Hi All

 

I'm an FS2004 user thinking about taking the plunge and giving FSX a go. This is largely due to being unhappy with the graphical aspects of FS9. I love and seek sharp, crisp scenery when flying, and am a bit frustrated with the way FS2004 looks despite having spent lots on addons etc.

 

So firstly my question would be to those who are familiar with FSX - is my current set up capable of delivering an enjoyable simming experience, and can I expect better visuals - or would I have to compromise and have all the sliders low to get it to run smoothly (thus defeating the object).

 

I have a dual core Intel i5 processor (2.8GHz I think) and 4GB RAM, and a 2GB nVidia GeForce (460 or 480 i think).

 

Also am running Windows 7.

 

Second question is if you were starting from scratch, would you go with Windows 7 or Windows XP to run FSX on? Reason I ask is I still have a Windows XP disc and serial from an old machine, so have a choice of options where OS is concerned.

 

And last question, I was wondering if anyone could show some screenshots of flying over default scenery with FSX to show differences to FS9? There are so many different shots/vids around but you never know what add ons etc are changing the look.

 

I have Ground Environment Pro and UT Europe (not sure if either of these will work witj FSX also)

 

Sorry for the long questions, hope someone can advise!

 

Thanks

You should be ok.

 

Amazon has FSX for a tenner right now, which must be affordable, so why not just take the plunge anyway and see what you think? ^_^

 

Ian

You will be fine with your specs, though ideally you would overclock the i5 a bit higher if you were planning to run complex addons and scenery. You will probably have to compromise a little on autogen slider at least, but that won't affect graphical quality as such.

I would definitely stick with Windows 7.

I don't think your GE and UT will work, as there are FSX specific versions (GEX and UTX), though I am not sure about that. As you are looking for better graphics, I would definitely recommend upgrading those anyway for the area you like to fly, or go with Orbx for one of the areas they cover. That should at least bring you the eye candy you are looking for!

 

And if you go for it, don't forget to go through all the FSX tweaks posted on Avsim. You would be amazed what a difference they make.

I reckon your system will only return moderate performance. I purchased FSX in 2006 and tried to run it on a number of PC upgrades reverting back to FS9 each time. Only when I got an i7 860 based PC did FSX run any way as smoothly as FS9 did on the older technology. You can always install it and have a look for the sake of a tenner.

Second question is if you were starting from scratch, would you go with Windows 7 or Windows XP to run FSX on?

 

Hello

Windows 7 64 bit, use XP32 bit only if you enjoy OOM errors

Bert posted a screen shot comparison between FS2004 and FSX in the following post.

 

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/386986-fed-up-with-blurries-starting-afresh-advice/

Bristol - you need to sign your posts with your real name - forum rules!

 

Have a look at my profile/specs to see how it compares with your rig.

 

As suggested I would consider OCing your CPU and personally I would look at doubling your RAM (pretty cheap these days). People underestimate the role played in RAM in the performance of their rigs.

 

Win 7 all the way. Don't even go there with Win XP IMO if you have the option between the two! I have FSx Gold Edition which has the deluxe ed and acceleration. Paid about £13 nearly 12 months ago. Bargain. Get ready to spend lots on immersing yourself afterwards mind....

 

I have UTX as you will see from my simulator profile and no issues with FSx, but it was bought as the FSx version. I would check their website for info.

 

Couple of screenies below for your on the subject of default scenery. I don't have anything to run side-by-side for you as I only own FSx, but I hope they help.

 

Images are taken on a final approach to Toyko Haneda and provided via Dropbox - any issues with viewing them, let me know.

Edited October 4, 201213 yr by firehawk44
Photos removed - exceeded 1600W and 400KB max

I run a system with essentially the same equipment you describe and it does great with FSX. In fact my GTX 560 is only 1 mb, so you are probably just a little ahead of me. FSX is a 32 bit program, so your RAM is more than it can use anyway. Windows 7 will handle anything that XP wil and, I think, better. The Amazon "tenner" is the basic FSX but for mid-twenties, you can get the "Gold" which includes everything and all updates. It is a bargain price for buying the whole world and many aircraft. I would say to buy it and not look back. You will be happy!

 

John

Thanks all, think I'm just going to give it a go!

 

Is there any reason to buy deluxe/gold over standard for someone who doesn't use default aircraft and only flies between add-on (payware) airports??

Bristol - you need to sign your posts with your real name - forum rules!

 

There is no need to sign your posts with your real name, hope that helps

I can only speak for myself as a recent FSX convert.

 

Out of the box FSX is disappointing. But by adding a good mesh, the UTX / GEX series and a decent weather add-on (AS2012 for example) it turns into a whole different sim.

 

You will need the Deluxe version as well as the 2 service packs (SP1 and SP2) if you want to be fully compatible with all the add-ons for the sim. Besides, most new add-on aircraft and a lot of the newer scenery is being developed only for FSX and not FS9.

 

You will have to dig into your wallet but it's worth it in the end.

FS2004 Seattle UT

 

 

FSX Seattle GEX, Shade

 

 

P3D No addon

Edited October 4, 201213 yr by RWFeldman
Last photo removed - exceeded 400KB limit

Oh No! Please don't start tempting me with P3D.

Oh No! Please don't start tempting me with P3D.

No Anthony, that wasnt the intentions at all. Simply a comparison and very non scientific at that. I dont push my favorites or philosophy on anyone. Or at least try not to.

I used to have a 2.4GHz chip with a 512Mb GPU, same RAM. I worked it fairly hard, using add on scenery & planes. but with mid level graphics settings, aiming for 20fps. I would usually pause the thing on finals into a third party airport, just to let the graphics catch up (no problem with default) so it wouldn't try to load on short finals. I thought that was a reasonable price to pay for asking a lot. Since your rig is better than that, it should do ok.

 

Get Gold because it has acceleration built in.

 

Mike