with the simulator, not the parts list

David was already using flight simulators and knew that scenery, aircraft models and other add-ons could turn a seemingly simple PC upgrade into a storage and file-management problem. Steve and Marcel discussed Microsoft Flight Simulator and X-Plane, his existing display, sound, Wi-Fi and the software he would need to reinstall. A fresh Windows installation gave him a clean starting point rather than carrying years of old software into the new machine.

Processor and graphics choices were discussed against the simulators he used. The agreed December 2023 plan recorded a Ryzen 9 7950X3D and GeForce RTX 4080 16 GB; the team considered the more expensive RTX 4090 but did not choose it simply for the larger number on the box.

Make space for the flying library

The agreed plan paired a 4 TB NVMe drive with two 8 TB SSDs. That capacity reflected David's substantial collection of simulator files, not a generic gaming-PC template. RAID 0 was discussed, including the risk that one failed drive would lose the whole array; the archived discussion alone does not establish the final storage layout, so we do not present RAID as a confirmed installed feature.

After handover David worked through the installation and transfer of his simulators and add-ons. The team continued to help him make sense of the new Windows file paths and where each simulator stored its data.

A small case with a real custom loop

The selected black Lian Li O11 Dynamic Mini was much smaller than the showcase tower David had seen in Steve's office, yet the design accommodated two 360 mm radiators. Marcel fitted water blocks to both the processor and graphics card and modified the case to place the pump without unnecessarily increasing the machine's depth. David wanted a restrained build, so the loop used dark tubing rather than bright RGB lighting.

A small front status display was added during the build to show system temperatures and load. The photographs show the finished result and the physical compromises behind it: radiator space, tubing, pump access and cables all had to fit around the components.

Test, hand over, then support the setup

Marcel's project updates record a pressure check with no leaks before filling, followed by air bleeding, fan-curve adjustments and stability testing. David collected the PC from Steve's office on 15 January 2024. The work did not end at handover: simulator data and add-on installation still needed practical guidance once he was using the new machine.

What David said after collection

In a 25 January follow-up, David said he was pleased with how the new system performed in X-Plane. He was still moving roughly 6 TB of simulator files and working through Windows 11 and add-on locations, so Steve and Marcel continued to help with the setup. His reported in-flight figures were observations from his own session, not controlled benchmarks. Later software and network questions were handled as part of that ongoing support.

This is why a specialist PC brief should include the software library, display and data plan, not only CPU and GPU targets. We would specify a new flight-sim build against today's parts, David's actual workload and the customer's budget. Our custom PC build guide explains the questions we ask first.

How this relates to H2.0

David's real PC and the proposed H2.0 model both put a genuine CPU and GPU custom loop at the centre of the build. His compact black 2024 machine has its own case, components and storage plan; it is not a photograph of a finished H2.0. We currently build for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, with collection by arrangement and no shipping of completed PCs.