First of all let me explain, that I have been using FSX, since 98, going through all the trials and tribulations, and all the tweeking, and all the new hardware and software to keep up with each new edition of  flight simulator.  Finally after all these years, my computer is running fsx pretty good.  Recently I also moved over to dx 10, and Steve's dx10 fixer.

 

   In reference to Prepar3d, the screenshots, the graphics, look totally awesome!!!!  Everything here, sounds too good to be true.  Now I am concerned, here we go again, is it time to upgrade my computer again, are we going to have to do tweeking, etc etc.

 

   To be perfectly honest, all this new technology is very new to me.  I am really sort of confused.   Keep fsx or start new again with Prepar3d.?

 

   Folks, give me some advise.

   What am I missing by holding on to fsx.

    How much of an improvement can we see with new sim..

    Convine me, convince me, why I should leave fsx and move on to Prepar3d.

You are missing nothing holding on to FSX. You can use it just as before, even if you get P3D2 and install it on the same computer. Try P3D2 when it comes and see for youself (LM has a very good refund policy).

Well, the way I see things, is that P3Dv2 will be far more efficient than FSX ever was (will have to wait and see) so I'm sure if you have a rig that perfroms satisfactorily at the moment, then there should be no need to start building a new PC. Having said that, the new sim will provide the opportunity to take advantage of all it's capabilities, in particular, the shifting of data normally done by the CPU to the GPU. So it will be a lot easier to gain extra performance by upgrading the GPU and actually seeing a definite benefit, which is not the case currently in FSX.

 

 

First of all let me explain, that I have been using FSX, since 98

 

Yo should must have been a super beta tester.

First of all let me explain, ...

    Convine me, convince me, why I should leave fsx and move on to Prepar3d.

P3-D is a dog, you're much better off with FS X, I also lie a lot, so I just suggest you simply read like everybody else here on the forum has.

 

freaking line jumper... You got about 2 1/2 years of catching up to do over this weekend.

...Good LUUUuuuuuuuuk...

 

Chas

Well, the way I see things, is that P3Dv2 will be far more efficient than FSX ever was (will have to wait and see) so I'm sure if you have a rig that perfroms satisfactorily at the moment, then there should be no need to start building a new PC. Having said that, the new sim will provide the opportunity to take advantage of all it's capabilities, in particular, the shifting of data normally done by the CPU to the GPU. So it will be a lot easier to gain extra performance by upgrading the GPU and actually seeing a definite benefit, which is not the case currently in FSX.

 

I have my fingers crossed that P3Dv2 will actually run better on my PC than FSX. With FSX, my performance is severly bottlenecked by my CPU, and my graphics cards (late-model NVidia's) are barely breaking a sweat. Hopefully, with P3Dv2, enough of my CPU processing will be off-loaded to the GPU that overall I'll get a FPS improvement.

 

Maybe wishful thinking, but in a few days I'll find out.

I have been using FSX, since 98

 

OK, here is what you say.  "I have been using MSFS since '98".  Otherwise I'm really gonna have to start demanding screenshots of P3D 4.0, and ask the Bard why they are holding out on us.

 

P3D 2.0 will run better than FSX.  Period.   If your system can handle FSX and you have it running satisfactorily to you now, you will be able to run P3D and be satisfied more.  

 

Moving work to the GPU is going to help tremendously for almost any system.  I was running it on a 4yo dual core system up until about 6 months ago, and got my GTX 780 card in before the rest of the new 3770k hardware, so I installed it on the dual core.  FSX performance really didn't improve much at all.  From what I could tell, the GTX 780 was showing me that the GTX 260 wasn't working to its maximum, the CPU was choking first.

 

And then I put the GTX 260 in the 3770k system before moving the 780 to it, and FSX worked like a dream.  I even tried 2 260's in SLI, but it really did nothing other than allow me multimonitors.  Then swapping for the GTX 780 helped, but the CPU is still the bottleneck, even on a 3770 system, and the 780 isn't doing half of what it could, maybe only 1/3.  That means that the GPU, which is specifically designed to process 3D images, wasn't being given the work.  The CPU was still grinding through 4/5 ths of the graphics work, in my humble estimation.

 

Maybe just for kicks I'll throw the 780 back in the old system (which the wife has now) to see what it will do with P3D 2.0 on a dual core.  That would require purchasing P3D for that system, but since LM has an excellent "return" policy I am not afraid to experiment that way, just as long as I get the money back in my account before my wife sees it.  (hope I'm not getting in trouble talking that way, but I'm kind of trying to point out the "try it if you don't like it then just 'return' [delete] it and get your money back" policy).

 

Another thought about 64bit-ness vs 32bit-ness.  The Prepar3d team seems to be opening up more API's into the core of the program, at lower levels, including things like the "aerodynamic subsystem" (for lack of a better phrase coming out of my brain right now).  Lower level means almost real time calls, communication to other programs.

 

This may mean that 3rd party developers may be able to run some heavy applications alongside P3D, and not have to use any of P3D memory space.  With this model, 64 vs 32 becomes meaningless other than to how many pixels are being written to.  The GTX 780 has been shown to be more than enough to run triple monitors at 1080, running right up next to the Titan for most of the most demanding games.  This means that LM has fair enough time to move into 64bit before it really matters with multiple 4k screens, etc. Excellent decision.  Those that can afford those now are probably going to take their real aircraft out for a spin if they need a fix.

 

Just take a look at what Lockheed Martin has made, it's whole product line, over the last half a century and more.   If your Microsoft Windows computer doesn't blue screen before you get done with checking out all that awesomeness, then it might be able to do OK with P3D 2.0.

 

 

P3D 2.0 will run better than FSX.  Period.   If your system can handle FSX and you have it running satisfactorily to you now, you will be able to run P3D and be satisfied more.  

 

That's not totally correct . . .

 

Only true if your current OS is Win 7 or 8, and you have a DirectX 11 graphics card.

That's not totally correct . . .

 

 

I know you're right.  I wasn't completely sure when I wrote that above.  However, that is the only bitter pill in this (I won't be doing any GTX 260 experiments).  But a GTX 460, the bottom line for nvidia dx11 capable, can be had for about $60 now, from what I can see.  As for Windows versions, that has always been a bitter pill, and I'm a Microsoft based developer.

 

Also, DX11 will no longer have upgrades in Windows 7, only 8.

That's not totally correct . . .

 

Only true if your current OS is Win 7 or 8, and you have a DirectX 11 graphics card.

Also not completely correct. Windows Vista SP2 has been capable of running DX11 for several years now. One does need to d/l and install the run-times for DX11 of course.

 

Vista SP2:

http://www.ngohq.com/news/15848-windows-vista-service-pack-2-final.html

or

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=3274

 

How to Install DirectX 11 in Windows Vista:

http://www.ngohq.com/news/16601-how-to-install-directx-11-in-windows-vista.html

Windows 8 will be the ONLY desktop platform to receive dx 11 upgrades. http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/160076-directx-11-2-will-be-a-windows-8-1-and-xbox-one-exclusive-microsoft-dangles-the-upgrade-carrot

 

Windows 8.1 is a free upgrade to Windows 8, and Windows 8 is not worth upgrading to without it.  You can get a better desktop experience with 8.1 than 8.  8.1 is ready for Windows 7 users to upgrade, if they've been holding off for the various reasons.  Barely, but upgrading is justifiable now (to 8 and then 8.1) (Be careful as oem 8 will not upgrade to 8.1 very easily).

As Arwen has pointed out if you do not have a DX11 capable GPU you will not be able to run P3D2. Generally this means a GTX600 series or better, or equivalent in another brand. Your "My PC" link in your signature does not reveal the specs of your computer.

http://www.geforce.com/hardware/technology/dx11/supported-gpus

 

And that's just nVidia hardware.

Great link. I know some of the beta testers are using the GTX580 and one I believe used a GTX460. So use the link before rushing out in a panic to update your card.

 

Sent from my Mobile thing

 

 

As Arwen has pointed out if you do not have a DX11 capable GPU you will not be able to run P3D2. Generally this means a GTX600 series or better, or equivalent in another brand. Your "My PC" link in your signature does not reveal the specs of your computer.

Wrong.  GTX 460 or better.  The Original Poster [OP] already has a DX11 capable system with his EVGA 580 1.5 gigs.  With this in mind if he loves FSX as much as the time he's spent tweaking it suggests, he will divorce it for P3D 2.0, once he realizes how cruel she's been to him.   And if he's a student it's a cheap date.   The risk is nominal.

 

With FSX he will not gain if get gets a better graphics card, as I've discovered through experimenting.  With P3D 2.0 if he's happy with P3D 2.0 from the outset he can probably wait if the cost is an issue with a new card.  There won't be much coming out for at least a year in terms of performance improvements in cards.  And prices will just keep dropping.  But if he can afford it, an investment in a new card will not be a waste.  It is in FSX.

 

The two things I am looking for in 2.0 are the volumetric (add to dictionary) fog and I'm praying for a fix for the fisheye effect; and it looks like they did from what I gather from the interview linked to in another post earlier today.