Mostly this is a hardware performance question. Hopefully others out there with similar system specs can give me feedback.

 

I'm a long-time FSX user and aviation enthusiast. I'm currently running FSX with PDMG 737 NGX but no other add-ons on my system, which is:

 

Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4 GHZ

Nvidia GT640, 2GB Video RAM

3 GB RAM

Windows 7 32-bit

Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback 2 Joystick

 

While I really enjoy FSX, I don't invest a ton of time. I'm a busy guy with a family. So that said, I don't want to drop lots of money on new hardware, a lot of add-ons, etc.

 

So my question is: How would P3D 2.1 perform on my system at medium settings? FSX runs reasonably well but it's far from silky-smooth (especially with the PDMG 737 running on it). I'll upgrade to the academic license of P3D if people think I'd have a markedly better experience with this rig. One day I'll upgrade, but not now.

 

Also, I know PDMG has not released anything for P3D, but it's in the works and it would be nice if I could run it when it releases. I suspect RAM will be my bottleneck though. I already get a periodic lock-up, but mostly it's okay.

Everything you have stated would point to staying with FSX. Plus your computer may be weak to display HDR lighting, Volumetric fog and the enhanced shadows also. If your happy and ya know it clap your hands.

There is certainly nothing wrong with your machine, but unfortunately the areas where it is weakest are the areas that would hinder P3Dv2 performance the most.

 

You'd likely end up having to tone it down so far that you'd end up with an FSX clone with far worse addon compatibility.

................... One day I'll upgrade, but not now.

 

 

And this is where I am a little different than the above responses, because I would tend to lean on the side of:-

 

"If I am going to upgrade at a later stage, I might as well try the software now" .......... and I did. And I am glad that I did because it has opened up another world that FSX can not, even on my mediocre i5 Quad overclocked to 3.3 combined with a lowly 560ti GPU (1GIG video RAM).

 

I suspect (but can't promise) that you may be able to run P3D at lower settings and get a better return than you can now with FSX. The wonderful thing about P3D is that if you decide to install it and it does not work to your satisfaction, you can always get your money back! Just don't be tempted to push those sliders all the way to the right.

 

So, your outlay (at most) is a couple of hours of your time if it does not work for you.

 

On the other hand, if it does work for you, then let us know because then you will be experiencing (with some compromise), the best of both worlds and more people need to . One thing I am sure of though, if you are hooked into this hobby as much as I am, you will eventually upgrade to P3D (because that is what it is - an upgrade) and the cost of purchasing the software today is going to be no greater than your cost of purchasing that same software in the near future.

 

And another thing to consider ........... if it works for you and opens up a few new doors like flying VFR low and slow rather than pushing a few buttons to get from A to B, two sims are definitely better than one !! 

 

I'm glad I took my own advice  :lol:  :lol:  :lol: 

Don't make the switch to P3D v2.1 without upgrading your hardware before. Your PC is definitely too weak for P3D v2.1

Spirit

Don't make the switch to P3D v2.1 without upgrading your hardware before. Your PC is definitely too weak for P3D v2.1

Spirit

 

I believe Lockheed stated that they designed P3D to be used on future hardware, and that it wouldn't run very well on today's systems. At least on maximum settings, with fancy aircraft/scenery addons installed. Which is why they are pushing for SLI support. When I tried it out, it worked good, but I didn't have any fancy addons installed. Nor did I have all the sliders turned all the way up.

I believe Lockheed stated that they designed P3D to be used on future hardware, and that it wouldn't run very well on today's systems. At least on maximum settings, with fancy aircraft/scenery addons installed. Which is why they are pushing for SLI support. When I tried it out, it worked good, but I didn't have any fancy addons installed. Nor did I have all the sliders turned all the way up.

I hear what you are saying and for the most part I agree. But it does not answer a simple question I have. Why does P3d perform better on my 3 to 4 year old mediocre system than FSX does?

 

The trouble is that most forums are filled with too many assumptions and repeats, rather than facts.

 

I firmly believe that with mediocre systems, many people can, with careful use of the slider settings, get more out of P3d than they can out of FSX.

 

Why? Because our mediocre systems can now use some of our mediocre GPU facilities that P3d now offers. We cannot, nor ever will be able to do that with FSX.

 

Now ask a desk sim jockey the same question and he will retort (often without even thinking), "but you can't push all the sliders to the right!!"

 

It's always been the same. Just different voices.

 

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk

The trouble is that most forums are filled with too many assumptions and repeats, rather than facts.

Just as your statement/opinion is.

LOL Well done Rendi. Glad to see that your one liner responses continue.

 

Now after all of your whining and moaning before Christmas about P3D, did you get your refund like I suggested? Well, I know the answer to that and .....no you didn't. I am quite pleased about that because it proved that your moaning was quite pointless. Anyhow, glad to see that you are now enjoying it. Keep it up.

 

Now .......... can you add anything useful to my question please?

I hear what you are saying and for the most part I agree. But it does not answer a simple question I have. Why does P3d perform better on my 3 to 4 year old mediocre system than FSX does?

 

The trouble is that most forums are filled with too many assumptions and repeats, rather than facts.

 

I firmly believe that with mediocre systems, many people can, with careful use of the slider settings, get more out of P3d than they can out of FSX.

 

Why? Because our mediocre systems can now use some of our mediocre GPU facilities that P3d now offers. We cannot, nor ever will be able to do that with FSX.

 

Now ask a desk sim jockey the same question and he will retort (often without even thinking), "but you can't push all the sliders to the right!!"

 

It's always been the same. Just different voices.

 

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk

 

 

I don't think it's merely putting more stuff on the GPU, there's more to it than that. I don't have all the facts, best to talk to LM if you want facts.

 

As for putting every slider to the right, I think that is merely the case of how much stuff needs to be rendered and not so much poor engine code. Think NickN over at Simforums stated that the code was the third primary reason for poor performance, not the first. 

 

FSX/P3D is not a game, and the amount of stuff it has to render is thousands of times more than your average game. Microsoft has been telling us that for years.

 

P3D much like FSX, will be something we will have to grow into over time, as opposed to something which runs at 60 FPS will all the sliders to the right, with fancy payware aircraft/scenery. It's just how they designed it. You might get good performance, but have you tried running some payware aircraft? Everything was silky smooth for me, then when I added a payware aircraft, my FPS tanked.

Is it possible to get the NGX properly working in P3D 2.0 / 2.1? (I know there is the migration tool for it)

 

For my PC it's not a problem, but I don't want to fly without my PMDG 737 / 777.

Is it possible to get the NGX properly working in P3D 2.0 / 2.1? (I know there is the migration tool for it)

 

For my PC it's not a problem, but I don't want to fly without my PMDG 737 / 777.

Then stay with FSX, as PMDG 737/777 are neither licensed nor working properly in P3D v2.x.

 

And your current system will most likely run P3D slower than it does FSX.

Short and clear answer: NO!

I hear what you are saying and for the most part I agree. But it does not answer a simple question I have. Why does P3d perform better on my 3 to 4 year old mediocre system than FSX does?

 

The trouble is that most forums are filled with too many assumptions and repeats, rather than facts.

 

I firmly believe that with mediocre systems, many people can, with careful use of the slider settings, get more out of P3d than they can out of FSX.

 

Why? Because our mediocre systems can now use some of our mediocre GPU facilities that P3d now offers. We cannot, nor ever will be able to do that with FSX.

 

Now ask a desk sim jockey the same question and he will retort (often without even thinking), "but you can't push all the sliders to the right!!"

 

It's always been the same. Just different voices.

 

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk

 

This is really what I am wondering. Could you tell me your system specs?

 

To everyone else, I totally hear what you're saying. P3D is best experienced with a much newer system. I really should upgrade. But what I'm thinking right now is, the engine in FSX is really old tech. It doesn't even take full advantage of multi-core processors. It runs at a fast enough frame rate on my system that, particularly with clouds off, my aircraft (even PMDG) are responsive enough. But it lacks smoothness. The joy of flying is diminished. I purchased MS Flight when it came out, and it runs quite well on my system. It's the same underlying engine as FSX, but modernized, and I'm thinking that P3D is something like the engine of MS Flight attached to a proper and serious sim (tell me if I'm wrong here). 

 

 

Everything was silky smooth for me, then when I added a payware aircraft, my FPS tanked.

 

Can I ask which aircraft led to tanked FPS?  I've got just a few:  RA Turbine Duke, QW757, CS Super MD80.   Of these, the QW757 is hardest on frames, but the other two are quite easy on frames.