New Build Advice, Please

[monkeysuncle 2]

Hi, all, I'm a newbie to this forum. I've been building a cockpit over the past several months and am now building a new PC to run it. These are my specs:

• Intel Core i5-6600k 3.5GHz
• Cryorig H7 49 CFM cooler
• MSI Z170A Krait Gaming 3X motherboard
• MSI GeForce GT 710
• MSI GeForce GTX950 2GB
• G.Skill Ripjaws V Series DDR4 16GB
• Crucial MX300 535GB SSD
• DIYPC S280-W case
• EVGA 100-B1-0500-KR 500W power supply

I have been running MS-FSX Gold Edition w/Acceleration on Windows 7 with these add-ons:

• Orbx-FTX: Global BASE
• Orbx-FTX:VECTOR
• REX4 Texture Direct w/ REX Soft Clouds

My Questions are:

• Do I stick with Windows 7 or move to Windows 10?
• Do I stick with FSX or is there an advantage to switching to FSX-SE?
• Any other 3rd party plugins I should consider?

Any and all advice or thoughts welcome!

 

Thank you kindly!

 

Dave

 

 

[vortex681 806]

Welcome to the forum!

 

FSX really likes high CPU clock speeds so I would start by over-clocking your processor to at least 4.0GHz. Under load, you may be getting close to the maximum power from your 500W power supply so it's something to think about as a future upgrade. To answer your specific questions:

 

W7 or W10 - I've just changed to Win 10 from Win 7 and I like it. I'm running FSX-SE and all seems good. However, if it's running well in Win 7 then it's probably not worth paying for the upgrade. Most problems with Win 10 seem to come from systems that have upgraded from Win 7/8 rather than those with a clean install (always recommended).

 

FSX-SE has had some internal tweaks which have improved (but not eliminated) out-of-memory problems. I haven't seen the big FPS improvements which were claimed when it was released but it does seem smooth and stable. If your copy of FSX-MS is running well, I'd be reluctant to change it. I only changed to the Steam version because I built a new system. If you were starting from scratch, I would say go for FSX-SE.

 

3rd party extras: I'm running FSX in the DX10 preview mode with Steve's DX10 Scenery Fixer and I would highly recommend it. It's worth it just for the cockpit shadows! If you decide to try it, ignore any visual glitches and if it otherwise runs OK, invest in the Fixer to sort out any scenery problems. It's worth getting a decent weather engine like Active Sky - I was amazed at the difference it made over the default weather and it'll make the most of your REX textures. The registered version of FSUIPC is worthwhile if you get any joystick/throttle problems or you want to be able to run scripts within FSX.

[monkeysuncle 2]

Holy cow, this reply is so helpful! I have FSUIPC, but never heard of the Fixer, that sounds amazing. And I will look into Active Sky as well. I'm sticking with my copy of FSX Gold, and will go to Windows 10. Home or Pro is the next question....

 

Thanks a million, Vortex681!!

 

Dave

[james_2k 36]

defo recommend win 10, clean installed.  also gives you the opportunity for dx12 if you go to p3d (assuming they move to dx12 at some point)

[vortex681 806]

Holy cow, this reply is so helpful! I have FSUIPC, but never heard of the Fixer, that sounds amazing. And I will look into Active Sky as well. I'm sticking with my copy of FSX Gold, and will go to Windows 10. Home or Pro is the next question....

 

Thanks a million, Vortex681!!

 

Dave

 

Look here to see the differences between Windows 10 Home and Pro: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/feature/windows/windows-10-home-vs-windows-10-pro-uk-difference-3618710/. For the average user there's probably no point getting Pro.

[james_2k 36]

Oh and you might as well get fsx SE. its quite often on sale for real cheap. and there have been some nice tweaks made.

[martin-w 3,234]

Windows 10. Home or Pro is the next question....

 

 

 

I went for W10 Pro. Nice and easy to prevent W10 from automatically installing updates. Windows just informs me of new updates rather than annoyingly installing them whether I like it or not, as I've set up a group policy. Easy to do.

[ARCO 245]

I went for W10 Pro. Nice and easy to prevent W10 from automatically installing updates. Windows just informs me of new updates rather than annoyingly installing them whether I like it or not, as I've set up a group policy. Easy to do.

 

Sorry to interject, but I am using W10 Home edition (upgraded W7 last year when it was free), and you can as well organise/control your updates yourself, for example my latest update 1607 had been downloaded on my PC for more than a week before I decided to install it, so it can be done with Home Edition too. Should you decide against the timing or the upgrade itself, you only have to delete it from your download folder... Which, in terms of security, may not be the best policy.

[martin-w 3,234]

Sorry to interject, but I am using W10 Home edition (upgraded W7 last year when it was free), and you can as well organise/control your updates yourself, for example my latest update 1607 had been downloaded on my PC for more than a week before I decided to install it, so it can be done with Home Edition too. Should you decide against the timing or the upgrade itself, you only have to delete it from your download folder... Which, in terms of security, may not be the best policy.

 

 

Really? I know you can with "Home" by  telling Windows you are on a "metered connection" when you probably aren't, and there are one or two other workarounds. But I prefer the ease of the group policy method with Pro.

 

Have Microsoft made it easier with Home, or is that what you're talking about, setting a Metered Connection?

[ARCO 245]

In the settings/updates/ you can set Active Hours and Restart Hours in such a way that you remain in control (for me it's set during the night when my PC is OFF!!!). Whenever I start it, I check if there is any update waiting and if so decide what action I take.

[vortex681 806]

I went for W10 Pro. Nice and easy to prevent W10 from automatically installing updates. Windows just informs me of new updates rather than annoyingly installing them whether I like it or not, as I've set up a group policy. Easy to do.

 

All you can do is defer the updates to Windows 10 (apart from drivers, which you can opt not to have). Even if you go for the defer option, installation of security updates will happen immediately and it's only the new features which will be deferred. According to MS, the deferment will only be for "several" months then the upgrades will be downloaded and installed. Whilst this does give time for MS to iron out any bugs, in the end you'll have to install the updates.

[martin-w 3,234]

All you can do is defer the updates to Windows 10 (apart from drivers, which you can opt not to have). Even if you go for the defer option, installation of security updates will happen immediately and it's only the new features which will be deferred. According to MS, the deferment will only be for "several" months then the upgrades will be downloaded and installed. Whilst this does give time for MS to iron out any bugs, in the end you'll have to install the updates.

 

 

Are you talking about Home, or Pro. In Pro, you set up a Group Policy. No updates at all are installed unless you click the notification icon and install them yourself. This is essential of course, because Pro is designed for businesses that require full control over the update process.

 

Even if you go for the defer option, installation of security updates will happen immediately and it's only the new features which will be deferred.

 

 

 

That's not true for Home either to be honest, as there are "workarounds" like setting a metered connection. If you set a metered connection, no updates will be installed [including security updates] without your permission, as the implication of a "metered connection" is that it's costs you money. Trouble is it only works for a WiFi connection I believe. If Microsoft force you to install them further down the line, I have no idea.

 

Then of course there's the workaround that Jean-Claude suggested, namely Active Hours/Restart Hours. Both of the suggestions are, as I said, workarounds, the Group Policy method isn't a workaround it's an essential feature for business users built into W10 pro. Idiots that Microsoft are, it's now hidden, but easy to access and activate.

 

http://www.pcworld.com/article/3085136/windows/two-ways-to-control-or-stop-windows-10-updates.html

[martin-w 3,234]

P.S. Just installed the latest September updates. It was rumoured that Microsoft were including the ability to turn off auto updates for all... sadly, looks like that's not the case. At least I can't see the option.

[vortex681 806]

Are you talking about Home, or Pro. In Pro, you set up a Group Policy. No updates at all are installed unless you click the notification icon and install them yourself. This is essential of course, because Pro is designed for businesses that require full control over the update process.

 

That's not true for Home either to be honest, as there are "workarounds" like setting a metered connection. If you set a metered connection, no updates will be installed [including security updates] without your permission, as the implication of a "metered connection" is that it's costs you money. Trouble is it only works for a WiFi connection I believe. If Microsoft force you to install them further down the line, I have no idea.

 

Then of course there's the workaround that Jean-Claude suggested, namely Active Hours/Restart Hours. Both of the suggestions are, as I said, workarounds, the Group Policy method isn't a workaround it's an essential feature for business users built into W10 pro. Idiots that Microsoft are, it's now hidden, but easy to access and activate.

 

When I said that security updates will happen immediately, I meant that you can't defer them - you can choose when to install them but they'll still come through. Yes, you can opt to stop updates altogether (the easiest way is just to stop the update service) but you can't routinely just stop specific updates other than drivers. The danger with stopping them altogether is that you don't get the security updates which can be critical (remember that you can't defer these). If you want any future major updates or a new build (like the Anniversary Update) you have to allow all of the previous minor updates to install at some stage anyway so, at best, you're only delaying the inevitable. Applying group policies or deferring updates, when available, only gives you (and businesses) some breathing space to allow updates to be fully tested by other users before you get them - which is no bad thing, I suppose. As an aside, the How-To Geek website (http://www.howtogeek.com/224471/how-to-prevent-windows-10-from-automatically-downloading-updates/) has an Editor's Note which says that although the group policy update options still exist, they don't seem to work any more in the Anniversary Update. I can't confirm this as I don't use them.

 

Allowing updates to trickle through as they're produced at least means that if something causes a problem for you there'll only be a few possible candidates for the trouble maker. If you've stopped the updates and then everything needs to install at once prior to a new build which you want, the chances of finding what might have caused a problem would be much more difficult, if not almost impossible.

[Bert Pieke 7,584]

This just goes to show that you might as well stay on Windows 7 and avoid the whole "windows updates" controversy :wink:

 

As far as flightsimming goes, Windows 10 buys you nothing.