Sartanius

This. I think all of us are as excited as we used to be years ago when a new MSFS release was coming. It feels that way again, only moreso. No doubt we'll be waiting a while for study level aircraft in the new sim, but we'll still have our current sims with all our favorites to keep us satisfied. This post from MS seems better then I could have hoped for. To quote a line from one of my favorite movies... "I hate waiting!" ... but wait I shall, and with renewed excitement.

Welcome to the rat race, Bill. You can be sure everyone is of one mind here with zero disagreements. Your job should be real easy.

Open P3D Options, look in the General section, select the Application tab, and you will see a selection called "Show Scenario Startup Screen".

Dominic - Based solely on the choices you offer, Option 1 should be better. A more modern CPU, a dedicated GPU, and faster RAM position this option as the better choice. The on-board graphics solution in Option 2 is a non-starter. Because of the age of the hardware, you won't be able to run with high settings, but you should still be able to enjoy FSX:SE. More RAM is almost always better, so I'd go ahead and add the extra 2GB to bring your total to 8GB (I'm assuming here that you are running a 64-bit OS so you can use all the RAM). Just my $0.02.

I agree, this is a good thing to read. Again, no idea how that sentiment is translated for us hardcore simmers, but the door seems open to MS considering what we'd like to see in the new MSFS2020.

Yep, it looks better IMHO. Thanks, Jim!

Thanks, Mods!

Just a quick post to suggest the Mods use something other than the failed MS Flight logo for the New Microsoft Flight Simulator Forum. Of course we don't know what the final product will be, but it would be lunacy if MS released MS Flight again. Just sayin'. 😉 Attached is a screen capture from their marketing video, if you'd like.

Very encouraging. Looking forward to the full interview.

Seems reasonable... but, of course, you could plan for a more powerful Windows PC down the road when you have the means to obtain it. That is where you will find your best P3D performance.

Run Windows Task Manager and look at the "Performance" tab to see where the bottleneck is taking place. If either the CPU or GPU are pegged at 100%, there's the problem. Probably the GPU, but can't be sure.

Six of one, half a dozen of the other. Each manufacturer has their own cooling method and both are acceptable for their designs. Larger fans move more air volume typically at a slower rate, smaller fans move less air volume at a faster pace. Both work. It is possible to have less fan noise with two larger fans, but I don't have the data to prove that. You should be just fine either way.

I would recommend you do some research (here and elsewhere) on running P3D on a Mac. It appears you will get better performance running Windows with Bootcamp than with Parallels, but you haven't mentioned which method you're using. Not trying to be negative here, just realistic. You will not have excellent performance with your specs using all the goodies you mentioned above without turning Settings way down. But you should have better performance with Bootcamp. Edit: It is recommended to install P3D outside the default Windows location.

I believe Rob is pointing out that the runway is under water... and it clearly is. The zoomed screenshot shows runway markings under the water. I believe the point it, there is still work to be done by MS... these are early days. * If I've misrepresented what you meant, Rob, please clarify. *

Not to be a contrarian, but I have used ASUS almost exclusively for my own PC builds over the past 10+ years and couldn't be happier. In reality, the top brands will all serve you well, my friend. They are all pretty reliable, but unfortunately they can all have failures... there's no 100% reliable solution. But, like I said, I have had sterling performance from all the ASUS products I've used over the years. My latest procurement, an ASUS GTX-2080Ti is humming along very nicely. You'll be fine no matter which of the top brands you decide on.

Just a thought... not an expert on scenery, but... If MS have access to a gagillion TB of satellite scenery, which they no doubt continue to update regularly, is it not conceivable that, based on the time of your flight, the streamed scenery and land-class can be customized for the appropriate season? Lots of assumptions here, but interesting to consider.

As for the discussion about the possibility that MS is working with 3rd party developers... it makes complete sense, considering the maturity of today's 3rd party development space, that MS would be working with some key "study-level" developers so they can announce simultaneous releases that will attract both casual and enthusiast simmers. Now, wouldn't that be amazing!

Back when MS halted FSX development, all was not well with the company. There were many layoffs and instability all around. It was no surprise they "quit" flight sim development since it wasn't likely a major player on any of their balance sheets. No doubt a difficult decision because of the title's legacy, but a business decision in any event. Then along comes MS Flight. Clearly targeted at reaping millions from the young, casual gaming community, it was an immediate turnoff to most staunch flight sim enthusiasts, and their vocal dissent, and poor sales sealed it's fate. FSW had a chance, but if IIRC, third party monetizing policies were a big turnoff to some significant developers, and it too went the way of the dodo. Seems quite unlikely MS would make this mistake again. It is 10+ years since that time and much had changed. Microsoft (under Satya Nadella) are doing very well financially and making huge strides in the cloud. All of this lends itself very nicely to creating a much more modern flight simulation environment. The one model they have that was enormously successful in the flight simulator space seems like the sure place to plunge in again. Adding "Simulator" back to the tile is a very good sign. I, for one, am pumped!

I couldn't agree more. I'm reticent to get too excited, but something deep inside is starting to simmer. How many remember the excitement waiting on the next MS Flight Sim release... that video really ratchets up the anticipation.

You're a stand-up guy and a man of fine character, Jim. You can count on my prayers as you face this trial. Philippians 4:6-7 comes to mind during times like this, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ *******."

Yes, but headed in the right direction. Updated post title accordingly.

Link 3... 2... 1... go! Edit: Changed post title to be more accurate.

Nice!

Honestly, my friend, it'll run, but I'm not sure you'll be very pleased with the performance. The Athlon II x2 family are 10 years old and the ATI Radeon 3000 is even older. Prepar3D v3 is a modern simulator designed to run well on modern hardware. You'd have to lower your settings significantly to even enjoy default scenery and aircraft. I seriously doubt you'd be able to run and of the higher-end aircraft or sceneries. Not tying to be a Debbie-Downer, but you asked for opinions. Hopefully a few more will chime in. Edit: It also appears the ATI Radeon 3000 only supports DirectX 10 and LM lists minimum requirements to be DirectX 11. That may be an issue.

Great read, Alan. I provided this same type of ramp service at KJFK International Terminal in the 1970s while attending school for a degree and an A&P license. Truly loved being around aircraft in that setting. Thanks for bringing back all those memories.