Intel Core i7 as CPU platform? + dual PCIe 2.0 VGAs?

Hi

Need some advise before I take the final decision building my main PC for the simulator project.

Initially I have been preparring and building a 737-700 full scale sim, since december 2007 (mostly as DIY) - major parts now installed and working.

The setup basics:
OS: XP32
SW: FSX
737 systems: PM
HW: some Plug'n'play others DIY
Visuals: 3 projektors for Front, Left and Right views
1 PC for FSX (Front view)
1 PC for FSX left and rifth view using WideView

The setup as this are tested tweaked, OC etc, but there to much stuttering and lacking - rigth and left views are 0,3 - 0,5 sec after main view
(info: Front PC is based on Intel LGA775 3,8 GHz - 3GB Ram VGA card PCIe 1.0 ATI 256Mb, Left and Right PC is a Intel LGA 2,9 Ghz - 1,5 GB ram, VGA Card as above). I am using 1Gb network (for general network) and 100Mb (for IPX protocol used for WideView) as well.

More to add to the negative about the setup, using wideView giving odd clouds jumping from left to rigth view, and airplane shadows, airplane landing lights etc. are not shown :(

So what to do?:cool:

Been thinking (and counting moneys :roll:), would the new technology in CPUs, VGAs etc do the work?

Would the new Intel i7 CPU (2,9 GHz), together with a mainboard ei. ASUS P6T Deluxe, 3GB ram, 2 ASUS 9600 (NVidia) 1Gb, with SLi, and XP 32bit, be able to run the FSX (including what to think about af additionals, ie. PMDG new 737FSX, additional scenerys etc.) and all the performance slides to the top (or at least approx. giving 25 - 30 FPS with the most to the top), in 3 views?

Ohh, one more, which VGA technology is to prefer NVidia or ATi? And will Sli or Crossfire do some performance help to FSX? Why?

Thanks in advance:)

BR

Kjeld

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kni-dk

Hi

Need some advise before I take the final decision building my main PC for the simulator project.

Initially I have been preparring and building a 737-700 full scale sim, since december 2007 (mostly as DIY) - major parts now installed and working.

The setup basics:
OS: XP32
SW: FSX
737 systems: PM
HW: some Plug'n'play others DIY
Visuals: 3 projektors for Front, Left and Right views
1 PC for FSX (Front view)
1 PC for FSX left and rifth view using WideView

The setup as this are tested tweaked, OC etc, but there to much stuttering and lacking - rigth and left views are 0,3 - 0,5 sec after main view
(info: Front PC is based on Intel LGA775 3,8 GHz - 3GB Ram VGA card PCIe 1.0 ATI 256Mb, Left and Right PC is a Intel LGA 2,9 Ghz - 1,5 GB ram, VGA Card as above). I am using 1Gb network (for general network) and 100Mb (for IPX protocol used for WideView) as well.

More to add to the negative about the setup, using wideView giving odd clouds jumping from left to rigth view, and airplane shadows, airplane landing lights etc. are not shown :(

So what to do?:cool:

Been thinking (and counting moneys :roll:), would the new technology in CPUs, VGAs etc do the work?

Would the new Intel i7 CPU (2,9 GHz), together with a mainboard ei. ASUS P6T Deluxe, 3GB ram, 2 ASUS 9600 (NVidia) 1Gb, with SLi, and XP 32bit, be able to run the FSX (including what to think about af additionals, ie. PMDG new 737FSX, additional scenerys etc.) and all the performance slides to the top (or at least approx. giving 25 - 30 FPS with the most to the top), in 3 views?

Ohh, one more, which VGA technology is to prefer NVidia or ATi? And will Sli or Crossfire do some performance help to FSX? Why?

Thanks in advance:)

BR

Kjeld

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Hi,

If you want 3 views with proper clouds forget the wideview. You can build one pc with 3 vga cards (not sli) to have the 3 views. I suggest 3x GTX280 or 2xATI 4870x2.

Ati works better at vista 64 and nvidia at xp32 but this is only matter of drivers. It is your choice. Mainly at vista you lose approximatelly 10 frames compared to xp, but at vista you have the memory shader. That means that the impact at full settings are very low and you can max all sliders without losing more that 5..10 frames.

Try a multicore with 45nm tecnology. I suggest QX9770 and overclock it at 3,8...4 Ghz.

Lock your frames at 40
Add those lines to fsx.cfg

Find the [MAIN] section of the .cfg and add the following line:
FIBER_FRAME_TIME_FRACTION=0.1

Find the line and change it to
TEXTURE_BANDWIDTH_MULT=30

Add the following section and line to the end of the cfg file
[BufferPools]
PoolSize=10000000

Add the following lines to end of the [TERRAIN] section of the .cfg
TERRAIN_MAX_AUTOGEN_TREES_PER_CELL=3500
TERRAIN_MAX_AUTOGEN_BUILDINGS_PER_CELL=1500

Under [SCENERY]:
SmallPartRejectRadius=4

Under [GRAPHICS]:
DirtyRegionUpdateLimit=1000
MergeDirtyRegionUpdates=1

Anyway, those settings will give you more than 10 frames with the same visual result. They just make the cpu work faster for the autogen.

Hi kni-dk

Also bear in mind that ATI crossfire is only supported with SP2 of FSX and running in DX10 preview mode.

The Intel i7 processsors have really made a difference to my framerates probably due to the FSB being built into the processor.

Kind regards


Lufty