Just wondering if some of you can give me a real comparison between these two versions of the same sim.

 

1. Performance - Is there any difference?

2. Scenery - has there been improvements in P3d's default world?

3. Add-on compatibility - In the case of aircraft can FSX add-ons work in P3d or is in most cases special development needed? Does FSX add-on scenery work without issue in P3d?

 

I'm thinking about getting a new PC and an i7 9xx series (Sandy Bridge) with 16gigs of ram is what I would get for FSX. It's a shame after all these years that's the machine I feel confident will run FSX well (a $3,000 Alienware machine). I learned with Flight this shouldn't be needed especially with software over 6 years old. Does P3d have optimized code that exploits current hardware better? I know some will argue about the need of such a robust machine is not needed, I for one don't have time for the endless tweaking game. Does P3d cure allot of the headache in getting a functional sim where one can just fly?

 

Thanks for any and all feedback.

 

1) The jury is out. I have found none, others beg to differ.

2) A few minor ones. Better Norfolk Virginia City scenery, and a few improved airports in Florida. Still, P3D lack the improved scenery that came with FSX Acceleration.

3) Most FSX stuff work, but the more complex addons need some tweaking to work. Beware that some addon makers don't allow their addons (or some of thewm) to be used in P3D.

Just wondering if some of you can give me a real comparison between these two versions of the same sim.

 

1. Performance - Is there any difference?

2. Scenery - has there been improvements in P3d's default world?

3. Add-on compatibility - In the case of aircraft can FSX add-ons work in P3d or is in most cases special development needed? Does FSX add-on scenery work without issue in P3d?

 

I'm thinking about getting a new PC and an i7 9xx series (Sandy Bridge) with 16gigs of ram is what I would get for FSX. It's a shame after all these years that's the machine I feel confident will run FSX well (a $3,000 Alienware machine). I learned with Flight this shouldn't be needed especially with software over 6 years old. Does P3d have optimized code that exploits current hardware better? I know some will argue about the need of such a robust machine is not needed, I for one don't have time for the endless tweaking game. Does P3d cure allot of the headache in getting a functional sim where one can just fly?

 

Thanks for any and all feedback.

 

Dillon,

 

It depends what you are looking for. Some people measure improvements by staring at the fps counter on the screen. Personally, I find a much more stable software base.

 

I installed, run the Bojote tweaks, even though you don't really need it, and that is all the tweaking I ever did, took all over 5 seconds.

 

I can run scenery that I had to run very sparsely in FSX and have it maxed out with fantastic detail in P3D, I have not had a single crash, a single stutter.

 

The terrain mesh seems to be improved in P3D, certainly resolution seems to be improved.

 

As for the add ons, it is backward compatible with FSX and most add ons work right out of the box, but Flight Sim Estonia also released a migratory tool which does any tweaking for you, which basically means most fsx add ons work seamlessly. I have not come across an add on I own that could not be migrated.

 

Hope it helps

 

Just a heads-up... Reality XP gauges do not work..

1) The jury is out. I have found none, others beg to differ.

2) A few minor ones.

3) Most FSX stuff work, but the more complex addons need some tweaking to work. Beware that some addon makers don't allow their addons (or some of thewm) to be used in P3D.

Pretty much sums it up from my experience.

 

Be aware that some stuff may not work when it comes to certain modules or the need to find a FSX simconnect version. A few planes may get stopped by this, the FSL Concorde for example. Take AES as another example or all the things being based on Vistamare (like AES Lite). They don't support P3D, means it won't run. Same as the thing Bert names, the RXP gauges. I doubt that big technical challenges are holding the devs back, the sim is too similar to FSX. Seems more like a license or just 'willing to' problem at times. :mellow:

 

To quantify the gains or not gains on stability, smoothness or just fps is difficult. I've tried it and saw no difference, while I can pack my FSX higher with addons since all of them run there. It isn't really the step forward one may expect after four versions (1.4) and it certainly isn't a magic bullet to e.g. solve oom problems due to dense scenery and a fancy addon plane. The same limitations apply. The same old FSX quirks are present.

 

It's a fresh installation though. I'd keep that in mind when it gets promoted as problem solver of any kind.

 

Does P3d have optimized code that exploits current hardware better?

No. It's CPU dependant like FSX and the graphic cards only come into play on the antialiasing and VRAM needs with hires textures. So make sure you have a strong CPU in the first place. Just like old times. ^_^

I for one don't have time for the endless tweaking game. Does P3d cure allot of the headache in getting a functional sim where one can just fly?

The same as in FSX. You may want to try the well known tweaks and guides, adjust them to your liking and then fly. Over FSX, you won't need the uiautomationcore.dll I think, but the rest of tweaks makes sense in both sims. Pretty similar setup.

 

Well, you may have to edit some things on the actual addons since not all of them come as P3D versions. So expect some edits or just copy actions to get older planes and scenery running. Most stuff should work though, exceptions can be seen above.

 

For tweak&fiddle folks, it may be a nice playground. For the ones already being stressed enough with a 'simple' FSX setup, it's questionable and the improvements are.. minor, if they exist. -_-

 

And, unless they change things, you have to reinstall the sim with every new patch.

Just a heads-up... Reality XP gauges do not work..

 

To put it bluntly Reality XP gauges don't work going from XP to Windows 7. Half my Dreamfleet planes in FS9 that use these gauges no longer work. Reality XP has feel off seriously if they can't get it right between basically the same sim under two different names. I thought they just couldn't wrap their heads around 64bit but this is a little more serious.

When it comes to the FSX RXP GPS gauges, they work fine in Win764. You can always get fresh and updated installers from their site. But I don't know if and how the FS9 versions differ. So you may have a point there.

 

To be off topic. If you are looking for a modern sim making use of hardware, perhaps also try X-Plane 10. Not that many addons as on the MS sims, but a nice potential on the technical side of the sim life.

 

Strange ATC though. Lol.

And, unless they change things, you have to reinstall the sim with every new patch.

 

Ouch... :vava:

 

Well, that's all folks. FSX and and Alienware machine it is (or wait a little while longer for today's high end PC's to come down in price bundled with 16gigs of ram)... :ph34r:

 

When it comes to the FSX RXP GPS gauges, they work fine in Win764. You can always get fresh and updated installers from their site. But I don't know if and how the FS9 versions differ. So you may have a point there.

 

To be off topic. If you are looking for a modern sim making use of hardware, perhaps also try X-Plane 10. Not that many addons, but a nice potential on the technical side of the sim life.

 

I tried updating the RXP gauges (actually purchased new ones) which did nothing for the Dreamfleet birds they were purchased for. The old 727, A36, and others are grounded permanently because of this. Now I'm hearing a fiasco with FSX/P3d, I won't buy another thing from them. Next we'll be hearing what worked in Windows 7 won't work in Windows 8 for those that upgrade their OS.

Same text here. ^_^ But some folks pointed out that they got really good and fast with reinstalling. You know, copy actions. So this may not be as severe as it sounds. Check the forum section if you like, the folks gave tips on how to be fast.

 

I think LM aims at a new patch each 6 months.

 

As said, I see it a bit as the tweak&fiddle sim of our time. Personal impression. Nothing wrong with picking P3D. But maybe not the huge benefit to justify some downsides.

To be honest the only tweaking I ever had to do was porting aircraft or scenery into P3D, the thing just works right out of the box. My ORBX scenery at night now works superbly, whereas in FSX I could not go aboven12 fps in sparse scenery at night. In P3D I get mid 20s with dense scenery at night and the graphics are wonderful!

 

I can live with the updates for P3D, it even installs faster than FSX, so to put it bluntly, I ws at a Tate whee I had to once again reinstall FSX. I installed P3D instead, took far less to install, needs no tweaks but a few do mprove things, has not locked up or crashed on me, gives me better resolution, scenery looks better and more detailed, I really could not fault it.

 

Not sure why you are considering it, but if you need to install a sim, certainly recommend it.

Get P3D, I haven't had a crash in over a month of clicking menus like a maniac, and it's better on the fps.

Get P3D, I haven't had a crash in over a month of clicking menus like a maniac

That's because the uiautomationcore.dll fix isn't needed there. It's a free fix for FSX and takes roughly five seconds to perform. Highly recommended. :smile:

 

They should pin that thread by the way. http://forum.avsim.n...hing-win-7-x64/ Looks like THE main fix for FSX for me when running it with Win7 or later. Nobody needs to buy another sim to fix the menu crashes.

Now I'm hearing a fiasco with FSX/P3d, I won't buy another thing from them.

 

Hi Dillon.

 

I don't know that I'd go so far as to say "fiasco", as RealityXP aren't the only ones to pass on P3D. Flight1 are very adamantly not supporting it with their products and neither are PMDG (which is, of course, different from talking about what you may or not be able to get to work). Once you take care of a few things (such as the simple fix CoolP mentions) FSX holds up well, and if you view the forums you'll see that P3D has some of its own issues.

 

It's certainly true that RXP support is, well, pretty much invisible these days, but I have the 430 and 530 installed in, I think, 10 planes right now and still find them to be a good value. My only concern with them at this stage is that the latest data we can get (June '11) is getting pretty dated again.

 

YMMV, but I've certainly gotten my money's worth from them in FSX. Just another perspective...

 

Scott

Scott, nobody is passing on P3D due to performance, it is due to licensing, so it is a different issue altogether.

 

Besides, there are developers who are keen to use the enhanced features of P3D for more advanced models which are simply not possible with FSX.

 

Sure it has issues, but from someone who actually uses it, it has far less issues than FSX and better, more stable performance.

 

 

Besides, there are developers who are keen to use the enhanced features of P3D for more advanced models which are simply not possible with FSX.

Got a link?