My upgrade report

Gang,

I got a great deal on a 3 GHz I7 on the place. Today I installed Steam on it. I noticed that FS X SE was on sale today but I didn't need to buy it a second time after I logged in to Steam on the new machine - it had a link to download FS again.

It seemed to take forever to download, my DSL was going 1/10th rated speed, and then the scenery took longer than it did on my inadequate computer that I was using before. However, after I planned my first flight (46CN to 99CL, 12 minutes) and took off it was clear right after lift-off that this was going to be very much like the real thing. Wx was harsh, wind 249° at 19 gusting to 25 knots, temperature 89° and climb rate was very slow starting from 3400'. It was great to use the hat switch to pan around without delay and I never saw blurred terrain until I was on base approach and admittedly way too low. Before that I even hit some turbulence that had me out of control of the 172 I was flying, at least in pitch. The turbulence affected the plane about the roll axis at the same time, but that wasn't bad.

I didn't fly anymore today because after hours and hours of installing everything I was pretty tired and it's a hot news day, but I can't wait to get back upstairs once I'm fit to enjoy it. Oh, I hope this isn't against the rules of the forum, but MegaSceneryEarth is offering some items for sale. I thought they only got up to 50 cm/pixel with V.4, but their California entire state package mentions a 50 cm source. I just looked, things are still on sale.

I believe in a few days I'll be writing my junior senator, who is on the transportation sub-committee, about the joy of general aviation. She's pro-business, maybe I should do a little research and name small plane manufacturers as my main axis of thrust to go along with how fun it is to fly. As far as I'm concerned, what I've got right now is just as good as flying with my Dad when I was small.

If anybody wants to help out, I could use manufacturer names. I can think of Cessna, Piper, Maule, Legend, Beech, Lear, and that's all. Here's a list, but some are foreign. Anybody know which ones with normal business types (i.e.: "Inc.") are from the U.S.? The Senator will not react well to promoting foreign business unless a majority of shareholders are domestic. Thanks for any help.

Best,

Sean

Sorry to break the news to you. It's true that Intel processors, as in i7s, are the best for running FSX. But 3GHZ is hugely slow even when using an Intel chip!

I haven't a clue what your other issues are. But I will assure you, you'll never be happy running FSX with a 3GHZ chip whether it be Intel or not!!

Today a 4GHZ Intel chip is considered about as slow as you can go and be happy with what you see on FSX! Your issues may have nothing to do with anything but your hugely slow chip!!

Sorry to break the news to you. It's true that Intel processors, as in i7s, are the best for running FSX. But 3GHZ is hugely slow even when using an Intel chip!

 

I haven't a clue what your other issues are. But I will assure you, you'll never be happy running FSX with a 3GHZ chip whether it be Intel or not!!

 

Today a 4GHZ Intel chip is considered about as slow as you can go and be happy with what you see on FSX! Your issues may have nothing to do with anything but your hugely slow chip!!

One of the people on the forum recommended that I upgrade from a 2 GHz core duo. It might have been the same person who recommended that I turn the 'traffic' setting, which regulates the amount of ground traffic at airports, down all the way. Actually, I just had my second flight (great landing ! :) and had that setting one up from minimum. I had a wonderful time, looking at the dirt roads down on the desert floor and the details of Grey Butte Field before returning to El Mirage.

I'm pretty sure the computer really is running at 3 GHz, because I looked up the system information and that's what it said. In light of how many other financial obligations I've given myself, I'm just going to stick with this setup - it's good enough to do stick and rudder in the Cub or to do lessons in the C172. I'm happy as a clam.

Off subject for this forum, I saw that Google still has it's flight simulator if anybody wants to give somebody a cheap way to see how great flying is. I have a friend who bought a very generic joystick that had the twist for rudder function and four buttons, and he used it to try SE. I was able to find a website showing how to change configuration settings that allow proper operation of the Sidewinder with that Google Earth simulator.

Oh, for those in the U.S., happy Independence Day and for those in the Commonwealth, thanks for taking it so well ;)

Sean

***never be happy running FSX with a 3GHZ chip ***

So opinionated and so wrong

2.9Ghz with sliders maxed happily produces these...

I could add a dozen more but my point is made with these

***never be happy running FSX with a 3GHZ chip ***

So opinionated and so wrong.

You are 100% correct, i ran my amd phenom 2.6 quad core for about 5 years. After it was tweaked, and keeping the harddrive defragged i had frame rates in the teens but smooth. Just retired the computer 3 months ago. Its doesn't matter what number it is, as long as its smooth

***never be happy running FSX with a 3GHZ chip ***

 

So opinionated and so wrong.

 

You are 100% correct, i ran my amd phenom 2.6 quad core for about 5 years. After it was tweaked, and keeping the harddrive defragged i had frame rates in the teens but smooth. Just retired the computer 3 months ago. Its doesn't matter what number it is, as long as its smooth

+1 Check my specs!;)

MEA CULPA!!:o:o:o I'm sorry I didn't mean to knock anyone's rig. I was just thinking about what I would choose to build today. Not what I have had and enjoyed in the past.

Actually, thinking back, I was quite happy with my Apple IIE which had 64K of ram until I added another 64K ram card. I also added a 20 meg. hard drive that was about 12" tall x 12" long x 3" thick and sounded like a siren when it first started up.

I used my Apple for games like "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" which were all verbal as the screen didn't do but the most very basic of graphics. And the "AppleWorks" program had a spreadsheet, data base, and word processor that probably worked as well and almost as fast as the "Microsoft Office" does today. And you didn't have to change pages to find what you wanted to do. You just used control key combinations like "Open/Apple-P" to print. :cool:

Michael