For those with older systems.. you might be interested

[Guest]

Hi Steve!As I don't own a Dell, (great systems) I don't believe it was this Mitch that you saw putzing around the tech site at Dell. I have poked around that site when spec'ing my 'wish list' and keeping up-to-date with what's out 'there', but other than that, you might be thinking of somebody else.Sure...I lust after the 'cutting edge', but you know...I don't see the 'numbers' being played out in FPS's that are commensurate with the BIG BUCKS the players are dishing out.No argument that they might have a slightly 'crisper' detail or whatever...but...and this is the really BIG 'but'...at what price?At what price do you accept that great sucking sound from the bank account to get a few (perhaps not even ten) FPS's when the total rest of your system did a killer job with all the other software titles you own and enjoy....Not only am I into flight sims...but I also love car racing...and my Green Machine 500 mhz SCREAMED those cars down the course at a virtual 200 miles per hour... Smooth FPS rates, the whole shebang.So...I'm going to spend another $2000.00 for ONE PROGRAM? FS2002?!?!?Yeah...right.....yeah...right this moment....lol. What I WILL do..and am doing, is to tweak this...replace that---the CPU..the memory amount and quality---a faster (you get total financial recovery) 7200 8M (Cache) 120 gigger hard drive, etc.When the system has a hard failure? No problem. I'll go out that day and either replace the motherboard and carry on...or go for a WAY behind the curve by then, Pentuim 4 9 Ghz whatever, while the latest and the greatest is now at a Penium 7...lol. This is only my M.O. and suits me. Others have no problem laying down the coin for the latest and greatest, and that is totally their right to do so.Nobody is nuts in this hobby, no matter how they approach it. Really...that's just the nature of the beast...flight simulation!For myself? Hey...I threw a couple of hundred bucks into my FIVE year old system , and came away with a tremendous performance increase, that was there to be had all the time, I guess...I just didn't have the right hardware combo........heck...who knows what kind of CHEAP housebrand (black market..whatever) memory modules I had been running in my system, and had NO idea it was restricting (needing an enema of sorts, lol) a #*@(-pile of performance.I only found out by spending the $83.00 in change and slapping in the 512 CAS2! The BIOS upgrade sure didn't hurt either, it seems!In FS2002, I'm now getting in average, 15 FPS, (locked at 16) Actually...15.4, .6. 3. ---you get the picture, right? Sometimes it dips for one second to 7-9 and then right up there again. I find the sim fluid at around 12. So...I'm now like Flint...right in the 'happy hour' zone.In X-Plane 5.99 I picked up over 10 FPS, and that is so cool!I'm yacking...and you're probably asleep....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....lolCheers!Mitch R.

[Guest Air1]

Ok, Mitch, must have been someone else. You are however right on the money with the memory thing. I will be increasing my 384 with some more Curcial. I am also running XP and love it. It is the best operating system yet and I have had most of them through the years except Me and I hear I din't miss anything there. A couple screen shots from CFS3.Later, Steve

[Cruachan 705]

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[Guest]

Probably "ye ole" database hiccup. If you'll notice that message #14 is missing a lot of info.

[Guest]

Gone with the wind...;)Mitch R.