New build for fsx

[Mossyfly47 18]

This is my system below.

 

But I also have a mac book air 11" 256 GIG SSD 8 Meg Ram (win 8 on bootcamp) connected to a 23" monitor its using the I5 Haswell chip and built in video  and but it runs very smooth. Only small SSD space buts frame rates are smooth.

Its ultra portable so I can move it around. The 4.7 GHZ beast works a treat the son uses that as he is completing his commercial pilots license.

 

I want a box that's not 8 KG of weight to lug around.

[Robert McDonald 167]

Wow, amazing system!  I have to say though, SMOOTH, No Stutters, and lots of cars on the freeway all over FTX Global World, and the lovely FTX Northern California, in P3D V2.1.   Yep, it has to grapple w/ 32bit 4Gb limitation, but I've only had one so far but that was pre hot patch on 2.1, and they have yet to role out the optimization to help this fundamental limitation as much as possible.    When I run GPUz I'm seeing up to nearly the full 6Gb on my Titan going into the most complex sceneries.  I do need to give XPlane a chance again I tried it back when I installed P3D V2.0 and I really must have not given it enough of a chance having been struck with graphics and performance, however that was very much unoptimized, no research into how to make it run.  Good to have some nice stuff to replace the dead-end albeit venerable Old Lady!   And then there's Outerra on the horizon, kinda sort of.  That thing is scary nice, but impossible to really conclude where it will go or how it will run when it gets there.  I understand its a native 32bit app as well, but that would change if needed I'm sure.   I remember reading that XP 10 assigned texture loading to extra cores, but the primary difference between it and FSX for CPU loading was in assigning traffic to other cores.  Seems more could come than that but I guess it's one that runs somewhat independently of the rest of the sim so maybe is easy to implement.

 

Noel-

Are you also running 3 monitors in FSX?  All with exterior views plus the glass cockpit and the glass cockpit server?  Reason I ask- I Think when you scale up the view in FSX off ONE PC and ONE Video card, you slaughter your frames, yeah?

This is my system below.

 

But I also have a mac book air 11" 256 GIG SSD 8 Meg Ram (win 8 on bootcamp) connected to a 23" monitor its using the I5 Haswell chip and built in video  and but it runs very smooth. Only small SSD space buts frame rates are smooth.

Its ultra portable so I can move it around. The 4.7 GHZ beast works a treat the son uses that as he is completing his commercial pilots license.

 

I want a box that's not 8 KG of weight to lug around.

 

Nice system(s)!  Sounds like you're happy - and that's really all that matters, eh?  Do you experience much distortion running the 3 monitors off the Matrox to go?  My buddy was doing that in XPlane but he said the wrap-around view didn't look right.. and he went with 3 PCs to control each of the 3 monitors on his setup (that's how I did it as well).

 

You might consider listing your PC's hardware into your PROFILE "My PC" instead of in your signature bar, a request was made we all do that some time back - but good on ya! Enjoy!

[Noel 4,572]

Noel-

Are you also running 3 monitors in FSX?  All with exterior views plus the glass cockpit and the glass cockpit server?  Reason I ask- I Think when you scale up the view in FSX off ONE PC and ONE Video card, you slaughter your frames, yeah?

 

Nope, and I don't use FSX anymore since starting w/ P3Dv2.x as mentioned I've found myself squarely into P3D V2.x.  

 

That's an awesome investment Robert do you have an array of cockpit parts as well?  I see one can get into that space w/o too much investment staying w/ Saitek parts.  I may go there some day but not too sure because my 'deskpit' shares a large corner counter system.  I have an 88-note weighted keyboard of the left side and another workspace, studio monitors, and a 76-note synthesizer.  If I ever get away from those I'd have space for 3 screens+.

[Mossyfly47 18]

Do get some distortion running 3 monitors around the edges. system has been stable since 2012. Maybe need to get Prepare 3D haven't tried it...It would be good to have a small say 4KG box that pack the punch processor, graphics card etc that the big builds create.

[Robert McDonald 167]

Nope, and I don't use FSX anymore since starting w/ P3Dv2.x as mentioned I've found myself squarely into P3D V2.x.  

 

That's an awesome investment Robert do you have an array of cockpit parts as well?  I see one can get into that space w/o too much investment staying w/ Saitek parts.  I may go there some day but not too sure because my 'deskpit' shares a large corner counter system.  I have an 88-note weighted keyboard of the left side and another workspace, studio monitors, and a 76-note synthesizer.  If I ever get away from those I'd have space for 3 screens+.

 

We must be related distantly!  I too have a keyboard (Tyros3) and was doing the studio recording / workstation thing for a while, then I discovered flight simulation.  Now the cubase is off my system, and the keyboard is parked on the opposite wall.

 

I have an L-shaped desk which works pretty well with my setup.  I'll post some videos in this post for you to see the setup.  Yes, I 'started' with Saitek, and a lesser Thrustmaster joystick, before moving up to VRinsight and then ultimately, to FlightDeckSolutions.  If  I had it to do over, I would have skipped the VRinsight and gone right to FlightDeckSolutions.  I was hesitant because the FDS stuff is pricey.  On the other hand, the tactile feel and the way it all works makes it compelling, and in my view it's the 'go-to' hardware if you want to become serious about simulation.

 

The heart and soul of my setup of course is the FMC and MCP panels by FlightDeckSolutions of Canada.  The FMC in particular is full size scale-model mock-up of a real 737 CDU, complete with dimmer switch and lighted keys.

 

They have two levels of hardware at FDS, the Pro-Max and the JetMaxx.  The Pro-line is the high-end, and the JetMaxx is a bit more reasonable.  Look at their full-scale 737 Overhead.  It's SMOKIN!  (It's also crazy expensive).  The following 2 YouTube videos will give you a better idea of what is 'possible' in x-Plane with multi-monitors AND multiple PCs as well.  Note:  For best results, enlarge viewer to FULL SCREEN, and then click the GEAR ICON in the lower right corner, then select 1080p "High Definition" for maximum picture clarity.

 

 

[Noel 4,572]

Pretty cool stuff Robert.  Now if you can find an affordable full motion platform you'll never leave your seat!!  Is the distinct color change between screens something you get used to after awhile?  The left side screen looks like it need color calibrated, or perhaps it's just time of day effect?  Amazing parts what did it set you back for?  How long does it take to get it all up and running?  How many planes is it mapped to?  Any smaller planes for VFR?

 

Cool!

[Robert McDonald 167]

Pretty cool stuff Robert.  Now if you can find an affordable full motion platform you'll never leave your seat!!  Is the distinct color change between screens something you get used to after awhile?  The left side screen looks like it need color calibrated, or perhaps it's just time of day effect?  Amazing parts what did it set you back for?  How long does it take to get it all up and running?  How many planes is it mapped to?  Any smaller planes for VFR?

 

Cool!

 

The color change is the time of day sun artifacting which is SkyMaxx for X-Plane 10.  I'm not crazy about it, and keep hoping they will tone it down.  I had the airport time set for just a bit after sunrise, so that's why the pronounced color shift between the views, which are -60 degrees 0 degrees +60 degrees.  This effect is most-noticeable when the sun is very low in the sky.  Not my favorite.  Also, the video camera was placed off-center, because the screens are LED, the colors may look differently than in you were seated in the center seat and flying the plane.

 

The entire sim, which comprises 6 devices (5 pcs plus 1 tablet) is ready to fly about 8 minutes after starting up all the devices.

 

The cost of the sim depends on how far you want to go in terms of graphics quality and field-of-view, plus how many monitors.  Xplane can run well on just 1 monitor.  When you start to add the hardware, and then if you want a glass cockpit, you are going to start upping the ante.  Asking ONE PC to 'do it all' in real time on a complex flight simulation is really throwing a heavy load.

 

I started with FSX and 1 PC.  I soon discovered the frustrations of trying to make it all work off ONE video card and ONE pc and ONE monitor.  That simply didn't work out for me.

 

True, if you fly FSX or XPlane 10 at default settings with non-complex 2-d airplanes, you can likely get a decent frame rate and fairly smooth flying experience.  This is how many people come into the hobby.

 

As time goes by and you move up in scenery, textures, weather, navigation (online ATC) and graduate to very complex aircraft, you start adding bits and pieces to support all the additional load.

 

I have said repeatedly that IMHO, X-Plane 10 is more 'scalable' than FSX, which means bluntly that X-Plane can use all the added hardware across your network and spread the load among the additional machines.  For example, X-Plane can NATIVELY send the video output to three different pcs (that is my setup) for the exterior views.  This means if you have powerful video cards in all 3 pcs, you can achieve the holy grail of high frames and stutter-free ops even in heavy weather, clouds, and complex airports etc. Am I saying no one can be happy with FSX?  Not at all.  I enjoyed FSX.  I found the incessant and extremely complicated tweaking procedures to be less thrilling, and it soured me on FSX.  Ultimately, after ping ponging back and forth between FSX and XP, I wound up firmly in the XP camp. 

 

It's hard living without ORBX NorCal and PNW, which are gorgeous.  I miss the FSDreamteam GSX (Ground Services) and some of the really stellar payware airports that I had on the FSX platform.  That said, I totally enjoy the immersion levels in my current setup, and that is an X-Plane experience for me.

 

Budget requirements of course play a role.  I spent several years accumulating what I'm running now.  I had to forego some expensive vacation trips in lieu of long-term hardware additions.  That's a personal choice.  OTOH, I use my plane nearly daily, and so I'm recouping my investment.

 

I know a great number of pilots who fly VFR and enjoy the smaller birds.  I have gone towards jets, and my hardware reflects the 737.  So for me, flying a Baron, for example, means much of my hardware would sit idle.  Again, personal choice.

[Noel 4,572]

True, if you fly FSX or XPlane 10 at default settings with non-complex 2-d airplanes, you can likely get a decent frame rate and fairly smooth flying experience.

 

 

 

It's hard living without ORBX NorCal and PNW, which are gorgeous.  I miss the FSDreamteam GSX (Ground Services) and some of the really stellar payware airports that I had on the FSX platform.

 

I had pretty good perf on my new build w/ high end everything but on one screen for FSX, but as I mentioned once P3D V2 teased me I have not been able to complete a flight in my former favorite the PMDG T7 as I enjoy what P3D V2 brings.  I think ultimately P3D will outdo XPlane simply because of the scale & backing of the project.   They will get to 64 bit in the medium to longer term, and a few other things in the near term such as SLI support.  It is nice to use the gorgeous stuff and I am really enjoy FTX NCA which is just jaw droppingly gorgeous, and w/ their 3D lighting system and finally, very smooth road traffic it seems the visual environment still outpaces XPlane's at least from what I've seen so far.  But it interesting to me how one can abandon the old once the new comes that meets whatever need it's meeting.  I spent very little VFR time in FSX and glommed on to the PMDG birds and used FSPax so much but as I say I left FSX simply because P3D V2 apparently offered enough to give up the PMDG birds (though I know some folks use them in spite of the EULA).

 

You have an awesome setup and I hope XPlane continues to address a few missing pieces that apparently remain, that last time I checked were not having the giant palette of airports present in FSX/P3D, ATC, and as you mention the support of ORBX.  I thought I read ORBX was going to be supporting XPlane, no?  I may some day go down the road of a more believable cockpit, especially when one can pickup the 6 way motion platform for lets say...under $10K!  At which point I will need to be prepared for divorce which the beloved will surely file for!  Right now I'm having a mid-life (that would be late mid-life...) crisis and rekindled some interest in motorcycling.  I was an avid rider till I had my kids then sold my bike but have thought it might be nice to do some touring before it's too late.   In fact my brother is driving up on his Beemer right now from San Luis Obispo so we can visit and he can continue to inspire me to pick up another scooter.

 

Cheers and have a blast in that rig!    In some ways maintaining and running 3 PCs just doesn't fit with me that well either though it's just a lot to maintain and run and furthermore I would probably best be served in NOT looking at setups likes yours else I will start suffering from desk pit envy and not be happy with what I'm really happy w/ now!  Throw in a 3D motion platform and I might just do it though as that could add an element of realism that would be too compelling to ignore.  Then there's Oculus Rift.  I wonder what that will do to the picture?   For starters it would get you wrap around VR w/o all of the expense and processing overhead so that one might easily have it all w/o the need for independent processors & GPUs driving large screens.  Not sure how the controller interface would work there though and that's an important piece.

[Robert McDonald 167]

Yes, a VR headset would certainly be a game changer for flight simulation, though that's likely not going to happen anytime soon.  The problem is trying to interface with instrument flight (IFR) as opposed to visual (VFR).  In IFR you need to insert the procedures and waypoints into the FMC, and I don't know how they could make that work with a VR headset.  

 

I'm willing to bet 20 years from now things will be wildly better, though

 

Meanwhile, to each their own.  I certainly wouldn't hate life if ORBX brought their products to XPlane!

[Charlatan 68]

I would change the RAM for this : http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-030-TG&groupid=701&catid=8&subcat=1387

[mrlip 56]

Hi guys. Settled on this in the end http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=141227300548&globalID=EBAY-GB

 

Building a new one was starting to get expensive and thia system seemed great value for money considering everything included. Thoughts?

[Charlatan 68]

Decent for the money if you werent overly confident of building it yourself.

[Robert McDonald 167]

You seem to know what your goals are - and I think you'll be reasonably happy with this at the price you got it for.  Best of luck!