FSX Gold install

Greetings everyone, I recently purchased a new Dell; I7 chip, 6 GB ram (thought I ordered 12!) an ATI 4850 512MB, and 2 320GB hard drives configured Raid 0. The OS is Vista 64. I finally bought FSX Gold Edition w Acceleration so I am a complete newbie to FSX.

Is there a guide specifically for setting up Vista prior to this specific FSX Gold version installation? I have read that once FSX is installed there are certain procedures such as allowing the initial default flight to load, then shutting down FSX and rebooting. Then defraging. Is this still the same for this Gold version too?

I just want to have an extremely realistic simulator with as close to max settings as possible. I assume my ATI 4850 512 card is not a hindrance and is very suitable for my goals.

Thanks for any help and/or guidance hopefully getting me set up correctly to start with. This pc is for flight sims only...FSX, FS9, Pacific Fighters, maybe IL2 and hopefully CFS2 also.

Hi...First off are you sure you only have 1/2 your ram? many sticks today are 2 Gig sticks..

Second...Raid 0 will not do a thing for FSX..But you can keep it or drop it ..But if you drop it you will need to do a OS reinstall....


Reason to drop Raid0?? FSX with Acceleration is far happier on its own drive....Now you have to install to C? drive..Which is in raid with your second HDD.. But its still OK to leave like that...

Defragg your HDDs
Install FSX
Load a flight ..Fly a minute...Close
Defragg again
Install Acceleration




That 4870 will rock FSX..I have a CCC set up guide here for it too to follow...
Load a flight..Fly a minute..Close ..Defragg
Set up your sliders and Control panels(ATI or Nvidia)



You ca reboot after each defragg...That will clear your memory...Not 100% necessary...


Always before and after any big FSX installs defragg...(like UTX,,GEX,,,FEX) like that


Hope this helps

Thanks Harleyman and yes it does help very much. I didn't want to just jump in with both feet and make a mess.

Yes I'm sure I only have 6GB ram as I checked it physically. I was sure I specified 12 though when I ordered it. I was only charged for 6. Can't complain as 6 is fast and it was here within 5 days. Can't get that speed from a local builder!

I am hoping that the Raid 0 will come in handy in other game apps like Pacific Fighters...hopefully but that is beyond my knowledge levels for now. Would it be possible or any advantage to keeping the Raid setup but running FSX from an external drive like a 320GB USB?

I saw a 1GB 4890 for sale on Newegg for $199 last weekend as a special but held off to see how this 4850 512 will do. But like additional ram, things will be cheaper in the future as more powerful hardware is released.

AS far as GEX, FEX and UTX installations maybe some day but in the future as I am a poor man for now...lol! I am happy for now though!

Thank you again for the help Harleyman...

FSX will run off an external drive..BUT

how well really depends on your motherboard, chipset, and speed of its controllers......

I would not recomend it..

FSX will be fine on a Raid ) stripe...It just has no advantages, and acceleration will just sit with the OS is all....

Reason to drop Raid0?

If you decide to keep RAID0, please please please back up any essential files. If one HD goes down you lose 1/2 your data. I speak as one who learned the hard way, and that was with relatively new Seagate drives from Dell.
There is no huge benefit to RAID0 from my experience, it is claimed to be faster although I cannot say I noticed any difference when I used it.

Well I was always curious about the raid configs and all I have read and for years now were how blazing fast RAID setups were. Now I finally have one. I understand about losing 1/2 all info...just the chance ones takes.

Roger that Naismith, after a crash several years ago I have a 120 and a 320 external setup strictly for backup and storage. In fact all my flight sim backups are on the 320. I am planning on not putting anything on these 320's in Raid that I can't afford to lose. Oh it'll be a pain in the ... however I'll never lose any files ever again. I lost FS9 (approx. 110+GB) with so much scenery and aircraft and other freeware stuff. I was sick when it happened so I learned the hard way. So I keep rar and zips on one hdd and the setup on another.

I have whatever the proprietary board that Dell uses with the i7 chips this month. The bad thing with this board is that any clocking isn't possible at all so I'm stuck at 2.66..for now anyway. Maybe a different board will unlock that 3.6+ that can be obtained but that is a future project.

I have read many links, pdf's, Notepad and Word files about what is worth doing vs. what is basically useless as far as tweaks for both Vista and FSX. I believe I will stick with the guides found here. The guides here seem to be done in a professional manner and by people in the know. We've all seen posts from all over the net that were questionable to say the least and I prefer not to get off on the wrong foot so to speak.

Thanks again for the guidance friends.

The good news is you have a nice computer..

The bad news is that IMO the i7 was no miracle cure for FSX...


But it will still fly the heck out of it....LOL


have fun

Lol..believe me Harley I can relate completely to your post my friend. I had to laugh at that! Funny but for me and for years now it always takes me some time to obtain decent enough hardware to fly the sim in it's upper settings only to realize a new MS sim is out and I am behind in equipment yet again!

And as always this latest pc will have to do for awhile. Any upgrades will consist of more memory and one of those 1GB 4890's!

All this will stand as gospel of course until Aces gets back together and releases FSXI and I will have to wait yet again until that latest 6.xxGHZ chip is affordable! Isn't there medicine for this addiction...lol!

If you have no stuttering then there is no real reason to get the 4890 IMO...


What speed is your memory 1600???

Plus I think you will see not much difference between 6 gigs and 12 gigs in any games today...


Where did you get your computer? What company? Curious is all...

Roger that on the 1600 ram speed. I agree with you on the 6 vs. 12 as the 12 may be overkill for flight sims...for now anyway. I got this direct from Dell. It's an XPS i7 920 2.66Mhz. I had been contemplating a new pc for 6 months and had been looking and also thought about building yet another one with an AMD chip. I found this Dell with a base price of $899.00 and started to really question if I could do it myself that cheaply which in the long run I couldn't hence the purchase.

I of course beefed it up some with the 4850, a nice Creative sound card I had, BluRay DVD etc. I thought about Logitech Z-5500 audio but will hold off for now ($399? pffft) as I have Bose Companion 2 speakers hooked to it and it sounds pretty good after tinkering with the sound programs from Creative and Vista. Winamp soon to follow tho...

My only complaint is that the Dell m/board won't allow me to mess with the I7 and clock it somewhat. But it is fast already so...until I get another board I'll make do...as if I need more speed for what I am running right?

I do wish I had more time to get this set up going the way I want it but food, sleep and other "alleged" essentials are in the way! What a shame huh? Muhahaha

You may find that the i7 at stock speed just pisses you off with FSX....


I build and sell a complete computer for FSX at app. 750.00 bucks..No tweaking needed....:bump:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by harleyman

You may find that the i7 at stock speed just pisses you off with FSX....


I build and sell a complete computer for FSX at app. 750.00 bucks..No tweaking needed....:bump:

---

So noted on the i7 Harley but for right now it will have to do. I added up the costs of the case, I7, motherboard, graphics, sound and finally a ps and I was over $1070 if memory serves me so I went with the Dell as it was almost $200 cheaper. Never fails though as no matter what you do there is always a better way but after the fact. This has to last for a few years so I applied the old addage...get the fastest chip and memory you can afford.

Btw, This Dell was NOT filled with useless crapware which surprised me big time. I had already planned on gutting it all as priority #1 but I didn't have to!

I do remember reading somewhere about assigning four cores to FSX only for improvement...not sure if that works or not. Time will tell I suppose unless you know?

Don't get me wrong..That is an outstanding rig you got...Just to bad they lock you out the BIOS is all...

I say for now forget about assigning cores , etc..just load FSX and fly..Then apply tweaks as needed...

We are here to help with that if you need...:icon29:

Thank you much for the assistance Harley and I will take you up on your offer. So far so good. No issues to speak of as yet. Vista isn't as bad as I've heard/read. And Win7 is a polished up Vista but again only what I have read!

Btw, I lived in NC and not far from you as I moved to Salisbury in 1980. In '87 a work transfer moved me near the coast in Williamston and then in 2003 18 miles south of there to "lil Washington." All south of E. City on Highway 17. Retired now though. My oldest son lives near you in Stateville too as a matter of fact. Small world it really is sometimes! I do miss the coast in NC though! Fishing and hunting was my thing...along with flying of course! :unitedstates:

Wow...It is a small world... I love E.City...

I was just near your way today..Went to Clayton to deliver a custom computer I built for a member ....Well..Sorta near.....LOL


So, your son now lives in Statesville? Is he nuts about planes too?

Harley my son, who is near you in Statesville, is now a nuke engineer and plant operator at McGuire. Not bad at 30 years old I must say. He was, at one time, into sims especially Falcon 4.0 but the original. But he ventured into that Tie fighter stuff. We all flew back then (5 kids!) with FS 2000 Pro. I remember Micropose Fleet Defender http://www.ibiblio.org/GameBytes/issue18/misc/f-14.html was popular with the kids and I as was Chuck Yeager's Combat (http://www.migman.com/ref/1990_comba...huckYeager.htm). But now, since he is married, I guess other issues in his life have become front page. In time perhaps he will get back into it again. My other son btw was into sims too but now is in LA and works for Second City TV and is trying to break into comedy. Yeah he was funny growing up alright...and I can only assume that being a wise ass is akin to comedy in their generation I suppose! Lol...but that was then and this is now.

Funny tho Harley, as our children mature (us included), they start realizing maybe "Pop" knew something afterall! That old saying about the more things change the more they stay the same seems to ring true; but one has to mature to understand that for what is really means! Hehe, it is, in a way, sort of a just reward for all the years we spoke as parents too and now they too "speak the language!"

And this i7 rig is pretty nice IMHO! Soon I will start messing with FSX seriously BUT only following Nick N's and your guides as gospel! Thanks for that my friend!

Only have a minute..Lunch is ready..

my father in law was a pipe fitter at Mcguire ....


Lunch time..I never miss that...LOL

Roger that about lunch...I was a millwright for a few years at old Fiber Industries in Barbersville. Back when Celanese owned it!