The hardware you need to run FSx in confort are now pretty clear as the beta testers are free to discuss it, let’s assume it won’t get slower in the release version, right? Now the good news is that the hardware you need can be bought (remember that was actually not the case for some previous version!) and that you you’ll be running a plenty fast FSx with just under 1000 Euro/Dollar. A lot of money, but you’ll get a system that is faster then anything you could have bought 12 months ago. Now any way you look at that, it’s a good deal (see our proposed setup). But why did simmers get so behind on hardware? We used to have the baddest kick-ass hardware to run our sim but these days it seems just about any kid who plays first person shooters has better hardware. Where did we loose it?
I believe we lost it soon after FS2004 was launched. We had to take a deep hit in framerate with FS2002, it was not a very good version of FS as you might remember. It was just slow and certainly to slow for the kind of scenery shown. FS2004 looked a lot better and was about as fast as FS2002. At the same time AMD became a serious competitor for Intel and we saw a large decrease in price. You might remember that time when MHz ruled and Intel and AMD released chip after chip. Memory also was cheap (unless you fell for the Rambus trap) and around 2004 there was not a single graphics card that really made sense for FS as it was truly CPU limited. So we all bought the largest monitor we could afford and spend a small fortune on yokes, rudders, throttle setups.
Now MS changed the game. Flight Simulator needed to get on the same level as other games. It needed to be visually more attractive, more game-like so it would attract a new group of customers. That also means the hardware specs could be lifted to what is mid to high end now and low to mid range 12 months from now. Microsoft made the right choice, do not blame them if you can’t run the game on full blast. FSx is NOT slow, it is just big and complex software.
Mathijs
Mathijs Kok is the manager of Aerosoft internal development department (and has just upgraded his hardware)
Inside the biggest FS add-on company 
Well now, there’s a thing! Aerosoft and the insider news straight from the horse’s mouth 😉
I, for one, welcome the idea – it’s a good thing to see what’s going on the minds of “the hand that feeds us”. For all too often, we, the unsuspecting public, buy a product and then find out it won’t work for us. Those who have visited the customer support forum have often seen angry posts from some disgruntled user…
How strange, but sadly true, that these voices gain more readership than those who praise.
Perhaps, with this new insight into their thinking processes, we, the user, will also see some background reason that will make rhyme of Aerosoft’s group mental processes.
In the forums (fora) we might get the impression that the Aerosoft staff are peeved off by “negative comments”. I am sure this is not the case, but answering the same question for the gazillionth time will inevitably provoke an “RTFM” from even the gentlest hotline support staff.
This blog could be a a blessing in disguise for the Aerosoft team – an opportunity to present themselves.
Welcome to the world of public exposure dear Aerosoft team.
Comment by Chris B — September 7, 2006 @ 8:26 pm
Agreed.
It is nice to see another side of Aerosoft. The thought of hearing some of the inside scoop is good news. This is a good way to let the masses have some insight into where Aerosoft is headed and how they came to those ideas.
I look forward to seeing what Aerosoft has to say.
Comment by OSU — September 8, 2006 @ 12:02 am
Costumers are stepping away from this issue because the majority bought their hardware recently for FS2004 when the sim was already out and strongly placed in the market to get a clear picture of what was needed.
For FSX it’s a shot in the dark. Even with the demo and the Betas people have the Vista or DX10 shadow hovering their hardware shops and so they prefer to wait!
1000 Euros right now could cause an obsolete PC in about 6 months. Even with 64 bits ready dual core systems. The 7800 series will become obsolete if are aiming for DX10 looks, so people aren’t affraid, they’re cautious!
Comment by Glideslope — September 8, 2006 @ 10:09 am
Understand MS “rush” to release something like FSx and other new softwares premature to Vista and DX10.
With all the discussions regarding MS bundling actions(proposed and expected) in the new OS Vista. Both The US and EU have challenged MS. Vista may be delayed long into 07 `cause of said competition questions.
All that, we might have to live with FSx for long without the benifit of 64Bits and new DirectX.
To invest or not invest in new Hardware. That’s the question.
Comment by Limpan — September 8, 2006 @ 5:39 pm
Yeah Yeah ,
I don’t buy this version, as a matter
a fact I am quiting flightsimming because of this horrible FSX performance.
No I’am playing other game, without FPS/slideshow stress
And you know what , Iam glad about it
Good luck you guy’s with FSX
Comment by Blazer — November 3, 2006 @ 9:18 pm
Yeah…Yeah,
I am not going to upgrade my system until I am sure that it won’t be out of date in 6 months to a year.
Sure I get lag when the CG cutter comes into view and when flying into large cities.
My solutions:
1. Don’t fly around large cities without turning down the autogen.
2. come up on the cutter slowly, from astern, once I get it in my view , the FPS is stable. It’s just when it comes into view that the FPS takes a nose dive.
3. Bide my time until I can justify a system upgrade. Flight sims aren’t the only things I do on my computer.
HC
Comment by HeyChief — November 24, 2006 @ 12:46 am
aol greating cards
Comment by Larcik-cu — January 20, 2008 @ 6:34 am
Microsoft will do a lot better with their FS if they only use esstential aspects to flying and save the other stuff for Video Arcade type of Programs. By doing this, you will notice an extreme increase in frame rateswith any computer set up. This is true with their OS systems
AS
Comment by Alex Scandrett — January 21, 2008 @ 12:49 am
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Comment by Santiago Castro — April 1, 2008 @ 4:18 pm
Aerosoft should be commended for addressing and acknowledging the problems users have had with FSX. I fell for the same story, without MS being honest about the limitations most (then present) computers would have. My then (2) year old hardware simply would not give me satisfactory results even with tweaking. Like others I use my computer for other purposes and cannot afford to dump it in favor of the latest (and possibly inadequate) computer available. I uninstalled FS and it’s sitting on the shelf. I have run FS since the early days when you “flew” on a 6 by 6 flat square with a cardboard-like cutout for a mountain, and since then have seen so many advances in FS that I expected more demands on the computer. And I have managed – ’til FSX. Maybe my next compuetr will handle it. Until then I will stick to FS9 and hope that support and add-ons will continue.
Comment by Herb — April 12, 2008 @ 5:25 pm
It’s difficult to change from FS9 to FSX when you have a FS9 “empire” installed in the computer and runs perfectly, even when I do have a very powerful computer.
What if, after erasing all that FS9 empire I’ve got I see to my dismay that FSX works badly…
In any case, I understand Aerosoft’s mind in trying to get the customers to change to FSX.
Comment by Andreu Escuain — February 22, 2010 @ 1:55 am