iMac compatibility with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020

[hwojtek]

Tempted to get a new 2020 if I can play FS2020 in boot camp but hoping someone else tries it first. please update this thread if you do!

Boot Camp is just a set of Windows drivers and settings specifically tailored for each Mac computer. Once Windows is started, it's just a regular Windows PC, why wouldn't the game work?

 

[pldelisle]

I have iMac Pro,(2017), 8 core Xeon, 32GB mem, w Radeon Pro Vega 56 8GB graphics. The max Parallels VM config is: 2GB Graphics, 8GB memory, 4 processors. I'm hoping new new Flight Simulator will work fine. I do not have access to the beta so I guess I will just have to wait and see. I want to avoid doing a Boot Camp.

Forget it. No VM has GPU access on Mac. Won’t work.

 

[jwp2222]

Boot Camp is just a set of Windows drivers and settings specifically tailored for each Mac computer. Once Windows is started, it's just a regular Windows PC, why wouldn't the game work?

I meant performance of the game with this hardware. It’s a very demanding game and Macs are not generally known as good game machines.

 

[Tornado16]

Tempted to get a new 2020 if I can play FS2020 in boot camp but hoping someone else tries it first. please update this thread if you do!

I’ve just got a new 2020 27 inch iMac. i9, 5700 XT, 64GB RAM & 2TB SSD.

MSFS runs perfectly through Boot Camp on High settings at 1440 resolution maintaining between 30 and 60 FPS throughout. You don’t need more than 30 FPS anyway for flight sims unless you’re VR.

It won’t do 5k, very little will in fact, and although it will run on ultra setting it struggles over dense scenery. But I also couldn’t tell the difference between High and Ultra to be fair.

The only anomaly is that it doesn’t seem to use more than 6GB of VRAM despite 16GB being available and the FPS data keeps stating that there is a GPU bottleneck. That’s true as it is the weak link gaming wise on this system but it’s still failing to use all the resources available. I’m putting it down to the release drivers.

So buy the 2020 iMac and you’ll be fine. It also very capable of running X-Plane with Orbx TE scenery under OSX and DCS at good settings and older sims like IL-2 Sturmovik at highest resolutions under Bootcamp.

 

[Tornado16]

To all of you wondering if FS2020 can run on BootCamp

I tried this yesterday, and on my MacBook 16"

Modelbeskrivelse

Produkttype	Bærbar PC
Modelnavn	Apple MacBook Pro 16
Produktserie	Macbook Pro
Producentens varekode	MVVK2DK/A
Lanceringsår	2019

Processor

Producent CPU	Intel
Type processor	Intel Core i9
CPU-generation	9. generation
Antal kerner	8
Hastighed (GHz)	2,30
Maks. turbo clockfrekvens (GHz)	4,80
CPU cache	16 MB

Lagring og hukommelse

RAM type	DDR4
Intern hukommelse RAM (GB)	16,00
RAM hastighed (MHz)	2 666
Lagringstype	SSD
Antal SSDs installeret	1
Lagringskapacitet SSD (GB)	1000
Total SSDs kapacitet (GB)	1 000
Samlet lagringskapacitet (GB)	1 000

Grafik

Type grafikkort	Dedikeret og delt
Producent grafikkort (GPU)	AMD
Grafikkort model (GPU)	Radeon Pro 5500M
Dedikeret GPU RAM (GB)	4
Producent grafikkort - GPU 2	Intel
Grafikkort model - GPU 2	Intel HD Graphics 630

It was a disaster - even when all graphics was turned off or to lowest settings it lagged so much that it was ridicules.

NB! BootCamp are the only installation (Win 10 to ofcourse and only FS 2020) on the MacBook

It does work under Bootcamp. And very well - providing you have an adequate graphics card and VRAM. It ran on my old iMac late 2014 at low settings and that was an i5, R9 M295X with 4GB of VRAM and 16 GB of RAM.

On a new top spec 2020 iMac it runs well at High settings. But it is a RAM and VRAM hog. You’ve got the 16GB of RAM which is fine but 4GB of VRAM is the limiting factor. But, it should still work if I can get it up and running on my old 2014 iMac.

 

[Tornado16]

For anyone trying to find out if their machine will run MSFS 2020, Game Debate have several very good articles including a series of benchmarks

Microsoft Flight Simulator PC performance report - Graphics card benchmarks

How well does Microsoft Flight Simulator run on PC hardware? We test GPUs, benchmarks running MS Flight Sim to see resolution and video setting impacts.

www.game-debate.com

Microsoft Flight Simulator most important graphics options - every video setting benchmarked

What's the best Microsoft Flight Simulator PC graphics settings to run smoothly and how demanding is it? We test the best graphics setup for low & ultra settings.

www.game-debate.com

 

[Holodeck2015]

Its running on my IMac Late 2012 i7 3.4, 24Gb Ram, 1TB Fusion, GeForce GTX 675MX, 1GB VRAM.

It runs pretty smooth in 1080 but it doesn't look the best on the 27" screen. Looks great at 2560x1440 but frame rate suffers badly. I'm running it on LOW. Loading times are excrutiatingly slow on the Fusion drive.

Personally I'm enjoying it and making the most of what i have, I'm just happy it runs

I'll check framerates tonight and report back

 

[dimme]

Its running on my IMac Late 2012 i7 3.4, 24Gb Ram, 1TB Fusion, GeForce GTX 675MX, 1GB VRAM.

It runs pretty smooth in 1080 but it doesn't look the best on the 27" screen. Looks great at 2560x1440 but frame rate suffers badly. I'm running it on LOW. Loading times are excrutiatingly slow on the Fusion drive.

Personally I'm enjoying it and making the most of what i have, I'm just happy it runs

I'll check framerates tonight and report back

How is the fan speed and heat?

 

[Holodeck2015]

How is the fan speed and heat?

Fan is full speed, heat is real.

BTW this is under boot camp

 

[Holodeck2015]

Here are some FPS details as promised above...

Runs around 25-30 FPS at 1600x1024 with everything on LOW (global settings option)

1280x768 - MEDIUM - 15-20 Fps
1280x768 - HIGH-END - 15 FPS

2560x1440 - LOW, TAA, Buildings - High, Render Scaling -70, terrain detail 45 ..... approx 25fps, still not ideal building detail but you will def make out landmarks easily.

To be honest I’m still trying to find the sweet spot on the settings, keen to get some advice.

I’m primarily flying over Orange County looking at the various landmarks and my neighborhood.

The fan actually didn’t kick in much during the 40-50 min gameplay above when I was testing.

 

[jwp2222]

I’ve just got a new 2020 27 inch iMac. i9, 5700 XT, 64GB RAM & 2TB SSD.

MSFS runs perfectly through Boot Camp on High settings at 1440 resolution maintaining between 30 and 60 FPS throughout.

The only anomaly is that it doesn’t seem to use more than 6GB of VRAM despite 16GB being available and the FPS data keeps stating that there is a GPU bottleneck. That’s true as it is the weak link gaming wise on this system but it’s still failing to use all the resources available. I’m putting it down to the release drivers.

Congrats on your machine, that sounds really nice!

It seems that with that vram usage and still good performance, one may be able to save a bit and get the non-XT 5700 or possibly even the 5500XT?!

 

[Tornado16]

Congrats on your machine, that sounds really nice!

It seems that with that vram usage and still good performance, one may be able to save a bit and get the non-XT 5700 or possibly even the 5500XT?!

I wouldn’t want anything less. It still requires compromises even with the 5700XT. With the non XT or 5500 you would probably need to go down to medium settings. It’s very GPU constrained with the XT5700 but I need to find out why it doesn’t use more than 5GB of VRAM. By comparison X-Plane is using all the 16GB and more!

 

[Quotenfrau]

I have a MacBook Air 2020 and wonder if Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 will perform well in Boot Camp.

At the moment I don't own a Windows license. Is it worth to buy? Should I try?

 

[Tornado16]

I have a MacBook Air 2020 and wonder if Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 will perform well in Boot Camp.

At the moment I don't own a Windows license. Is it worth to buy? Should I try?

In a word, no.

It’s not a case of whether it would run it well or not, rather if it would run it at all. The Air appears to be below the minimum spec to run MSFS at even the lowest level I’m afraid, both in the CPU and GPU department.


Minimum Requirements

• OS: Win 7 64
• Processor: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz / AMD Ryzen R3 1200
• Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 570 4GB or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770
• VRAM: 2GB
• System Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Storage: 150 GB Hard drive space
• DirectX 11 Compatible Graphics Card

 

[MathAviation7]

I’ve just got a new 2020 27 inch iMac. i9, 5700 XT, 64GB RAM & 2TB SSD.

MSFS runs perfectly through Boot Camp on High settings at 1440 resolution maintaining between 30 and 60 FPS throughout. You don’t need more than 30 FPS anyway for flight sims unless you’re VR.

It won’t do 5k, very little will in fact, and although it will run on ultra setting it struggles over dense scenery. But I also couldn’t tell the difference between High and Ultra to be fair.

The only anomaly is that it doesn’t seem to use more than 6GB of VRAM despite 16GB being available and the FPS data keeps stating that there is a GPU bottleneck. That’s true as it is the weak link gaming wise on this system but it’s still failing to use all the resources available. I’m putting it down to the release drivers.

So buy the 2020 iMac and you’ll be fine. It also very capable of running X-Plane with Orbx TE scenery under OSX and DCS at good settings and older sims like IL-2 Sturmovik at highest resolutions under Bootcamp.

I am thinking about getting a 2020 iMac for MFS 2020. How do the fans on you computer run and does the game ever crash? I am opting to get it with the 5700XT, 64 gigs of ram (DIY) and the 8-core i7. Do you recommend spending the extra money for the i9, or do you think you can get similar performace out of the i7? Also can you play the sim in 4K without much lag?

 

[MathAviation7]

.

 

[Tornado16]

I am thinking about getting a 2020 iMac for MFS 2020. How do the fans on you computer run and does the game ever crash? I am opting to get it with the 5700XT, 64 gigs of ram (DIY) and the 8-core i7. Do you recommend spending the extra money for the i9, or do you think you can get similar performace out of the i7? Also can you play the sim in 4K without much lag?

The fans do run but, and to be fair I’d expect them to, but I‘ve never had a CTD.

The game really is a GPU hog so the 5700 XT should certainly be worth it. I say ’should’ but I’ve not yet reached 8GB of VRAM usage because the raw power of the GPU gives up first.

There’s no way it will run at 4K unless you turn the settings right down, which really defeats the object. 1440 is a good compromise with High settings.

As to processor, there’s some evidence that the the i7 may actually be better. The sim won’t use all the cores of the i9 and the base clock speed of the i7 could actually be a benefit. This comparison may help.

I think the 5700XT and i7 may be a good setup. I would love to see benchmarks between the two.

 

[MathAviation7]

The fans do run but, and to be fair I’d expect them to, but I‘ve never had a CTD.

The game really is a GPU hog so the 5700 XT should certainly be worth it. I say ’should’ but I’ve not yet reached 8GB of VRAM usage because the raw power of the GPU gives up first.

There’s no way it will run at 4K unless you turn the settings right down, which really defeats the object. 1440 is a good compromise with High settings.

As to processor, there’s some evidence that the the i7 may actually be better. The sim won’t use all the cores of the i9 and the base clock speed of the i7 could actually be a benefit. This comparison may help.

I think the 5700XT and i7 may be a good setup. I would love to see benchmarks between the two.

Thanks for your help! I was leaning towards the i7 and already watched the video, but I wasn’t sure the the slight increase in power might make a difference in MFS. I have all-apple devices, and I am glad that I don’t need to buy a PC gaming computer to run MFS!

 

[Tornado16]

Thanks for your help! I was leaning towards the i7 and already watched the video, but I wasn’t sure the the slight increase in power might make a difference in MFS. I have all-apple devices, and I am glad that I don’t need to buy a PC gaming computer to run MFS!

I automatically maxed out on everything just to future proof its use on all the various flight sims I play so it will last for as long as possible given that it’s the last ever Bootcamp iMac. I made the mistake in 2014 on my last machine and went for the i5 rather than i7 because at the time none of the flight sims could make use of the i7. How that quickly changed.

I have to admit that this time round I hadn’t thought of the possible impact of a lower clock speed vs more cores on the i9 but I’m hoping that as the sims develop the i9 premium may be justified.

 

[gijsmans]

iMac 5K late 2015, removed the harddisk of the 2TB fusion and replaced it with a 1TB ssd for Mac. Windows 10 is on the 128GB ssd part of the original fusion drive. GPU is a R9 M395 2GB. I run MSFS 2020 at 720p at high settings. The install is on a external drive. Frame rate is low, around 15-20 but I doesn’t really affect the fun.

 

[jwp2222]

iMac 5K late 2015, removed the harddisk of the 2TB fusion and replaced it with a 1TB ssd for Mac. Windows 10 is on the 128GB ssd part of the original fusion drive. GPU is a R9 M395 2GB. I run MSFS 2020 at 720p at high settings. The install is on a external drive. Frame rate is low, around 15-20 but I doesn’t really affect the fun.

Creative! glad it works ok.

I just saw the nvidia press releases about their new cards and immediately thought, “I bet that will be amazing for FS2020!”

 

[MathAviation7]

I automatically maxed out on everything just to future proof its use on all the various flight sims I play so it will last for as long as possible given that it’s the last ever Bootcamp iMac. I made the mistake in 2014 on my last machine and went for the i5 rather than i7 because at the time none of the flight sims could make use of the i7. How that quickly changed.

I have to admit that this time round I hadn’t thought of the possible impact of a lower clock speed vs more cores on the i9 but I’m hoping that as the sims develop the i9 premium may be justified.

I was looking into bootcamp and parallels today. Which would you recomend for MFS? By the way, I heard that parallels would make it to ARM Macs but it will take a few years to implement. Plus I am not sure how well the ARM chips will be at gaming so I am going to stick with intel.

 

[dimme]

I was looking into bootcamp and parallels today. Which would you recomend for MFS? By the way, I heard that parallels would make it to ARM Macs but it will take a few years to implement. Plus I am not sure how well the ARM chips will be at gaming so I am going to stick with intel.

For MSFS you will need to use bootcamp. Parallels will not work.

 

[Tornado16]

I was looking into bootcamp and parallels today. Which would you recomend for MFS? By the way, I heard that parallels would make it to ARM Macs but it will take a few years to implement. Plus I am not sure how well the ARM chips will be at gaming so I am going to stick with intel.

It’s bootcamp only I’m afraid.

 

[PianoMan2112]

I ran this on a 15” mid-2015 MBP (AMD Radeon R9 M370X 2 GB, 2.8 GHz processors, 16 GB RAM) on an external display (TCL TV) full-screen at 1280x720 in Boot Camp; at low-end it ran at 15-19 FPS; higher settings were OK if not by a populated area. I was planning on upgrading anyway while I can still get an Intel MBP, so I got the 16” 2019 with the new 5600M graphics card (I think it was released in June 2020); at 1920x1080 I can play in Ultra maxing out the computer drops to about 10 FPS at airports); if I set it to v-sync on at 20 FPS, it drops down to about 85% GPU usage.

Edit: I’ll be updating this as I do more tests, as I want to get this all down before I sell the 2015.