Delta Virtual Airlines Water Cooler | PC Support |
Question about the performance of FSX on a computer |
DVA5685
Captain, B777-200
OLP
Joined on March 13 2008
50 State Club
Online Century Club
Double Century Club
Everett Century Club
DVA Ten-Year Anniversary
Northeastern United States
261 legs, 486.8 hours
153 legs,
285.6 hours online 245 legs,
464.7 hours ACARS 19 legs,
47.0 hours event
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Posted onPost created on
November 25 2010 21:47 ET by Brad Barton
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I was looking at some computers and was wondering if this would be a good one to run FSX on.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00319055000P?prdNo=7&blockNo=7&blockType=L7
Brad BartonCaptain, B777-200
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DVA809
Senior Captain, B737-800
OLP
Joined on August 25 2002
B757 100 Club
Online Century Club
Everett 500 Club
Six Century Club
Million Mile Club
DVA Fifteen-Year Anniversary
"If it ain't Boeing, I ain't going" Birmingham, AL USA
674 legs, 2,377.4 hours
199 legs,
468.4 hours online 338 legs,
1,438.0 hours ACARS 11 legs,
84.4 hours event
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Posted onPost created on
November 25 2010 22:01 ET by William Chambers
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While I am by no means an authority, I have just completed building a computer to run FSX and FSX alone. I spent about a year researching the issue and what I found is that you cannot "buy" a computer (pre-built) that will run FSX with everything maxed and get optimal performance. You have to build it then set up your OS and FSX to run the fastest. There are certainly some things to look for: FSX needs a very fast processor - much more so than FS9, which was more dependent on RAM. FSX will not use more than 6 GB of RAM. The key to the ram is timing - a low timing. Overclocking ability is also good. You also need a dedicated hard-drive just for FSX - preferably a velociraptor HDD. Lastly, a good Nvidia graphics card - I am using a GTX480. Once you have these basics and install FSX properly and defrag the HDD FSX runs very fast with everything maxed even with highly detailed add-on scenery. Here are my new system specs: I7 980x overclocked to 4.23G, ASUS P6X58D-E motherboard, 6G Mushkin 1600 6-8-6-24 RAM, GTX480, Noctua DH14 CPU cooler, Corsair 850W PSU, 1 600G WD Vraptor HDD for OS, 1 600G WD Vraptor for FSX, HAF Coolermaster 932 case. The other issue with pre-built machines is how they load the software and the fact that they load the machine with tons of stuff that you dont need and that slows down FSX. The absolute best place on the web that I found for studying this is: http://www.simforums.com/Forums/hardware-software-and-computer-technology_forum29&SID=19d49898-97b5-18b278e6-8b2b7f62-fd24z77e.html
Hope this helps.
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DVA043
Senior Captain, MD-11
OLP
Joined on June 10 2001
Event Half Century Club
Online Double Century Club
50 State Club
DVA Twenty-Year Anniversary
Everett 1500 Club
Bi-Millennium Club
Four Million Mile Club
"Col. Panic" Marietta, GA
2,241 legs, 8,967.3 hours
240 legs,
553.9 hours online 1,899 legs,
7,760.4 hours ACARS 75 legs,
196.3 hours event 2,277 legs, 9,102.2 hours total 91 legs dispatched, 66.4
hours
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Posted onPost created on
November 25 2010 22:22 ET by Luke Kolin
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I just bought one of these to replace my 150GB Velociraptor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227552
If you have $420 or so to spare before midnight, newegg is doing a one-day sale on it. Note - the Agility 2 is firmware limited to 10,000 I/O operations a second; the Vertex 2 goes all the way up to 50,000. Pick carefully!
Cheers!
Luke KolinSenior Captain, MD-11
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DVA3794
Senior Captain, A320
OLP, 737-ATP
Joined on December 03 2006
50 State Club
Globetrotter
US Coastal Club
Events Quadruple Century
US Mountaineer Club
Everett Bi-Millennium Club
Tri-Millennium Club
DVA Fifteen-Year Anniversary
Three Million Mile Club
Online Thirty Century
"volando libero......." Antarctica
3,459 legs, 8,141.9 hours
3,131 legs,
7,039.5 hours online 3,251 legs,
7,332.7 hours ACARS 478 legs,
964.8 hours event 65 legs dispatched, 72.4
hours
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Posted onPost created on
November 25 2010 22:36 ET by Vincenzo Musumeci
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OCZ VERTEX 2 is what I have with all the FSX stuff loaded....highly recommended!!!
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DVA6626
Captain, MD-11
Joined on November 07 2008
Six Century Club
Million Mile Club
""PROFILE CLIMB"" Las Vegas, NV
753 legs, 2,288.9 hours
28 legs,
55.2 hours online 747 legs,
2,255.7 hours ACARS
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Posted onPost created on
November 25 2010 23:01 ET by Michael Pare
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William Chambers wrote:
While I am by no means an authority, I have just completed building a computer to run FSX and FSX alone. I spent about a year researching the issue and what I found is that you cannot "buy" a computer (pre-built) that will run FSX with everything maxed and get optimal performance. You have to build it then set up your OS and FSX to run the fastest. There are certainly some things to look for: FSX needs a very fast processor - much more so than FS9, which was more dependent on RAM. FSX will not use more than 6 GB of RAM. The key to the ram is timing - a low timing. Overclocking ability is also good. You also need a dedicated hard-drive just for FSX - preferably a velociraptor HDD. Lastly, a good Nvidia graphics card - I am using a GTX480. Once you have these basics and install FSX properly and defrag the HDD FSX runs very fast with everything maxed even with highly detailed add-on scenery. Here are my new system specs: I7 980x overclocked to 4.23G, ASUS P6X58D-E motherboard, 6G Mushkin 1600 6-8-6-24 RAM, GTX480, Noctua DH14 CPU cooler, Corsair 850W PSU, 1 600G WD Vraptor HDD for OS, 1 600G WD Vraptor for FSX, HAF Coolermaster 932 case. The other issue with pre-built machines is how they load the software and the fact that they load the machine with tons of stuff that you dont need and that slows down FSX. The absolute best place on the web that I found for studying this is: http://www.simforums.com/Forums/hardware-software-and-computer-technology_forum29&SID=19d49898-97b5-18b278e6-8b2b7f62-fd24z77e.html
Hope this helps.
So these won't run FSX maxed out? http://www.digitalstormonline.com/compblackops.asp that is depressing.
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DVA5685
Captain, B777-200
OLP
Joined on March 13 2008
50 State Club
Online Century Club
Double Century Club
Everett Century Club
DVA Ten-Year Anniversary
Northeastern United States
261 legs, 486.8 hours
153 legs,
285.6 hours online 245 legs,
464.7 hours ACARS 19 legs,
47.0 hours event
|
Posted onPost created on
November 26 2010 17:01 ET by Brad Barton
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ok, thanks for the help everyone! I guess i'll have to look into all of that.
Brad BartonCaptain, B777-200
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DVA7620
First Officer, B777-200
OLP
Joined on July 21 2009
"Dream" NJ USA
66 legs, 105.0 hours
55 legs,
89.5 hours online 63 legs,
99.1 hours ACARS 16 legs,
31.4 hours event
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Posted onPost created on
November 26 2010 18:48 ET by Neil Sarna
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looks pretty amazing to me
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DVA4491
Senior Captain, MD-11
E-MAIL
Joined on May 22 2007
Quincentenary Club
Online Quadruple Century Club
"You dun goof'd!" Lexington-Fayette, KY USA
592 legs, 1,474.8 hours
482 legs,
1,334.7 hours online 455 legs,
1,163.5 hours ACARS 11 legs,
33.0 hours event
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Posted onPost created on
November 26 2010 18:57 ET by Weston Woodward
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Luke Kolin wrote:
I just bought one of these to replace my 150GB Velociraptor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227552
If you have $420 or so to spare before midnight, newegg is doing a one-day sale on it. Note - the Agility 2 is firmware limited to 10,000 I/O operations a second; the Vertex 2 goes all the way up to 50,000. Pick carefully!
Cheers!
I think Luke just wants to brag to us about his new SSD...... Lol I approve
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DVA6626
Captain, MD-11
Joined on November 07 2008
Six Century Club
Million Mile Club
""PROFILE CLIMB"" Las Vegas, NV
753 legs, 2,288.9 hours
28 legs,
55.2 hours online 747 legs,
2,255.7 hours ACARS
|
Posted onPost created on
November 26 2010 21:31 ET by Michael Pare
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I saw the you tube videos and I see a computer upgrade in my future.
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DVA809
Senior Captain, B737-800
OLP
Joined on August 25 2002
B757 100 Club
Online Century Club
Everett 500 Club
Six Century Club
Million Mile Club
DVA Fifteen-Year Anniversary
"If it ain't Boeing, I ain't going" Birmingham, AL USA
674 legs, 2,377.4 hours
199 legs,
468.4 hours online 338 legs,
1,438.0 hours ACARS 11 legs,
84.4 hours event
|
Posted onPost created on
November 27 2010 10:18 ET by William Chambers
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Michael,
Those computers might run FSX fine, but they undoubtedly have software and other materials that you don't need and that will slow down FSX. Their price is also an issue. They are listing an i7950 system for more than it cost me to build my i7980x system. When you go in and customize one you see you are not really getting what you need for that price and cannot truly customize it to your needs for FSX. Everyone (computer manufacturers) seems to have missed the boat when it comes to FSX. They are building systems that may make FS9 work very well, but they have not researched what it actually takes to run FSX.
As for SSD - while it represents the future of HDD technology, I cannot find any evidence that FSX gets a performance boost from SSDs that is noticeable over mechanical hard drives. Also - I think - if you install an SSD, it needs to be done before windows is installed to achieve its true benefits. A 64 bit OS is essential with either option.
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DVA6626
Captain, MD-11
Joined on November 07 2008
Six Century Club
Million Mile Club
""PROFILE CLIMB"" Las Vegas, NV
753 legs, 2,288.9 hours
28 legs,
55.2 hours online 747 legs,
2,255.7 hours ACARS
|
Posted onPost created on
November 27 2010 10:49 ET by Michael Pare
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Yeah but can't you just go into MS COFIG and turn stuff off? I also noticed that if running FSX in windowed mode, you keep the window at about 85% screen size an performace is good on frame rates.
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DVA809
Senior Captain, B737-800
OLP
Joined on August 25 2002
B757 100 Club
Online Century Club
Everett 500 Club
Six Century Club
Million Mile Club
DVA Fifteen-Year Anniversary
"If it ain't Boeing, I ain't going" Birmingham, AL USA
674 legs, 2,377.4 hours
199 legs,
468.4 hours online 338 legs,
1,438.0 hours ACARS 11 legs,
84.4 hours event
|
Posted onPost created on
November 27 2010 10:58 ET by William Chambers
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Actually you can and should go into msconfig and turn a lot of stuff off. If you build your own and install the OS properly, there is a whole lot less that needs to be disabled via msconfig.
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DVA3419
Captain, MD-88
Joined on July 31 2006
DVA Fifteen-Year Anniversary
"Propellers keep you kewl!" Newark, DE
67 legs, 89.6 hours
61 legs,
82.8 hours ACARS
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Posted onPost created on
November 27 2010 12:14 ET by Norm Hare
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There is nothing wrong with buying an off the shelf computer and reloading the Windows OS once you get it home. The problem is that you don't always get the OS DVD's with the system any longer. That's where I would draw the line. If the manufacturers will not provide the Windows DVD's, move on to a manufacturer that will.
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