Well Gents,I'm Officially Beaten [Archive]

harleyman

November 13th, 2008, 03:33

I will not go into long winded details here about all that has gone wrong of the last 6 months.....I bought two high end systems,neighter of them would run FSX properly....So I built my own...It rocks for everything but FSx..And now FS9 sucks on it too...Its not the build,its not the GPU...It has the same issues with ATI and Nvidia....On two different machines.....

So I'm done with Flight Simming completely....Beaten,Confused,and way Over it....I have literally spent the last 6 months puzzeling over issue after issue..I have dumped dollar after dollar into this thing that just stumps the best minds as to whats going on....

So I say ..Good riddence to FSX till some answers appear,and I expect none..... It has been a pleasure being here with the interest of a boy on Christmas morning,reading,checking out the latest and greatest,and chassing an impossible dream...LOL

I am by no means leaving SOH, as I find it fun here...But my interest in these Sims is well shoved down my throat.....:costumes: I have no answers nor clues....So I say ...Happy flying to all that have systems that function properly..I however have a life to recapture...:banghead: And am in search of a different type of game for a pastime,one that will just install and work as its susposed to do...HeHe.....

And I eagerly await the new Train Sim..As the first never ran on three different computers I owned....LOL.....Hopefully this one will.......:applause:

Roger

November 13th, 2008, 03:56

Sorry to hear your difficulties with pcs. I am surprised that Fs9 won't work on your latest machine. What problems did you find with Fs9?

Roger.

lifejogger

November 13th, 2008, 03:59

Sorry to hear about your troubles running FSX and FS9. Computers are strange creatures, you have a high end computers and graphic cards that won't fun the flight sims, while I have a mid range computer and graphic card and I have no problems with running FSX or FS9. My suggestion is remove the flight sims from your computer and do something else for awhile and then er try it again later. Anyway glad you are still going to hang around SOH.

JT8D-9A

November 13th, 2008, 04:15

Sad to read that. I hope it will be only a short break.
I had the impression that you have been a little bit overchallenged, which isn't bad, because no one can know everything and can be for everything an expert.
I think it would have been easier for you if you would have a Flightsimmer in your neighbourhood, because not everything can be learned/solved via the internet.
If someone is always getting problems, then there is something fundamentally going wrong and i think that it could be easily solved by someone who would look into your PC and would try to help you - but real and not via the internet.

There is a PC service guy/company especially for flightsimmer.. i did read about it @Avsim, but i forgot the name.. i think something like that would be really helpful for you.
Good luck!

falcon409

November 13th, 2008, 04:16

Sorry to hear about your troubles running FSX and FS9. Computers are strange creatures, you have a high end computers and graphic cards that won't run the flight sims, while I have a mid range computer and graphic card and I have no problems with running FSX or FS9.
Yep, same case here. I read from time to time where folks with thousands tied up in a computer that won't run FSX and I have an ACER computer I bought off the shelf from Best Buy for less than $300, transferred some of the salvagable components from my previous system into it and running FSX and FS9 with no problems at all.

Sorry to hear that you're dumping it and I have no explanation for the problems you're having based on what I'm running. . .it's doesn't seem that you should have any trouble at all. Hope you reconsider although I can certainly understand the frustration.

Daube

November 13th, 2008, 04:17

Harleyman, would you mind posting me the description of your current hardware and the current settings you are using in FSX ?

Cazzie

November 13th, 2008, 04:19

I don't understand why FS9 will not perform on your new machine. FSX akes a fairly high-end machine, which I now have. Even then I'm lucky to get 20 fps. But FS9 zips in my new unit.

Tell us your specs on your tower and your problems with the sims, there's a lot of help here at SOH.

Caz

harleyman

November 13th, 2008, 04:25

Thanks Guys...Its just the ripping effect up and down the screen...i am really just going into a hold pattern with it...After the Holidays I may give it a retry...

I am going to Texas after the Holidays for a visit,and there happens to be a well known guru there that has agreed to have a look..So computer and monitor will also make the trip.....LOL

I'm not angry what so ever...Its a strange beast we have here...I need a well deserved break...I just can't imaging never Simming again..And if it take s till FS11 to get back into the game,thats cool too......:applause:

Thanks for the well wishes,and all everyones advice here.....There is a shop close by that the lead tech is a simmer...I may after the holidays take it to him first for a look...But its the time of year to be merry and bright...And FSX seems to dampen that ...So I will have a rest....Thanks...

harleyman

November 13th, 2008, 04:29

SpaceWeevil

November 13th, 2008, 04:29

I'm sorry you've got to this point, it makes me feel kind of guilty for having so few problems. Really, it's a miracle a program like FSX runs at all when you think about the huge range of mobos, processors, graphics chips, RAM types etc that qualify as a 'PC' these days. Somehow (most of the time) it all seems to work.

I've not really followed your saga, so forgive me if you've already answered this obvious & naive question, but will your system run FSX completely stock? I mean the default C:\program files\microsoft games\ installation with no tweaks or patches.

hews500d

November 13th, 2008, 04:50

Harleyman, if the "ripping effect" you describe is the same thing I had at one time changing video card drivers took care of the problem. I know it's a simple suggestion and one you've probably already tried, but it's worth a shot if you haven't!

Darrell

icarus

November 13th, 2008, 05:05

try catalyst 8.9 for ati card. i have on three computers low and high end ati and nvidia and no problems at all...could be a config error on 2 simulators?

Wiens

November 13th, 2008, 05:10

Mason,

I'm sorry to hear of your computer troubles with FSX!!! :isadizzy: I don't have any advice to offer other that which you've already taken; road-trip to TEXAS!!.....

Keep your chin held high.

Keep in touch!!

Kevin :d

MCDesigns

November 13th, 2008, 05:17

Wow, that is really sad to hear and odd at the same time. Got any images of the "rippling" effect?

I had an issue when I had Fs2002, no matter what I did, the sim closed to desktop after a few minutes. I couldn't throw a whole lot of money at it, but did replace a few components and had it in the shop 6 times, still it was only with FS2002. The ONLY reason I keep trying to find a fix was I was in the middle of designing my Aloha Village scenery and wasn't going to quite.

One day I was talking to one of the IT guys at work and it came up, he said he'd stop by and take a look at it. Turned out to be some kind of memory allocation deal and after 15 minutes he fixed what 6 shop visits and numerous "techs" couldn't!

harleyman

November 13th, 2008, 05:43

I have tried all the oldest and newest drivers for ATI and Nvidia......

I tried to get shots of the effect but it does not show up...I tried to capture it od a wave file but it too onlt stuttered...I was going to set up the camcorder on tripod but I never did....LOl :d

Meanwhile I'm thinking of Silent Hunter........:wavey:

I have RMAed a mobo..vid card..and V-Raptor...That was not the answer...Oh well.....Not the end of the world.....HeHe Thanks again to all for suggestions...I got (1) 357 that costs a buck...Hmmmm Wonder if that will fix it? LOL

stiz

November 13th, 2008, 05:45

tried V sync at all??

harleyman

November 13th, 2008, 05:53

V sync to no avail .....:banghead:

It is to say the least the goofiest looking thing / situation I have ever seen.......

kilo delta

November 13th, 2008, 06:41

Sorry to hear this,Mason. Though maybe you'll get to spend a little more time with your bike(s).....give me a HD any day over FS9/FSX:d
Glad you're sticking around the forums. :)

harleyman

November 13th, 2008, 06:47

Thanks Kilo...Yea my bike needs some lovin now...Not going away...Just taking an extended break thru the holidays from the nightmare....LOL

Thanks for that :applause: :wavey:

-(F^S)-Biglazy_01

November 13th, 2008, 07:13

I had strange problems like this and it had to do with some windows update tweaks. Some files from Microsoft that would help with gaming and such. Once i started removing them 1 by 1 i found the problem update and got rid of it. Then everything came together.

limjack

November 13th, 2008, 07:16

I understand the frustration harleyman, before I discovered the on-line world of help, past FS games were used for the first 5 months then tossed aside becasue my machines would never run them nor did I have the money to get better hardware to make them go so best thing was to step aside until the new title came out and I would get all excited all over again and go through the vicious loop of disappointment again. Of course I hope you find the answer to the rippling affect and enjoy some time with your bike and the family and very glad you will still be hanging out here at the SOH.

Jim

metalman739

November 13th, 2008, 07:56

I had similar problems as you are having and the truth is you will have to start by looking at what you have done, even starting over from scratch, this same type of thing happened to me and had to go thru the whole process from the beginning, I know how angry this makes you but sometimes the best place to start is from the beginning with a clean format and just load what is needed first,MS is notorious for some really messed up stuff:banghead:

harleyman

November 13th, 2008, 08:14

I agree...But it has been done already over and over and over....All is partitioned,formatted.. Installed on several machines with the same results..I thought it seemed to act like the DVD had worn out or something...So I bought FSX Gold and tried that with the same problem....

Thanks .........:wavey:

Butcherbird17

November 13th, 2008, 08:47

Harley,
I told ya to send that rig to me and I send ya mine.:d :costumes:

Joe

Nick C

November 13th, 2008, 08:53

Sorry to hear of your problems but understand where you are coming from. I'm lucky and have a machine that runs FSX great, but I'd be disappointed if I wanted to run FS9, it isn't half as smooth. Computers are a PITA at the best of times.

Lionheart

November 13th, 2008, 09:00

Sorry to hear this Mason. Getting away from it though will be nice and relaxing. :d You'll be able to think 'outside' the box and see things more clearly.

The sad thing is that its probably something so darn basic that its going to be hilarious. (At least lets hope so).

Wouldnt it be cool if you could shop for a computer by 'running' FSX on it 'first' to see what its like, then buy it and take it home and start flying right then!! No tweaking, just 'run' the dang thing! lol... Ahh to dream....

In the mean time, remember us developers that have to make planes. Your burdens are 3 fold then. Two sims, two platforms, two codes of parts, two gauge codes, two versions of materials, with FSX having 4 pages of material data per material item, new resolution technology that is enhanced by quadrupling the textures into one giant sheet / bitmap, different airfile tunes, different camera view systems (panel based versus config file based), etc, etc, etc. Making the right and proper plexi the first time for FSX took perhaps 1 full week, full time, trying to figure out why it wasnt transparent, then why it wasnt reflecting, then this, then that. My nose hairs turned crispy gray that week. Horrible.....

So remember, there are alot of us out there that dont have it easy either.

By the way.. Isnt 'Autotropic' or something similar sounding, the setting for cross line focus and resolution? (Indiosoptic or autotropic, something like that). I had an issue with this a few months back on my rig and I ended up downloading Catalyst and experimented for a couple of hours and finally found 8X to work perfect. 16X ran it faster, but wasnt as nice as 8X. But I had to tune this outside of FSX. FSX couldnt tune the cross lines to be gone...

Bill

Bjoern

November 13th, 2008, 10:54

Harleyman, if I was you I would try to find answers to you issue in the postnuclear Washington D.C. area, in the african jungles and deserts or way back in time.

Say: Forget your FSX issues for now and get Fallout 3, Far Cry 2 and Call Of Duty 5. Those will keep you busy for a while, maybe until ATI releases the überdriver for the 4870X2. ;)

Buddha13

November 13th, 2008, 11:26

Hi Mason,
Have you updated the mobo bios.Could be that is causing your problems.
Also try taking out your sound card or turning off in the bios your sound.Then fly without it to see if you are still getting the problem.You do not say how your sound is produced.May I also ask you to try a slower 7,200rpm harddrive.Several of my friends have reported problems with the 10,000 rpm drives causing lock ups and graphical issues in games like Crysis.

Buddha13

srgalahad

November 13th, 2008, 11:52

If all else fails there's that pimple-faced 13 yr old kid down the block who'll not only fix it but get you 50fps for the price of a new pair of baggy Gap jeansa prepaid cell card and a Red Bull

Lionheart

November 13th, 2008, 11:58

If all else fails there's that pimple-faced 13 yr old kid down the block who'll not only fix it but get you 50fps for the price of a new pair of baggy Gap jeansa prepaid cell card and a Red Bull

LOL :costumes:

How come none of those gurus live in my neighborhood?? I am the one always fixing my nephews computer.. arrghh... :banghead: (and I know very little about computers.. double-arrrrghhh) :isadizzy:

Daube

November 13th, 2008, 12:54

Ok For what its worth...

Case: Thermaltake VH8000BWS BK
Power: ThermalTake W0178RU 850W RT SLI Edition
MoBo: GIGABYTE GA-X48-DQ6 775 X48
CPU: INTEL|C2D E8600 3.33G 775 6M
CPU Cooler: Artic Pro 7
GPU: VISIONTEK Radion 900250 HD4870X2 2G
Mem: OCZ 2X2 @ 1066
HD1: 150 Gig Raptor @ 10,000
HD2: 300G VelociRaptor @ 10,000
OS: XP Pro SP 3

I have tried every setting with the help od Txnetcop...Every config tweak... Used ATI and Nvidia with the same issues...Bough a bigger monitor(more resolution 1920X1200 Installed FSX on two different machines...Same problem...Changed power sourses.....All other games run just fine.........

It just Ripples all over the place and is horrible....Unflyable to say the least...I have discovered one thing,SP2 makes it worse...But SP 1 just is not as bad....LOL

Your computer is quite ok, but the fact that you have only two cores must be taken into consideration.
If I understood correctly your problem, no matter what kind of settings you choose, you always get stutters or something like that ? I had more or less the same problem for a while (with a quad core !!), and then finally I managed to solve it. When you're back (and your will to tweak as well), we can have a look... will cost nothing (but a beer :d)

Bone

November 13th, 2008, 13:19

I was having a hell of of a time with my rig just booting into windows for the last two weeks. When I finally got it booted and tried to play FSX, I kept getting crash's and lock-ups.

I was about to reformat yet once again, and a friend suggested I pull out my second video card (GTX8800). So I did and WAA-FRICKIN-LAA like magic the damm thing started working right.

FAC257

November 13th, 2008, 13:28

Harleyman

Are you seeing a "ripping" effect as in graphics tearing or is it a "rippling" effect like a slow out of focus little wave that moves across the screen?

harleyman

November 13th, 2008, 13:34

It just ripples all over the place..Thats the best I can describe it...I've had FSX on a V-Raptor and a Seagate &,200 drive with 32 Mb Cache also...All the same....LOL

And where is that pimply kid when you need him? :costumes:

Bios is updated......

Off tio dinner....Thanks

November 14th, 2008, 00:36

I feel your pain. I can play any new game that is supposed to knock out most systems flawless too. It's only really FSX that kills my system. I can barely run it on 'ok' settings and it only just looks good enough to keep it, thanks to addon scenery. The default is just utterly boring and downright ugly (texture wise) in a lot of places.

Just my two cents as I really feel your pain. I don't have a lot of good to say about the requirements of this sim.

Crusader

November 14th, 2008, 03:46

hang in there harleyman. My view on computers is : " It's not if its going to break but when . " I'm running a ASUS Quad Extreme 6850 , nForce 680i (64bit) VISTA , 4 gigs 6400 RAM , 8800 card . FS9 screams . I was very reluctant at first on a 64bit Quad but now I would'nt have anything else . FSX is a beast.:costumes: I'm running mid to low teens in urban areas , 30 to 40's airborne in rural areas . I use to be a big ATI fan but switched to NVidea a couple of years ago and am very statisfied . My point :I could'nt begin to tell you the flustration I've experienced with FSX . I'm currenting on my fifth reinstall and so far so good. (Still don't have simconnect). I just recently discovered a bad PCI slot and possibly a power supply slowly dying . I just get away from it for a week or so and that really helps when I go back and tackle it again . SOH is probably the best group of people I've ever been associated with . If anyone can help you it is these very talented people .

Hang in there and good luck:ernae: (I've always wanted to own a Harley Sportser but wife won't let me , she says I'm retired and too old now:costumes:)

Rich

FLighT01

November 14th, 2008, 05:02

Sorry to hear of the problems you continue to experience. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if T2 pushs the performance envelope just like FSX did. I remeber difficulties with T1 back when I ran FS9 with no issues at all on the same box!

That's why I run 2 setups, the likelihood that both would melt down at the same time is low, LOL.

Taking a break sounds like a good idea, shift your focus. Enjoy the upcoming holiday season and de-stress.

harleyman

November 14th, 2008, 05:08

Nah...Never to old to get a Harley..I got my first at age 16,and I will die with one even if I can't ride it any more....:d

I'm seriously looking at Silent Hunter 4......It looks fairly good to me..Its only 16 bucks at Best Buy....I may swing by there after the opening of the New Bond Movie today at 12:50.....HeHe.......:d :applause:

gera

November 14th, 2008, 05:24

Hi Harleyman................Amigo, after all your problems you need a good bottle of Rum or Tequila or Corn Whiskey or whatever put it in your sack, and ride your bike into the sunset!!!!!!!!.....watch out for the women on the road they can give you as much problems as FSX!!!!!.................Bon Voyage!!!!!:kilroy::kilroy:

FLighT01

November 14th, 2008, 05:39

I shouldn't point this out but the November issue of Computer Pilot has an article on "Building a "Monster" Sim PC". I look at the specs and cost of the respective hardware components and the performance at high settings, (which I have no reason to doubt) and it's enough to make me jump head first off the bridge. Of course they run a stock FSX/Accel (or so it appears) but still...:banghead:

This looks like the "finesse approach", I took the brute force approach at much higher cost (and running a stock FSX/Accel for now) - so far so good, but still...:banghead:

:isadizzy:

harleyman

November 14th, 2008, 05:50

Crusader

November 14th, 2008, 06:08

harleyman ,

You hit it right on the nose here . Why some people can run it on low ends and others struggle on higher end PC's . I totally agree with you on this one . On everyone of my reinstalls I detect FSX alittle different in some ways that I can not expalin . My current reinstall(5th I think:banghead:) I am getting acceptable results (FPS) which I can live with . Microsoft engineers need to take a looooooong hard look when putting together FS11.

Rich:ernae:

Daube

November 14th, 2008, 06:37

Hi Flight...Yea I read that article.........

There may be a new discovery in the working as to all the strange things that go on with FSX installs.......

I has something to do with why does FSX on ,lets say,5 identical machines built for testing purposes,yield different rusults with FSX ?

What during the install can change and give FSX such different chaceterstics??? That is the question.....

Now that is a topic that has been discussed here before...A low end system can smoke FSX,while a top shelf one struggles ......What is the mysterious equasion here???????????????

Gera...That would be Jim Beam and its a hell of a idea....LOL..And as far as women on the road..I know all about them....HeHe......:d

Some low end computers have low-end graphic cards. those graphic cards are not supporting all of the FSX graphical effects, and thus they have less work to do, leading to better FPS in some cases... but lower image quality.

Also, on low-end computers you will tend to choose lower settings, lower values for the various tweaks etc... leading to better performances.

Also, some people tend to forget that the number of cores is not everything, the speed of those cores has to be taken into consideration too. For example, a very fast dual core (say, running at 3 GHz or more) may perform better than my Q6600 (4 cores, but only at 2,4 GHz).

Finally, and again this concerns the video cards, the performance can greatly evolve depending on the settings in the game profile from the driver. I had problems recently with my 8800 GTX, my settings were set according to the recommendations of NickN on the tutorials at SimViation... those settings were too much "quality-oriented" for me, unfortunately. After lowering some stuff, and enabling some optimisation flags, I manage to earn a good +5 FPS average on dense areas. And this is just an example.

The summary is that there are tons of possible origins for performance problems. The important thing is to be organised, informed, and not too much optimistc. With a bit of patience, the perfect balance "quality vs FPS" can be found.

FLighT01

November 14th, 2008, 06:38

I think the answer is in my avatar, and pass the Jim Beam, please, and thank you.

harleyman

November 14th, 2008, 06:59

I think the answer is in my avatar, and pass the Jim Beam, please, and thank you.

LMAO @ That one...... Oh A Jim Beam Man.....Good for you .....HeHe

Gera....Well said on that ...............But still I believe it goes deeper.....I'm talking about 5 identical machines lets say,all set up FSX identical,and yielding different results..:banghead:

Bjoern

November 14th, 2008, 08:28

I'm seriously looking at Silent Hunter 4......It looks fairly good to me..Its only 16 bucks at Best Buy....I may swing by there after the opening of the New Bond Movie today at 12:50.....HeHe.......:d :applause:

Go for it!
U-boats are always nice.

Lionheart

November 14th, 2008, 08:48

Go for it!
U-boats are always nice.

SH4 was actually USA Submarines, but with the Gold Edition of SH4, you get some U-Boots as well! :d

<---- loved SH2 Commanders Edition with jettisonable debris, jettisonable oil, could sit on the ocean floor without damaging your hull. I wish SH3 could have done that.. arrghh..

I love how you can download vintage WWII tunes and play them on the 'phonograph' on the boring parts of missions. Great fun... and those storms are brilliant!

Bill

kilo delta

November 14th, 2008, 08:53

COD4 is fun.....especially the "Death From Above" mission.....I swear by it, perfect for rewinding after a tough day:costumes:

Daube

November 14th, 2008, 09:05

SH4 was actually USA Submarines, but with the Gold Edition of SH4, you get some U-Boots as well! :d

<---- loved SH2 Commanders Edition with jettisonable debris, jettisonable oil, could sit on the ocean floor without damaging your hull. I wish SH3 could have done that.. arrghh..

I love how you can download vintage WWII tunes and play them on the 'phonograph' on the boring parts of missions. Great fun... and those storms are brilliant!

Bill

I don't know about oil or debris, but I can always sit on the ocean floor in SH3.

Lionheart

November 14th, 2008, 09:26

I don't know about oil or debris, but I can always sit on the ocean floor in SH3.

My U-Boot would always suffer extreme damage when sitting on the floor. I wonder if you had a later version that allowed for that? :banghead:

COD4 is fun.....especially the "Death From Above" mission.....I swear by it, perfect for rewinding after a tough day:costumes:

Kilo Delta

I very much agree. COD4 is way awesome...! Repelling onto that ship in the first part in that ocean storm at night is just too cool....

Bill

Crusader

November 14th, 2008, 10:00

I think the answer is in my avatar, and pass the Jim Beam, please, and thank you.

Amen brother :costumes: I'll drink to that , but I would drink to almost anything now a days .:ernae:
Rich

gera

November 14th, 2008, 10:26

Amen brother :costumes: I'll drink to that , but I would drink to almost anything now a days .:ernae:
Rich

Salud Amigo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:ernae::ernae:

Bjoern

November 14th, 2008, 10:31

SH4 was actually USA Submarines, but with the Gold Edition of SH4, you get some U-Boots as well! :d

Technically all of them were u-boats (under sea boats), regardless of nation. ;)

I very much agree. COD4 is way awesome...! Repelling onto that ship in the first part in that ocean storm at night is just too cool....

Not as cool as the most shocking moment in that game. I wanted to kill the developers when the "KIA" message ran across the screen, especially after that hard mission right prior to it.
But then again, this moment will stick with me forever. And with the masses of games that I've played, this is quite an achievement.

Lionheart

November 14th, 2008, 17:21

Not as cool as the most shocking moment in that game. I wanted to kill the developers when the "KIA" message ran across the screen, especially after that hard mission right prior to it.
But then again, this moment will stick with me forever. And with the masses of games that I've played, this is quite an achievement.

LOL..... I remember when I lost my first U-Boot and crew. I was sick for hours.. had promoted all of them, learning names.. All were gone... Had lasted quite a few weeks (3? :d ).

arrghhh.....

Bill

Daube

November 15th, 2008, 01:43

My U-Boot would always suffer extreme damage when sitting on the floor. I wonder if you had a later version that allowed for that? :banghead:

Bill

Maybe your forward speed was not zero !
When I want to sit on th ocean's floor, I first come to a complete stop, and only then I lower the depth command. The sub will go down veeeeeery slowly in that way, and the touch with the ground will have no effect.

jimjones

November 15th, 2008, 02:53

Is there a possibility that there is some interference close by such as an amatuer radio operator or too strong a tv signal or electrical equipment. Take your pc to a friends and try it out. If the problem remains, interference may not be the problem. Only a far fetched suggestion.

Hope you get the problems sorted out.

txnetcop

November 15th, 2008, 03:58

Yes Jim that's something I had thought of since both he and his wife's computer treat FSX the same way. I have the same build as his wife and have no problems with FSX. I did for a short time after a hard drive crash but I got it sorted out after re-partitioning the hard drive and reformatting.

It sounds like RF interference from some powerful source. I've seen a little rippling in FSX when sliders are turned up to high for a graphics card, but nothing like Mason is experiencing with his FSX. All the other games are great and his framerates are very high even in Cysis. It's a real head scratcher. If I could see it, I might be able to identify it, but too hard to diagnose long distance. I like your idea of taking it to another home and trying it there.
Ted

harleyman

November 15th, 2008, 04:17

Well at first I thought it might be something in my house wiring causing it.... So I moved it to my shop that has a completely new and different electrical service from a 200 amp service box outside my house to a new 150 amp breaker box in my shop.......I know its well grounded as I watched the 8 foot copper grounding rod driven into the ground...

But I have not taken it anywhere as I really have no place to take it..I do have another house I own three up from me ,but ..Its still right here in this area......:banghead:

EgoR64

November 15th, 2008, 04:41

:jump:

Hi harleyman,

Sorry to hear all the Troubles with FSX, My box is med grade, I'm running the Slowest Quad on the Market, 8800GTS, 4-gig of 800 DDR2, 250 7200rpm Harddrive. FSX run perfect for me, Most everything is Ultra High, except for the clouds, which kill me.

My only issue in the Past was CPU Temp, This can murder you and cause all sorts of funky sheet.

My Son likes to play on the Bleeding edge he has the 780i board, come home the other day, go to say hi, he has every wire ripped out of the Box, LOL - I ask what might you be doing, He says trying to figure out what wire is what, I said, why do you need to do this, Because my DVD stopped working, Why did you need to pull every wire out of the Box - LOL !! Scratches head, Good thing I always have a spare laying around until I can sort through his Box. :isadizzy:

Anyways don't quite I'm sure it is Something logical causing the problem, Oh and they be coming out with 32-core processors very soon, so Save Ya Money.

Good Luck !!

stansdds

November 15th, 2008, 05:10

Wonder if it's the Service Pack 3 for Win XP causing the problems? I'm still using SP2 and FS2004 is running faster than [insert the phrase of your choice].

harleyman

November 15th, 2008, 05:31

I tested that too...I installed FSX on the wifes Vista 64 machine and get the same results...LOL

Hmmm 32 core CPU...That should kick some tail......

I want TS2.......Hopefully that will install and work...If not it will be my last MS game..Well until FS11 that is..I will naturally have to have it and hope for the best....

GT182

November 15th, 2008, 06:23

My U-Boot would always suffer extreme damage when sitting on the floor. I wonder if you had a later version that allowed for that? :banghead:

I very much agree. COD4 is way awesome...! Repelling onto that ship in the first part in that ocean storm at night is just too cool....

Bill

The is a mod out that lets you settle to the ocean floor. Becareful tho you're not too deep and don't settle too fast.

Of the two SH's I like SHIII better than SH4. GWX 2.0 makes it look like "You Are There". GWX 2.1 has been out but that's donationware thru SubSim.com.

COD4 has great graphics. I've played it so much I dream of it at night sometimes. :isadizzy:

Mason if you are running a 64 bit machine, SH3 won't work as far as I can remember. It's a 32 bit game. SH4 might run on a 64 bit computer, but I can't remember if that's true or not.

harleyman

November 15th, 2008, 06:59

Thanks...32 XP Pro SP3

Lionheart

November 15th, 2008, 07:17

Man Mason,

I am sorry for all this suffering on it. I hadnt thought of RF interference. You never know what it might be. Surely though, its one, single little thing.

Just out of curiosity, what happens when you have removed FSX, removed the FSX config, and then reinstall the basic level FSX? (Before SP1 and SP2). Are the graphics ok then?

Reason I ask, is perhaps there is a module or DLL file that may be doing this. Since its running fine with other games, then it seems that this has a FS interference going on.. If its software, then something is 'directed' to FS, as the other games are uneffected.

To test this, if you have an old HD laying around, you might try taking out your present HD, put in the old HD, clean it and install Windows, and install FSX and see what it does. No other games, no modules, no addons, no Windows updates, nothing.. Just the Win CD's and FS CD's. And perhaps load FS9 first and see if that is running...

Just an idea. I know you want a nice vacation from this.

Maybe your forward speed was not zero !
When I want to sit on th ocean's floor, I first come to a complete stop, and only then I lower the depth command. The sub will go down veeeeeery slowly in that way, and the touch with the ground will have no effect.

Thanks Daube,

I'll give that a try tonight. I didnt think of 'movement' being the factor. Every time I touched the ocean floor, there was grinding sounds. That must have been why that was happening.

Bill

Bjoern

November 15th, 2008, 08:16

LOL..... I remember when I lost my first U-Boot and crew. I was sick for hours.. had promoted all of them, learning names.. All were gone... Had lasted quite a few weeks (3? :d ).

arrghhh.....

Oh, I got similar feelings in B-17 II. Your did one bomb run after another with your crew and one day - boom - a flak shell tears the wing off your B-17.

I raged.

FLighT01

November 15th, 2008, 08:20

Harleyman, your development isn't built on an old cemetary or indian burial ground now is it?

harleyman

November 15th, 2008, 09:07

HeHe...It might be Frank.....It was a cow pasture for the last 80 years is all I know.......

I need an exorcists I think........

But heres the deal......Cyysis, Assisns Creed, The Sime (wifes copy LOL), WOW, Guild Wars, all run perfect...Beautiful...So its not the rig at all..Its FSX and FS9....

JIMJAM

November 15th, 2008, 17:29

Forty something simmer/gamer since Doom and Microsofts F119 stealth.
Software/hardware compatability has always been a issue especailly with 1st person shooters and sims.
So you can say I am accustomed to the bs and assume 50% of my sim time will be spent tinkering with settings,swearing and saving for a faster computer.
Recently i had back surgery so beforehand I bought 4 of the latest pc games to play while I recouped.
Two games,Rainbow6 Vegas and Gears of War I never could get to run at ALL. Tech support forums were flooded with complaints and it was all out anarchy as most game forums.
A common "fix" was to reload my OS :censored: Oh yeah I going to reload my OS and start from scratch is not a option.
The only game I had no problems with was Bioshock.
I got so upset I went out and bought a PS3 and couldnt be happier.
The only games I have on my computer are FSX and Fallout 3.
I like you,just ran out of gas trying to make FSX run and look perfect.
FSX is what it is and I made peace with it and enjoy it.
I have spent a small fortune on addons as I did for FS9.
Looking back it was not a addiction but every new addon gave me that boost that refreshed my love of simming but it last only days if not hours.
My best freind of 20 years owns a computer store that custom builds systems. You would think I would always have the latest, greatest machine but I have learned that for gaming its not always the best.
The cutting edge hardware when the game was developed is usually the best system to run a game regardless of the current tech.
Thats why the 8800gt is considered the card of choice even though its old tech wise.
I have ALWAYS has AA/AF issues with FSX since day 1.
I get that heat blur look on the terrrain and any straight line,runway,taxiway ect have various degreees of jaggies even at 1900x1050.
I am now running a 4870. Its slower imo than the 8800gt I had but its WAY faster with crysis and the few other pc games Ive ran.
Sorry to be long winded but I am glad to see you realize its not YOU.
Some are lucky,remember some only know FSX and have nothing else running.
Just wanted to let you know we understand and are also tired of chasing that carrot.
Set your settings to those your computer can run the sim at acceptable rates and look good and FLY.
In my case, it took deleting FSX in a rage :angryfir: and loading Xplane,Falcon,Wings over Vietnam,First Eagles and realizing FSX is WAY ahead in every aspect of any sim out there.
And with no real competition,getting upset,frustrated and angry is pointless.
As my computer guru freind who I always bothered told me, "Just fly the dam thing!"

harleyman

November 15th, 2008, 17:39

WOW JimJam........You said alot there.........LOL

I would fly it but it looks like a glass pool that a cinder block was dropped into from thirty feet above when I ..Bank L-R or pull up or down.....:banghead:

I'm getting SH 4 tomorrow to pass the time ...I hate learning curves too.....:d :wavey:

My computer rocks FSX...Its steady and looks beautiful until I turn...I can lock frames at 35 with all traffic up and have no real hits at all.....Just awsome...all but the pond effect....LOL

JIMJAM

November 15th, 2008, 20:07

Be sure to check out subsim.
All your mods/addons/info ect are there.
Ive owned all the sub games and its a big change of pace from f sims.
Its like a chess game with torpedoes:costumes:
Unlike some who are consumed by flight sims, I try em all.
The ps3 I race cars and some 1st p shooters.
The last week I have been deep into Fallout 3.
Its good to back away from FSX as I have became terrible bored with it.
When FScargo or something that actaully gives me something to do other than sightseeing or scripted missions, I will spend some more time with it.
Not buying ever addon that comes out simply out of impulse has put some extra $$$ in my wallet.

srgalahad

November 15th, 2008, 23:17

Harlyman, I've been reading all this (sympathetically) and ran into a situation today that made me think... was flying FS9 online/AlphaBlue Bearcat - my system isn't up to yours (AMD3500 + 8600GTS +2 GB PC400 ram) but after landing I got all these wonderful (black/grey wavy lines) patterns across the windscreen. The term is "Moire" (moy ray) and it's an interference pattern. very good (and lengthy) description is here: http://www.math.nus.edu.sg/aslaksen/gem-projects/maa/0304-2-02-Moire_Patterns_and_Fractals.pdf

It's hard to duplicate in a post but try looking at these pages and see if there's a similarity:
http://www.theinspirationgallery.com/wallpaper/moire/wp_moire01.htm
http://www.sandlotscience.com/Moire/Circular_3_Moire.htm
http://web.mit.edu/sylvan/mas815/moire/description.html

A sample on a CRT monitor is here: http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/monitors/e772p/en/moire.htm
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In my case it's apparently a result of the reflectiveness of the cockpit 'plexiglass' -- I'm told they made the model with a unique inside reflection and the moire pattern has to do with aliasing. It happens when I fly at "night" with the cockpit lights on and they "reflect" or in this case it was a low sun from behind. I remember an obscure comment made a couple of years ago that it might happen with this a/c.

Now, to have it happen regularly, or frequently with different aircraft indicates it's not the model but the likely video card + drivers + monitor cables + monitor. It is possible it's all in how FS tries to display video, but remember, it also may be that FS just makes it more obvious. I'll do more digging as I found a couple of hints online.

One cause ( and it was quite common with CRT monitors) was electromagnetic interference but it could only be seen when displaying certain colors or patterns ( or lack of them). That may also explain why in FS and not the other games - it depends on how they draw things like backgrounds and what textures they use or if they have large flat segments (like sky in FS). The moire patterns my be there but hard to detect in other games because of the motion and colors. Look closely while in your desktop or a text document as you scroll it, same with a simple photo ( not a lot of pattern or detail). LCD monitors don't have the scanning gun of a CRT so the cause pretty much has to be in the digital pipeline from CPU to video card to monitor.

More digging has not found an answer, but some thoughts...
Electronic: Video card ( i know-- tried); try new video cables & tighten connectors; ANY magnetic source near the computer, cables or monitor; The monitor itself ( I couldn't find a mention in the posts - what monitor/monitors? are they the same? have you tried a different monitor?) Analog or DVI inputs?

Software & settings: have you tried adjusting the AA settings (including turning it OFF totally) and perhaps other filtering in the video card software? can't remember your comments about trying different drivers...; monitor set-up (sync rates etc.).

A monitor test program (shareware) is here: [URL]http://www.filebuzz.com/fileinfo/36847/MonitorTest.html (http://www.filebuzz.com/fileinfo/36847/MonitorTest.html)

I know it's frustrating and some of this may be repetitive, but you now have a lot of people tearing their hair out :isadizzy: and we WILL beat it :d.

Rob

marklaur

November 15th, 2008, 23:29

V sync to no avail .....:banghead:

It is to say the least the goofiest looking thing / situation I have ever seen.......

I know one person who swapped back to a CRT monitor and he has far better colours and AA than me. I intend buying one soon myself again just for flight simulator.

At work we have a range of PC's using both types of monitors. I am used to the new monitors but the CRT's when new still have less problems and have better resolution settings to try to get around problems.

Maybe worth a try.

srgalahad

November 16th, 2008, 00:00

A bit more late-night muddling..

Found this in a review of a Dell monitor (30 August 2005):
"Using the MagicGate MG-25 MPEG4 player as a video source showed that composite input gave predictably horrible results as dot crawl were extremely visible. Video input through S-video gave much better results, and component (Y Pb Br) produced the best quality output. The 2405FPW seems very sensitive to the video source as S-video results using a Playstation 2 as a DVD source produced ugly Moire patterns. "http://features.cgsociety.org/story_custom.php?story_id=3094&page=2

and this: "Moire Pattern - Moire Patterns (http://sandlotscience.com/Moire/Moire_frm.htm) that occure in computer generated images or from scanned images. These patterns are created either from "holes" left behind when the computer creates certain types of images mathematically or from the dots on what is scanned being out of phase with the scanner's resolution/orientation." -- which is what FS is doing to create the "world"
http://www.zen.home.att.net/graphicsbasics.html

Not much help perhaps but a bit more background.

harleyman

November 16th, 2008, 02:58

Wow Srgalahad.... That was quite a bit of digging you have done there..I thank you for that.....

However these moire patterns are not like mine at all...Mine look just like a rock that hits a smooth body of water.... When flying straight ahead all is just amazing..Turning or pulling up or down produced these rippeling effects that run the screen....

But it really does appear to be interference of some sort..It is constant too...But I believe it to be comming from within.......

Here are some of my tests...

1) 19" acer @ 1600X1050 DVI and VGA
2) New 24" Samsung 1920X1200 DVI and VGA (software installed)
3) LG 22" (returned) 1600X1050 DVI and VGA

Also I can install FSX on my wifes rig and completely duplicate the ripple effect on her 24" HP monitor W/ software installed

All has been done in Analog and Digital....

An Nvidia video card produces the same effects but V-Sync helps somewhat ( about 50%)

So..As you see I have tried it all..Cables..Different monitors..Drivers..Rigs..All to no susccess :banghead: LOL

kilo delta

November 16th, 2008, 03:04

Recently i had back surgery so beforehand I bought 4 of the latest pc games to play while I recouped.

I'm in the same boat.....I'd surgery on my back too. Haven't really been using my PC's much since the op and tend to stick with my gaming notebook during my recovery. First Person Shooters and high doses of painkillers = a unique gaming experience :costumes::costumes::isadizzy:

Regards, CRT vs LCD technology.............i'll stick with my lcd ,thanks.:d

harleyman

November 16th, 2008, 03:07

JimJam and Kilo Delta.....

Sometimes I get so involved with my little piddeling problem I forget whats really importany.....

You guys heal and get well and back to normal quickly ....:redf:

LOl@ gaming on meds.........I can see it now....:costumes:

kilo delta

November 16th, 2008, 03:25

Thanks Mason....I'm recovering well and hope to be back at work in the New Year:wiggle:

Regarding "gaming under the influence"..........think of it as a combination of "Black Hawk Down" and "Trainspotting" :icon_lol:

Roger

November 16th, 2008, 04:42

Mason,
Is the problem more noticable with low light such as night flying? I have a problem with what I'll call "noise bands" that are hrizontal but with no defined shape. They flicker and are most noticable in low light conditions especiall in vc.

Roger.

Wozza

November 16th, 2008, 06:15

Hi Harleyman
Long shot not sure if its been asked,but have you tried taking a screen shot when the wave effect happens.If you can capture it in a screen shot its related to your video card/system, if its not in the screen capture then its pointing to a monitor problem.I wondering if your having ground loop issues.have you tried different power points?,you could try using extension cords to different power points around the house.
Wozza

harleyman

November 16th, 2008, 07:10

@ Roger...its constant day or night..no difference.....

@ Wooza... We have consitered that exazt thing..I moved the computer out into my shop...Its power comes directly from a 200A main on the back of my house..The shop was wired by a company and has its own 150A box.All the wiring is grounded and fresh....... BUT

The sorce might be commine Pre-My house from the power company before it gets to my house...I had a line hit by a bulldozer several years ago during some remodeling,..it blew one leg of the three that are burried comming from the city side...it was repaired and that next Christmas Eve that repaired leg underground blew again due to a bad boot repair and water getting in..It was dug up and repaired again and has been good for 2 years now...

I am going to this week take it up the hill to another house I own where my mother in law now lives and try it on her power supply.....If that is the problem I will look into the electric company comming here and fixing..I do have whole house power protection on my house amd use a UPS back up at my rigs.....

No I can't capture it on screen capture..........

This has been suggested to do before but just have not had the time.....

On a lighter note..The Christmas Eve when the power leg blew I woke up at about 3 AM to finds lights in the house doing all sorts of crazy things...if I turned on say the kitchen ,the bathroom would go off...When the outdoor lights came on ,the kitchen went dark...LOL At about 5 Christmas morning there were 3 work trucks in my drive and on the road looking into the problem,all with their lights flashing and such..it was a mess...They sent for a transformer from another county that would take one leg and boost it into two to power my house......

The kids never woke...:costumes: By 6 all was over and we had Christmas as normal....HeHe

So it is very possible its my power to the house then..i will check tomorrow as its time for football....LOL

Thanks