New computer

[expat]

Bought a new computer recently. It is a Pentium dule core 2,8 with 1 Gig of ram and a 512MB graphic card.
Am I expecting to much?, the computer just seems slow. FS2004 does not seem that much different from my old machine. That was a Pentium3 2.4 with a 128MB card.
For example I am running Aerofly Professional Delux (a radio control training/practice program). It was designed to run on machines with a much lower speck and I am only getting 12fps from it. I would have expected much more.
Tried all the normal stuff, defrag, closing other app's etc, but I am just left disappointed. Any ideas?

Mat

[cheesegrater]

What kind of graphic card is the 512MB?

FS9 only uses a single core so having a dual core doesn't help much. I would expect single cores to be faster than lower end dual cores in FS9. You can try the Microsoft dual core hotfix, I'm not sure if it helps though.

You can benchmark the system with 3DMark05 and compare it to scores of similar systems to see if your system is performing the way it should be.

[congo]

Yeah, it sounds like it's definitely screwed, I'd start again and listen to my advice it if were me, but then I'm not you  ;D

Here's what I do.

Partition 20gb or so for Windows on c: drive and format and install windows. Not just any windows, but a fully updated custom install disk, so it's all up to date with no need to have any auto updating turned on or any internet connection set up at all.

Make sure all the device drivers for your system are correctly installed,
(best to get the latest drivers beforehand and put them all on the second partition of the hard disk you plan on installing into the system).

Run 3Dmark and get some scores at default settings and compare with similar systems to your's, this way you know if there is a problem with anything game related before you go any further.

All good? Then install your software and start having fun.

Pretty soon you'll start seeing the PC slowing down as you install a myriad of "essential applications" which are not essential at all, in the slightest, or even remotely so by any stretch of the imagination.

So, start  again..... this time, don't install all that other rubbish until you have the skills to disable the hundreds of sneaky application that go along with them.

Seriously though, A dedicated HDD with a separate windows install devoted exclusively to Flight Sim is not such a silly idea. It's almost always added software that screws everything up.

[ctjoyce]

My question is what card is it? Its most likely a low end RAM eater. If this is the case, then your situation is normal of OEM builds, and you need to get a new card to see the preformance you were hoping for.

Cheers
Cameron

[expat]

My card is a GeForce 7300E

Matt

[Mees]

That's it, the 7300 EATS RAM!!!

[expat]

That's it, the 7300 EATS RAM!!!

What does that mean and why?


Matt

[Viper22]

The 7300 uses your system memory for its own memory.  So you have 1GB of system memory, but when you play games you only have 512MB of system memory because the other 512 is being used by that graphics card.

[expat]

The 7300 uses your system memory for its own memory.  So you have 1GB of system memory, but when you play games you only have 512MB of system memory because the other 512 is being used by that graphics card.

So the answer it either more RAM or a new card.........what ever is cheapest

Matt

[cheesegrater]

Get a new card, it will make everything a lot faster. 7300LE is a very slow card to begin with. It only has 4 pixel pipelines and 64-bit memory interface. By today's standards that's not even a budget gaming card. 3D applications are most dependant on graphic cards.

Anyways another gig of RAM will cost at least $100 anyways. You can get a 7600GT for $130.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814130062

[expat]

Thanks for the replies, guess I have to get my wallet out  :'(

Matt

[ctjoyce]

If your gettin the wallet out, the eVGA 7900GS is only $180, and will give you much better preformance than the 7600GT.

Cheers
Cameron

[DizZa]

Or you can get the X1950pro. These are faster than 7900GS's with better image quality, however they're often heavily overpriced.

Heres a good deal:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814121031

As a matter of fact, I MAY buy one myself.

[cheesegrater]

Cool, nice to see Asus putting good prices on their cards.

[ctjoyce]

Or you can get the X1950pro. These are faster than 7900GS's with better image quality, however they're often heavily overpriced.

Heres a good deal:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814121031

As a matter of fact, I MAY buy one myself.

Heres your problem. That card has been out of stock for two months, and they don't plan to get any more in for the holidays (them being newegg)......or so said their e-mail. I too saw that deal, and thought it was too good to be true. Aparently so.

Cheers
Cameron