Mini PC for FSX

[scda]

Hello,
I am a big fun of flying in FSX.
Unfortunately I will be away from home for some long time.
Question is if I buy a mini PC like one below it will be able to run FSX in some reasonable way?

Dell OptiPlex 3020M, Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core G3250T 2.80GHz, 4GB, 500GB, Intel® HD Graphics

The price is about 280 EUR which I can afford for the purpose. I already have a display and all other ... .
I usually fly default Cessna-172 in Vatsim, F-18 for aircraft carriers and I use some scenery from UK2000.

Regards,
Cristi

[Fozzer]

My previous Tower Computer had a 2.8 GHz Pentium dual core, with a 4GB nvidia GT 6600 graphics card, and 8 GB of System Ram, and it ran FS 2004 with everything maxed....

...but it really struggled with FSX, and most/all the settings had to be turned down, so in the end it was no better than FS 2004!

To run FSX satisfactorily I had to get an 3.9 GHz Intel i7 Tower computer, (or at least an Intel i5 computer).

I suspect that your computer will run FSX, but you will have to lower most of the graphics, etc, settings, to get any satisfaction from it!

FSX prefers very fast Processors!... ...!

Paul.... ...!

[papituwall]

Same experience as Fozzer here.
Processor apart, with the Intel integrated graphics, you won't get a proper antialiasing.
Maybe you should consider to install FS9, and force antialiasing with Sweetfx but this will kill the fps. That's I have tested in a similar Laptop but 2.4 Ghz.

[scda]

Hello,
Thanks for your feedback.
I know some lucky guys are running some "space ship" PC's with max'ed FSX. My needs are not so far. In any case I never used FS2004.

I played FSX on some I3 processor (sorry I do not remember processor frq.) and for me was fine. But I did not used add-on scenery.

Is there anyone using a setup similar to what I showed (may be not mini PC) with FSX?

Thanks

[ViperPilot]

Like what was posted before, the bottleneck in that System is both the Processor and the Intel Integrated Graphics. You have to make the jump into the i7 CPU and a robust standalone Graphics Card to get any sort of performance with FSX, especially if you've got UK2000 Scenery; I have read that those are very Graphics intensive.

I don't want to be the re-enforcer of bad news, but with your Price limitations that System is insufficient to run FSX. To be blunt, even with a 'vanilla' FSX Install no one is running with all of the sliders maxed out, even with a high end, overclocked, Water Cooled rig. Don't be fooled by someone's 'claims'...

It just ain't true.

I personally have a i5 2.5 Gb Laptop, with 4Gb RAM, W7 Pro 64 bit, running FS9. Payware airplanes, but no Payware Scenery. The only reason I can run FS9 with the Sliders maxed out is because it has a standalone 1Gb Graphics Card. I bought it Used, and it took me a good long while to finally find it.

Alan

[Fozzer]

My advice has always been, if you don't have the money for a sooper-dooper gaming computer, to have lots of fun with FSX, with many of the settings maxed for an amazing graphical experience ....

...then install FS 2004, and twiddle all the sliders around until you are running the Sim nice and SMOOTHLY, and you like what you see!

"SMOOTHLY" is the operative word!

You will be surprised just how good FS 2004 can become, with the careful settings!
...and most add-on scenery works fine with FS 2004, without frame rate drops. Lots of it around!....Just avoid installing complex airfields, (and LOCK the Frame Rate to 20FPS!).

There is a mountain of FREE stuff to improve the Autogen scenery effects; trees, ground, water, clouds, buildings, etc!... ...!

Don't write FS 2004 off, in your selection of Flight Sims!.... ....!

Note that there are very few complaints or problems with FS 2004!

Without my present computer, (details listed below), I would still be running my copy of FS 2004!

Paul....FSX AND FS 2004.... ...!

[garymbuska]

The cpu in my old system was a single core with hyper-threading which made it run as if it was a double core. I had 4 gig of ram as that was all my mother board would support, and a decent video card. With some minor tweaking I could run FS2004 maxed out but FSX I had to turn almost all the sliders down in order to get it to run smoothly.
I would imagine you can get FSX to run on the system you describe but you are going to have to turn down the sliders. One thing that will help you a lot is to limit the autogen scenery and turn down the BLOOM and lock your frame rate to 20. Doing this will help but you will still have to turn down the scenery quite a bit.
The problem here is the integrated graphics most if not all are not up to the task to handle FSX. A quad core would help and perhaps a better integrated graphics chip if they make one.
Shop around even if the system you find is not new I am sure you can find something that will work better.
But what the heck as long as you are happy with it go for it. Just do not expect a whole lot from it. I am just afraid that you will be disappointed with its performance.