Does anybody know whether MSFS will install and start = load at all with below minimum specs? My HW upgrade is still ahead of me towards Q4 and I wonder whether I can already buy and run MSFS on my old HW w/ my i5-2550k, 16GB and a GTX 570 TI? I just know from other titles like Forza Horizon will install but not start, with only a hint that minimum specs are not met. And yes, I am aware that my rig will not run MSFS on ultra but willing to accept a massive decrease in fun and visuals prior to my pending HW upgrade

Edited August 12, 20205 yr by DAD
typo

Well, that is under the minimum spec alright but with so many seemingly conflicting opinions on how MSFS runs on different gear I say be bold! 

Chuck it on the drive, run it, kick the tyres and light the fires!

you might end up with a bit of a Power Point show ( low fps) but hey, look at you; you're running MSFS!

I reckon that'd install, load up and run. Yeah it's not the fastest computer in the world, but it's not terrible.

Obviously can't say for absolutely certain it'd be okay and load up, but even if it did not, you're still intending to use the new sim when your PC gets upgraded anyway, so you'd be no worse off for buying it now.

Edited August 12, 20205 yr by Chock

I suppose the only slight headache would result from win 10 detecting multiple hardware changes and demanding a new key activation. One assumes. . .

1 minute ago, Will Fly For Cheese said:

I suppose the only slight headache would result from win 10 detecting multiple hardware changes and demanding a new key activation. One assumes. . .

That would be a complete new rig, current PC is from 2008, well depreciated and time for a replacement

never mind

Edited August 12, 20205 yr by LHookins

The vram may be an issue. Either it rejects the install or something similar to what you experienced with forza. 

 

But who knows. Gamepass it and give it a shot 

 

Ebay a cheap 2gb card and sell it when you upgrade

Edited August 12, 20205 yr by Wewk584

@DAD Apparently the GTX580 does support DX11 so the only thing I can foresee stopping MFS starting would be a lack of graphics memory. All your other hardware is sufficient to run MFS.

you are a fair bit bellow spec on both gpu and cpu, even if the game allows you to install and run its likely you would not get a playable framerate
i am assuming you have a gtx 570, not a 570ti since afaik they never made a 570ti so here is the comparison for that to the minimum
https://www.videocardbenchmark.net/compare/GeForce-GTX-570-vs-GeForce-GTX-770/15vs2531
and the comparison of your cpu vs minimum
https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/Intel-i5-2550K-vs-Intel-i5-4460/813vs2230

as others have stated, the best option is to use GamePass to try and see, but i would not expect that pc to play the game at a reasonable rate (thats kinda what minimum is for)
its likely to be a slideshow but you can try it for cheap on GP to see, all we can do is guess just like yourself

Your CPU should be fine, Sandy Bridge supports all the instruction sets that modern games use. AVX2 is the only exception, but since it's a DirectX 11 title, it's quite unlikely. Your GPU might be a problem though, because Fermi is not a supported architecture and hasn't received driver updates in over two years. Call of Duty: Warzone and Battlefield V are two other examples of modern games that do not work at all on Fermi GPUs.

Even if it does work, you'll likely have to play at the lowest settings at 720p and below, not just because of the VRAM deficiency, but also because of the lack of support. In that case playing the simulator might end up being an unpleasant or even unplayable experience. Depending on your budget, I would recommend fast-tracking a GPU upgrade and not attempt to rush a new system build, with corona the situation with hardware prices and stock can be very unpredictable. Unless of course you've already planned everything out.

will buy premium anyway, just wondering whether I shall and may give it a try before the new rig arrives since I am just so curious. but still no need to rush as I am on vacation from Aug 16 so I will have 2 weeks to first dig into the tips and tricks forum on avsim

1 minute ago, ChaoticBeauty said:

Depending on your budget, I would recommend fast-tracking a GPU upgrade and not attempt to rush a new system build, with corona the situation with hardware prices and stock can be very unpredictable. Unless of course you've already planned everything out.

Well, budget planned is about 2k bucks for the complete rig but me - and wife - are happy about anything less ;-). So it may be indeed a good idea to go for a cheapo GPU first

Buy the GPU you intend to use in your new system, anything else will be a waste of cash since you'll be taking a big loss selling it second hand soon. This is assuming of course your existing motherboard and PSU will support your desired GPU.

good idea, my P8Z77-M is at least PCI3 capable, just need to find a good RTX card that will fit into my mid tower 

2 minutes ago, DAD said:

will buy premium anyway, just wondering whether I shall and may give it a try before the new rig arrives since I am just so curious. but still no need to rush as I am on vacation from Aug 16 so I will have 2 weeks to first dig into the tips and tricks forum on avsim

Unless you have a connection with a data cap or running low on storage space, there would be no harm in giving it a try. Documenting your attempt to do so will also be helpful to those who are thinking of doing the same with similar hardware as yours.

2 minutes ago, DAD said:

Well, budget planned is about 2k bucks for the complete rig but me - and wife - are happy about anything less ;-). So it may be indeed a good idea to go for a cheapo GPU first

That gives you quite a lot of headroom to combine at least a mid-range CPU with a high-end GPU. This means that next month you can already start looking at acquiring an Ampere GPU which would later go in your new system, and avoiding wasting money on a budget GPU that you might not be able to sell at a good price later on as ckyliu said.

The older Polaris cards, especially in the second-hand market, can be found for quite a bargain, but it appears they are not performing so well in the new simulator, which may or may not be fixed with a driver update. So the best budget option now would be the GTX 1650 Super, which at $160 does not represent great value. The GPU price floor has increased with this generation, and the price-to-performance ratio in low-end cards has remained about the same. Best to go with a high-end GPU now.