Reinstalling P3D.  What would you all recommend as far as versions at this time?  I want to get the biggest bang in compatibility with a slightly less than recommended video card (see specs below). Thx.

5 minutes ago, Dillon said:

the biggest bang in compatibility

It looks like you already know the best answer.  

7 minutes ago, Dillon said:

Reinstalling P3D.  What would you all recommend as far as versions at this time?  I want to get the biggest bang in compatibility with a slightly less than recommended video card (see specs below). Thx.

Well I lost my system in early August due to some strange Windows 10 issues related to permissions.  It cascaded to total failure as I attempted to overcome.  I had backup clones.  Three of them.  The issue slowely or eventually surfaced, even with a three year old clone.  So I lost it all as far as booting into Windows 10.  But I was still with a lot of effort able to access some folders and files, including my FSX addon scenery and simobjects, importantly my aircraft related and .cfg files.

My new system was planned in advance for MFS 2020.  But since I fired it up two weeks before MFS 2020, and had places to go,  I chose to reinstall FSX.  That failed due to installation conflicts.  So I forked out the $29.99 for the Steam edition, FSX SE.  I also had over 230 addon airports, and though I knew almost all were fine up through P3D v3, because I knew of a couple I had designed in ADE would not work past v3, I chose FSX SE over P3D v4 or above.  So with some fantastic aircraft models, particularly the Realair Turbine Duke v2 (TDv2), Milviz Baron B55 and Cessna 310 Redux, and the A2A 182, and well over 200 well modeled airports, and RXP GNS and GTN GPS instruments, and AS16 weather, my personal choice was clear.  

Yesterday, with my Chicago White Sox MLB team into the playoffs, albeit with a trip to Oakland, California, I was forced to fly from KMDW to KIND (Indianapolis) to swap out by Milviz Baron for the TDv2.  That for speed and range for first a flight to KBJC outside Denver, and then from KBJC to KOAK in Oakland.  Both flights in excess of 3 1/2 hours.  I could just in no way devote that time in MFS 2020 with highly uncertain results.  Had to get there, without issue, for today's 4-1 victory.  The first half of yesterday's flight to Denver was in IFR conditions.

Understand your question.  What addons might influence your experience between the two P3D versions?  Aircraft models, weather engines, addon scenery, prior tweaks and mods?

The key to your question is the time-frame in which you may be able to upgrade your video card.

I currently have both v4 and v5 with a 6Gb video card. V4 is still my main sim, mainly due to my hardware. I use v5 out of curiosity and to check out features, but am conscious that I can't push it to the limit and don't do lengthy flights with it. I have one eye on a new card in the not too distant future, for this very reason.

If you don't intend to upgrade any time soon, v4 would probable be the more relevant platform to go for.

Two things to consider, 5.1 is on the horizon which might make 6Gb cards more viable, and it probably won't be long before we see developers producing v5 products without v4 compatibility (if not already).

Ian

1 hour ago, Dillon said:

Reinstalling P3D.  What would you all recommend as far as versions at this time?  I want to get the biggest bang in compatibility with a slightly less than recommended video card (see specs below). Thx.

I say Dillon, v4.4  For one thing, if you love the PNW FERRIES..that can not be run in v5.x   Also..there are issues still with airport placement that is not an issue with v4.4  My thoughts. 

Post Edit:  You can run BOTH on the same system, so can install v5.x anytime it suits you...and keep v4.4 intrinsic.

Edited September 30, 20205 yr by Sesquashtoo

I bought a new computer in July and upgraded everything ... including my video card, which is the same as yours (I went from a 1060 to a 2060). I installed v5 from the get-go and didn't bother installing 4.5 HF3, which I had been running on my previous computer. I didn't realize at the time that v5 would be so hard on 6GB video cards.

Anyway, I installed in v5 my favourite aircraft, PMDG 737 and 747, QW 787, Maddog, TFDi 717, and FSLabs A320 and 321. I had to dial back settings a whole lot (e.g., 1024 textures), and even so, I was getting DXDIAG crashes, especially with the Maddog and 717. I also experienced inexplicable video crashes even though v5 reported that I was running at around 2.7 or 3.0 GB VRAM. I also began to miss some of the aircraft that I had, such as CaptainSim 737-200, that haven't been upgraded from v5.

To make a long story short, I've spent the last day or so reinstalling v4.5 HF3, my Orbx scenery, and my aircraft, including those not yet v5 compatible (like the PMDG 777). I've already flown around a little, and the framerate and visuals are great. It was worth the downgrade.

I'll keep v5 on my computer for now, as I'm curious to see whether 5.1 helps with my video card. However, if things don't improve, I'll probably uninstall it and wait until I get another video card ... which might be quite a bit in the future.

Edited September 30, 20205 yr by JRMurray

Why do you upgrade a video card with the same amount of VRam? (more sidegrade than upgrade). 2060 Super 8GB would have been better. 

Here I run V5. The only airport I saw sofar with an issue, ground bleeding issue, was Ajaccio Corse but they have released an update so it looks good again.

Like you all I am waiting for V5.1 and LM knowing they always test for several months and as EA was a new key feature I am sure that it will be enhanced a lot ...😎

5 minutes ago, Rob_Ainscough said:

V5.x ... performance is outstanding, FPS locked solid at 30 (Vsync 30Hz) using Orbx TE NorCal and TE SoCal with Ultra Autogen, LOD, DL, DR at Ultra, etc. and even my

Rob,

is this V5.X (so the prep/RC V5.1)? Or is this the released V5 Version?

Because EA looks somehow still like V5.

Marcus 

Edited September 30, 20205 yr by mpo910

Just now, Rob_Ainscough said:

These screenshots are from V5.0 HF2.

Cheers, Rob.

😉 Thanks for clarifieing! 

And I can also recommend using V5. Performance is so much better compared to V4.5! Much smoother (if using the right settings, this is alsways guilty for every sim)!

Also the loading times are much increased. 

I am waiting for V5.1 wich, I hope/expect, would bring stunning looking EA visuals and solve the PBR/Texture through clouds/fog visuals.

Marcus

1 hour ago, Rob_Ainscough said:

These screenshots are from V5.0 HF2.

Cheers, Rob.

They are looking very good 👍
And with a fast Concorde 

Edited September 30, 20205 yr by GSalden

7 hours ago, Dillon said:

I want to get the biggest bang in compatibility with a slightly less than recommended video card (see specs below).

At this exact moment in time, it has to be 'v4.5 HF2' for you.

I find that I'm usually using 5+ GB of VRAM to have a decent flying experience in P3D v5.0.
Bearing in mind that you'll lose ~1 GB of VRAM for Win 10 uses. With your 6 GB GPU, you'll probably be right at the limit of where VRAM is exhausted and likely to receive the dreaded dxgi_error_device_hung CTD message.

YMMV, but that's my experience with a payware airliner, payware airport, AI traffic, Enhanced Atmospherics turned on and Active Sky running.

Give it a few weeks 🤞 and we'll see what is possible with v5.1.

3 hours ago, Rob_Ainscough said:

These screenshots are from V5.0 HF2.

Cheers, Rob.

Some screenshots please from 5.1 😜

Rob, I see clouds on screenshots... is there a weather engine to have it...?

thanks

mark

This is easy.   4.5 until they fix v5.   Yes you can run v5 vanilla and, as noted here, it's performance is outstanding, but as soon as you start to add to it, you run the risk of CTD's.   v5 is a different beast and everyone is still learning what's under the hood, including LM.   

Their forums are a mess of users expressing frustration multiple crashes and that's been going on for some time.