PC/ 3 screen setup

[Mark Niehold 1278900]

I am restarting a ground based simulator. I would like to know a good moderately priced PC for FSX gold or flt sim "14. I would like too know a good moderately priced 42' or larger rounded monitor. If a 3 screen rounded setup be best please do share your thoughts. 1 overhead console monitor 24' and 1 center console. All monitors except the rounded monitor would be 24'. CH controls, thru out. I would greatly appreciated the easiest way too sink monitors. I live in Costa Rica and will be putting this into a local flt school. Big money saver here ($160.00 for a 181 wet) dual $190. We all know that you can really use this as a flying aid and save money not having to lease the A/C. It would used for GA and commercial aircraft. I have been out of this for over 5 years therefore all input is desired. I have seen some pretty nice desk setups which would be ideal for my purposes. Thanks to all, keep the blue side up.. As I said I am new or re-starting after 5 plus years. If I posted in the wrong area please re-post as a first time courtesy.

[Michael King 1190823]

Hello Mark, dont know if this will be of help as I run FS2004, but there doesnt seem to be much response to your post so here goes. Tried running FSX, but it was so frame greedy I think you would need one PC per view to make it a useful training tool.

 

I ran a single mid-stream PC with w7 using 2 Nvidia 450 video cards. The PC had 2 x500 gig drives with the system on C and the sim and scenery on D. I ran 3 x 22" monitors for the panels and a Triplehead2Go unit on the 4th output. This ran 3 x 22" screens of outside views. It was adequate, but at times the FPS was too low to be realistic, frankly it struggled.

 

I decided to up the anti and bought a 2nd computer with 3 x Nvidia 700 video cards, same twin 500gig HDD, threw the T2Go in the corner and put 5 screens of outside views on by networking the old PC and the new and running through Wideview. The setup is now 4 panels off the old PC (Instruments, engines and things like GPS vatsim and FMC on the 3 lower ones and an overhead above the 5 outside views on the 2nd PC) all screens 22" (cos they are relatively cheap) and I am getting FPS of 90 on the panels and 78-ish on the views, all locked at 90 fps.

 

As a retired real-world PPL/IR/Multi I find it very realistic and wideview allows me to download real-world weather and network it to the views. I have reservations about a huge curved screen, as the 3 panels seem to go OK, and give you the flexibility to undock lots of small panels. I heartily recommend a trip to Sim Samurai as he has loads of really good tips.

 

The whole shooting match has come to about £4k, which makes one wince, but when you relate that to savings in hire costs and flexibility in training its really pennies, and you can fly when you like where you like and within reason what you like.

 

Good luck with it,

 

Mike