This official MS Flight Simulator PC is giving me the pre-flight jitters

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But can it actually run the game?

Microsoft Flight Simulator modded jet engine PC render
(Image credit: Microsoft)

Looks like Xbox France is doing a giveaway with the top prize being a PC modded to look like a cross section of an aeroplane turbine. The question is whether the system will actually run the notoriously intensive Microsoft Flight Simulator. 

The original post comes from XboxFR on Twitter alongside the announcement of the next major world update for MS Flight Sim—one that overhauls France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The PC itself is actually up for grabs, too, the only thing you need to do to enter is follow and comment with the #MicrosoftFlightSimulator hashtag. Then just wait and see if you'll be the lucky owner of this ridiculous extreme PC build.

Jet engines aside, this PC comes with a tasty Gigabyte Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070, though there's no mention of which version—whether Gaming, Master, Vision, Eagle, or OC model. That'll be coupled with a 11th gen Intel processor, the Core i7 11700K, one of the most powerful Intel gaming CPU's to date. So it should be able to handle the graphical intensities thrown up by MS Flight Simulator, although perhaps not at maximum settings at 4K. That game is demanding.

All of that silicon is jammed into a Z590 Aorus Elite AX motherboard, which looks to be totally encased for a sleek interior look. Though the image XboxFR posted with reference to the contest is only a 3D render, so the final design may differ somewhat. Here's hoping it comes out looking that sleek.

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Official Microsoft Flight Simulator PC mod
(Image credit: Microsoft)
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I have doubts that it'll be plastered in RGB, though I do expect at least a red and green light either side, topped with a couple of blinking strobe lights to make it look more authentic. Not that people are going to be looking at the lights, let's be honest. I mean, first of all it's a freaking jet engine, and second it's almost double the size of a standard ATX case. Where the heck are you going to put it?

Still, for all the aviation enthusiasts out there with a taste for PC gaming, now's your chance to have a piece of—albeit flightless—aeronautical engineering hooked up to your home setup. Though it may be a French contest, there don't appear to be any rules barring people from other countries from entering. 

Might as well give it a pop, decide where you're going to fit it later.

Katie Wickens
Katie Wickens
Hardware Writer

Having been obsessed with game mechanics, computers and graphics for three decades, Katie took Game Art and Design up to Masters level at uni and has been writing about digital games, tabletop games and gaming technology for over five years since. She can be found facilitating board game design workshops and optimising everything in her path.