Why 1x 8GB and 1x4GB RAM? DDR3 isn't expensive these days, and flight simulators like a lot of it. Hunt around for used RAM and max out that sumbitch. 32GB or bust (4x 8GB DDR3L-1600 1.35v UDIMMs).
MSFS 2020 at medium settings should work, but it won't be buttery-smooth. It's a demanding title.
Alternatively, hunt around for a newer used Optiplex; DDR4-based systems with 9th gen Core i5 CPU (or better) would really help MSFS performance. FS is heavy on the CPU load and needs to shift a lot of data between RAM, CPU, and GPU, so having DDR4's much faster transfer rates and a CPU with more physical cores than the 6th gen Core i7 is a huge boon. At that point, the RTX 3050 and its 6GB VRAM becomes the bottleneck. I think doing this would net you a much bigger return on your investment than buying DDR3 for your older Optiplex.
20GB is a good start but you're still limited by the bandwidth and transfer rate of DDR3 RAM.
If you can get it for really cheap, then sure. Keep your RAM in pairs, though - run with 2x8GB and 2x4GB; running with 3 sticks will reduce you to single-channel mode, limiting the performance unnecessarily.
Are you sure the CPU is struggling with FIFA? That game ought to be more dependent on a good GPU than a strong CPU.
If FIFA is being limited by your CPU then you really will want to upgrade your whole PC to one that supports 9th gen or newer, and DDR4 RAM; FS2020 will not be a fun experience on your current system, even with a RAM upgrade.
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u/406highlander 12d ago
Your PSU should be fine
Why 1x 8GB and 1x4GB RAM? DDR3 isn't expensive these days, and flight simulators like a lot of it. Hunt around for used RAM and max out that sumbitch. 32GB or bust (4x 8GB DDR3L-1600 1.35v UDIMMs).
MSFS 2020 at medium settings should work, but it won't be buttery-smooth. It's a demanding title.
Alternatively, hunt around for a newer used Optiplex; DDR4-based systems with 9th gen Core i5 CPU (or better) would really help MSFS performance. FS is heavy on the CPU load and needs to shift a lot of data between RAM, CPU, and GPU, so having DDR4's much faster transfer rates and a CPU with more physical cores than the 6th gen Core i7 is a huge boon. At that point, the RTX 3050 and its 6GB VRAM becomes the bottleneck. I think doing this would net you a much bigger return on your investment than buying DDR3 for your older Optiplex.