Inspiring topic

[OleBoy]

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?t=38940&p=437678&viewfull=1#post437678

Very inspiring topic. I've yet to step up to the pay window to make any purchases, although I've been reading quite a bit about the hardware choices and configurations others are using. Over the last few months prices on most everything have come down considerably. And the thought of building a new FSX computer a cheaper investment.

My main concerns at this point are the video card and the hard drive(s). ATI cards have been my choice for many years. I never had any troubles with them when I enjoyed general gaming. But after all I've read related to FSX, I'm leaning towards the nVidia GTX 480 Fermi. From what others are saying they are the best choice for the flight simulators.

...I've thought about SSD for drives, but cost in relation to capacity (especially for FSX) would take a huge drive to be effective.

I also want to enjoy FS2004 on the same machine. Different drives for each sim.

My brain is humming the song by Carly Simon "Anticipation" But in my case it's renamed to "Procrastination"

[jmig]

I have run both ATI and nVidia cards. my last three cards have been an nVidia 8800GTS, an ATI 4870 and I just purchased an ATI 5850 for the new computer I just built. Of the three the only card I had problems with in FSX was the 8800.

Both ATI cards have looked wonderful to me and have given me no problems. I admit that I am currently running the 4870 on a single projector at 1280-1080 pixels. The new 5850 is pushing a single 19 monitor at the same resolution while I install and test everything. It will later replace the current computer which will become my desk computer and the desk computer will become my second simulator computer, to run the gauges and I/O cards for my cockpit. Confused yet? :)

In my opinion, unless you are running your new computer in super Cray configeration, i.e., 4+ GHz with liquid helium cooling, you won't see a difference in usable frame rates between either companies GPUs.

To maybe help you with a visual/ The new computer I just built and which, I am loading the tons of stuff on to make FSX flyable to me is currently pushing 40-70 fps while in unlimited.

As a test, I loaded up the Iris T-6 II, not known to be frame friendly, I took off from Anchorage, Alaska with UTX-Alaska, GEX and REX2 loaded. The sliders are all full right with the exception of the texture size, which is set at 5 cm and the autogen slider which is set at dense, rather than super dense.

I flew over Anchorage at 3000 feet and my frame never dropped below 24 fps.

[OleBoy]

John, thanks for responding.
...I figured the best way to go about it was to create my own topic, rather than butt in on yours.

I've always been an ATI guy. Years ago I had a nVidia VC and didn't care for it. From then on I used ATI. Only thing that I never cared for, was the fact that the drivers were not kept up to date as often as I would have wanted them to be. There were many forums and reviews where the subject of drivers were like a lit fuse to a firecracker. All in all, I was happy.

General aviation, low-n-slow, vintage and seeing the sights are my type of flights. Even though I was in the military, I've never been much interested in them in the flightsim. Oh, I have a couple military types so I am fibbing a bit. But that is likely the extent of it.

Bye the way, now you've started a debate in my brain again..lol. I was set on getting the nVidia Fermi. Whoa is me. Decisions decisions. nVidia/ATI, ATI/nVidia. It all depends on who you talk to as-to what is the best way to go:jump:

[jmig]

Don, Personally, I think you will be happy with whichever company you go with. Both make excellent products and you are in the upper tier of their lines. They should work well.