Do I have a low mid or high range computer

[jfri 42]

I often here the notion about a low range or midrange or highend system with some additional clarification like near between etc. I'm curious about what my system would be which isAusus A8V deluxe/Wifi G AGP mbAMD 64bit 3200+ CPU1 Gb 400 MHz dual channel RAMPalit AGP 8x Geforce 6600GT DDR3 256M graphicscard2 * 160Gb SATA Maxtor HD in raid 0Win XP HomeWhai is needed to get to the next step?

[rich135 0]

Since FSX is CPU intensive, let's look at some SiSandra processor benchmarks for your system vs. the latest.For the AMD 64 3200+ CPU we have: Dhrystone = 6,528 Wheatstone = 3,305Here is a new Core 2 Duo E6700 overclocked to 3.2GHz. Drystone = 29,681 Wheatstone = 20,333Hope this helps. Now if I just had some software to put on it. :-)Core 2 E6700 @ 3.2GHzThermaltake Blue Orb II2GB Corsair XMS 1066Asus P5W DeluxeSapphire X1950XTX2 * WD Raptor 150GbWin XP Home

[Guest 2002cbr600f4i]

Hate to say it, but you have a low to mid end machine... Basically,rule of thumb - if the components in your machine were RELEASED (not when did you buy them) and were top of the line at the time are <1.5 yrs old, you have a high end machine. 1.5-3 years puts you in the mid-range, >3 years means you have a low end dinosaur.You're borderline mid-->low on the CPU (that's about a 3 yr old chip...) The video card is closer to mid range, but then, it was a mid-range card the day it was released, so that's also getting a bit long in the tooth. 1GB RAM is pretty much the standard these days, but I've been pushing people to 2GB if they do any gaming because it gives the system more head room and recent games (such as BF2) are memory pigs.To give you a comparison - my machines have the following specs:Main Rig - Athlon 64 4800+ X2 (AM2 socket) dual core, 4GB DDR2-800 RAM, dual 7900GT video cards (SLI), 4 300GB Seagate SATA 2 HD's in RAID5, a 600W Seasonic PSU, 24" Dell LCD.backup rig - Athlon FX-51, 1 GB DDR-400, old Geforce2GTS video card (it's just a file server now...), bunch of drives...laptop - Athlon64 3200+, 1.25GB RAM, radeon 9600 mobileHTPC - Athlon XP 2500+, 512MB RAM, Radeon 9600XT video card, Hauppauge capture card.Your main machine is roughly the same as my backup rig (you have a much better video card, but as I said, I'm using it as a file server, so I didn't bother getting a good video card for it.)But the performance difference between your 3200+ and my 4800+X2 is night and day.If you're looking for a cheap upgrade I'd recommend swapping out your MB, CPU + Video card. SHould be able to go to socket 939 and pick up a high end single core (4000+) or a mid-range X2 dual core (like a 4600+) relatively cheaply. Get a 7600GT (if you can swing it though, get a 7900GT), and a new MB. Shoudl be able to carry over the RAM, CASE, (maybe if it's strong enough) PSU, and all the drives. Should be able to do all that for <$700. Alternatively, you should be able to find a 3700+ for that socket 754 (you have a 754, don't you?) MB that you're using and just get a faster AGP card and you should be all set. That would pretty much max out the system you have without requiring too much cost investment. That would at least get you up to mid range comfortably.Hope this helps...--2002cbr600f4i

[Manny 1,293]

For FSX, anything but the latest Core 2 Duo, is low. The hotshot latest and the greatest Core 2 Duo overclocked to the hilt is mid tier. There is no high end for FSX today. Doubt there will be in in the next 1 year. H/W has take on a turn in a different diffection and left us behind. There is no stamina on our side to go in that new direction. Waiting for a new technology Moses to lead the way....in our time tested same path. Hope is eternal.JMO.:)Manny

[jfri 42]

>If you're looking for a cheap upgrade I'd recommend swapping>out your MB, CPU + Video card. SHould be able to go to socketDoes not sound as cheap. Also I've been told (by MS here in Sweden) that a new mb means I must get new Win license>Shoudl be able to carry over the RAM, CASE, (maybe if it's>strong enough) PSU, and all the drives. Should be able to doGot a 550 W PSU.>all that for <$700. Alternatively, you should be able to find>a 3700+ for that socket 754 (you have a 754, don't you?) MBNo I got a socket 939 mb.

[Guest 2002cbr600f4i]

>>If you're looking for a cheap upgrade I'd recommend>swapping>>out your MB, CPU + Video card. SHould be able to go to>socket>>Does not sound as cheap. Also I've been told (by MS here in>Sweden) that a new mb means I must get new Win license>>>Shoudl be able to carry over the RAM, CASE, (maybe if it's>>strong enough) PSU, and all the drives. Should be able to do>>Got a 550 W PSU.>>>all that for <$700. Alternatively, you should be able to>find>>a 3700+ for that socket 754 (you have a 754, don't you?) MB>>No I got a socket 939 mb.>>Hmmm...Ok, you're on 939 already, so you should be able to drop in a dual core X2 (check online though... your MB might be too old to support that.)As far as MS and windows licensing... Grrr... I swear they're ####... I thought the rule was as long as you weren't going to use the old MB anymore it was transferable. Even then, it's possible to get it switched over, you just have to be a little more "creative" (do the phone-in activation rather than online.)I'd say, (as I said, check to see if the MB can support the X2's) get an X2 939, another gig of RAM, and maybe go to the highest end AGP card you can find. PC gaming has it's good points and it's bad points compared to Consoles... PC gaming costs more but you can constantly upgrade the parts here and there to improve performance, where with consoles you usually have to wait for their 4-5 yr product cycles and then have to toss everything and start all over again. So, it's a trade off.Personally, I'd say give FSX a try on your current rig before you go dropping $$$ on upgrading... You might find it to run just fine for your needs without the hardware upgrade. I WOULD recommend a RAM upgrade regardless. Reports are that FSX is a memory pig and 1GB really is the bare minimum for gaming these days.Hope this helps.--2002cbr600f4i

[greggd 12]

do your have windows pro sp2 (XP)? is so you can do a repair install but you need to google to get instructions. there is also a utility included in pro call sysprep which will allow you to lock your previous settings an add it to your new comp. i switched 939 mb going to a pci express from agp then bought the best least expensive video card on ebay. did that because of the new dx 10 card coming out. or you can run fsx with low settings until vista then upgrade at that pointGregg

[Mace 1,908]

>to go in that new direction. Waiting for a new technology>Moses to lead the way....>I *AM* the technology Mosesahahaha. I like the term. Kind of like "Code Pope" which I hear was the term MS was going to use for one person to oversee all Windows code.Really I think with the tweaks we're seeing, FSX performance will get to the point that it is acceptable. I have what I would call a mid or high-mid machine, and with the tweaks I get 20+ fps 90% of the time in FSX retail now, with no apparent loss of quality...and that's with the great new Autogen cranked *all the way* and some wx. Yes, that's right.That was not the case out-of-the-box. It was 15-20 at best, with Autogen on Dense at best. So it's going to get better for us.The 10% of the time, where FPS drops in the danger zone (<12 fps) is at a big airport like KLAX, where it still goes 9-14 fps, which is not good. I think that has to do with texture size of the airport buildings but I'm still experimenting. Your main complaint has been AI if I recall, well I can tell you, if you like lots of AI, don't expect to run it in FSX here at first. Let things get tweaked out and settled. I'm not a big AI guy anyway, but I can understand that if you are, it would add some level of disappointment. But give it time.RhettAMD 3700+ (@2.5 ghz), eVGA 7800GT 256, ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2 GB Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8, etc. etc.

[Manny 1,293]

Rhett,what do you consider a Tweek?For me, changing some value in the cfg that does not dumbdown (moving sliders to the left) would be a tweek.Moving sliders to the left or no autogen are not tweeks.Most of the things I have seen on the main thread of...turning off the Water settings, Bloom, autogens, texture resolution, etc... These are not tweeks. These are duming down stuff to the point of having no eye Candy..which is the value added of FSX over FS9.No?:)And you are right about AI. Without AI planes on an airport, its a ghost town... Yech! :(I do mention AI the most cause thats what consumes a lot of processing cycle... but it also goes to addon sceneries like Fly Tampa airports and other sceneries.Manny

[Mace 1,908]

I agree with you on what a tweak is. I think modifying texture sizes or modifying a cfg file is a tweak.But just moving sliders around is not. That's just configging a program.I don't really *need* a thread to tell me to move sliders around. I just need someone to remind me to water the plants. :)But the threads about actual cfg tweaks and texture adjustments, those I find very useful.RhettAMD 3700+, eVGA 7800GT 256, ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2 GB Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8, etc. etc.