Basic FSX Machine

[chris18p]

I have a desktop PC that I used for FSX and Open Rails (MS Train Sim) but which has been unused for sometime now.

 

The full spec is as follow:

 

ASUS A8N-SLI with AMD Athlon 64 x 2 cpu 3800+

 

4Mb of RAM DDR PC 3200

 

Radeon X700 PCI(E) with 128mb RAM

 

Philips PHL1500 15" monitor with 1014x768 max

 

I was thinking about rekindling my interest in FSX and was aware that the cpu isn't best for FSX.

 

My initial thought was to replace the video card but have since confirmed this would be a waste of money as the overall spec of the machine is poor for fsx use. During the course of my testing I have discovered that the old reliability issues I had with the PC (it kept shutting down and was slow), are still present so probably not a good idea to persevere with that.

 

As I say I have dabbled with FSX a few times but then given up so it would not be sensible to spend a lot of money on a replacement machine. I know there are lots of used pcs for sale on ebay (both corporate and private) with differing specs so was wondering if someone could give me some pointers as to the type of spec in a used machine I should look for in order to get reasonable performance from fsx especially if I use a 22 inch monitor.

 

If you could the info as simple as possible (I am out of touch these days with hardware etc.) that would be great.

 

As I am in the UK would appreciate any links given are for the UK only.

 

Thanks

[ScatterbrainKid]

i've been running FSX on my big PC desktop for years, but when I bought a cheap laptop (300 GB pounds/ 460 US dollars) earlier this year I installed FSX on it as an experiment, plugged my joystick and 24" monitor into it and was amazed to find it runs smooth as silk with great frame rates and no sign of overheating!

But whether it'd be able to handle fancy weather and scenery addons I don't know, but I never use them anyway..;)

For the record here are its stats-

 

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/laptop-spec_zpszfskgdch.jpg~original

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/lapt-spec-disp_zpsyj0sp325.jpg~original

[PhantomTweak]

You might not believe it, but I run FSX-SE on a laptop, Dell 1750, Intel Core2 Duo (dual core) running at 2.5GHz, 4GB RAM, and a Radeon 3650 gfx card onboard.

About 6 years old. I am a cheap SOB. Errr....FRUGAL. VERY frugal. Yeah, that's it... :D

Works fine. I have to keep the 3D clouds down some (they really eat FPS), but other than that, everything is smooth as silk on a woman's...ARM. :p Dirty minded individuals around here, I swear.

Actually, I swear pretty often... :cool:

Not super helpful, but it shows that you CAN run FSX on older, slower, less powerful systems.

Pat☺

[ScatterbrainKid]

Yeah, FSX is an old 2006 game designed for old 2006 computer technology, so in theory modern mega-awesome hardware should find handling it a piece o' cake..:)

 

PS- But despite its age it's still the best flight sim around.

In fact 'Falcon 4:Allied Force' is another golden oldie (2005) but is still arguably the best jet combat sim around, it runs fine on my modern super-duper PC..:)

[alverthein]

FSX Gold is the best I currently have, ScatterbrainKid!

[chris18p]

Hi, thanks for the posts. I have been looking at the used gaming pcs on eBay(UK) all of which look tempting but I am out of touch these days with what is good or bad hardware for running fsx so have no idea if any of them are worth spending out on

 

If there is anyone in UK that could point me in the right direction as to what I need, a link would be great, that would be appreciated.

 

Alternatively if anyone in the UK can point me to a reliable suppler that I could approach, who understands fsx, to see what they can offer that would be helpful.

[PhantomTweak]

I don't know about the UK.

What you need for FSX is a computer with a real good, quad-core, fast processor (CPU), decent memory, 4GB at least, and a decent GPU.

FSX (and FS9) really run mostly on processor power, less affected by GPU power. Affected, yes, but the CPU has a much greater effect.

 

SO, go to the nearest computer store, ask to see a PC with a good CPU, at least 4-core, and as fst as possible, at least 4GB system RAM, and a decent, fairly recent model NVidea GPU with a couple GB of GFX RAM on it. And a good power supply to run it all.

For disk drives, the faster, and bigger, the better, although a SSD will load FSX somewhat faster.

Nowadays, you can get huge drives pretty cheap, and even SSD prices are coming down as size goes up. It wasn't so long ago a terabyte of storage was a pipe-dream, now it's on a single drive :D

You want a fast-as light, not super huge but 30-50GB drive for the OS, then put FSX on a gigantic, fast-as-you-can-get drive for FSX (and the page file. ALWAYS put the page file on a different drive than the OS and lok it in at 2.5X system RAM .Best way to use it).

Run defrag and virus scans once in a while.

Make sure you have a good monitor, joystick, and keyboard, at a minimum too. Different folks like different controllers. Joysticks, yoke and pedals, whatever. Keep them calibrated, too.

BINGO-BANGO-BOINGO, ultimate FSX machine.

Go flying and enjoy. Then start adding scenery, airplanes, effects, whateve trips your trigger. Or keep you FSX virgin, as they say. Up to you.

 

Does that help at all?

Pat☺

[CptCaveman]

@Chris - Check Amazon UK for pre-built systems with a budget. You can get bundle kits with some cracking parts at good prices if you can fit them yourself.

 

I got myself a full i7 rig a couple of years ago (this one im on now) and I got it as a bundle with a nice discount and partially built for me (ie just needed dropped in the case and wired up).

 

A nice i5 rig wont cost an arm and a leg and will last you years.

[chris18p]

Thanks for the replies. Unfortunately because I cannot be certain just how involved I will get with FSX this time, I have dabbled on and off a couple of times, I set myself a fairly low budget when I started to look thinking this would be OK for used/reconditioned.

 

I now realise that my expectations have been unrealistic so may have to downgrade my options just to get something that works. My old machine ran FSX although with some limitations.

 

I have built PCs in the past but now I physically can't do that any more and there are no independent computer stores near me only the likes of PC World.

 

All my enquiries to eBay sellers at the moment have come up short in one way or another. If I can't find anything then I will have to abandon the whole idea.

 

If by chance I am lucky I seem to recall that there is a set procedure for activating FSX on another PC when using the online process (telephone to USA is out). I'm sure I found a thread about this in the past but can't find it now.

[SAM Hunter]

Chris18P:

 

Don't give up you might be able to find the system you need or at least the parts at these two locations:

 

Cymax Computers & Communications

16 Moorside Business Park, Colchester CO1 2ZF

+44 1206 795493

 

Or:

 

Bates Computer Repairs

The Coach House 13A Headgate, Colchester CO3 3BT

+44 7716 881854

 

Go ahead and install Windows 10 if you do a build and use this guide for minimum standards.

 

 

And you be able to do this:

 

 

Respectfully:

 

David...

[W2DR]

If FSX won't activate by using the normal in-program online procedure you can do it by telephone within the UK. The number is Toll Free = 0 800 018 8354 or Toll = 44 870 2411963. The complete list of worldwide activation telephone numbers can be had from a file named Phone Activation.xml (readable with NotePad) which can be found in the main FSX folder.

 

Doug

[chris18p]

Thanks for the phone numbers. I thought there was a set procedure for activating on a different PC or am I wrong?

[chris18p]

Thanks Sam,didn't think Cymax were still trading. Looked at their site but they don't give many upgrade options on the PCs they are selling. I might give them a call just in case.

 

The other company only seem to do repairs which isn't of use to me.

 

You mention a guide for minimum standards but can't see anything to read.

 

Not keen on Windows 10 as have read there are issues with fsx and some of my friends who have upgraded have not been happy.

 

I'm tracking three used/reconditioned Intel i3 PCs at the moment that seem to tick most of the boxes and meet my price criteria, but still haggling. I have dropped my requirements to i3 as the i5 pushes the price over what I really want to pay. I am hoping that the i3 with an Nvidia GPU will give me reasonable performance.

[il88pp]

Know that a 32 bit OS can only access 4Gb of Ram. Installing more will make no difference.

 

If you get a 64 bit OS you can use much more. (It can also be limited by mainboard, mine can use 32 bit max.)

 

That way, installing 8Gb is possible.

Fsx is a 32 bit program, so in that situation it can use 4Gb ram. The rest is for the OS and everything that runs in the background.

You need no more then 8Gb.

 

(With a 32 Gb OS, windows always uses some ram, so of your 4Gb ram, no more then 2 or 2.5 is available for fsx.)

 

Use a 64 bit OS if you have the choice. I would choose Win7-64bit if it's an option.

 

---

Don't fixate too much on the videocard. Maybe you can keep using your old one for a while, and upgrade that later. (That's what I did.)

Buy something with a good fast CPU, and a good OS. That's the main part.

 

(Oh, and don't rush it. Time spent on choosing improves the PC a lot. At zero cost.)