Robert Shearman Jr Posted March 28, 2017 at 03:08 AM Posted March 28, 2017 at 03:08 AM So for decades I've invested lots of time into this hobby, but little money. I don't have wads of cash to spend. I buy all my hardware used and make the most out of default aircraft and freeware plane and scenery add-ons. I've spent a lot of time -- I'm talking YEARS -- figuring out how to fly realistic routes and procedures with a minimum of cash investment. Participating in Cross The Pond this past weekend has made me see the light. I had a ton of fun and had no substantial issues flying the route from EGCC to KBOS with the default 744 and an add-on FMC-like thingy, but, only after a vicious fight with the FMC which almost bested me and nearly ruined a day I looked forward to for months. Long story short -- I managed to s[Mod - lovely stuff]e together a little spare cash and I'm ready to graduate into a "big boy plane," finally. And of course being around VATSIM for almost seven years I thought for sure that meant PMDG. But, the PC I fly with might not support it. It runs WIn7 32-bit on an x86 architecture, so, upgrading to a 64-bit OS isn't in the cards and I definitely don't have the cash to plop down for a new box PLUS the aircraft, especially after just now uninstalling FSRealWX and shelling out for AS16. So here's what I'm working with: Intel Xeon W3520 2.67gHz 12.0GB RAM installed, 3.48 useable (yeah cuz I'm an idiot and didn't know Win 7 could only go up to 4GB) Win 7 Pro SP1 32-bit NVidia GeForce GTS 450 So what's the common wisdom? PMDG strongly advises against running their 737NGX or 747 Queen on a 32-bit OS. As far as I can tell, iFly has no such warning. Will I be able to run PMDG without issues considering I have nothing but freeware scenery add-ons? Will I be happy with iFly or should I wait until probably 2018's tax refund when I can maybe get a nicer PC with Win 10 64-bit? Also -- anyone know of a decent bizjet? My goal right now is to pick up a 737, a 747, and a LearJet or GulfStream or Citation or something similar. Cheers, -R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bradley Grafelman Posted March 28, 2017 at 03:52 AM Posted March 28, 2017 at 03:52 AM So what's the common wisdom? Install Win7 64-bit instead? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trent Hopkinson Posted March 28, 2017 at 04:00 AM Posted March 28, 2017 at 04:00 AM So what's the common wisdom? Install Win7 64-bit instead? You spelled "Windows 10" wrong Trent Hopkinson YMML. www.youtube.com/musicalaviator WorldFlight 2002,2008,2009, 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bradley Grafelman Posted March 28, 2017 at 04:01 AM Posted March 28, 2017 at 04:01 AM You spelled "Windows 10" wrong That's because I didn't use the word "downgrade" ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Tyndall 1087023 Posted March 28, 2017 at 04:20 AM Posted March 28, 2017 at 04:20 AM Robert, iFly has two B747's. Not sure your are aware of that. They have a payware version, the one you are referencing I suspect, and...a freeware version, iFly 747-400 V1.1.0.0 for Microsoft Flight Simulator X. This freeware version works very, very well in my Win7 OS, but be warned, I do have the 64-bit Pro version. Still, I think it will be fine in 32-bit, but hey, it's freeware so why not try it before you spend hard-earned dollars that are non-refundable. You can find the download here...https://flyawaysimulation.com/downloads/files/1898/fsx-ifly-boeing-747-400/ Before you install I suggest one of two things. Since it automatically installs FSUIPC you need to either install it to a "dummy" FSX folder and then move everything except FSUIPC.dll to the correct location. If that is not a "friendly" choice, then I suggest you backup your current FSUIPC.dll and after you are done installing (it will overwrite your current FSUIPC.dll without warning) delete the one that is installed and rename your backup back to the real FSUIPC.dll The nice thing is, if you have a Navigraph subscription, the freeware FMC can be updated. It uses the same navdata as the PMDG...sort of. There are some "funky" things you have to do to read navaids, but otherwise it's a good bird. I've been told the current iFly payware B747 is far and above, obviously, the better choice, but free is free and it will give you an idea of iFly and it's nature. Randy Randy Tyndall - KBOI ZLA I-11/vACC Portugal P4 “A ship is always safe in the harbor. But that’s not why they build ships” --Michael Bevington ID 814931, Former VATSIM Board of Governors Vice President of Pilot Training Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Shearman Jr Posted March 28, 2017 at 11:03 AM Author Posted March 28, 2017 at 11:03 AM So what's the common wisdom? Install Win7 64-bit instead? I realize that was slightly tongue-in-cheek but my understanding is that with the x86-based chip, I can't do that with my current PC. Is that not correct? iFly has {...} a payware version {...} and...a freeware version, iFly 747-400 V1.1.0.0 for Microsoft Flight Simulator X. {...} I think it will be fine in 32-bit, but hey, it's freeware so why not try it before you spend hard-earned dollars {...} (it will overwrite your current FSUIPC.dll without warning) {...} if you have a Navigraph subscription, the freeware FMC can be updated. Of course I don't have a Navigraph subscription -- why would I do that when Hervé Sors allows us to update FSX's NAV database for free? LOL... but yes, thank you for the recommendation and the warning. And I knew going in that I would need to plop down for Navigraph in addition to the other expenses, so, I've already resigned myself to that. I'll give it a shot. (All of this expense was what kept me away from MSFS products for so many years in favor of FlightGear. Everything was totally free, but, it also meant putting up with a product that was in a constant state of half-done. Ultimately, you get what you pay for, I guess. *sigh*) Cheers, -R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Kolin Posted March 28, 2017 at 12:43 PM Posted March 28, 2017 at 12:43 PM It's a Bloomfield - it should have x64 support. Pretty much every Intel chip after the P4 except the Yonah should have 64-bit support. The chips support up to 24GB memory for a reason. Cheers Luke ... I spawn hundreds of children a day. They are daemons because they are easier to kill. The first four remain stubbornly alive despite my (and their) best efforts. ... Normal in my household makes you a member of a visible minority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Shearman Jr Posted March 29, 2017 at 01:29 AM Author Posted March 29, 2017 at 01:29 AM Odd -- the website I went to that says how to check to see if you have a 64-bit processor (http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001121.htm) says to check System Information for System Type, and if it says x86, it's 32-bit. And mine does. Yet when I Google "Intel Xeon W3520," several different pages within the results say it's a 64-bit processor. If I can upgrade to a 64-bit OS, then I guess the PMDG is a no-brainer, right? I suppose it can't hurt to give it a whirl and see what happens (once all appropriate backups are made, that is!)... I figure 12GB RAM ought to help things run pretty well, once I can actually access it all, LOL... we'll see! Cheers, -R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott DeWoody Posted March 29, 2017 at 11:56 PM Posted March 29, 2017 at 11:56 PM I use the iFly 737NG, is it works fine. Personally think the PMDG is overrated, but that's just MHO. Scott DeWoody CEO - American Virtual Airlines joinava dot org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Shearman Jr Posted March 30, 2017 at 12:26 AM Author Posted March 30, 2017 at 12:26 AM UPDATE: the install of Win10-64 seems to be working fine, so, all systems seem to be a go! Now I just need to reinstall FSX... and the frame-rate limiter... and the scenery... and the aircraft... and vPilot... and VAT-Spy... and AS16... and Bandicam... and... lol! Scott, I appreciate the feedback. Whether or not I end up going iFly or PMDG, at least now with full access to 12MB RAM I am hoping not to have any significant memory or performance issues either way! Cheers, -R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernesto Alvarez 818262 Posted March 30, 2017 at 04:38 AM Posted March 30, 2017 at 04:38 AM the sim is still 32bit, so even with a 64bit system, the sim is still limited to 4. the workload is just going to be spread out better so decreases the chances a bit of an immediate OOM, although it wont prevent it completely. when the sim goes 64bit, like Xplane, then itll take full advantage of all you throw at it. also just to make the point, dont mix up virtual address space (VAS) with RAM. two different things, the sim is using VAS (limited to 4gb) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Shearman Jr Posted March 30, 2017 at 09:55 AM Author Posted March 30, 2017 at 09:55 AM Ah, I gotcha. This is why I am NOT an IT professional, LOL... So far, I'm not liking the result of the upgrade. FSX can't seem to run more than about five minutes without crashing to desktop. I don't want to turn this into a tech support thread so I'll end the discussion there and will troubleshoot issues on other forums or in more appropriate topics/threads. I have all the answers I need regarding PMDG versus iFly and will probably test-drive iFly's freeware version before making any further leaps. Grumble... Cheers, -R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Tyndall 1087023 Posted March 30, 2017 at 02:07 PM Posted March 30, 2017 at 02:07 PM Robert, Start your CTD research here... https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/487919-new-version-of-the-avsim-ctd-guide-has-been-released/ Randy Randy Tyndall - KBOI ZLA I-11/vACC Portugal P4 “A ship is always safe in the harbor. But that’s not why they build ships” --Michael Bevington ID 814931, Former VATSIM Board of Governors Vice President of Pilot Training Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trent Hopkinson Posted March 30, 2017 at 11:19 PM Posted March 30, 2017 at 11:19 PM the sim is still 32bit, so even with a 64bit system, the sim is still limited to 4. the workload is just going to be spread out better so decreases the chances a bit of an immediate OOM, although it wont prevent it completely. when the sim goes 64bit, like Xplane, then itll take full advantage of all you throw at it. also just to make the point, dont mix up virtual address space (VAS) with RAM. two different things, the sim is using VAS (limited to 4gb) A 32 bit operating system also is 1: limited to 4gb 2: uses vas just by running itself. That is to say, if you want FSX to use 4gb of VAS, you'll need either a 64bit operating system, or an operating system that uses 0gb of vas. Trent Hopkinson YMML. www.youtube.com/musicalaviator WorldFlight 2002,2008,2009, 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Shearman Jr Posted April 1, 2017 at 02:53 PM Author Posted April 1, 2017 at 02:53 PM Start your CTD research here... https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/487919-new-version-of-the-avsim-ctd-guide-has-been-released/ Holy [Mod - lovely stuff], dude, thank you for that! It's amazing how simple, yet powerful, the suggestion to look at Windows Event Viewer to determine which module caused the crash is. Never would've known to do that myself, but now a whole new world of troubleshooting information just opened up. I think I have the first and most major issue solved. Sincerest gratitude for the nudge in the right direction! Cheers, -R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Tyndall 1087023 Posted April 1, 2017 at 05:41 PM Posted April 1, 2017 at 05:41 PM Most welcome. There's another discussion that helped me out setting up my original install of FSX to get great fps, but I cannot find the direct link to it. I think it's on the AVSIM Forums and it's called "Nick's Bible" I used it over two or three days to set up my entire system, not just FSX. It goes into great detail on shutting down unnecessary services, what to get rid of entirely, and how to set up FSX. Helped me out a lot, but it's pretty intense and indepth. If you don't have the patience to follow his suggestions from start to finish it's best not to start it at all. Randy Randy Tyndall - KBOI ZLA I-11/vACC Portugal P4 “A ship is always safe in the harbor. But that’s not why they build ships” --Michael Bevington ID 814931, Former VATSIM Board of Governors Vice President of Pilot Training Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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