FS9, still alive?

[Drumcode 1,892]

So I've been away from FS world for a while, mostly due to having a PC from the stoneage. So I'm building a new box with i7 in it and some other goodies. Just wanted to check if a lot of you still choose FS9 over FSX with high end PC's? I have an option of going with either one, just can't make up my mind, never flew in FSX and I still hear negative opinions about it. Is it worth the frustration?To be honest I never even experienced FS9 to the fullest due to lack of proper hardware and I'm leaning more towards sticking with it.

[MarkRey 16]

fs9 is certainly alive and well, especially among complex airliner users (we tend to care a bit less about the world outside of airports). That is not to say there are no FSX airliner drivers, far from it. We're also still plentiful enough that new products are still coming out fs9 compatible. If I were mainly GA though, and 'new' again like you, I'd try FSX first in a heartbeat - it is fundamentally superior if you can run it to your satisfaction. Why not post your specs and have FSX users give you an idea what to expect.

[VS0 23]

Definately fs9 for me.I have a high end system but running the PMDG 747 with activesky, a highd etail add on airport, world of ai and just flight traffic files , ultimate terrain, radar contact, trackir, aismooth, flight environment and ground environment all at 40+ fps mostly is AMAZING!!!!!!RichyP.S I know some of those addons don't hurt fps but I thought I'd list them anyway :(

[WallysWorld 4]

I use FS9 due to my two year old PC, but even after I get a new i7 machine later this year, I will stick with FS9 because of all the addons I have. FS9 looks excellent with many of the addons that are available and I can use it with full AA and AF with almost every detail option turned up to the max.

[John_Cillis 2,406]

So I've been away from FS world for a while, mostly due to having a PC from the stoneage. So I'm building a new box with i7 in it and some other goodies. Just wanted to check if a lot of you still choose FS9 over FSX with high end PC's? I have an option of going with either one, just can't make up my mind, never flew in FSX and I still hear negative opinions about it. Is it worth the frustration?To be honest I never even experienced FS9 to the fullest due to lack of proper hardware and I'm leaning more towards sticking with it.

Wait til' you experience FS9 with your new hardware. My machine has a Q8200, 8 Gigs Ram, is running Vista 64, and a low end GT120 with a Gig of Ram. FS9 runs just perfect and looks better than ever now that I can run with 16x aniso filtering.But I also splurged and got FS-X, and while it isn't as smooth as FS-9 it's no slideshow either if one sets it up with reasonable settings. If I pick a mid-sized city, like Reno, and unlock the framerates, FS-X is hitting 50-60 fps on the ground and 100+ fps in the air. I don't have everything maxed, but the adjustments I have made are visually at least twice as good as what I've seen in FS9. The only frustration I had with FS-X is the first system I picked up during the holidays died a week later, seemingly to a motherboard or HD controller failure. Ironically I got a better computer for the same price (although there's been some arguments online about the Q8200 vs. Q6600, I paid attention to performance on the first system and in one instance, the Q8200 system has about a 15 pct. improvement). That said, there's just something about FS-9 I won't give up. Flights are so smooth with it, and while the ground isn't as sharp at low altitude, for flying heavy iron it's hard to tell a difference with the 16x aniso enabled. FS-X is becoming my sim for VFR flight and play (Tileproxy VFR, and the air races and other missions for play), while FS-9 is there when I am in the mood to fly in the flight levels. Tileproxy and FS-X are nothing short of amazing, take a look at the screenshots forum and search on my avsim id to see what I mean.Anyway, that's my two cents, I am quite happy the systems needed to run FS-X are finally arriving without one having to declare bankruptcy. And I am happy that despite seeing FS-X, FS9 does not look as obsolete as some tried to insinuate.Regards,John

[Clutch Cargo 384]

FS9 is not only alive but "alive and kickin"! :( Most site poles I have seen still put the majority of simmers using FS2004. But who says you have to choose? If your new rig is good enough to fly FSX, it certainly will do circles around FS9. Get both - enjoy both for each of their benefits. Clutch

[rpjkw11 0]

My rig handles FSX well enough, but I'm still an FS9 diehard. I've tweaked FS9 and added many extras to the point that I'm so happy with it, FSX is no longer taking up space on my HDDs.Bob

[byork 2,258]

My rig handles FSX well enough, but I'm still an FS9 diehard. I've tweaked FS9 and added many extras to the point that I'm so happy with it, FSX is no longer taking up space on my HDDs.Bob

If you look at the user polls, a very large percentage of people are saying they still use FS9 as their primary sim.However, when I look at what my customers are ordering, the majority are buying FSX version products now.Hard to explain the contradiction.Cheers,

[bkeske 0]

So I've been away from FS world for a while, mostly due to having a PC from the stoneage. So I'm building a new box with i7 in it and some other goodies. Just wanted to check if a lot of you still choose FS9 over FSX with high end PC's? I have an option of going with either one, just can't make up my mind, never flew in FSX and I still hear negative opinions about it. Is it worth the frustration?To be honest I never even experienced FS9 to the fullest due to lack of proper hardware and I'm leaning more towards sticking with it.

I would suspect if you posted the same question on the FSX board, you would get differing opinions than you may find here. :( Personally, I scrubbed FS9 off my computer many months ago, never to return, and my computer does not come close to yours in performance, I'm sure.No regrets.

[Joseph29 225]

If I wanted to I could switch to FSX, but I have so many add ons (most will not work in FSX) and tons of AI. So FS9 will be staying on my computer for a long time.

[edetroit 933]

FS9 all the way for me......but that is because I know exactly what I want from my sim and FSX simply cannot supply it.I will be buying a new high end rig just for Win-XP and FS9.What I would do is decide what kind of aircraft I like to fly.( have a look to see which sim they are available for).Then what areas I like to fly in (for scenery availability)Just these two questions alone would lead me to FS9 but I have far greater reasons to use FS9 only....but that's just me. :(

[Guest Tingoose]

My approach is very similar to edetroit above. Is FS9 still alive? Oh yes very much so! It's a mature and stable sim (don't forget to install version 9.1) and as a result has mountains of fine addons to enhance it and it runs beautifully on today's hardware. :(

[out 769]

If you look at the user polls, a very large percentage of people are saying they still use FS9 as their primary sim. However, when I look at what my customers are ordering, the majority are buying FSX version products now. Hard to explain the contradiction.

Because FS9 simmers already have all they need to be happy in the sim! :( Best regards,Rafal

[Drumcode 1,892]

Very cool, thanks for the input guys. I decided to start things off with FS9 and XP, especially since I also have many add-ons for it. I'll enjoy it (finally, lol) for a few months and I'll give Vista and FSX a shot.Moving from P4 2.8GHz and the AGP to i7, 74G Raptor, GTX260 and 6Gb 1600 SDRAM should make a difference or at least I'm hoping for one.The parts didn't arrive yet but I'm stoked, big time now. :)

[Charlie Chew 0]

I suspect I'm in a small minority (maybe I'm the only one left?) of strictly GA fliers who prefer FS9 for low-and-slow flying. While FSX is great for GA flying -- I have it installed as well -- I rarely fire it up for a few reasons:1) Performance: 3D stereoscopic glasses have become a flight simming staple for me -- the immersion 3D glasses offer in conjunction with a fresnel lens is unreal. While I get satisfactory performance in FSX, 3D glasses effectively halve your frame rates. As much as I like FSX's high-res textures, the fluid 3D environment that can be achieved in FS9 wins out in terms of immersion.2) Flight Ontario: Most of my flying is done in the Golden Horseshoe region of southern Ontario, and Flight Ontario (flightontario.com) has released many great freeware scenery packages of the Greater Toronto Area for FS9 that are miles ahead of what's available for FSX. 3) Developers: After all these years, developers are still providing exciting things for FS9 (which says something about the number of simmers still using FS9). I'm really looking forward to Real Environment Xtreme and Carenado's new C-172.