Hello to everyone,

I haven't used the FS since 4 years due continuous CTD...so I think I should format my pc and start all over again... :o(

I have

-W7 Ultimate 64bit
-Intel Core i5-3570K CPU 3.40Ghz overcloked at 4.2Ghz,
-System memory 8 GB
-GPU AMD 7970 with 3 GB memory
-3 monitors Samsung SyncMaster 214T 21" with resolution 4800x 1192
-SSD OCZ VERTEX 4 256GB
-CORSAIR 750W MODULAREHX750 CMPSU-750HXEU
-DDR3 PC1600 8GB Vengeance White LP [2x4GB][CML8GX 3M2A1600C9W]     
-MB Asus P8Z77-V LK (ATX) DDR3 USB3.0 90-MIBIH0-G0EAY0VZ

I used to fly FSX with PMDG 737NGX in virtual cockpit + various add on IVAO
with:
-Logitech G FS Throttle  Quadrant HW
-Radeon Pro Tool 1.1.1.0 for the GPU Settings
-TrackIR
-FS2Crew
-FsPassengers

So, my question is...with my HW and SW wich FS do you suggest me to use???

Do you reccomend to change any SW or HW?

Hi, just a couple of comments to maybe help your decisions.

Your processor, disks, memory are all good for any of the modern flightsims. However, your graphics card is a very weak link for the modern 64 bit sims. The newest sims offload a lot of graphics processing to the graphics card so it is very important to have a 8Gb and fast graphics card.

Your rig (with no graphics upgrade) is a good one for FSX. If you decide to stay with FSX, purchase FSX Steam Addition. It has been recompiled using more modern software techniques and has many bug fixes. Overall, it works smoother and more reliably than the old boxed FSX. The good news if you go with FSX-SE is that almost all your payware add-ons will work or have free updates to make them work.

Hope this helps. Other folks may have some good ideas too.

 

Back 4 years ago, FS Passengers was the main cause of crashes in FSX.  It has been updated and I do not think it is the cause as much anymore.  I use FSX (boxed).  I will until I run out of activations and then I'll go to FSX-SE or just stay with P3DV4.  P3DV4 is the way to go anymore as it is a 64 bit application and has unlimited VAS (FSX, a 32 bit application, gets only 4GB's of VAS and when you run out of VAS, FSX crashes).  FSX-SE is super cheap at $25 and it was modified a little bit to work with Steam and it fixed a couple of possible bugs in FSX so that might be the way you should proceed.

Your system is more than powerful to run FSX or FSX-SE.  Your system is about 3 times better than the best systems in 2006 when FSX was first released.  I don't like the fact you have it overclocked to 4.2GHz though.  Even the experts cannot overclock a computer properly for FSX!  If you experience unexplained NTDLL.dll or StackHash crashes, suspect the OC. 

The AVSIM FSX Configuration Guide provides good suggestions for fsx.cfg settings.  Your AMD GPU may work okay with FSX but it's not the recommended.  FSX was developed with the NVidia GPU's as ATI/AMD refused to upgrade their drivers back then as they liked Windows XP and didn't like Microsoft upgrading Windows.  About a year later they upgraded their drivers to be compatible with the new platforms and many users were moving from XP to Windows 7.  I don't have any recommended settings for AMD GPU's but you can look at the guidance in the AVSIM FSX Config Guide and try to set it up the same.

Running three monitors requires a lot of resources and it sometimes causes crashes if you do not know what you are doing.  The game was developed for only one monitor but many enjoy multiple monitors.  Check the AVSIM Hardware Forums on graphic cards and you should see a pinned topic on how to set up multiple monitors.  I don't like them personally.  I have one 34 inch monitor.

 

Hello Henry, thank you very much for your help....I have more than 3500Hours with FS but left it over for all these years...and, as you know, to re install everything is a huge work and mess....so I put it apart!

Now, I would like to fly again...so here I am to ask suggestions since I have no idea on what happened in the SIM world in these years including SW and HW.

Ok, so you suggest me to change the VGA...will this help also with my 3 old monitors I have?If yes wich card would you reccomend (I check if I can effort the money)?

Thank you Jim for your reply,

I love to use 3 monitors...also for other applications....so I would like to keep them also with FS....

Up to now 2 of you would reccommend me to get FSX-SE and to change the VGA to a Nvida one...

Any suggestion of type of card I could use with my HW?

For 2 years I ran FSX-SE and P3Dv3 (also XPlane and DCS) with a Nvidia GTX 970 3.5Gb and no problems. However for the newer 64 bits sims, I upgraded to Nvidia GTX 1080 8Gb series.

These are not top line cards but perform well for most sims.

@Jim Young great advice about the Avsim guides. They have helped me a lot.

1 minute ago, Henry Street said:

@Jim Young great advice about the Avsim guides. They have helped me a lot.

Thanks Henry!

O,, I was looking to the new GTX 1080 since it seems you suggest me this one...but as you can see there are several of them at different prices...I guess that the only difference is the trade, correct?

https://www.eprice.it/search/qs=gtx 1080 -ti?mets=gtx 1080 -ti&zanpid=2349563973361546240

any reccomendations?

57 minutes ago, flybyme said:

any reccomendations?

The 1080 is a great card but make sure that you go for the latest versions with the faster VRAM (11Gbps - not to be confused with the 8GB which is the amount of VRAM). I went for the MSI GeForce GTX 1080 GAMING X PLUS and would highly recommend it: https://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/msi-geforce-gtx-1080-gaming-x-plus-8g-review,1.html

This article might help - https://www.techspot.com/bestof/graphics-cards/