fsx-ms Bought New Laptop After One Month Of Searching For Perfect One

[Aharon 606]

Shalom and greetings all my pals,

I have not been flying on FSX for almost a month because my current 4 or 5 year old laptop's FSX Deluxe with SP1 and SP2 is no longer working due to some stupid D3D11.DLL error and there is something screwed up in Windows 7 in my four or five year old laptop which is working fine and very fast in all other softwares. FSX and IE are the only things that are not working in my laptop that passed all scan tests and diagnostic tests with flying colors meaning that there is something wrong with some Windows files that prevent FSX and IE from operating. Thank God for Firefox and Chrome!! There is nothing wrong with my old laptop that is in mint condition doing superb job in all aspects of computing operations and all softwares in blazing speed manner with excellent low memory usage thanks to plenty 16 GB ram.

I bought new computer. It is 2.6-3.5 GHz Intel Core i7-6700HQ Quad-Core Skylake sixth generation, 16GB ram, 6 GB dedicated Nivida GT1080 video ram, 1 TB hard drive at 7,200 rpm, 260 GB SSD hard drive, internal DVD drive, and 15.6 inch screen. Will take me quite time to install FSX and all add-ons!!

So I will spend next 2 or 3 weeks modifying my new laptop to meet my specific needs and then re-installing all application softwares such as Microsoft Office, Photoshop, etc etc etc. And then re-installing FSX with SP1 and SP2, Squawkbox 4, fruip (spelling), FSCARS, freeware add-ons, and payware add-ons.

So the timetable for returning to active duty of FSX flying is probably in 2 or 3 weeks depending how fast I can work on getting my new laptop ready with all modifications and installations which can be headache for me.

Installing Norton Internet Security
Installing Firefox
Installing Paint Shop Photo Professional X4 Ultimate
Installing Photoshop CS 5.1
Installing Jpegcrops
Installing Image Resizer 4
Installing WinRAR
Installing Microsoft Office Professional
Installing FSX
Installing SP1 and SP2
Installing BluePrint Stimulation KIAD and TJSJ sceneries
Installing FlyTampa TNCM (could be problem as I lost installation serial code)
Installing FlyTampa CYUL Montreal
Installing FlyTampa KTPA Tampa
Installing France VFR Antilles Collection (could be problem as I lost insallation serial code)
Installing FSCARS
Installing Sqwkbox 4.0
Installing FSCIPP
Next step is installing 50 GB worth of freeware add-on planes by POSKY, Overland, IDGF, Project Airbus, Vistaliners, Project Fokker, Skyspirit 2010, Skyspirit 2011, Skyspirit 2012, and many freeware aircraft companies including CalClassics propeller ones by Jahn
Installing Tropical Sims MVPB, TNCC, TNCA, TNCB, and few Caribbean airport sceneries
Installing SimGiants Gran Canania
Installing UK2000's Edinburgh Ulitimate, London City X Ultimate, and Heathrow X Ultimate
Installing Sunjet KPHL Philadelphia
Installing CYQB Quebec City
Installing CYVJ Victoria
Installing World of AI and many airline packages
Installing all freeware airports in my native country Israel
Installing Captain Sims 727-100/200/200F, 757-200, 757-300, 757-200F, and all versions of C-130
Installing Caribbean Sea Planes and Caribbean Sea Planes West
Installing many many many freeware airport sceneries.
Installing Aerosoft Maldives X, Gibraltar X and Anchorage X sceneries
Installing all Taxi2Gate Caribbean airports and KMCO sceneries
Installing Drzewiecki Design KLGA scenery
Installing Latin VFR KSAN Diego airport, KMIA Miami airport, TTPP, TTCP, and MKJS sceneries
Installing Vitaria C-17 Globemaster and Vulcan bomber
Installing Area51 C-5 Galaxy
Installing some PacSim payware airport sceneries

Plan to buy:

Aerosoft Fairbanks X, Aerosoft Olso X, Aerosoft Helsinki airports (maybe LLBG scenery if system requirements are reasonable)
Taxi2gate KSEA Seattle airport
Oxyb PAJN Juneau and PAKT Ketchian airports


Too much work for me!!!!

Regards,

Aharon

 

[Boeing or not going 578]

If you are starting from scratch again, why not install FSX Steam, or Prepar3D? Follow the avsim guide and NickN's guide ("The Bible") at simforums. I started over when the FSLabs was released, wiped hard drive, new Windows 10 install, FSX Steam. And I am getting low fps but that is due to the complexity of the FSLabs and my slower cpu.

[Aharon 606]

Shalom 777200LRF,

 

Great screenname!!!!!  777-200LR is awesome with MONSTER engines!

 

Anyway,  I do have plans to buy P3D for my new laptop in addition to installing FSX Deluxe with SP1 and SP2.

 

FSX Steam is out of question because I do not like the idea of having my laptop "hijacked" or being held hostage to Steam website.

 

Regards,

 

Aharon

[cmpbellsjc 2,960]

I'm surprised you took the time to write that list!

 

From seeing your screen shots through the years and seeing it missing from the list, you should consider getting ORBX Global or GEX ground textures.

 

Also you could use some sky textures. One of the best sets ever is the HDEv2. You can find the FSX version here and it's free. https://flyawaysimulation.com/downloads/files/18029/fsx-hde-sky-textures-v20/

 

Neither the sky textures or ground packages will effect your FPS or VAS, but will look a lot better that what you have now.

[Aharon 606]

Jim,

 

Thanks for interesting tips and I will explore your suggestions for the mentioned softwares.

 

WD Elements back up 1TB pocket size drive is AWESOME. It averages 45 seconds per 1 GB of transfer of files from old laptop to this backup drive so that I can put into new laptop.

Look at 75 GB worth of add on planes WHOA I am afraid to find out how much GB worth for airport sceneries needed to be transferred!!

God help me!!



Regards,

Aharon

[fluffyflops 1,843]

Any chance of a Link to the laptop

[Aharon 606]

Any chance of a Link to the laptop

 

Tooting,  Sure  No problem  Here is the link to the laptop: https://gaming.msi.com/products/notebook/ge-series?link=GE62VR-6RF-Apache-Pro

 

 

Two days after the purchase of my new laptop, I finally opened the package and unpacked the laptop, plugging it into A/C, and turned it on only to experience most bizarre thing I have seen in computing world!!!

 

In past years, whenever I bought new laptops or computers for myself or for my mom or for offices for my bosses, I always completed registrations of new computers or new laptops by two methods: old fashioned snail mailing of registration paperwork by post office which was common years ago or online registration of new items which is common in present day.

 

However, this time regarding my new laptop during online registration, the registration process demanded photocopy of store receipt for proof of purchase of new laptop!!! FIRST TIME in my life I ever seen registration process of new computing item that requires photocopy of store receipt as proof of purchase!!

 

WOW WOW WOW

[dbw1 443]

About 8 months ago I bought a MSI gt72 , i7-6820, 4 gig nvidia 980m, 24 gigs ram etc. Congrats on getting the 1080. One nice thing about MSI laptops is the video card is upgradeable. You will really enjoy your laptop. When at home I have a Dell ultrasharp 34" (3415w) I plug into it and it works great.....the 980 has more than enough power to run it fine. Your laptop will be great for many years. I am totally satisfied with mine.

Dave

[Aharon 606]

DBW1,

 

Glad to hear that you are MSI customer!!!  Since you have 8 month experience in MSI laptops, I am hoping you will assist me in event I need to ask questions.

 

Does your MSI laptop have special cooler boost button? If so, how can you tell when it is time to activate special cooler boost button?

 

I have 75 page manual book for my new laptop but it does not explain advanced functions of the new laptop such as when it is time to activate special cooler boost button.  Would you know if there are more manuals offering advanced explanations of fancy features of the powerful laptop?

 

Thanks,

 

Aharon

[dbw1 443]

Greetings,

 

Cooler button is the third one down (middle one on mine) on the left had side. Fans are already turning slowly at startup but pressing this button really increases airflow and sound level. I also have my laptop sitting on top of a cooler pad with a couple fans built it whose speed can be controlled by a rheostat.

 

On the bottom toolbar is a symbol of a white dragon head surrounded by a red square (the MSI symbol). Click on this and a data screen will come up with info on what's happening inside the laptop. I,E.  internal temps, % of cpu & gpu load, fan speed etc. Pretty interesting, easy to access, shows just how much thought MSI put into designing and building their laptops.

 

I run P3dV3.3 with a lot of addons (approx 250 gigs so far). I had a spare m.2 slot so I bought an additional 500 gig m.2 drive for exclusive use of P3d. Works very nice.

 

I have a 120 gig m.2 for the o/s...Win10.

 

Also a 1tb 7200rpm hd. On this drive I have DCS (among other things) and it works great.

 

I never got a manual with mine. Would have been handy. Is yours paper or electronic?

 

I have only good things to say about this laptop. Well worth the money.

 

I've been into laptops since 2002 and have found buying one with as much horsepower as the budget will permit will give the longest useful life. Example...In 2007 I bought a custom built gaming laptop and in 2012 it was still able to run fsx okay. This is almost 10 years ago and it had the first SLI video card setup that I know of. Paid $4000 for it then, it ran flawlessly and in that time I did no upgrades to it other than putting in larger hard drives. In the long run though expensive initially the cost was pretty reasonable over a 5 year period. I got my MSI for well under $3k Cdn so prices have come way down. Other than somewhere way down the road upgrading the video card if needed (roughly $1k as per MSI) this is the machine I wanted.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

[Aharon 606]

I never got a manual with mine. Would have been handy. Is yours paper or electronic?

 

 

Thanks for all interesting explanations.  As for laptop's manual book,  it is available for download from MSI as electronic one in PDF format. On MSI website, there is downloadable manual book for each laptop that you can find in support section of the website. However, the manual book even though 75 page long does not explain enough about fancy features of powerful hot rod laptop.

 

When do you decide it is time to use cooler boost button?  Do you look at the temperature reading or do you feel how hot your laptop is?

 

Do you have any more explanations for MSI laptop's fancy functions?

 

Does P3D run SMOOTHLY on your MSI laptop? Do you use P3D with Vatsim for your laptop?

 

Regards,

 

Aharon

[dbw1 443]

You'll probably laugh......I've never done Vatsim. Don't know how. Just retired after a lot of years flying for a living and listening to ATC...l.dont miss ATC.....LOL.

 

P3d runs smooth most places but it is possible to turn it into a slide show some places.Toronto, Seattle,.....load it up with certain add on airports, add on cities etc. You may do better with your more powerful video card. On the whole I've no complaints.

 

If it's getting hot to the touch then I'd turn it on. I've usually got my cooler pad running a little so that helps lots with temps. Pull up the MSI data screen I mentioned so you can get an idea between how hot it feels vs how hot it actually is.

 

I'm still learning about this unit. I also bought a four year added warranty in case it cooks itself but I don't see that happening....famous last words.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

[Aharon 606]

DBW1,

 

Thanks for more interesting explanations.  I look at the drives of my new laptop and saw two drives: OS install C: 189 GB free of 237 GB and data D: 913 GB free of 913 GB.  I assume that drive C is SSD drive and drive D is 7,200 rpm drive.

 

Where am I supposed to install FSX into??  Can I install FSX into drive D that is labeled data?  I know that FSX is going to take about 100 to 150 GB and I do not want to put FSX into drive C: that has OS Install.

 

Does your MSI laptop show same arrangement of two drives?

 

I do not know why MSI puts program files, program files x86 and windows into SSD drive of 237 GB instead of drive D which has 913 GB.

 

Regards,

 

Aharon

[dbw1 443]

Youre Drive c is probably an m.2. type of ssd. M.2 is best described as the next generation of ssd, I would suspect you have an unused m.2 slot empty and available to put accept an additional drive. I'd be surprised if this is not the case. It was for me so I went and bought a 500 gig m.2 and have used it exclusively for p3d. If your budget permits I would suggest doing the same. If not then I'd install fsx into the 7200 rpm drive. It'll still be plenty fast. A benefit of the ssd/m.2 is much faster start up time for fsx/p3d.

 

M.2. drives have come way down in price almost to the point where you can now get a 1tb for what I paid for the 500gig.

 

You have a very good laptop.

 

Hope all this helps.

 

Dave

[fluffyflops 1,843]

Thanks for the link