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Like most flight simmers I remember the day when I got FSX, Christmas and the Deluxe version. After seeing the preview videos and screen shots, anticipation of installing it was almost too much to bear. After waiting and getting the kids settled in with their new toys, now it was my turn.
Seating in front of my computer and opening the package. Scanning the contents and wondering how long it would take to load, before I was on the active and gently nudging the throttle forward and heading skyward once again in a new simulator. It had been this way since the old DOS days and I still have the CD's to prove it. Each version was a step ahead and more hardware was needed to push the program. Ah progress.
Why all this reminiscing? Well in short, like others here, we anticipated the newest version would work well within our systems and installing and flying would be easy and simple.
How wrong I was.
Again, my current hardware that is pumping the current version of flight simulator to the limits is crawling along like the tortoise racing the hare. Once again the minimums are just that, minimums. Like a CAT-3 landing at O'Hare in a blinding snowstorm, I should have seen it coming.
My last big upgrade to my flight simulator computer was the NVidia 5950 Ultra video card. That system was reviewed in my "Video Card Comparison" I uploaded here a few years ago. Believe me, I still get e-mails over that one. So if you'd like to recap that system, download the file and enjoy.
OK, now for the guts of this article. It's been over a year since I had FSX and installed it on my flight simulator computer. I prefer to make sure that if anything goes wrong, I can start over and be right where I was, before installing the software. Hence I backed up my system, creating a image and then installing FSX.
After about an hour or so, it finally decides to load the screen and then I'm off. Hey wait, the demo version I was getting 11-15 fps, looked good. What now, here I am getting 7-9 fps, lagging, stuttering, etc. Reminds me of 2000 Pro. OK, let's check a few settings and run some utilities. Defrag the system, check the pagefile, turn off some processes and programs from running at boot. OK, back into FSX and lets see if that helps.
I have always tried to target my frame rate to 30, as a test and for smoothness. Normal video is 29.97 and hence flight simulator trying to be as smooth as that, should be able to maintain the same frame rate.
This is taking off from Seattle - KSEA and heading north. FPS 10.8
Here is a daytime shot same area, coming into KSEA from the north.
Nope, nada, zip, same 7-12 fps. OK, let's look at the system itself.
Intel D101GGC motherboard
P4 775 3.4 HT processor
1 gig RAM
ASUS ATI EAX1600 Pro PCI-e 512 meg video card
So this is no slow system. FS2004 is great on it. Now I admit, I prefer NVidia over ATI and that's personal preference only. But the ATI card was a good deal and I wanted to do some testing.
The system that was referred to before was tested with a 7600 GT card - still AGP, but 512 meg and this system was placed together to see about the PCI-e difference.
This situation reminds me of the FS98 to FS2000 jump, like I said, frame rates through the floor.
OK, bide my time till I can put together a system that might just rock FSX.
This is the meat of this and you'll be amazed.With the economy today and such, being as frugal as possible is a good thing.
Recently, I decided to clear out some of my older systems and sell them for cash. Raise a little money and since I gave my youngest son my 7600GT card so he could play some of his games, decided to put my FSX system together.
I wanted a decent processor, Dual Core at least, an 800 bus speed or better, 2 gigs ram, faster and SATA HD, a newer NVidia video card.
So let's start shopping and see what bargains I can come up with.
First the video card. I already know that I want an NVidia card. Do I spend the extra money and go with an SLI configuration or a single card. I use a web site called GPUReview to compare cards and NVidia releases the 9600GT, several stores including a big name retailer are selling it for less then $200.00, not a bad buy. I like the specs and hence settle on it.
Now for the processor and motherboard.
Since the next step up from the HT is the Dual Core, that seems like a nice jump. The Intel E6600 looks like the processor that I'll use. I like the 1066 bus speed and the 4 MB cache. Now for the motherboard. Again, being frugal and money tight, I scanned eBay and other places. I locked into the Intel D945GCNL or DG965RY motherboards, the biggest concern was the number of PCI slots.
Then I got a bargain, an Asus P5N-E SLI motherboard. I had an Asus motherboard before and no issues so I might get lucky. Even though I wasn't going with SLI the board had nice specs. OK, I bought the board and it had the CPU even, at a GREAT price, less then $100.00. Only thing I had to get memory. Again, online and 2 gigs of DDR2 800 MHz cost less then $50.00 with free shipping.
Now I have the parts and pieces and let's see what this can do. After getting it all put together, and praying to the computer gods that it powers up.
Yes it does.
I have images of the previous systems, all syspreped and ready to go. I already slipstreamed SP2 into the images and 15 minutes later XP has booted and asking for the new drivers. I already have FS2004 loaded with a hangar full of planes after about an additional 20 minutes loading drivers and defragging, I open FS2004. Frame rates through the roof. This is cool, change all the sliders to max and still running like a champ.
OK, now for FSX. I have a second HD, boot into that and again load the drivers.
Start FSX and hope for the best.Here is my first screen shot, from Boise, KBOI
32 fps and looking good.
I'm happy and better then expected.
Still hitting above 30 fps and no shaking or stuttering.
This is what I was hoping for. Now let's try an area that I know taxes a system. Hawaii. I love the scenery, even in the old days where you had to purchase the add-on scenery. OK, we've dropped to 25, but still cranking out the fps.
As I turn the Extra towards downtown Honolulu and change the cockpit view to the smaller gauges. Look at the fps. 57! Yup, that's right 57 fps in FSX. Non - SLI. This is amazing.
I decide to do a little barnstorming and watch the fps just for the fun of it. We dipped below 50, as you can see here. As we get closer to the downtown section the fps do drop as expected, as the additional objects are rendered. This is what I have been trying to test.
Still looking good and very fluid.
Here we are at 31 fps, look at the traffic.
Changing the time to night and flying around the downtown area, the fps dropped to an expected 25 - 30 fps.
But still very smooth.
Here are my FSX settings;
Before I had to have ALL my setting to the minimal, now they are high and the traffic settings are up.
Here is a summary of my system:
PC Wizard 2008 Version 1.80
Owner: FSim
User: FSim1
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Professional 5.01.2600 Service Pack 2
Report Date: Friday 11 April 2008 at 18:240
<<< System Summary >>>
> Mainboard : Asus P5N-E SLI
> Chipset : nVidia nForce 650i SLI SPP
> Processor : Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 @ 2400 MHz
> Physical Memory : 2048 MB (2 x 1024 DDR2-SDRAM )
> Video Card : Nvidia Corp NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT
> Hard Disk : ST380011A (80 GB)
> Hard Disk : WDC (160 GB)
> DVD-Rom Drive : PLEXTOR DVDR PX-712A
> DVD-Rom Drive : _NEC DV-5800A
> Monitor Type : SONY SDM-HS95P - 19 inches
> Operating System : Microsoft Windows XP Professional 5.01.2600 Service Pack 2
> DirectX : Version 9.0c (March 2006)
***** End of report *****
Now for the total upgrade:
MB/Processor: $100.00
NVidia 9600GT 512: $200.00
2 Gig 800 MHz RAM: $50.00
Here is the same system with FS2004 COF in Hawaii
The frame rate even got up to 90+
I have been around the FS community for a while, I have beta tested several applications for developers including FlightSim Manager and Moving Map, a shame that these were dropped by the developer. For almost 10 years when the FAA held their annual conference I set up the flight simulator computers for the public.
Here I spent less then the cost of a high end video card to build a smoker of an FSX system.
Best regards and happy simming
Steve Christensen
christensensteve@hotmail.com
Read Part 2
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