Chasing FSX 

By Gwen Brogmus          Nov 25, 2006

 

 

I got hooked on flight simming about a year ago, first with Combat Flight Simulator 3 and then FS 2004.  My computer managed to run both programs with fair performance after memory and video card upgrades, and some trial-and-error tweaking.  My interest in Combat FS faded pretty quickly once I got FS 2004.  I’m not really a crank-and-yank personality, I guess, though I occasionally have those days.  But I’m much more intriqued by the more realistic simming experience, and FS 2004’s correspondence to the real world.  I care a lot about scenery and weather renditions. 

 

When I read the initial reviews of Flight Simulator X I got pretty excited.  Improved scenery, astronomical accuracy, and more varied and complex ground vehicle activity sounded great to me.  New planes and more imaginative missions sounded good, too.  The $70 price tag (for the deluxe version) seemed a bit high but not a show-stopper.  The challenge for me was obviously my hardware.  I knew there was no hope of running FSX on my current hardware.  Internet research led me to conclude that if I upgraded to twice the published minimums for FSX, I’d be in good shape to run it.  So I mulled things over for a couple of weeks and then took the plunge.

 

I didn’t buy a “high-end” system, but I did purchase double all of Microsoft’s minimums for FSX.  I plunked down about $800 for an HP system with dual core processing and an upgraded video card, and the deluxe version of FSX.  I already had a fairly new 19” LCD monitor, so I didn’t buy the package that included the monitor and printer.  (I have a surplus of cheap printers lying around. Anybody need one?)  Here’s a report on the results:

 

I got the new system up and running fine, but with one nagging problem: The speakers won’t work.  There’s no indication of any hardware malfunction. Headphones and my USB headset work just fine. 

 

FSX runs, but poorly.  With all settings at the default minimums I get very sub-20 frame rates.  On the plus side, what I can see of the scenery does look very nice, and there are some missions that are a lot of fun.  (There’s a great bush-flying mission that includes a jackass copilot, terrible weather, multiple system failures, an engine fire, and a bear on the runway!)

 

Here’s the really good news:  I’m now able to run FS 2004 full-bore, with all settings at max, with great frame rates and overall spectacular performance.  It’s like having a whole new FS 2004 software version!  Likewise Combat FS 3. 

 

I’m afraid FSX is going to languish on my hard drive for awhile.  I like the ultra-light and soaring options, and will probably continue to fool with them.  I hate helicopters, but FSX has some good offerings there, so who knows?  Maybe I’ll get there.  But most of my flying is currently done with virtual airlines, and I wouldn’t use FSX for this even if the airline supported it.  The performance simply isn’t adequate. 

 

My new system included an upgrade to Windows Vista whenever it gets released.  I won’t rush to the front of that line.  Vista may or may not improve the performance of FSX, but I’d bet it will require adding memory.  My video card is supposedly DirectX 10 compatible, when that’s available.  I’ll give it a shot, but I expect I’ll need to upgrade to a high-end video card before the day’s out. 

 

Do I feel like I jumped the gun or made a mistake with upgrading?  Not at all.  The  whole thing is about the virtual flying experience.  I’m of an age and an income level that precludes much real-world flying, so being able to do some good simming is a God-send. It doesn’t really matter if I’m not running the latest and greatest software.  I’m loving what’s going on right now!