Big LCD support and preserving FS9 Question

[StudabakerHawk]

I have been following with keen interest the threads here on new FSX hardware and helpful suggestions and links to the dark arts of overclocking. Like many of us I too will be building a new system mid year 2007 for FSX. After reading many of the threads here two questions arise I hope folks can lend some advise to.

First, I’m considering buying a 24” LCD monitor now for FS9 and of course to use when I build new this summer for FSX. I now run a Nvidia 7600GT w/256MD with dual monitors. Will this card drive a 24” Samsung or Dell and my 15” LCD?? Are the gauge “stretches” tolerable under FS9? My understanding is that FSX has native support for large LCD’s but FS9 does not.

Second, I read with interest the suggestion to have FSX or FS9 reside on a separate drive from the OS. The reasoning is if the drive with the OS crashes, you can always reload your FS9 after replacing the OS drive. Doesn’t the FS9 config file reside “always” in the application data folder of the OS drive? Should this file (and others???) be backed up too to rebuild your FS9 environment in the event of either a crashed OS drive, or… transferring your FS9 drive to a new computer. I’m sure many of us have very large FS9 files and the environment tweaked to as close to perfection as we wish. What should be done in addition to just adding your old FS9 drive to a new computer or one where the Os drive has gone tango uniform??

Thanks!!

StudabakerHawk,
Screen Door and Flying Company

AMD 64X 4400+
2G Corsair PC3200
Nvidia 7600GT
19” Samsung, 15” LCD, G15 Keyboard, G5 Mouse, Saitek X45

[Adrian Wainer]

I have run a 6800GS 512MB AGP Graphics Card with dual monitors and I can not say I noticed any decrease in performance when I attached the second monitor or increase in performance when I removed the second monitor. I only have CRTs myself, so I am not overly familar with LCDs but as best as I know the LCDs have what is called "native resolution" ie a resolution that they should operate at and you would want to check what the native resolution is for the large LCDs you are thinking of, as one pointer as to whether your current GPU and Processor mix will be up to the job. My best guess is that you would need a higher specification card than a single 7600GT to properly support a high defenition large LCD screen, you do not say if your motherboard supports SLI, in that if it does you may be able to get a performance increase by a adding a second 7600GT. If you want to go to an entirely new Graphics card unless you can get a very good price deal on a high-end directx 9 card I would wait out for the manufacturers to introduce the mid-range directx 10 cards.

Best and Warm Regards
Adrian Wainer