MickH

As far as I can tell the problem is just with the R9 290 reference cards, as of yet there are no 3rd party cooler models. Also some issues were in Win8.1, not Win 7. No other R9 models are having problems and bench quite respectable numbers in relation to NVidia counterparts.

The problem with software, and videogames, nowadays is that people are much too forgiving of faults. Some people even buy unfinished products; DCS sells the Huey as a Beta version and some FSX aircraft are sold as unfinished products. Its an unhealthy trend that appears to be growing.

The thing is if I absolutely knew that getting something like a 780 would be the be all and end all, and would allow me to run P3D fully with add-ons etc I'd get one, but at the moment I don't and its expensive. That's the thing its a moving target at the moment, I could get a 780 and then find that with complex add-one, sceneries etc you still blow through your VRAM limit or it's just not sufficient. I'll keep my 660 for the time being, if I don't see any improvement in another 53 days i'll cash in and purchase when cards, and P3D, have improved sufficiently, probably.

No Kidding, people may actually go to FSX to get decent frame rates :blink: Talk about irony! The problem with P3D is it doesn't actually appear to have been Beta tested at all, or maybe we're the Beta team? who knows. I expected, I know its a daft idea, that Lockheed Martin, a huge contractor in the aviation field, would have thoroughly tested their program and had it working 'out of the box' properly. It feels to some degree, though not as bad, like FSX again. Like I said, I've got 60days but so have LM.

I've sort of got to the 'hmmm' stage now really. I am trying to stay optimistic and will hold onto my purchase, at least for now, but I have to say I sort of hoped it would have been...well, tested. Just had a little fly around EGCC in FSX with the Airbus X and had it FPS locked with that DXTory app and I have to say it was pleasantly smooth about getting about 25 ish and that's with a AMD 8350 / 660GTX. I really hope LM get their act together quickly as i'm not sure how long I can stay optimistic and I bought the pro version, so £125 ain't chicken feed.

What are your PC specs?

Whilst I've got an Nvidia myself, due to having used FSX, it's not exactly a 'fair fight' as the 780 is miles ahead in performance against the 6970 so you're not exactly making a true comparison. Maybe you should compare a 780 and a 290x?

Technically P3D is Lockheed Martin's baby, based on the same initial code as FSX is, so MS can't really do anything with P3D as it's not theirs. LM are 'releasing' P3D to the gaming community, you just need to open your wallet.

I bet you're a joy at parties. ^_^

The Academic version is identical to the Pro version, as i understand it, apart from the watermark on the screen.

LM have already said that an R9 or a 770/780 is highly recommended. I've a feeling alot will change in P3D from how we're used to having MSFS. :rolleyes:

The difference is that P3D wont rely anywhere so heavily on the CPU, meaning any frame loss can be easily rectified by turning down the settings or getting out your wallet and buying a more meaty GPU. You're not going to run it flat out on something like a 6000 ATI or a 560Ti Nvidia thats for sure.

With the CPU now mostly unshackled from the burden that it had to endure under FSX, i doubt either an AMD 8 Series or an Intel I5/7 Quad will actually break a sweat now. Lets also hope overclocking, unless its your thing, is behind us too,

IF P3D v2 lives up to expectations i'll be looking at one of them to upgrade from my 660. Though here in blighty, that's the UK, they're about £250, thats $375 equivalent. :(

Personally I doubt there will be. The problem is that the rendering, at heart, is basically 10years old and things have moved on in that time.

I think the 6800 having issues with full shadows is more likely to do with it being a low-mid end GPU rather than it being an ATI card. LM recommend either an R9 ATI, akin to a 7900 series or something like a 770 or 780 Nvidia GPU. Out in the 'real' world so to speak these two GPU manufacturers trade blows with each other and maybe now we'll get that parity in flight simming too.

While you may have computers translating the inputs, especially on Airbus aircraft, but they certainly do not fly the aircraft in the truest sense of the term; unless of course the Pilot decides to engage the autopilot. Even when the a/p is on the pilot is still monitoring and can disengage as required and hand fly the plane. For me personally it will be a cold day in hell before I got on a pilotless aircraft.

Nobody is really saying that an entry level cpu/gpu combo is going to cut it. If LM offload a lot of the rendering to the GPU which is how you do it now, and have done for quite a while, it will free up the CPU meaning something like a Intel 4670 or 3770k non overclocked should be ample or even an AMD 8350 as if its properly multi threaded it will for once get rid of the single thread issues. Though overclocking obviously won't hurt it may no longer be essential to just get decent performance. Also a lot of FSX, FS9 people would really disagree with the statement of FSX, or MSFS, being a game and P3D being a simulator, some people take their flying extremely seriously; take using VATSIM flying for instance.

I know what you're saying but you shouldn't have to overclock a cpu, especially not to FSX levels, to get a decent performance from the sim, it's just that everyone is now conditioned to thinking like this. To be honest it'll make a nice change.

That's another thing, will the Nvidia era finally come to an end with regard to the MSFS franchise? P3D v2 could really turn things on their heads.

Seeing how P3D version 2 appears to be offloading much more to the GPU, it isn't outside the bounds of reason to think that the insane overclocking requirements of the CPU, as we have it for FSX, may actually become a thing of the past. Flight simming engines may finally enter the modern era where the GPU does the brunt of the rendering, this would make upgrading much easier as you'll just have to swap out your Graphics Card instead of a full mobo/cpu upgrade.

Is that sarcasm or bad grammar, can't tell really.

Why are you more inclined to believe its a falsehood, than believing its legitimate, even in part? I suppose that's why politicians lead us by our fears, as we're more inclined to be influenced that way. Michael Hamilton

I don't post very often, but generally monitor the boards for info and the like. I'm really looking forward to P3D V2.0 and hope that it will be the move forward that it appears to be, if i get it will really be up to how much of a move it is and the price point, but as long as the price is reasonable i'll probably hop on straight away. Whether PMDG is on board, not, or if they're being used for commercial aspects isn't really a factor for me. I've had some of their products and they're excellent but they're just one player in a crowd of many, some of whom are in the same ballpark. I'm just going to wait and see what transpires, then decide whether i'm going to jump in with both feet or not as the case may be. Michael Hamilton

But you don't have to Buy the whole of the USA though, its completely optional. Anyway from what i've seen so far the scenery is as good as FSX add on, so basically it saves you buying the sim then rebuying add-on scenery.