Any point getting the MaddogX with "only" 6GB vram?

[addman 33]

So I really want to get the FlyhtemaddogX for P3Dv5 since I'm upgrading to that platform as well soon but when I read that the MINIMUM vram requirements are 8gb I quickly hesitated since I only have a GTX 1660 super 6gb card. It really is asking a lot from users to buy 8gb+ graphics cards just to use certain add-ons and I won't upgrade my gpu for at least a year or so. If one were to use the MaddogX in 1024 texture resolution with only active sky and not other add-ons, would it be possible to use a 6gb card only? Does anyone have experience with the MaddogX in P3Dv5 using only a 6gb card? Any feedback would be useful.

Cheers!/Andreas

Edited May 18, 2020 by addman

[Skywolf 992]

No

See my thread with the pics part 3 (I am already very near the limit of VrOOMing my card with all those settings).  You can see the VRAM usage; sure I am using the heavy addons all loaded up in 1 area.  You would have to fly only over Global+openLCs+mesh areas and few addon airports etc (with low lod like 2.5 and low autogen; no truesky either).  6gb cards is being pushed to the limit on P3Dv5 anyway even by default birds.  P3Dv5 is a professional software it is being designed to leverage professional VR headsets like Varjo and down the road more powerful dx12 video cards will coming.  Nvidia 2xxx series is basically upper end DX11 cards (yeah they say it is DX12).  3xxx series cards will be here shorty probably later in this year or early next year (I am sure covid is affecting their decisions).  8gb is barely enough for now by the time P3D 5.2 comes out 8gb will be on the way out; the minute PMDG does PBR interior that would be it for 8GB video cards lol.

MaddogX requires 8gb for P3Dv5 (it is officially requirement even by Leonardo for P3Dv5).

MaddongX for P3Dv4.5 is a different story as 4.5 is DX11

Edited May 18, 2020 by Skywolf

[Torsen 495]

Hi,

I'm just doing a first longer testflight with the maddog in v5 with a gtx 1060 with 6gb vram. I'm going from Flytampas TNCM into pksim Bogota with ORBX LC SA. ASp3d running on real weather. Currently it is a stable 4.2 gb vram in use. I would say it depends a lot on your settings, screen resolution etc. I'm flying a "normal" HD resolution, no 4k nor VR. And in contrast  to Skywolf I have to say I never seen such a smooth sim up to now even with my 6gb "only" gpu. Up to now tested with A2A birds including rxp GNS/GTN over ORBX NZ and AU and even the PMDG qotsii with quite a few flights up to now - which actually uses slightly less vram in contrast to the maddog. With a moderate approach on settings comparable to my current v4.5 hf2 settings v5 is stable for me. Observations may vary for sure for every system but honestly I can't understand this with a 6gb card you're fooled approach. Sure 4k and VR not possible but it depends all on your settings.

Cheers

Thorsten

Edited May 18, 2020 by Torsen

[addman 33]

Thanks for your input guys, no need for 4k textures on my 1080p monitor. Torsen, do report back on your flight, if you ctd or not 🙂

[Nyxx 6,993]

1 hour ago, addman said:

Thanks for your input guys, no need for 4k textures on my 1080p monitor. Torsen, do report back on your flight, if you ctd or not 🙂

Please don't take this the wrong way, this is just for info, you can see 4k textures on a 1080p. They are to different things. You don't need a 4k screen to see them. When the MadDog came out on my 1080 the 4k textures were a huge leap over the default ones. I am holding out till v5.1 hopefully a lot of things will be sorted by then and the win10 2004 will/could help with this OOM with v5.

[addman 33]

Thanks for the input Nyxx but I do believe you get better details with 4k textures on an actual 4k screen. You would have to zoom in an awful lot on an aircraft on a 1080p monitor to appreciate the difference between let's say 2048 textures and 4096 textures.

[Torsen 495]

Just finished my flight successfully. VRAM usage went down on the flight on cruise FL down to 3.6GB and got up again on final into Bogota up to 4.9GB. So it is possible but not much room left. Reloading sim at gate in Bogota later got it down to 4.1GB again. For the records the flight was done in sim texture resolution 4096 and using VC 2048 set from Leonardo and Trueglass Beta on. But the benefit of the 2048 vc textures seem to be marginal in vram usage anyway.

This was my first full flight with the maddog in v5 and I will not garantee that it will work for all and especially for more heavy scenery BUT for me it seems Leonardo is only giving a halfway safe recommendation to be somehow on the more safe side.

I will continue testing as for me and my setup with a gtx 1060 and 6gb seems to be possible for sure. And I can just all in the 6GB league advice to do their own testing if you have enough space left for a parallel setup beside the main v4.5 sim and not just follow the nay threads. You usually will find a lot more nay threads with posting problems than happy ones.

In the end for sure we will have to migrate to more powerful gpus with a lot more vram, but before end of year this makes no sense at all especially if you have to watch the avail budget a bit. For me a clear thing is, that addon devs simply followed the hype to do every nut and bolt in 4k and actually only a few well known watched the resources up to now. DX11 took care of the mem managament and now devs have to rethink their strategy a bit with DX12. But thats just my 2 cent.

Have fun and go flying 😉

Cheers

T.

Edited May 18, 2020 by Torsen

[Nyxx 6,993]

1 hour ago, addman said:

Thanks for the input Nyxx but I do believe you get better details with 4k textures on an actual 4k screen. You would have to zoom in an awful lot on an aircraft on a 1080p monitor to appreciate the difference between let's say 2048 textures and 4096 textures.

Ofc it would be better on a 4k screen, your right 🙂. Its can be amazing how better 4096 textures look on a 1080.

[addman 33]

Ok guys, I might just try it out. Thanks for all the input.

[Torsen 495]

Just on more feedback... it really depends heavily on your settings and what addons you are using. For example Latinvfr KMIA v5 can just vrOOM your 6gb with default plane 😄

 

Edited May 18, 2020 by Torsen