Getting a new laptop... Will this run FSX

[Conc12345]

Hi - wanting to get a new laptop and found one with this specification:

 

Processor - Intel® Core™ i5-6200U Processor

- Dual-core

- 2.3 GHz / 2.8 GHz with TurboBoost

- 3 MB cache

Memory (RAM) 8 GB DDR4 (12 GB maximum installable RAM)

Graphics card NVIDIA GeForce 940MX

Storage 1 TB HDD, 5400 rpm

 

Will this run FSX? Also, if it can - will it look good?

 

Many thanks in advance

[PAULCRAIG]

It will run FSX but as FSX depends on single core CPU speed, it wouldn't cope with complex addon aircraft or scenery.

[Conc12345]

Thanks Paul. I've had a look at some of the scenery I have which is demanding and I believe this laptop can fulfill it.

[longbreak754]

The short answer to your Q is Yes and Probably - sadly equating different rigs to each other is not easy and you will get plenty of different answers. This is due to a number of factors including what addons you intend to install - some will have no or little impact on how FSX will run whilst others, especially 'heavy resource' payware items by the likes of PMDG, Aerosoft etc will have a major impact.

 

To expand my initial Yes/Probably statement. FSX is very CPU heavy so the better the CPU the better FSX will be. As an example, I currently have FSX w/Acel installed on two laptops. Both have FSGenesis and GEX installed and loads of freeware AI/scenery that is duplicated on both rigs, along with a mix of 'heavy resource' payware. It should be noted that I am currently transferring payware stuff from the i5 rig to the i7 rig as and when time allows.

 

One has a Intel i5-450M @ 2.4GHz with 3Mb cache, a ATI Mobility Radeon HD5650 with 2Gb memory and 8Gb of DDR3 RAM. On this rig I regularly get a steady 25-30 FPS (I have limited FSX to 30 FPS) with most sliders at about 60 to 70% although when using 'heavy resource' stuff combined with complex scenery areas it can drop to as low as 8-10 fps and suffer stutters and/or blurries.

 

The second rig has a i7-4702MQ @ 2.2GHz w/turboboost to 3.2GHZ with 6Mb cache, NViDIA GeForce GT750M with 2Gb memory and 16Gb of DDR3 RAM. On this rig I regularly get a steady 30 FPS (again I have limited FSX to 30 FPS) with all sliders (bar the AI boat/road traffic ones) at 100%. Unlike the other rig, when using 'heavy resource' stuff combined with complex scenery areas I have no, or occasionally, very little drop in fps (usually only 2 or 3 fps) and have yet to experience any stuttering/blurries.

 

So, based on the experience of running on two markedly different rig configs I would say:

 

Yes it will run FSX.......but probably with issues such as stutters/blurry scenery etc if the settings are to high.

 

I would suggest that, if money allows, look for a rig that has a i7 based CPU - but beware, lower end i7 CPUs may only offer very marginal performance increase over the i5 you have highlighted.

 

WRT RAM and graphics - the RAM is sufficient for your needs (FSX can only use 4Gb max) but if buying a rig with more than 4Gb of RAM make sure that the OS is 64 Bit. The graphic card should be adequate for your needs, but in all likelihood if you go for a i7 rig the card is likely to be different.

[CRJ_simpilot]

Why does everyone on this forum insist on using a laptop for a very CPU heavy game? Laptops just aren't gonna get you good frame rates, especially for FSX and any addons or complex aircraft you use. You want a good gaming desktop.

[longbreak754]

Why does everyone on this forum insist on using a laptop for a very CPU heavy game? Laptops just aren't gonna get you good frame rates, especially for FSX and any addons or complex aircraft you use. You want a good gaming desktop.

 

First, I am not 'insisting' that the OP or anyone else should use a laptop for FSX or any game - I use one simply due to my current situation as, no doubt, do others who have chosen to use a laptop. I only posted the info to illustrate that the better the CPU the better FSX will run.

 

That said, as I have stated in my post (#4), I am getting good FPS rates using a i7 based laptop and can often get the same rates on the i5. I also use the i7 to play other CPU/GPU heavy 'games' (such as Fallout 4, Dying Light etc - all at maximum settings). I have friends who own what can be considered as high powered expensive desktops/towers who also use FSX and play similar games and many of them only get an average of 30-40 FPS at best in FSX and, like my i7 rig, also see the FPS drop a few digits when using 'heavy resource' stuff combined with complex scenery. I even have one friend who, until recently, only used a top end i3 based CPU laptop to run FSX and still managed to get a steady 20-25 FPS most of the time. It could even handle a 'heavy resource' payware item OR a complex scenery with only a small drop of FPS but admittedly struggled if both were combined with FPS rates as low as 3 -5 and lots of stutters in some situations.

 

I agree that not every laptop is suitable but the same can be said of desktops/towers. However, with the advances in how computer components are made, many of the laptop based CPUs are just as powerful as the desktop equivalent of the same model. The only 'real' advantage for many that a desktop/tower offers is that it can have multiple graphic cards fitted to enable the use of multiple monitors, a lager number of HDDs and that they offer a easy upgrade path.

 

At the end of the day the choice of whether to buy a desktop or laptop lies with the user, based on his/her requirements at the time.

 

WRT the FPS - it is not all about how many FPS your rig can push out but how many it can sustain whilst giving the best stable flying experience. Even at 20 FPS a good stable experience can be had. We often see threads where an OP is trying to get the highest frame rates possible in the misconception that it will improve the gaming experience or because they have seen some faked video claiming to show FSX running at 200 FPS - the reality is that aiming for a too high FPS rate can actually have a detrimental effect on how the game displays and can actually make the CPU work harder than it needs to.