Vista / DX-10 / FS Acceleration / Worth it?

[Guest byoung]

I just purchased 32 Bit Vista Ultimate for my FS Computer. I currently have FSX running pretty good on Windows XP Professional. Currently, 30 FPS sliders maybe at half settings.SpecsAMD Dual Core 5600+2 GB RAM (PC 5300 DDR2)NVIDIA 7600 GS Video Card 256 MBShould I add 2 more GBs of RAM for VISTA (4 GB max) ?Will I have to purchase a new video card for DX-10?Will there be any benefit to DX-10 (if the 7600 GS can run it) / Vista / FS Acceleration? Blurries gone, better FPS, Better overall graphics )crisper / cleaner / reduced blurries?I heard there is alot of tweaking required with Vista.Thanks!Barry

[soaring_penguin 428]

First, I don't think there is more tweaking required with Vista then with XP. For me, it is just part of the hobby :-).Your vid card does not support Directx 10, so unless you are willing to spend more money (I read some very good reviews about the latest 8800GT) I would not go to Vista. I expect XP to be 100% up to the task for your box.The jury is still out for the benefits of the directX 10 implementation in FSX. For some it works, for others not.Since forever, a faster processor is more important for any version of MSFS then a fast video card.Jan

[jackcnd 0]

Acceleration : Yes, a nice addition to FSX for the new f18, eh101, p51, it does introduce some new issues.Vista : No, constant disk thrashing and many hassles during use.I use both XP and Vista, with Vista as my main OS, but I would not recommend it to improve on FSX, and in general I'd say most are much better off with the familar XP. DX 10: No, as far as FSX is concerned, its best in DX9.Memory : 2GB minimum, its so cheap now to go to 3 or 4, why not, but it will not change FSX much if any. The difference from 3-4 is very very small.Instead of buying Vista for DX10, I'd suggest the money be best saved for a Intel Core Duo 6850 and a 8800 GT SSC video card some day if you want improved FSX performance at higher settings and just stick wtih XP.

[Guest byoung]

Does FS Acceleration help performance? I am not interested in the F18, etc. Some say it screws up addons???Thanks!

[soaring_penguin 428]

No, Acceleration on itself does not help performance.But SP2 does. They are two different things.If you are not interested in the extra planes and or missions, you should wait for the free SP2 pack to come out in the coming weeks.You have the choice : pay now for Acceleration and get the included SP2, or wait a bit and get SP2 for free. I would choose for the second in your case.Especially because SP2 may or may not improve your performance. Jan