FSX-MS I think I am the happiest man on the planet today :)

[~Craig~ 10]

Warning:  this is a happy, excited simmer thread, at the levels of Sesquatoo's !!   Look away if you don't have a sick bucket to hand!!

 

(only kidding Mitch) :smile:

 

I've been using a ATI/AMD HD 7850 2GB with FSX for a couple of years, and from the outset, found it an underwhelming, poor card.    But I had no budget to upgrade, or get back in to the nVidia game.

 

Suddenly this week, I was offered a nVidia GTX 670 2GB from a friend, at a price too good to miss.  I know this is a very average card by today's standards, but you've got to understand just how bad things were with FSX with the AMD card, to understand the experience I've had tonight.

 

With the 7850, all airliner flying whether in the NGX, Airbus A320, etc, all had to be done with autogen at Sparse. It's been like that for so long.   Even with GA, Carenado aircraft etc, and in Orbx sceneries, Autogen at Normal was the highest I could ever go ..... because I use TrackIR, and as any TIR user will tell you, you need at least 28-30 FPS because of the head movements affecting the rendered view.

 

I did not have high expectations moving to the GTX 670 2GB but what I have done for the last few days is gather every bit of info I could (90% of it from AVSIM), on how to best set up the new card.   I downloaded the latest drivers and nVidia Inspector (an amazing tool).  I set everything up so carefully.  I went for a full fresh re-install of FSX (to ensure new shaders etc as well as the fresh FSX.CFG).. I tweaked the fsx.cfg conservatively but in the key areas that were recommended.  

 

I fired up FSX and ...... WOW! ....... it is a different world for me.   I think a huge part of it is down to ATI cards' terrible handling of vsync (which is 100% required for TrackIR users).  With the ATI card I had to have the vsync fix applied to the fsx.cfg, which cost (in my case) around 8 FPS on it's own.   Add in some other factors as well as the ability to tune in a more targetted way due to Nvidia Inspector, and the difference has been staggering.

 

I can fly all of my Carenado / Alabeo type aircraft with autogen set to max, along with pretty much all other settings on max.

 

Even the RealAir T-Duke 2.0 is giving me 40 FPS, with FSX settings mainly on max, over downtown Rochester, NY.

 

I haven't installed any scenery yet, but here I am over default KROC, upstate NY, with autogen at max.  It's just the default trike, but with the 7850 card, I would have had perhaps 20 FPS in this scenario - because of the autogen.        Here, with the 670, I had a solid 60 FPS in this scenario.   :smile:

 

 

 

I know most of you are running far more powerful systems than this, and that there's nothing exceptional about what I am seeing here, but my reason for posting was to say to anyone using a ATI/AMD graphics card with FSX, do ANYTHING you need to, to get a nVidia card!!!!!   Sell your granny, the family silver or shovel snow for pocket money ......... just do anything you need to, to move to nVidia.

 

EDIT:  I have just reinstalled the Carenado Citation II, that I could barely run with my old card (15 FPS over KROC, with sparse autogen) ...... I have autogen on Very Dense, and over KROC I have 38 FPS solid.  That will do me nicely. 

 

All of this is DX9 by the way, and yes, at this point I am back using MS FSX, as I want to try out the new card with some PMDG etc. :wink:  ... DX10 tests will follow (again, it was a non-starter with the ATI card).

 

Happy Days. :smile:

[1251452 0]

Good for you!

[fogboundturtle 2,708]

good for you Craig !!!  Enjoy your Nvidia. I'll be crying in a fetal position with my AMD card.

[AbdoTheEagle 2]

As an ATi/AMD card user myself I can say that I really, truly understand your feelings right now and that I envy you so, so much 

[~Craig~ 10]

good for you Craig !!!  Enjoy your Nvidia. I'll be crying in a fetal position with my AMD card.

 

 

As an ATi/AMD card user myself I can say that I really, truly understand your feelings right now and that I envy you so, so much 

 

 .... thank you guys.   and sorry to rub it in! ...... but I did serve my time in the AMD prison  :ph34r:  :smile:

[W2DR 1,859]

I've used both a GTX780 and an AMD7950 in recent times and can say without hesitation that, for me, the 7950 is, by far, the better performer. Ford is better that Chevy! Lamborghini is better that Ferrari! Flamesuit on.........

 

Doug

[tttocs 301]

I'd been an ATI/AMD guy for years before finally biting the bullet and switching a few years back and yes...  Nvidia really is the way to go for FSX.  The ONLY way to go.

 

Welcome to the green side of the aisle.

 

Scott

[~Craig~ 10]

 thanks!

[Gregg_Seipp 565]

 

 

3333210.jpg

 

I can see my house!  (And I live in North Carolina...LOL.)

[Greggy_D 935]

OP...too true.  Recently switched from a 7950 to a GTX970 (ignored my own advice about waiting for GM210) and the difference is night and day.

 

Nvidia has the crown.

[hychewright 46]

Nvidia all the way!!!

[Freaknout 11]

The gtx670 is still a very good card, I've been running one since they were launched.

[Samaritano 304]

I'm still running mine. It is a great card.  :smile:

[F1Fan 121]

Good for you!, I love reading stories like this.  Makes you appreciate what you have....Good Luck and have fun flying!!

[BeechPapa 32]

It's great to read posts by happy flight simmers. Way to go, Craig! The new card will probably kick butt with other games too (though nothing beats FSX).