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FSX to XPlane 11.x to MFS2020?


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Hi,

 

I used FSX for years and was never particularly happy with the frame rate or flight model. A couple of years ago I switched across to XPlane 11 and despite its limitations found the flying experience to be much better. The frame rate is consistently excellent, the graphics pretty good and the flight model superb.

 

I now find myself wondering whether I should go back to Microsoft and buy MSF2020. The realistic graphics (at least from the videos I've watched) would be a nice bonus, as would built in air traffic control and routing. However, if the performance in terms of FPS (some of the videos look very jerky) is inferior to XPlane 11 and the flight model worse, then the other benefits would not be persuasive enough for me to make the transition.

 

So can anyone specifically address the points about frame rates and flight models?

 

PS: It is NOT my intention for this to be a discussion about which of the two products is better in your opinion - merely a subjective appraisal of the two specific points.

 

Thanks

 

Brian

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I have used all of the sims mentioned above, including Prepar3d. If you were unhappy with FSX you will be unhappy with MSFS2020 at the moment.

 

Realize that it is a brand new sim. The user interface is different and all the default keys and views you were used to since all the FS1 to FSX including PD3 have been changed or not working or have to be manually assigned by you. There is a learning curve.

 

My recommendation is to wait for now, let most of the bugs be fixed, wait until there is some addon planes both freeware and payware out in the market. As the default aircraft all suck. The only default I truly enjoy flying is the Cessna 152. Also make sure your PC is up-to-date too, if you want the graphics you see in the trailer and youtube videos, your machine better be topnotch.

 

With my Alienware laptap at JFK I get 1 frame per 2 seconds because its a high detailed airport. Just going to KISP to the east I truly enjoy flying at about 28 fps with a few pauses here and there.

 

So wait, for now, give FS2020 some time to mature and then buy it, you will truly love it.

Started: Flight Simulator 98 (Year 1999)

Private Pilot Certificate ASEL: August 7th 2014

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Your question may be a bit too simple as posed? For example MSF2020 is going to respond to things the other two ignore, for example internet connection speed and ram speed. With that caveat, I don't have any problems with frame rates in any of the three, but I have a pretty potent system. I have frame rates locked in FSX at 30fps. I don't ever drop under that in the places I fly. I don't fly into Newark or Chicago or London. In Kansas city or Cleveland I am still at 30fps. I have vsync enabled in X-Plane 11. Actually based on fan speed, X-Plane 11.4 was more demanding than the other two, but I have the settings turned way way up. I noticed 11.5 with Vulcan seems less demanding. I got 59 fps (my monitor refresh rate) in most XP 11.4, but I did drop down to 22 in Newark. I have not taken 11.5 into a big urban environment, but it easily gets 59 fps out in the countryside I typically fly. Now to MSF2020. I have vsync enabled here also, and I have my frames limited to 30 fps. I do have a fast internet connection which helps a lot. My ram speed is DDR4 at 3000 with XMP enabled. According to Tom's Hardware, enabling XMP is much more significant to performance than in the other two. My fans are not running as hard as in XP11.4. I am running an odd monitor with 1920x1200 instead of the common 1920x1080. That results in a demand between a 1080p and a 1440p of a similar size. If you run a 21 inch 1080p monitor, you won't need nearly as much computer power as you would with a 35 inch 1440p. Now FS2020 has four main setting levels and you can customize all of those. I am running a mix of ultra and high settings, except i have water and clouds set to medium, those are not that important to me, and they still look better than anything else at medium. If you run everything on ultra, you will need a very powerful computer, and even with the I9-9900K and a RTX2080ti, Tom's Hardware says a 4K monitor will put those components under 25 fps in most areas on ultra. If you run medium settings, I suspect you will be getting acceptable frame rates on a 1080p monitor. unless you have an older processor or graphics card. As mentioned, if you don't have a really fast internet connection, you will see stutters as the scenery loads. If you don't have a fast solid state storage device, the load times will be VERY long. I hope this helps! Edited by plainsman
I7-9700K, RTX-2070, Asus Strix Z-390-H MB, 32gb G Skill 3000 CL15, Corsair Obsidian 750D case, WD Black 1tb M.2, Crucial CT500MX SSD, Seasonic Prime 750W Titanium PSU
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Don't let the build in ATC be a sales point for you, its really bad and needs to be rethought.

 

Framerates are not always blinding fast even on a very strong system, but even at lower FPS (30 to 40 on my settings and system) its is very smooth, and it is rare that I notice frame speed, except sometimes when new autogens are popping in, or something like that.

 

Unless you're fond of tinkering, I think it'd be wise to wait a little before hopping in, or if you are going to get in right now, take the standard version, as a there are only a couple aircraft in the higher versions that are worth having right now... The extra money will probably go further for you on 3rd party aircraft.

 

Right now the sim is pretty rough around the edges... It'll get better with time, but unless you're ready for some frustration, it is a good idea to wait.

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The one thing XP11 has that FS20 doesn't is that lovely little jet GA aircraft that looks like a V1 rocket with a passenger cabin attached. Cirrus Vision SF50. Been flying that a lot rebounding into XP11 and it's a really great aircraft.

 

Hopefully we will get one for FS20, eventually.

Vern.
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I respectfully disagree as to it being "rough around the edges". Most of the issues are not broken software, rather the old conventional ways to operate things like the autopilot are now modeled more prototypically, and that is frustrating folks who have become accustomed to a convention in how things work. The scenery is truly breathtaking! It will be a learning curve, but that will be true now or in 8 months.
I7-9700K, RTX-2070, Asus Strix Z-390-H MB, 32gb G Skill 3000 CL15, Corsair Obsidian 750D case, WD Black 1tb M.2, Crucial CT500MX SSD, Seasonic Prime 750W Titanium PSU
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Rough around the edges and 'broken' are miles away from each other. I wasn't calling it broken.

 

Rough meaning all the little irritations that do occur like ATC randomly running you to weird altitudes in rapid succession. Switches marked 'inop' simply because it didn't get finished before rollout. U.S. Weather that is often hours old. things of that nature.

 

The sim is functional, and generally great to look at, although issues with Bing imagery can be a little jarring that is a limitation of generating your world from the Bing data, and you do learn not to obsess about it. But, that is another thing that contributes to 'a little rough around the edges'.

 

I didn't get beat up in other threads and called a fanboi just to come in here and be told I'm being over harsh :cool: :D I like the sim, I just think that as of right now, its not for everyone. I think it will be very soon. But right now, its got its pain points.

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I would wait until MS/Asobo fix the game. The game was released in beta form and should not have been released yet.

 

I think you have said that around ten times in different threads

 

my reply is:

Yes, they did the right thing in releasing

It was an intentional decision

Its such a complex game that beta testers would take too long sorting out everything

 

The FASTEST way to compile and address all the bugs is release and let millions of users with different configs come up with the list

 

Besides we all get it early to study and get used to it

 

But you can always stick to your preferred sim, and since you have said that about a dozen times dont know why you are still in this particular forum, jump in your sim forum and help others and enjoy your flying

Kapitan

Anything I say is...not as serious as you think

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I will agree, the ATC needs some refinement. On one flight, it tried to send me 4,000 feet above the ceiling for that aircraft.
I7-9700K, RTX-2070, Asus Strix Z-390-H MB, 32gb G Skill 3000 CL15, Corsair Obsidian 750D case, WD Black 1tb M.2, Crucial CT500MX SSD, Seasonic Prime 750W Titanium PSU
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Thanks for the replies. On balance I'd say I'm a tad disappointed with the performance of MSFS2020 from what I have read here and seen on videos elsewhere.

 

FSX was from recollection primarily running on one CPU core with little support from the graphics card.

We have now moved into the multicore CPU world with powerful graphics cards as the norm. I was hoping (and expecting if truth be told) MSFS2020 would be ultra-smooth even in relatively densely populated areas.

 

To me it is critical to have smooth graphics. From the overall experience there is little worse than stuttering scenery when landing or taking off in a flight sim. I'd sooner have smoother animation and see less out of the cockpit.

 

Will I buy FS2020 now or wait to see what happens? I'm undecided. The money isn't an issue but I don't want to waste time installing, configuring and learning only to find myself switching back to XPlane 11.5.

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Will I buy FS2020 now or wait to see what happens? I'm undecided. The money isn't an issue but I don't want to waste time installing, configuring and learning only to find myself switching back to XPlane 11.5.

 

Since they have what appears to be a pretty extensive patch coming in the next 10 days or so, it seems like it might be worth the wait to see how that goes, if you're concerned about the current state...

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I hear ya on all you said, sir. What you described is the exact same boat that I find myself in - - -once again. I've been into flight simulation since 1980 or so, and have lost count of the number of times I've upgraded to a new system when the latest and greatest iteration of MSFS came out with more eye candy, better flight models, better aircraft representations, etc. And of course they're always fantastic, but, at nearly $2,000 a pop on average, it does tend to get a bit pricey after awhile. I'm almost thinking I might switch to Xplane 11.5, but have no experience with Xplane at all. Are the graphics on that a bit better than FSX or would you say about the same?
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If you’re undecided you can just take up the cheap X Box Live offer for a month and try it out. Sure you have to download it and sure, you might have to set up some controls but that’s easy and pretty straight forward.

 

Even on the lower graphics settings it’s going to look way better than FSX. I fly VFR GA and haven’t had any real problems once I took the time to learn how the autopilot actually works rather than how I imagined it works.

 

Are there issues? Sure but none that stop my ongoing Mediterranean tour.

 

Sometimes I swear I don’t recognise the game some people, particularly those who haven’t played it, are describing.

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Well after working for a week with MS2020 I can give a little input as an actual pilot with hundreds of hours in C-172 and C-182's I don't think the flight dynamics are a joke. It's a real system hog and don't think you can run it at min specs it needs 32 gig of memory and a four or more core CP. The G1000 is a joke and trying to enter a IFR flight plan is a nightmare.

 

Bottom line is if you want a game that you can fly around and look at the scenery it's the best there as it's absolutely beautiful but as a flight sim as of now it's nowhere close to X-Plane 11. There is a big patch for MS2020 coming out soon will have to wait and see on that.

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Can't say I noticed much difference with the XP11 Vulkan graphics. I did the same flight as I'm currently doing in FS20 (take off from Newcastle and visit all the houses I've lived in over the years) and XP11 is just so bland. The scenery texture reminds me of that washed out look original FSX had, Newcastle and Gateshead consisted of a few generic European buildings slapped down at random.

 

By contrast FS20 has rich and vibrant colours, okay the houses may not look exactly like reality but the streets are in the correct place and a red brick old council house does look the part. Flying up over the Pennines towards my next location (Kendal), the moor and upland textures are spot on, by god it looks real.

 

So yes I've done my fair bit of (justified) moaning about the incomplete features and bugs MS shipped the game with, but visually it continues to impress.

Vern.
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I agree with Vern -- MSFS2020 has spectacular default scenery that is miles better than the default scenery in X-Plane or FSX. (I haven't played Prepar3D). Sure, the ATC is not perfect -- no AI system will ever be as good as the live controllers on PilotEdge, say. But it's a big step forward, and I really enjoy using it. And MSFS runs smoothly for me with an old CPU and a GTX980, on Medium settings. (I can do High in less dense areas, but I get lag at places like JFK.) I don't miss X-Plane at all.
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Thanks for the replies. On balance I'd say I'm a tad disappointed with the performance of MSFS2020 from what I have read here and seen on videos elsewhere.

 

FSX was from recollection primarily running on one CPU core with little support from the graphics card.

We have now moved into the multicore CPU world with powerful graphics cards as the norm. I was hoping (and expecting if truth be told) MSFS2020 would be ultra-smooth even in relatively densely populated areas.

 

To me it is critical to have smooth graphics. From the overall experience there is little worse than stuttering scenery when landing or taking off in a flight sim. I'd sooner have smoother animation and see less out of the cockpit.

 

Will I buy FS2020 now or wait to see what happens? I'm undecided. The money isn't an issue but I don't want to waste time installing, configuring and learning only to find myself switching back to XPlane 11.5.

 

If the money isn’t an issue just do it.

 

You’ve probably spent the same amount of time and effort thinking about it and seeking opinion oh it.

 

Find out for yourself.

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Default XP11 graphics are way better than FSX but can't really touch FS20. Haven't taken a flight with the Vulkan upgrade (11.5) which is now live, may take a look shortly.

 

Thanks for your feedback, Elvensmith. It pretty much concurs with what I've read here and there on the web . .enough so that I'm going to take the XP11 plunge, not fork out a lot of money to run FS2020, and just enjoy what I get fromXP and FSX. See you in the skies!

 

David

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Thanks for your feedback, Elvensmith. It pretty much concurs with what I've read here and there on the web . .enough so that I'm going to take the XP11 plunge, not fork out a lot of money to run FS2020, and just enjoy what I get fromXP and FSX. See you in the skies!

 

David

 

It costs you £1 plus download time to try out 2020. X-Plane looks like a good and mature product and I’ve been tempted by it, especially by access to helicopters but in the end getting so much in the default 2020 won out.

 

Isn’t it great that we have so many great choices for flight sims now?

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