awalke23
01-18-2009, 03:10 PM
I've been absorbing all the information I can find on FSX systems and what makes them tick. I plan on building a system very soon, and I thought I would share what I have learned to help make things less painful for others who may follow.
If you have a few hours to kill the articles below were especially helpful:
http://www.simforums.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=28606
http://orbxsystems.com/forums/index.php?topic=6700.0
http://blogs.msdn.com/ptaylor/archive/2007/03/03/fsx-more-on-sli-and-multi-core.aspx
http://blogs.msdn.com/ptaylor/archive/2007/04/09/fsx-sp1-news-intel-quote.aspx
If you don't have a few hours to kill, then a brief summary might go something like this:
-FSX is a processor heavy game, get the fastest processor you can find with the fastest connection to your memory. (Yes, this means an i7)
-FSX won't utilize much more than 4GB of RAM (remember it is an older 32-bit application, so loading your rig up with 12GB on Vista 64 would be no better than 6GB in Vista 64), ideally a FSX system should be an x58 MOBO, with 6GB of triple-channel DDR3 memory at 1333 or 1600 with the lowest possible CL. The better the synergy between your cpu and your memory the better FSX will work. **This will make a much more significant impact on FSX performance than the GPU will**
-FSX either doesn't benefit at all, or benefits only slightly from SLI. In some instances users have actually reported detrimental effects resulting from the use of SLI (bringing framerates down). You will be better off with a single top-end GPU, and putting your money into the system instead.
-FSX is better run on nVidia cards because ATi cards are shader engine cards aimed at newer games. FSX uses an older rendering engine and scenery/weather is created using a different technology.
-We are still not at a point where hardware will allow you to run FSX with all sliders at full (although it's getting close). FSX is "old and heavy" and newer technologies are leaving it behind. So keep in mind that you will still have to compromise when building a brand-new system. Traffic, Water, and Clouds are the biggest memory hogs; so start with those when tweaking FSX for performance. *Water is especially detrimental because it is rendered several times depending on the effects you choose*
I hope this helps anybody going through the FSX blues, and I am by no means a tech guru like these other guys; so if I have relayed bad info or if somebody has found something that works that they'd like to share... please do. :)
If you have a few hours to kill the articles below were especially helpful:
http://www.simforums.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=28606
http://orbxsystems.com/forums/index.php?topic=6700.0
http://blogs.msdn.com/ptaylor/archive/2007/03/03/fsx-more-on-sli-and-multi-core.aspx
http://blogs.msdn.com/ptaylor/archive/2007/04/09/fsx-sp1-news-intel-quote.aspx
If you don't have a few hours to kill, then a brief summary might go something like this:
-FSX is a processor heavy game, get the fastest processor you can find with the fastest connection to your memory. (Yes, this means an i7)
-FSX won't utilize much more than 4GB of RAM (remember it is an older 32-bit application, so loading your rig up with 12GB on Vista 64 would be no better than 6GB in Vista 64), ideally a FSX system should be an x58 MOBO, with 6GB of triple-channel DDR3 memory at 1333 or 1600 with the lowest possible CL. The better the synergy between your cpu and your memory the better FSX will work. **This will make a much more significant impact on FSX performance than the GPU will**
-FSX either doesn't benefit at all, or benefits only slightly from SLI. In some instances users have actually reported detrimental effects resulting from the use of SLI (bringing framerates down). You will be better off with a single top-end GPU, and putting your money into the system instead.
-FSX is better run on nVidia cards because ATi cards are shader engine cards aimed at newer games. FSX uses an older rendering engine and scenery/weather is created using a different technology.
-We are still not at a point where hardware will allow you to run FSX with all sliders at full (although it's getting close). FSX is "old and heavy" and newer technologies are leaving it behind. So keep in mind that you will still have to compromise when building a brand-new system. Traffic, Water, and Clouds are the biggest memory hogs; so start with those when tweaking FSX for performance. *Water is especially detrimental because it is rendered several times depending on the effects you choose*
I hope this helps anybody going through the FSX blues, and I am by no means a tech guru like these other guys; so if I have relayed bad info or if somebody has found something that works that they'd like to share... please do. :)