Is it worth it?

[Foxtrot Sport]

Hi, I have had FS2002 pro for about a year and have been thinking about gettingn FS2004 since it came out.  So I have come to ask if it is really worth it to spend the extra 40-50 bucks on the new version or not.  By the way, my computer isnt all that great, being a year old and a Gateway.  Thanx for your input!

[Scottler]

Depends on your system specs.  ;)

[arkieflyer]

As Hyperion said, it can depend on your system.  Also if you are interested, go to www.compusa.com.  Type in flight simulator 2004 and games.  The price there is $29.99, something like that.  Also be sure to check if there is still a rebate, there was, $20.  Not bad.  You can order on line or check if there is a store in your area, and if they have it in stock.  Give it a try.

[Foxtrot Sport]

Hi,

Intel Pentium 4 processor
128 mb video card

thats' about all i know, i dont have teh specs in front of me, but i can tell you that it is a christmas gift, 2 christmas's ago, making it about 2 and 1/2 years old.  It is a gateway and was pretty much the barely above average computer at the time.  Sounds pretty crappy, BUT I have been running Flight Simulator 2K2 for about a year as i said at full realism and the frame-rate isn't that bad.  (It isn't a slideshow that is for sure).  I have been reading reviews about FS2004 and i have heard that it is a considerable step up with comp. power.  So, would getting FS2004 really make the frame-rate, or overall beauty take a nose-dive?  Or will it run fine with realism considerably down.  Sorry for the bad specs, but i can't find the sheet with all of them on it.  Thanx  ;D

[goodfella]

As you have a 128mb graphics card and a P4 you should be able to run FS2004 with no problems! I myself had been running 2004 on an Emachines with a celeron 900 and an 8 bit graphics for 7 months! Im not sure how I coped as iv just built my new system which gets me awsome graphics and frames. Its made me realise how good FS can look. Also the fact that you have most sliders maxed out, you've got nothing to wory about.

The main improvement over 2002 for me was the new weather effects. Clouds and sunsets look almost real which is what simulation is all about - realism! But its up to you realy. Check the sreenshots section and see the quality of graphics compared to system specs to get an idea of what you expect to get from 2004. The amount of RAM you have will be an important factor.

If I was you Id just buy it, try it out, then if your not happy return it and gt your money back.

[Foxtrot Sport]

Hey thanx,

I thought that it shouldn't work that slow cuz i have been running FS2002 for a while and it works fine, but then again you never know cuz FS2004 needs more comp. power.  I am going 2 go buy it next week and then uninstall FS2002.  Thanx 4 your input.  ;D

[mc602]

Hello,

as Goodfella said,the amount of ram is important.
If you have windows XP,one G is ideal.

[Saitek]

Well this ram thing is a con as far as I'm concerned. 512mb is more than enough. It works beautiful on my computer on top specs. Better still on a Pentium  than an intel celeron.  ::)

Ben

[Foxtrot Sport]

I have XP home if that matters, but i still am unsure on teh ram.  Thanx

[Iroquois]

That P4 should handle FS2004 just fine. It doesn't matter what version of Windows XP you have. It does like Ram, both system and video. I recomend 512mb.

If you want to know how much RAM you have, simply right click "My Computer" and select "properties".

[Triple_7]

I think it depends on how smooth you want it to run.  I still have FS2002 pro that i have been running for a while now.  I still can not max out the sliders and have a hard time just getting the frames to stay above 20 with things set at about half.  I bought and tryed FS2004 a while back and even with everything turned down to as low as they get i only got frames of 3-4 even though this system is well over the specs it takes to run.  But then again there are a few people that have computers simialar and have no problems.  I think it is just me and my luck.  But the only way to find out is to try it out  Depending on where you get it you could always take it back for a refund if it does not work to your specifications...   anyways, good luck

[ronfad]

I have a Gateway
Windows XP
P4 1.4 gig
512 ram (Rambus)
128 Nvidia Gforce card
2 years old.

And I have no problems except for the ones I cause. *lol*
Any one know how I lost my contrails?

[Foxtrot Sport]

K I found the sheet with my specs on it and unfortunately it appears i have over-estimated the power.  I have:

Pentium 4
128MB DDR SDRAM
40GB UATA100 5400RPM Hard Drive
XP Home
and an unfortunate 64 mb of video card...

being that crappy, on a scale of 1-10 give the the output that my comp would do FS2004.  (1 being slideshow slow, and 10 being like the screenshots on the microsoft site) Thanx

[Scottler]

2-3

[Foxtrot Sport]

ok well i guess i'll just spend the money on Halo 2... in november... Thanx