Computer specs for fs2004

Recently the laptop I was running fs9 on died and am wondering if there's a good computer (laptop preferably) that is on the market today that is good for fs9 + add one or if I should find a used older computer somewhere?

Thanks

Most of the laptops available today will run FS9 OK, with plenty of power for more demanding apps if you so wish. If it was me I would buy new (if possible), as buying a used rig can have its pit falls. If you do buy used, make sure that you do so locally so that you can visit the seller (or have him/her visit you) and see the rig running.

If FS9 is the only use you intend for it go for a mid to high range i3 or a low to mid range i5 Intel based CPU, preferably with a 'dedicated' GPU. The vast majority of PC's will now be shipping with late 6th or the current 7th Gen CPUs but if you shop around you might find new 'older' 4th and 5th Gen based rigs going cheap

Depending on what OS you want to use (most available PCs now only ship with Win 10), you may have to shop around and buy from 'specialist' firm that offer custom OS installs, or buy an older version OS and install it yourself (note that this may void the warranty) or be prepared to apply the necessary 'fixes' so that FS9 will run on Win 10.

I am running both fs9 and fsx on a laptop any problems--both work like a charm! My fsx has high settings also, and all in it shows great.

My laptop is:

Dell Inspiron 3537

Dell Model No: 3537-7131

My OS is Windows 7 Utlimate.

Nick,

Athens, Greece

I've been using an i5 4GB RAM laptop for many years for FS2004 & FSX.

I'm running 3x versions of FS2004 without any problems, all installed in C:\ drive, NOT the default that the sims want to go to.

Windows 10 is perfect for FS2004 (& any other sim).

We all know that Windows 10 will always be updated with the latest security patches.

Why go foe a redundant older operating system that is no longer supported, whereas Windows 10 is optimised for the latest hardware as well, unlike the older operating systems. I actually found that Windows 10, compared to Windows &, seemed to make the sim run faster & smoother.

So, my recommendation is to get a new laptop, not a 2nd hand one where there may be battery issues or others, an i5 4GB RAM, minimum of 500GB hard-drive,or more if you can afford it, & Windows 10.

I updated my laptop from Windows 7 as soon as Windows 10 was released, & I have never had any issues at all with any of my sims or add-ons, plus, very important,the operating system is constantly being updated.

Thanks! Yeah it'd mostly be for fs and the addons I have. What OS would be good?

The choice of which OS to use id very subjective and is down to individual choice......

FS9 will work on XP, Vista, W7, W8 and W10. All have pros and cons......

XP - very outdated and no longer supported by MS in any form. May be hard to find. However, FS9 will run with no 'fix' required.

Vista - as with XP, very outdated and no longer supported by MS in any form. May also be hard to find and may require the 'fix' to run.

W7 - now only supported by MS in 'Extended Support' mode but easy to find. Will require a 'fix' to run FS9.

W8 - still supported by MS in 'Mainstream Support' mode but that will end in Apr 2018 when it will switch to 'Extended Support' only. As with W7 easy to find but note that there are two versions available W8.0 and W8.1. Both versions will require a 'fix' to run FS9.

W10 - the most current version and fully supported by MS.

For details on MS support see HERE

XP, Vista, and W7 have a number of 'Service packs (SP)' that will need to be downloaded and installed to get the OS updated as far as possible. In the case of W7 these are best downloaded prior to running a Windows Update session. Also note that, although the MS website paged linked above shows only ONE SP available there is in fact a second pack available from MS but for some reason they don't call it W7 SP2. Use google to search using the phrase Windows 7 SP or Windows 7 Service Packs and you should see reference to it about 5 entries below the top entry (which is a link to the official MS W7 SP1 page)

W8 has no SPs but note that W8.1, as well as being a version in its own right, is also offered as an 'upgrade' for certain versions of W8.0.

If I was in your position I would go with W10, as it is the latest, most secure version, especially important if you are going to connect the rig to the internet (as I assume you will to get addons etc).

WRT the 'fix' required - check your PM box for info..........

No one has mentioned the numerous privacy and user control issues which have deterred many from going to W10.

Vista and W8 were both kludges, which even Micro$oft reluctantly admitted.

XP was a great OS because it was built on the older OS/2 which MS obtained from IBM (W95 derivatives - W98, 2000, ME - having proved increasingly problematic). It is still the best choice for older games (DX9), especially for a dedicated gaming system that will not be online. (Many businesses still use it for compatibility and stability.)

That leaves W7 as the OS of choice for many. No longer supported? Good AV software, a good firewall, and common sense are the best security for any OS.

No one has mentioned the numerous privacy and user control issues which have deterred many from going to W10.

 

The reason why I haven't mentioned it is because I'm not paranoid about such issues. Whilst I respect peoples views regarding 'big brother' issues I do think that much of it, both generally and specifically WRT W10 itself, over hyped. The simply fact is that you give up just as much, and sometimes more, info when you use the internet (especially services such as search engines), when you use social media or even via your day to day use of your mobile phone.

The reality is that many of the privacy features CAN be turned off completely or set so that only the minimum amount of data is sent to MS - a simply internet search will show up loads of 'how to' guides on how to do so. As to user control issues W7 and W8 also suffer the same issue to some extent and again, whilst on W10 the process is a bit more 'aggressive', there are a number of well documented ways to overcome them if one wishes.

IME the thing that has put of many people from getting W10 is not concerns related to the privacy/user control issues but the use of a compulsory OS update process and the possibility of it causing incompatibility issues. I run 2 rigs with W10 installed. The first was updated from W7 about 6 months after W10 first become available and the second from W8.1 about 3 months later. W10 installed on both rigs with no issues and have been receiving updates, including the two major ones (Anniversary and Creators) with no issues whatsoever.

The reason why I haven't mentioned it is because I'm not paranoid about such issues.

Not paranoid, I find such practices invasive, intrusive, unnecessary, and just plain reprehensible. And while some of this can be disabled, I've no doubt "updates" will enable them again ...which brings us to:

... but the use of a compulsory OS update process ...

Bingo. Not only does W10 update itself, it will update anything and everything else on the system without your knowledge, much less permission. And you are not allowed to disable any of this. How often have you used an older driver because it worked better for some particular software you were running? Micro$oft says you are not allowed to do that anymore. How often have you deliberately used an older version of some software because newer versions were lacking features or had other issues. Micro$oft says that also is not allowed now. This is absolutely, utterly, egregiously, unacceptable. I have also read of W10 removing software during an "update"; not only is this unacceptable, I would consider it vandalism.

I know not what perverse mental aberrations cause modern developers to think that merely installing their software on your computer gives them the right to access, edit, alter, add, move, remove, or monitor everything on that computer. But I am even more baffled by how many people are willing to let them get away with it.

(I wonder what happens if you install W10 on a computer that is never online; wouldn't be surprised if it refuses to even start.)

............ without your knowledge, much less permission...........

 

AND

 

..........And you are not allowed to disable any of this. How often have you used an older driver because it worked better for some particular software you were running?...........

Actually, MS have been quite clear about their 'compulsory' update strategy and you do give permission WRT to it - you do so as part of the acceptance of the EULA.

You can also disable certain updates, such new drivers, if you wish to keep an older one and it can be done in a number of ways depending on a users IT skills. Here are just a few ways................

MS acknowledge the fact that some updates may cause issues and have released a tool specifically for that reason. If you experience problems with a specific update or driver you download the tool to revert back the update or to the old driver and it then 'flags' the driver not to be updated - see HERE - ignore the word 'temporary' in the title, its a red herring as the 'flag' remains' until you manually update the driver OR you deflag it.

A second option is to 'refuse' such updates by following the procedure detailed HERE

Another solution for the more IT savvy is to edit the Group Policy settings - see HERE - ALTHOUGH I would only recommend this method those who have a thorough understanding of Group Policy and the impact of doing something wrong when editing it.

I tried Windows 10 when it was a free upgrade - it lasted no more than two weeks as the Saitek drivers were blown away just about every day - So, it was no thanks, no helpers needed in my system, and it stays as Windows 7 for this particular PC -

There is also an ASUS Laptop- it is Windows 10. When my better half gets nailed with something she clicks on Face book, well, its Windows 10 to the rescue where it just updates everything and removes the issue -

Actually, MS have been quite clear about their 'compulsory' update strategy and you do give permission WRT to it - you do so as part of the acceptance of the EULA......

Burying such a policy in the EULA is not "permission", it is shoving it down your throat by telling you, "do it our way or do not use our OS". MS could slap any arbitrary draconian policies they wanted into the EULA and claim you "agreed" to them by installing the software. Still unacceptable. With each new version of windows MS has endeavored to remove more and more control from the user, forcing us to do the things the MS way rather than as we would like. Would you buy a television if the manufacturer could dictate which channels you could and couldn't watch?

If Linux would run the games I enjoy there would be nothing MS on my computer.