win7-64 vs win8.1-64 ??

[Daveroo]

Hi all,
im back looking at PCs,in the past people have said win7-64bit was the way to go for FSX (im assuming for FSX.SE as well),but i see on here comments about people running win8.1
i keep hearing about MS giving win 10 to people who are buying new pc's..true/false?..and i use,FSX.SE,trains 2015,assetto corsa,and will get Pcars when out,i also have mapping programs i use,which all have updates that will only run on win8.1

bottomline..will those sims all run on win8.1?

[Christoph_T]

Hello Daveroo,

yes you are right.

Concernig Windows 10: It doesn't matter if you are buying 7 or 8. You will be able to upgrade for free.

I think you should stick with Windows 7. It is more like a desktop windows system should look like.

At the moment I am using the Preview-Version of Windows 10 and it is a big step forward, compared to Win8 that I used before!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe I should clarify that I am using P3Dv2 only. Under Win 8 I had problems with my controls. These are gone with the Win 10 preview already:-)
Most people I know, don't like the tablet-like desktop you get at the systemstart.

>>>> Windows 7 is what you want!

Hope that helps a bit.

Christoph

[Terry]

If you do go with 8.1 you can download the "Classic Shell" for free and then unlock the Godmode folder which gives you the tools to make it do what you want it to. On the downside 8.1 is not fully compatible with much of anything including FS9 & 10. Running it in compatibility mode with Vista sp2 does not seem to make any difference.

[Dumonceau]

Hello Daveroo,

yes you are right.

Concernig Windows 10: It doesn't matter if you are buying 7 or 8. You will be able to upgrade for free.

I think you should stick with Windows 7. It is more like a desktop windows system should look like.

At the moment I am using the Preview-Version of Windows 10 and it is a big step forward, compared to Win8 that I used before!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe I should clarify that I am using P3Dv2 only. Under Win 8 I had problems with my controls. These are gone with the Win 10 preview already:-)
Most people I know, don't like the tablet-like desktop you get at the systemstart.

>>>> Windows 7 is what you want!

Hope that helps a bit.

Christoph

I concur with F4F/Christophe. Windows 8.x is typically an operating system for Phones and tablets. And windows 10, which you will get for free is a damn promising operating system. I'm testing it at work and at home on "less than optimal" machines, i.e. steam engines. It runs beautifully. I haven't tested FSX on it (don't use it anymore) but FS9 runs brilliantly on an older laptop. Can't test P3D with those machines because none is DX11 compatible.

If you choose windows 7 64 bit, you'll get the Windows 10 free as an update. That IMHO is your ticket Dave! Windows 8.x is the Windows vista of the 21st century. Stay as for away from it as you can!

Take care,

Johan

[ejoiner]

If you do go with 8.1 you can download the "Classic Shell" for free and then unlock the Godmode folder which gives you the tools to make it do what you want it to. On the downside 8.1 is not fully compatible with much of anything including FS9 & 10. Running it in compatibility mode with Vista sp2 does not seem to make any difference.

I run windows 8.1 on my Lenovo Erazor X510 gaming desktop and it works just fine with FSX. No problems whatsoever. I do use the classic shell though. I like the Win7 style interface, but have found uses for the Win8 one too.

[Terry]

I run windows 8.1 on my Lenovo Erazor X510 gaming desktop and it works just fine with FSX. No problems whatsoever. I do use the classic shell though. I like the Win7 style interface, but have found uses for the Win8 one too.

I have found with both FS9 & 10 you must be in window mode when loading an aircraft, if your full screen the aircraft preview screen is black. I occasionally have to go back and forth between window and full screen to get it to change to full screen. 8.1 is a pain in the a__ for me.

[ejoiner]

I have found with both FS9 & 10 you must be in window mode when loading an aircraft, if your full screen the aircraft preview screen is black. I occasionally have to go back and forth between window and full screen to get it to change to full screen. 8.1 is a pain in the a__ for me.

I guess Im lucky. never had the first problem with FSX and this PC including any crash to desktop, which I used to have on occasion on XP and FS9.

[Daveroo]

well then...im going to stick with W& then,maybe grab the free ten upgrade when its still new and clean...

[JimmyRFR]

Just to add, although my main simming computer runs Win 7, I use Win 8.1 on my laptop for addon development and coding, and have had absolutely zero issues with running FSX.

[Naismith]

FWIW I am on day #4 of Windows 8.1. I hate it. It is so clunky and awkward to use after W7 64. Today I discovered they have deleted the simple games! I was installing FSGlobal which takes forever to install and in these cases I usually have a little Solitaire. It and the other games gone. Also Windows Defender -- that took some tracking down. Anyone would think the virus defeater would be easy enough to find.
I will be getting 10 when it is released. Sorely tempted to go back to 7 but that is on the wife's machine now.

[CG_1976]

I run windows 8.1 on my Lenovo Erazor X510 gaming desktop and it works just fine with FSX. No problems whatsoever. I do use the classic shell though. I like the Win7 style interface, but have found uses for the Win8 one too.

W8.1 64 here works for me perfectly with FSX, FSX/SE, P3D. I also have/use the classic shell feature. I am liking so far what is coming from W10 and the tester's. Hopfully although W10 forgets W8.1's drop sticks lol in FSX/FSXSE lol. That can get annoying. Thankfully P3D fixed it on there end.

[Montie]

I hate 8.1, its sluggish UI and lack of intuitive control, not at all desktop friendly in my opinion. Sure Classic Shell does help a lot, but I am never going to install it on my own system. I am waiting on Windows 10.

[dhazelgrove]

I'm running FS9, FSXA and P3D 2.5 under Windows 8.1 with absolutely no compatibility issues at all.
I can't understand why this issue keep on being raised.

Dave

[Dumonceau]

I'm running FS9, FSXA and P3D 2.5 under Windows 8.1 with absolutely no compatibility issues at all.
I can't understand why this issue keep on being raised.

Dave

Because of user (un)friendliness... Win 8.x is for tablets or phones, not for Desktop PC's and certainly not for gaming pc's!!!

[Tim-HH]

Because of user (un)friendliness... Win 8.x is for tablets or phones, not for Desktop PC's and certainly not for gaming pc's!!!

I disagree. Windows 8.1 is faster and less resource intensive than Windows 7. Also it's very easy to use once you get familiarized with it. All in all it's the right choice for a gaming PC.

Greetings
Tim

[Dumonceau]

I disagree. Windows 8.1 is faster and less resource intensive than Windows 7. Also it's very easy to use once you get familiarized with it. All in all it's the right choice for a gaming PC.

Greetings
Tim

It all boils down to being able to configure and maintain a gaming pc. And "less resource intensive than Windows 7"?? You are joking right?

[Tim-HH]

And "less resource intensive than Windows 7"?? You are joking right?

Why should I? Just do a quick Google search and you will find tons of informations on this subject:

Comparison Between Windows 7 and Windows 8 Memory Management System

In Windows 8, any program has the ability to allocate memory as "low priority." This is an important signal to Windows that if there is memory pressure, Windows can remove this low priority memory to make space, and it doesn't affect other memory required to sustain the responsiveness of the system.

Is Windows 8.1 lighter on the system resource than Windows 7?

Windows 8 (and subsequently 8.1) was designed to have a smaller footprint in terms of memory usage and background apps. Winner: Windows 8 – It’s faster and less resource intensive.

Windows 8.1 vs. Windows 7 – Which is best for you?

Overall, Windows 8.1 is better for everyday use and benchmarks than Windows 7, and extensive testing has revealed improvements such as PCMark Vantage and Sunspider.

Windows 8 Preview Beats Windows 7 in Most Performance Tests

Windows 8’s dramatic new interface may not be a runaway hit with PCWorld readers, but the numbers don’t lie: Even in its early form, this is promising to be the leanest, most efficient incarnation of Windows to date.

Should You Upgrade to Windows 8.1? Questions to Consider

Better performance: Windows 8.1 uses less RAM and fewer CPU resources than Windows 7 and therefore runs faster.

Windows 8 vs Windows 7: Speed Tests

Yes, this is not even the RTM, or final release of Windows 8, but the early test results are encouraging. New hardware will, of course, make the new OS scream, particularly if you opt for SSD storage.

Greetings
Tim

[JimmyRFR]

When I had to upgrade my laptop a year and a half or so ago, I was dreading the idea of Windows 8. I had been (and still am) using Windows 7 on my desktop, and I'd heard how awful w8 was supposed to be.

And to be honest, it did take me awhile to get used to it, and yes, without the 8.1 upgrade, the UI did suck.

But with the 8.1 upgrade, I've actually grown to appreciate it quite a bit. The only big change to me is the start menu screen, and I don't mind it. And for a laptop, the ability to connect to a WiFi access point nearly instantly is a very big plus since I'm constantly tethering to my phone.

And I've yet to hit any sort of compatibility issue. I run the same suite of applications on both machines, so for the most part I barely even notice switching between the two.

[fsafranek]

I run 8.1 and it works just fine. I recently uninstalled FSX and reinstalled it to the root (E:/FSX) rather than under "Program Files (x86)".
When I first built this system a year ago I did use the "Classic Shell" interface program (I'm not a fan of all the touch screen boxes) but
took it off recently and have found that the Win8.1 "Desktop" view is just fine as is.