is this system good for FSX and if not, how can I upgrade it?

[imagine]

I never ran FSX on it because it doesn't have an internet connection, but I can get one easily if it proves to run better than my little Gateway NV 53 laptop. It is currently a Dell Demension E510 running Windows XP. The Specs follow:

Radeon X300 SE 128MB HyperMemory

Intel(R)Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz

Intel(R)Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz (It was listed twice on the device manager)

Would this run the demanding add-ons for FSX at a decent Framerate with close to, if not maximum settings? And if not, how can I upgrade it for about 200 USD? If you need anymore information about the computer feel free to ask.

[Slotback]

That computer is too outdated to play FSX with modern add-ons at higher settings no matter how many upgrades. If that's your goal then you will not be able to achieve it with $200, so spending it would be nothing more than a waste of money.

In my opinion, you're best off saving until you can get an entirely new one. The slowest and cheapest computer that I would expect to run FSX well with addons is:


Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz (3.4GHz Turbo Boost) $190
ASRock Z68 PRO3 GEN3 $112
4GB (2x2GB) DDR3-1600 CL9 $30
GTX 560 $180
Antec Three Hundred Case $60
500GB HDD 7200rpm $80
PC Power and Cooling Silencer MK III 600W $90
total: $742 + shipping not including rebates. Prices from newegg.

If you don't want to build it yourself then make sure to get that processor (or faster) as well as that videocard (or faster) and 4GB of RAM (or more).

Incidentally, this is about the same as the specifications that MS Flight runs on high settings with, according to MS.

[Fozzer]

I have purchased all the M$ Flight simulators since FS '98 was released, with marginal, low-cost, upgrades to my Hardware each time.
FS '98, FS 2000, FS 2002, FS 2004, and FSX.
I was recently given a Dell Dimension 5000 Tower computer:

BTX case and Motherboard.
320W PSU.
Intel Dual Core, Pentium 4, 2.8 Ghz Processor.
2 GB System memory.
nVidia Geforce 6600 128 MB PCIe Graphics.
250 GB HDD

I immediately upgraded it at low cost:
n-Vidia GeForce 9500GT 1GB PCIe Graphics...(The best, without overloading the PSU).
Extra 2GB Memory (now 4 GB).
Additional 250 GB HDD.

This obviously runs my lovely copy of FS 2004 SMOOTHLY, with everything maxed...
...but there is no way in a million years that it will run my copy of FSX!
For me to be able to use my copy of FSX would require me to sell my soul to the Devil, and install a Cray Supercomputer, costing more money than I could possibly afford!

I am still at a loss to understand why the design and programming of FSX is so demanding on the Hardware than any of my previous Flight Sims, including FS 2004!

[Dave71K]

I'm not sure about other countries but it seems in ithe U.K buying a system the can run FSX at high settings (i5 + with a dedicated graphics card) your looking at around at least

[Slotback]

I'm also only really talking about laptops, desktops are far to 20th century.

With laptops you're paying for the form factor rather than actual performance. Sort of like a smart phone. For the same price you will get enormously better performance with a desktop computer than a laptop. I use a netbook plus desktop.

Example:

Mobile:
Intel

[Dave71K]

I'm also only really talking about laptops, desktops are far to 20th century.

With laptops you're paying for the form factor rather than actual performance. Sort of like a smart phone. For the same price you will get enormously better performance with a desktop computer than a laptop.

Example:

Mobile:
Intel

[Fozzer]

In the past I have always built my own Desktop and Tower Computers since the early 1990's.
This has always allowed my to update

[Slotback]

I think computers really need to catch up

Higher frequencies with the same design will always put out more heat. Adding more cores will always put out more heat. So for the same amount of money, desktops will always be faster, there's no real way around it.

If you get a laptop you will have to spend a lot more to get the same performance if it's even possible at all.

there's not many people who are willing to use a desktop these days.

40% of PCs sold are desktops. Most users of which do not use demanding software like FSX.

On the steam (an online distribution platform for games (and simulators)) hardware survey, the top 14 graphics accelerators were desktop and 65% of users were using desktop graphics, 10% were using mobile graphics, and 25% could be using either.

Most people who use steam, an online distribution platform for games (and simulators) therefore are on desktops. I don't see why steam would be much different from the flight simulation community.

[imagine]

That computer is too outdated to play FSX with modern add-ons at higher settings no matter how many upgrades. If that's your goal then you will not be able to achieve it with $200, so spending it would be nothing more than a waste of money.

In my opinion, you're best off saving until you can get an entirely new one. The slowest and cheapest computer that I would expect to run FSX well with addons is:


Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz (3.4GHz Turbo Boost) $190
ASRock Z68 PRO3 GEN3 $112
4GB (2x2GB) DDR3-1600 CL9 $30
GTX 560 $180
Antec Three Hundred Case $60
500GB HDD 7200rpm $80
PC Power and Cooling Silencer MK III 600W $90
total: $742 + shipping not including rebates. Prices from newegg.

If you don't want to build it yourself then make sure to get that processor (or faster) as well as that videocard (or faster) and 4GB of RAM (or more).

Incidentally, this is about the same as the specifications that MS Flight runs on high settings with, according to MS.

First off, I'd like to thank you all for the information. I have never built my own computer or made any upgrades, so I am in way over my head with this stuff. I may be able to scrounge up enough money for these components, but I have no idea on how to build it. Is it relatively self-explanatory, and would I be able to do it without much trouble?

[Dave71K]

Higher frequencies with the same design will always put out more heat. Adding more cores will always put out more heat. So for the same amount of money, desktops will always be faster, there's no real way around it.

Basically what this proves is real high performance in a computer system is only available to people who are willing have a desktop in there house with a cooling system comparable to that on your average size nuclear power plant.

[Fozzer]

I am always a bit confused with these new-fangled Laptop thingies... :-/...!

What happens after you have purchased your new "rather-expensive" Laptop, and after a while you notice that it is struggling to run your latest super-dooper games?.... ...!

Do you dismantle it, and unsolder the Central Processor, Graphics chip, Memory Chips, Power supply components, etc, (using special extraction tools), and re-solder in the latest

[Slotback]

That computer is too outdated to play FSX with modern add-ons at higher settings no matter how many upgrades. If that's your goal then you will not be able to achieve it with $200, so spending it would be nothing more than a waste of money.

In my opinion, you're best off saving until you can get an entirely new one. The slowest and cheapest computer that I would expect to run FSX well with addons is:


Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz (3.4GHz Turbo Boost) $190
ASRock Z68 PRO3 GEN3 $112
4GB (2x2GB) DDR3-1600 CL9 $30
GTX 560 $180
Antec Three Hundred Case $60
500GB HDD 7200rpm $80
PC Power and Cooling Silencer MK III 600W $90
total: $742 + shipping not including rebates. Prices from newegg.

If you don't want to build it yourself then make sure to get that processor (or faster) as well as that videocard (or faster) and 4GB of RAM (or more).

Incidentally, this is about the same as the specifications that MS Flight runs on high settings with, according to MS.

First off, I'd like to thank you all for the information. I have never built my own computer or made any upgrades, so I am in way over my head with this stuff. I may be able to scrounge up enough money for these components, but I have no idea on how to build it. Is it relatively self-explanatory, and would I be able to do it without much trouble?

Personally, I cannot stand buying computers from Dell, ACER (and so on) because even if they have the right processor, ram, and videocard... (they often don't) which are the important parts regarding performance... they may be difficult to upgrade or fix due to non-standardized design. As an example, years ago, my father had Dell 8400 that had a defective cooler that manifested itself outside of warranty period. The cooler did not use a standardized design so to fix the problem I had to import a cooler half way across the world, at significant cost (and it took over a week), to fix the problem.

Another issue is parts like the power supply and case may be skimped on leading to lack of upgradability and a loud computer. The power supply on a different Dell 8400, my one, was loud, inefficient, and not powerful enough to run a modern graphics card so it had to also be upgraded: and since the case wasn't designed for standardized power supplies in mind, the case had to be modified with a dremel. Speaking of the case, it was a loud bit of plastic fantastic crap made for dells proprietary cooling system and motherboard mounts and to top it off it had "DELL" plastered on the front.

Eventually the first Dell 8400 died in flames after about four years of use. The second died after three years of use due to reasons unknown. I also knew someone who had a Dell 8300 that eventually would only start booting up on hot days. Turns out the power supply had to be hot to turn on, so to start the computer you needed to blow a hairdryer at the power

[imagine]

That computer is too outdated to play FSX with modern add-ons at higher settings no matter how many upgrades. If that's your goal then you will not be able to achieve it with $200, so spending it would be nothing more than a waste of money.

In my opinion, you're best off saving until you can get an entirely new one. The slowest and cheapest computer that I would expect to run FSX well with addons is:


Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz (3.4GHz Turbo Boost) $190
ASRock Z68 PRO3 GEN3 $112
4GB (2x2GB) DDR3-1600 CL9 $30
GTX 560 $180
Antec Three Hundred Case $60
500GB HDD 7200rpm $80
PC Power and Cooling Silencer MK III 600W $90
total: $742 + shipping not including rebates. Prices from newegg.

If you don't want to build it yourself then make sure to get that processor (or faster) as well as that videocard (or faster) and 4GB of RAM (or more).

Incidentally, this is about the same as the specifications that MS Flight runs on high settings with, according to MS.

First off, I'd like to thank you all for the information. I have never built my own computer or made any upgrades, so I am in way over my head with this stuff. I may be able to scrounge up enough money for these components, but I have no idea on how to build it. Is it relatively self-explanatory, and would I be able to do it without much trouble?

Personally, I cannot stand buying computers from Dell, ACER (and so on) because even if they have the right processor, ram, and videocard... (they often don't) which are the important parts regarding performance... they may be difficult to upgrade or fix due to non-standardized design. As an example, years ago, my father had Dell 8400 that had a defective cooler that manifested itself outside of warranty period. The cooler did not use a standardized design so to fix the problem I had to import a cooler half way across the world, at significant cost (and it took over a week), to fix the problem.

Another issue is parts like the power supply and case may be skimped on leading to lack of upgradability and a loud computer. The power supply on a different Dell 8400, my one, was loud, inefficient, and not powerful enough to run a modern graphics card so it had to also be upgraded: and since the case wasn't designed for standardized power supplies in mind, the case had to be modified with a dremel. Speaking of the case, it was a loud bit of plastic fantastic crap made for dells proprietary cooling system and motherboard mounts and to top it off it had "DELL" plastered on the front.

Eventually the first Dell 8400 died in flames after about four years of use. The second died after three years of use due to reasons unknown. I also knew someone who had a Dell 8300 that eventually would only start booting up on hot days. Turns out the power supply had to be hot to turn on, so to start the computer you needed to blow a hairdryer at the power

[Dave71K]

Out of interest I just had a look at desktop systems and in the U.K a high spec system i7 2600k at 3.4Ghz, Nvidia 1GB GTX 550 Ti etc your looking at around

[Fozzer]

..the only thing I would be a bit wary of is the Power Supply Unit... ....

My Dell Dimension Tower is fitted as standard with a 320 Watt PSU, which severely prevents me from using any more powerful graphics cards..
I am limited to using a special low-power, PCIe, nVidia GeForce 9500GT, 1 GB Card.
Anything more powerful (9800) will overload my PSU!

Personally, I would go for at least a good quality 750 Watt Power Supply!

Just my two-pennyworth... ...!

Paul.