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RancidViper

Taking the plunge to P3D!

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Hello all,

 

I've been a Microsoft FS user since 98! And have been enjoying FSX since 2006 with all it's amazing addons and tweaks. For all users who have used MFS before, you may have all been through the phases of installing addon after addon until your simulator just can't take anymore and you end up having to re install. Well I think I broke my FSX for the last time ever!

 

All I did was install some windows updates, carefully making sure they weren't listed in the FS community as having issues with FSX, but all it did was add a whole heap of stutters to my sim, and nothing I do seems to be fixing it.

 

SO, I decided to pay for a one month subscription to P3D and holy moly, I couldn't have been any more in awe of how much better it looks, feels, and runs. Now I have it pretty much in vanilla, just added FTX Global to see how it looks and so far it's a beauty!

 

I would like to know though from experienced users, if there are any important tweaks, valuable information and just some tips and tricks that I need to know. I spent so much time reading and researching on FSX, and I want to do just the same for P3D to try and fully understand it's capabilities/limitations before I buy a full license.

 

My System Specs :

 

Intel Core i7-4770 CPU @ 3.40GHz - 16GB RAM, Nvidia Geforce GTX660 2GB, Windows 7 64-bit

 

Cheers!
Randy

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Heya Randy, 

 

A good place to start is LM themselves: http://www.prepar3d.com/SDKv2/LearningCenter/getting_started/performance/tuning_guide.html

 

P3D is almost as bad a tweak-fest as FSX, but things seem a little for deterministic in behavior.

 

Have fun!


John Howell

Prepar3D V5, Windows 10 Pro, I7-9700K @ 4.6Ghz, EVGA GTX1080, 32GB Corsair Dominator 3200GHz, SanDisk Ultimate Pro 480GB SSD (OS), 2x Samsung 1TB 970 EVO M.2 (P3D), Corsair H80i V2 AIO Cooler, Fulcrum One Yoke, Samsung 34" 3440x1440 curved monitor, Honeycomb Bravo throttle quadrant, Thrustmaster TPR rudder pedals, Thrustmaster T1600M stick 

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You will benefit from a faster video card - 6 gb nvidia card will do nicely - P3D puts more work on the video card - fsx did not - and there is not a lot of tweaking in P3D like in fsx my cfg file only has a few tweaks bam done set it and forget it - just buy P3D - monthly is a waste of money as you WILL NOT BE GOING BACK to fsx - get situated and there is plenty of help here


Rich Sennett

               

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My guess is that Vanilla FSX would also look, feel, and run much better than FSX after "installing addon after addon until your simulator just can't take anymore"..

 

Sure P3D is the answer?

 

B)


Bert

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Heya Randy, 

 

A good place to start is LM themselves: http://www.prepar3d.com/SDKv2/LearningCenter/getting_started/performance/tuning_guide.html

 

P3D is almost as bad a tweak-fest as FSX, but things seem a little for deterministic in behavior.

 

Have fun!

 

Thanks John! Will have a good read through! I love investigating! :lol:

 

 

You will benefit from a faster video card - 6 gb nvidia card will do nicely - P3D puts more work on the video card - fsx did not - and there is not a lot of tweaking in P3D like in fsx my cfg file only has a few tweaks bam done set it and forget it - just buy P3D - monthly is a waste of money as you WILL NOT BE GOING BACK to fsx - get situated and there is plenty of help here

 

Thanks Rich! I actually have a plan to either spend on a new processor or a graphics card. If I was still using FSX the processor would be a no brainer, but if I do make the switch to P3D permanently, do you think the graphics card would be the better investment?

 

My guess is that Vanilla FSX would also look, feel, and run much better than FSX after "installing addon after addon until your simulator just can't take anymore"..

 

Sure P3D is the answer?

 

B)

 

Haha! Yes it would Bert (except for the look part), but what's the fun in that? :lol:

 

No but seriously, I do take great care when doing so, especially over the last couple of years since I bought a new PC. That statement was more aimed towards my 2006-2012/13 days when I would just push it as far as it would go.

 

I've been on the fence with making the switch anyway, just that I finally had a good excuse to try it out! And I must say I think it is the way to go now. B)

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My guess is that Vanilla FSX would also look, feel, and run much better than FSX after "installing addon after addon until your simulator just can't take anymore"..

 

Sure P3D is the answer?

 

B)

 

Now that was funny Bert.

 

That said, don't you see us all over at P3D in the not so distant future?  

Heya Randy, 

 

A good place to start is LM themselves: http://www.prepar3d.com/SDKv2/LearningCenter/getting_started/performance/tuning_guide.html

 

P3D is almost as bad a tweak-fest as FSX, but things seem a little for deterministic in behavior.

 

Have fun!

 

So is this about it in regards to the "tweakfest"?  No NickN Bible? LOL

 

I am considering swapping mobo/processor, upgrade memory, get a good card and jumping in to P3D myself.


Respectfully,

 

Jet

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Thanks John! Will have a good read through! I love investigating! :lol:

 

Thanks Rich! I actually have a plan to either spend on a new processor or a graphics card. If I was still using FSX the processor would be a no brainer, but if I do make the switch to P3D permanently, do you think the graphics card would be the better investment?

 

 

Video card for sure as that cpu is decent and learn how to overclock


Rich Sennett

               

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Video card for sure as that cpu is decent and learn how to overclock

 

Ah but it is not a 'K' series processor so it is not unlocked for overclocking. Hence my initial plan to upgrade the processor.

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Ah but it is not a 'K' series processor so it is not unlocked for overclocking. Hence my initial plan to upgrade the processor.

 

Tough call as both really need the upgrade since its not a K 


Rich Sennett

               

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Hi Guys, I am also thinking of going over to P3D, I have FSX-SE at the moment, but as "Rich" says P3D will take advantage of a good GPU. I recently got a new system (around 5 months ago), which is X99, 5820 o/c to 4.3, EVAG 980 GPU (not overclocked), 16 meg DDR4 Memory. Performance in FSX-SE is quite good, but if I did migrate to P3D, would I see better performance with the 980, also I am thinking of getting another 980 in SLI, not only for flight sims but to improve other types of sims and games. I did read Nvidia or P3D was bringing out an update to take advantage of SLI, can anyone confirm this ?. The other question (sorry for all the questions) is do I drop the SLI idea and swap the 980 for a 980 ti which I think is around 30% more powerful than the standard 980.

Sorry for the long post, any advice from you guys would be appreciated.

Thanks,

John.

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Seems many of the posts I read on Facebook and forums regarding problems that occur with P3D, are mainly  due to people tweaking it like they did with FSX. I only changed two things, in mine, and it runs smooth as silk with zero problems, crashes, and stutters. It wasn't broken when I installed it , so I didn't try and fix it. 


 

BOBSK8             MSFS 2020 ,    ,PMDG 737-600-800PMDG DC6 , A2A Comanche, Fenix A320,    Milviz C 310 ,  FSLTL  

TrackIR   Avliasoft EFB2    FSI Panel ,  ATC  by PF3  , A Pilots LIfe V2 ,  CLX PC , Auto FPS

 

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Seems many of the posts I read on Facebook and forums regarding problems that occur with P3D, are mainly  due to people tweaking it like they did with FSX. I only changed two things, in mine, and it runs smooth as silk with zero problems, crashes, and stutters. It wasn't broken when I installed it , so I didn't try and fix it.

Could be why you don't have oom's B)


Best Regards,

Ron Hamilton PP|ASEL

Forumsig16.png

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Hi Guys, I am also thinking of going over to P3D, I have FSX-SE at the moment, but as "Rich" says P3D will take advantage of a good GPU. I recently got a new system (around 5 months ago), which is X99, 5820 o/c to 4.3, EVAG 980 GPU (not overclocked), 16 meg DDR4 Memory. Performance in FSX-SE is quite good, but if I did migrate to P3D, would I see better performance with the 980, also I am thinking of getting another 980 in SLI, not only for flight sims but to improve other types of sims and games. I did read Nvidia or P3D was bringing out an update to take advantage of SLI, can anyone confirm this ?. The other question (sorry for all the questions) is do I drop the SLI idea and swap the 980 for a 980 ti which I think is around 30% more powerful than the standard 980.

Sorry for the long post, any advice from you guys would be appreciated.

Thanks,

John.

 

4.3Ghz will be fine for P3D. You'll be amazed.


Maarten Otto

 

19.jpg

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Could be why you don't have oom's B)

 

Right now I am having a debate with myself about getting a PMDG 737 NG. I love flying the Majestic Q400 and getting a solid 30 FPS locked, and maybe around 35 FPS unlocked. The Q400 is FPS friendly and actually a bit more of a challenge to fly than I remember the PMDG 737 I had years ago in FSX. My concern is that I spend the $90, load up the 737, and am then looking at FPS in the low 20's or even lower. If that happens, I probably will not even bother flying it, so it would be a $90 lesson. The feature I like most about P3D is the smoothness of it's operation which is so unlike any PC simulation I have ever tried, and I hate to ruin it for one aircraft, or piece of scenery. 


 

BOBSK8             MSFS 2020 ,    ,PMDG 737-600-800PMDG DC6 , A2A Comanche, Fenix A320,    Milviz C 310 ,  FSLTL  

TrackIR   Avliasoft EFB2    FSI Panel ,  ATC  by PF3  , A Pilots LIfe V2 ,  CLX PC , Auto FPS

 

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I switched from FSX to P3D two months ago (after a serious FSX problem) and I am quite happy with the move. The only downside for me is that I loved to fly some PMDG planes, but I am not prepared to pay twice for essentially the same product. 

 

If you are not always flying PMDG planes, or if you don't mind spending another $135 for a plane that you bought for $90 two years ago (777-200LR), then I highly recommend to switch. If you do, then you may have to make compromises. I had some problems parting from PMDG planes, but I found that the Razbam Metroliner is a fair replacement for the JS4100, and the Milviz B737-200 is a reasonable replacement for the 737 NGX. Not quite on par, but I do enjoy flying these planes. Plus, there is always the great Majestic Dash 8 of course :) And if you don't mind too much about Boeing vs Airbus, then Aerosoft's A320 is a great replacement for the 737 NGX as well.

 

Peter

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