Is there any point in getting the latest multi core processors for 32 bit gaming, like FSX?

FSX is fairly CPU intensive, so a faster, more modern CPU will improve performance. I would also recommend using a 64-bit OS. FSX will perform well and you'll have a stronger system for other games as well. Don't let the 32-bit aspect of FSX distract you too much.

If I remember correctly, FSX is not well-threaded (at all), so for instance a Pentium G3258 overclocked to 4.4GHz would perform as well as a 4790K.

The fastest CPU for it would be an unlocked Skylake CPU, but a Core i3 would be nearly as good.

No, the opinions aren't really that different. A faster CPU will help FSX perform better. Both say this, but simply stated differently.

Personally, I wouldn't build a system with less than 8GB today. I would also recommend a GPU with 4GB (or more) VRAM. These recommendations assume that other games/apps/etc, pther than FSX, will be used by the system in question. More than 4GB of memory means using a 64-bit OS.

I have used FSX on 64-bit versions of Windows with zero issues.

Yourmomm,

I've been running Microsoft's Flight Simulators for over 20 years, and have been running FSX since it was released in 2006. At that time I was running FSX on a dual core E6600 overclocked to 3.6 ... and everyone was complaining about frame rates.

When FSX Service Pack 1 was released in 2007, it made FSX multithreaded. This was about the time when the first quad core CPU's were becoming mainstream. At that time I had upgraded to a quad core Q6600 also overclocked to 3.6, and frame rates improved by about 40%. I later upgraded to a Q9650 overclocked to 4.2 and frame rates improved even further.

Since those days I've run FSX on an i7 920 overclocked to 4.2, an i7 2700K overclocked to 4.7 and an i7 4770K also overclocked to 4.7 with better frame rates with each upgrade. Throughout all these upgrades I've run various GPU's. Here's what I've learned about FSX:

Unlike most games, and unlike X-Plane, FSX is very heavily CPU bound (~80%), and will chew through every bit of CPU horsepower you can afford to throw at it. As old a title as it is, even to this day with all settings max'd out, FSX will still bring the most powerful modern PC to it's knees! Therefore, frame rate and image quality remain a fine balance between CPU horsepower and a good working knowledge of how to tweak the settings, as well as the FSX.cfg file.

FSX frame rate is driven by raw clock speed, then by core count and hyperthreading, so a highly overclocked i7 such as a 6700K paired with a high-end cooler will give you the best possible frame rates. Although an i5 would get the job done, FSX is one of the few titles that benefit from hyperthreading. For example, if I disable hyperthreading my frame rate drops, and minimum frame rate is especially affected. I wouldn't think of running FSX on any dual core CPU's these days; even a nicely overclocked G3258 or an i3.

Since FSX is lightly GPU bound, any mid-range graphics card is fine. FSX frame rates do not respond to high-end single or multiple GPU's. FSX is known to run best on nVidia GPU's and drivers, so a GTX 1060 would be a good choice.

I hope this has answered your questions,

CT