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Setting Up FSX

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Hello all. The time has finally come! I finally had the funds to go after (to my eyes, and what I've read) a really good system for FSX. I've been away for Flight Simulator for a while. I have never owned FSX. I ended on FS9. I have received all the parts for my computer and will build it this weekend. Some highlights include: ASUS P8P67 MOBO, i7 Sandybridge 2600K (should be able to OC to around 4.8-5 GHZ), GTX 580, 8GB Patriot RAM, 1 TB HD, the works....right?! I hope it works out, and I can build it right. It will be my first build. I will have some help from friends who've built before, so I should be alright. My concerns are with installing everything right. My plans include to add REX, GEX, UT2, PMDG 747, a nice biz-jet (which I haven't decided between the Eaglesoft Citation X or the Citation Mustang), and a nice prop GA airplane (possible the Carenado C340). I'm a real-world pilot, so you can see my logic here. I also plan to run Windows 7. Any tips and guides for anybody who's dealt with any of the above?? Also, I have done countless research leading up to this and found this link on here: http://www.simforums...topic29041.htmlWill it suffice just to follow the advice on there? Once again, what are the procedures for going about the installation of each add-on, and just the plain installation of FSX Gold Edition? I've heard people tell me before to make sure you install as the administrator and make sure your anti-virus software is turned off during the install? Any tips such as this??Thanks in advance, and I look forward to diving back in!! Big%20Grin.gif

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Any tips and guides for anybody who's dealt with any of the above?? Also, I have done countless research leading up to this and found this link on here: http://www.simforums...topic29041.htmlWill it suffice just to follow the advice on there?
NickN's advice for setting up FSX is excellent. Also suggest getting the latest nvidia drivers 266.xx andusing nvidia inspector to set the settings to 8XS AA (or 8XSQ) and 16X AF as per Nick's instructions.For best scenery quality, try changing LOD_radius from 4.5 to 5.5 in the fsx.cfg file. FSX will reset this to 4.5 if you make any changes to the in-game settings, so best save the Settings and load them in-flight as needed. ALT/Options/Settings save and load.Lastly, go easy on traffic for best performance - start with freeway traffic at zero (my preference). :(

Bert

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I am currently finishing the FSX installation process after upgrading also to ASUS P8P67 MOBO, EvGA GTX580, i7 Sandybridge 2600K OClocked to 4.2 GHZ (be careful! There are reports of CPU damage if voltages are too high!).I used Nick´s recommendations and also Nvidia inspector. I have not been flying so I can not evaluate my new system. I just noticed that in the very first default flight I got ....around 4 FPS (not now of course!)


Edmundo Azevedo

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NickN's advice for setting up FSX is excellent. Also suggest getting the latest nvidia drivers 266.xx andusing nvidia inspector to set the settings to 8XS AA (or 8XSQ) and 16X AF as per Nick's instructions.For best scenery quality, try changing LOD_radius from 4.5 to 5.5 in the fsx.cfg file. FSX will reset this to 4.5 if you make any changes to the in-game settings, so best save the Settings and load them in-flight as needed. ALT/Options/Settings save and load.Lastly, go easy on traffic for best performance - start with freeway traffic at zero (my preference). :(
Cool. What is the LOD_radius? And resfresh my memory on what the .cfg files are? I messed with some of them back in FS9. That is the basic settings of anything in FSX right?

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My 2 cents:Install Win7 64 bit to use all the memory. If you can, get a 80GB SSD to install the operating system. Install FSX on it's own drive. If not, Install FSX in C:\Games to solve UAC issues.Install FSX, run the default flight, and install Acceleration. If everything is working ok, then install addon one at a time to check for problems.Have funDave

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Cool. What is the LOD_radius? And resfresh my memory on what the .cfg files are? I messed with some of them back in FS9. That is the basic settings of anything in FSX right?
LOD_radius is the distance for which FS will load and display detailed textures.fsx.cfg is the file that carries all the FSX settings... it is to be found in the Documents folderssomewhere (varies by OS), NOT in the main fsx folder.

Bert

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My 2 cents:Install Win7 64 bit to use all the memory. If you can, get a 80GB SSD to install the operating system. Install FSX on it's own drive. If not, Install FSX in C:\Games to solve UAC issues.Install FSX, run the default flight, and install Acceleration. If everything is working ok, then install addon one at a time to check for problems.Have funDave
What's the benefit of installing windows onto a seperate drive (especially a SSD)? I'm assuming it reserves all the seeking and loading of FSX stuff within the game to just your normal hard drive freeing it up to focus on FSX. Have you seen the difference in performance between the two methods?
I am currently finishing the FSX installation process after upgrading also to ASUS P8P67 MOBO, EvGA GTX580, i7 Sandybridge 2600K OClocked to 4.2 GHZ (be careful! There are reports of CPU damage if voltages are too high!).I used Nick´s recommendations and also Nvidia inspector. I have not been flying so I can not evaluate my new system. I just noticed that in the very first default flight I got ....around 4 FPS (not now of course!)
I assume this 4 FPS was before you followed Nick's advice? What's your performance now? And what kind of add-ons do you have?

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My concerns are with installing everything right. My plans include to add REX, GEX, UT2, PMDG 747, a nice biz-jet (which I haven't decided between the Eaglesoft Citation X or the Citation Mustang), and a nice prop GA airplane (possible the Carenado C340). I'm a real-world pilot, so you can see my logic here. I also plan to run Windows 7. ]
I'd go for both the C510 and C750. The Mustang as you probably know is a lot slower than most jets. But the VC is incredible and your new system should have no issues with performance. The 750 has been around a bit longer but is oh so much faster for those longer legs.I'm also a rw pilot (not current) and controller, and 90% of my flying on vatsim is general aviation - I recommend either the RealAir Duke or Orbx Lancair. The Lancair is actually a bit faster at altitude but harder to slow down. Also, get the Reality XP GNS, 430W or 530W as they'll both work in the Lancair and Duke. Oh, the Duke is also getting a turbine upgrade:http://realairsimulations.com/content1.php?page=duket_featuresPiston BE60http://realairsimulations.com/duke09/intro.php?page=duke09_introLancair IV-Phttp://fullterrain.com/product_lancair.htmlRXP GNS'shttp://www.reality-xp.com/flightsim/gns430/index.htmlHave fun!

| FAA ZMP |
| PPL ASEL |
| Windows 11 | MSI Z690 Tomahawk | 12700K 4.7GHz | MSI RTX 4080 | 32GB 5600 MHz DDR5 | 500GB Samsung 860 Evo SSD | 2x 2TB Samsung 970 Evo M.2 | EVGA 850W Gold | Corsair 5000X | HP G2 (VR) / LG 27" 1440p |

 

 

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I'm also a rw pilot (not current) and controller, and 90% of my flying on vatsim is general aviation -
I always wondered about VATSIM. How exactly does it work?

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It's great... mainly for the heavy iron guys... but GA is prevalent on the weekends and especially for events! It works just like real world for the most part. If IFR, you fly with current charts from skyvector or naco plates, and use real world frequencies/procedures. It's pretty awesome for currency...What I'd recommend is skimming over the PRC here:http://www.vatsim.net/prc/And I say skimming because you're way ahead of the pack since you fly IRL...Setting up an account is really easy, and I use VatSpy to see who's online:http://www.metacraft.com/VATSpy/You'll also need FSInn or SB4 to connect to the network:http://www.simmiles.com/airline/fsinn-fscopilot.phphttp://squawkbox.ca/news/


| FAA ZMP |
| PPL ASEL |
| Windows 11 | MSI Z690 Tomahawk | 12700K 4.7GHz | MSI RTX 4080 | 32GB 5600 MHz DDR5 | 500GB Samsung 860 Evo SSD | 2x 2TB Samsung 970 Evo M.2 | EVGA 850W Gold | Corsair 5000X | HP G2 (VR) / LG 27" 1440p |

 

 

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What's the benefit of installing windows onto a seperate drive (especially a SSD)? I'm assuming it reserves all the seeking and loading of FSX stuff within the game to just your normal hard drive freeing it up to focus on FSX. Have you seen the difference in performance between the two methods?
Speed, for all programs. FSX runs smoother with all sliders maxed (water low 2x, traffic 80%, boats 40%, no bloom, no shadows, DX9). I setup with NickN and add ******* auto FSX.cfg. External limiter locked at 30. New York I get 27 fps and heavy weather knocks it down to 17 fps. My video card is getting a little long in the tooth, but still smooth.DavIntel Core I7 975 Quadcore OC @ 3.75 Ghz (Air)Asus P6T DLX V2 X58 1366, BD Combo Plextor B310SA6GB (3x2GB) Corsair Dominator DDR3 1866C7GTHIS ATI 4890 1GB, Samsung 24", Saitek X-52 ProLogitech Z680 5.1 Speakers, G15 Keyboard, G5 MouseThermaltake Element S Case, Corsair 850HX PSUC: Intel 80GB SSD w/Windows 7 Home 64D: WD 300GB Velocity Raptor w/FSX+Accel+GEX, F4AFE: WD 1TB Caviar Black w/Data SH4

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Speed, for all programs. FSX runs smoother with all sliders maxed (water low 2x, traffic 80%, boats 40%, no bloom, no shadows, DX9). I setup with NickN and add ******* auto FSX.cfg. External limiter locked at 30. New York I get 27 fps and heavy weather knocks it down to 17 fps. My video card is getting a little long in the tooth, but still smooth.DavIntel Core I7 975 Quadcore OC @ 3.75 Ghz (Air)Asus P6T DLX V2 X58 1366, BD Combo Plextor B310SA6GB (3x2GB) Corsair Dominator DDR3 1866C7GTHIS ATI 4890 1GB, Samsung 24", Saitek X-52 ProLogitech Z680 5.1 Speakers, G15 Keyboard, G5 MouseThermaltake Element S Case, Corsair 850HX PSUC: Intel 80GB SSD w/Windows 7 Home 64D: WD 300GB Velocity Raptor w/FSX+Accel+GEX, F4AFE: WD 1TB Caviar Black w/Data SH4
Yeah, I tried putting my computer together today, and for lack of a better word, I suck at putting a computer together! Haha. I managed to get the CPU installed and the heatsink attached and that's as far as I got. I ran into memory capatiblity problems (the darn things wouldn't fit!!.... go figure). Plus, I'm gonna have to replace my case with a full-tower so the GTX 580 will fit. Gosh this is a lot of work!! But eventually it will pay off. I'm gonna take it all to a guy back in my home town to put it together for me. Tried to save money and do it myself, but sometimes you just gotta fork it up. :( So I'm really crunching numbers and really working on this hard drive stuff. Ideally I would like to do what you are doing and get a 300GB Velocity Raptor dedicated just for FSX and addons, 80 GB SSD for OS, and my 1 TB Seagate, but trying to keep costs down somewhat. Heck, I'm already at 2,000, and I haven't begun with addon aircraft and scenery! :( What if I went with that 80 GB SSD for Windows 7 and keep my 1 TB 7200 Seagate for my main hard drive?

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What's the benefit of installing windows onto a seperate drive (especially a SSD)? I'm assuming it reserves all the seeking and loading of FSX stuff within the game to just your normal hard drive freeing it up to focus on FSX. Have you seen the difference in performance between the two methods?I assume this 4 FPS was before you followed Nick's advice? What's your performance now? And what kind of add-ons do you have?
Yes, now performance is fine (with most slides maxed and frames limited to 25 using an external fps limiter).

Edmundo Azevedo

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Yeah, I tried putting my computer together today, and for lack of a better word, I suck at putting a computer together! Haha. I managed to get the CPU installed and the heatsink attached and that's as far as I got. I ran into memory capatiblity problems (the darn things wouldn't fit!!.... go figure). Plus, I'm gonna have to replace my case with a full-tower so the GTX 580 will fit. Gosh this is a lot of work!! But eventually it will pay off. I'm gonna take it all to a guy back in my home town to put it together for me. Tried to save money and do it myself, but sometimes you just gotta fork it up. :( So I'm really crunching numbers and really working on this hard drive stuff. Ideally I would like to do what you are doing and get a 300GB Velocity Raptor dedicated just for FSX and addons, 80 GB SSD for OS, and my 1 TB Seagate, but trying to keep costs down somewhat. Heck, I'm already at 2,000, and I haven't begun with addon aircraft and scenery! :( What if I went with that 80 GB SSD for Windows 7 and keep my 1 TB 7200 Seagate for my main hard drive?
Sorry, I thought you had someone to help you with this project. They should have advised you from the very start on what to buy to get "the best banng for your buck". It takes a lot of research, or hand holding, to build your first oe. I posted my specs to give some lessons learned. My last computer (Dell 720 H2C) I setup with NickN. Got rid of my Raid 0, added some memory, FSX ran good, not great. I built my next one when the I7 920 came out. With those lessons I built my present one when the I7 975 came out. I added the SSD at this time and it was faster and smoother. They are expensive, so if cost is a problem just stick with the 1TB. Don't partition and install FSX on C:\Games. This directory is a good place for FPS_Limiter_2 also. You need to overclock your CPU to at least 3.7 to get the best from FSX.Have funDave

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Sorry, I thought you had someone to help you with this project. They should have advised you from the very start on what to buy to get "the best banng for your buck". It takes a lot of research, or hand holding, to build your first oe. I posted my specs to give some lessons learned. My last computer (Dell 720 H2C) I setup with NickN. Got rid of my Raid 0, added some memory, FSX ran good, not great. I built my next one when the I7 920 came out. With those lessons I built my present one when the I7 975 came out. I added the SSD at this time and it was faster and smoother. They are expensive, so if cost is a problem just stick with the 1TB. Don't partition and install FSX on C:\Games. This directory is a good place for FPS_Limiter_2 also. You need to overclock your CPU to at least 3.7 to get the best from FSX.Have funDave
Well, they weren't exactly help in researching. I mainly did all that myself by searching around forums like this one. Plus I figured with youtube, and product website videos, I could do it myself. I had been prepping all last week, but was just in over my head. It turns out that all I probably had to do was give the memory a little more force bc I called ASUS and they assured me the memory was right and I just wasn't pressing it in the slot hard enough. Haha... oh well! :( So I got a guy back home who's got a whole lot more experience. Cost is sort of an issue mainly bc I just wanted enough room for addons, but I will just get them over time now that I have a good setup. My orginal ceiling was around $2500 with addons but that's just the computer now. I will basically have what you recommended. The 80GB SSD, I got a 300GB Velocity Raptor, and the seagate 1 TB. That should do me for good while! haha. Who knows, may give the ole Microsoft Flight a try when it comes out. :( I've been needing an overall new computer for a long time and always wanted that killer FSX setup so the time had come.

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