Sp2 versus Acceleration

[Midnight Music 252]

I'm reading on several forums that folks are noticing a slight difference in the inter-action with 3rd party sceneries regarding fps between whether you have SP2 or Acceleration installed, with SP2 working slightly better than Acceleration. What do you make of this? I don't want this to become a bash Microsoft thread. I am just curious. I have always understood that SP2 was identical to Acceleration except Acceleration has the addons. Many are claiming better fps and less lighting problems with runway lights etc. with SP2 as opposed to Acceleration. I have Acceleration installed and I love the addons, but if SP2 works a little better, I will un-install Accel. and switch to SP2. Any thoughts?Please, please, please, no flaming! This post is just for a hopefully intelligent and thoughtful look at the situation and perhaps some clarity on the issue.Lee

[Zoolander 5]

Greetings Lee,I am glad you brought this up. I too am curious as to what other users have discovered. I am using Accel w/SP2, but have never tried just SP2. It seems to work just fine for me, but I don't know anything different. Again, as you said, lets keep this a professional non-flaming discussion.

[1mikel151 71]

I would be interested in these findings as well. Running Acceleration and the SP2 that comes with it here and I get the odd flickering with certain buildings, shadows, etc. I wonder if just installing SP2 on top of it would make a difference or hurt it. I enjoy what I get with the addon, and don't want to uninstall it.Personally I get good performance (see specs below), so I would hate to mess it up if I don't have to.Regards, MichaelKDFW

Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe nForce4 SLI-x16 / AMD

[vgbaron 3,627]

OK, hope this doesn't sound like a flame but this question, IMHO, is an example of the type of question that caused Phil Taylor to cut down his forum participation.He has stated, unequivocably, over and over again that there is NO DIFFERENCE between the SP2 alone and the SP2 with ACCELERATION.How many time are we going to ask the same question?If you have SP2 installed and you install Acceleration, it will NOT overwrite the SP2 portion. If you have Acceleration installed and you try to add the standalone SP2, it will NOT install.Any differences being discussed are not because of SP2 vs SP2/Acceleration but are caused by something else.Period.VicQ6600 G0 CPU 2.4 o/c 3.65Evga 680i A1 with P31 BIOS 2G XP2-8500 DDR2 1066FSB Mushkin 996535 RAM 5-5-4-12-2T320G 7200 HD partitioned for XP/Vista/Programs 2 - 74G Raptors in RAID0 500G 7200 HD for backup SATA DVD burner Evga 8800GTS 640 PCIx XG 174.74 702/1620/792Kandalf LCS case w/ built in liquid cooling 850W Thermaltake power supplyVisit the Virtual Pilot's Centerwww.flightadventures.comhttp://www.hifisim.com/banners/hifi-supporter-sigbanner.jpg

[Midnight Music 252]

Apparently there are subtle differences in the dll files. This has been verified by more than one developer. This apparently causes some slight differences in the way some addon sceneries inter-act with FSX.Again the intention is not to slam anybody. I think it will help us all understand the game better and what we are looking for. If you are interested in 3rd party addons perhaps the standalone SP2 will be better for you and those addons.Lee

[cshark172 20]

Maybe we should list addons that have issues with Acceleration, but work fine with SP2 standalone. I know the version numbers are different between SP2 and Acceleration (SP2: 10.0.61472, Acceleration: 10.0.61637) for the main fsx.exe and dll files. Back when Pete Dowson was working on wind smoothing, he was working in acceleration, and his testers were as well. Everything was working great until the first SP2 user reported none of the enhancements were working. Upon further investigation, Pete discovered the sim.dll files were different, memory offsets were different, and his fixes weren't initially working in SP2. He eventually found the differences and got it to work with both versions.Anyways, here is a list of the addons I have had problems with in Acceleration, but ok in SP2. I am currently using SP2 standalone. I miss the extra Accerleration content, but would rather have my addons work. I will run this configuration until the developers find out what the differences are.Aerosoft FrankfurtX - Runway lights are "blobs" and frame rates drop into the single digits under acceleration. The devleoper has acknowleded the problem and is investigating.Imaginesim MYNN and KCLT - Same as Frankfurt. I reported to Imaginesim, but have not heard any feedback from them if they are investigating. Funny thing is, thier KCVG works ok in Acceleration.LevelD 767 - Engines spool up twice at start. After the first spool, the FMC performance data is erased. LevelD has acknowledged the problem, and said if they find the problem during 757 development, it will be fixed.These are the only ones I have had issues with. I also have UTX, GEX, FEX, MyTraffic, Aerosoft HeathrowX, FSDreamteam KORD, Aerosoft LuklaX, Aerosoft AspenX, Blueprint KMEM/KMSP/KIAD/KSDF/KCLE, PMDG 747X, Wilco Airbus Vol 1, Wilco 737 PIC, Aerosoft Twotter, Carenado Mooney, Carenado C206, FSD Seneca V, and the new RealityXP GPS guages installed, all of which I have not had problems.KyleFS box: Q6600 (@ 3.24 GHz), ASUS P5E3 Premium, 4 GB OCZ Platinum DDR3 (Cas 6-6-6-18-2T @ 1440 MHz), BFG 8800GTX 768, Soundblaster XFi Fatality, WD 150gb 10000rpm Raptor, Samsung Spinpoint F1 750 GB, Silverstone TJ09 case, PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 PSU, Vista Ultimate 64http://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/747400.jpg

[Guest JIMJAM]

There are really so many opinions and conflicting data that nobody really knows.I bought Accel the day it was released and deleted it within the hour.Cause if ANYTHING wierd happens looks different, its Accel that did it.Must be, has to be.....I loaded SP2 kicking and screaming but the new addons NEED it or so they say.Last week I bought the Iris F-20 Tigershark.Guess what?It uses the F-18 hud so if you want the hud, you have to buy and load Acceleration.It pays to read the small print.Anyways, as far as performance plus or loss,problems ect .HaaaaaProve or disprove Accel or sp2 causes problems or fixes anything.Do that and I will find you just as many who disagree.In my case, I have the same problems with or without and performance is the same.But then again, prove it.Edwards and the Keys are hosed but I also use GEX,FEX and UTX.Could be sp2 or Accel? Could not?No guts no glory. Load Acceleration,sp2 and play FSX RouletteJust keep all your addons and receipts,keys ect saved and experiment away.