Real Flight G4 sys. requirments

[faustrocket]

I have an Intel Core 2 T5200 1.6 GHZ processor with 1015 MB RAM and 32 bit operating system with NO 3D graphics acceleration.

I am worried about getting this sim home and finding out my computer will not function with it. Do I need to get a 3D graphics card? Or is my system likly to work as is?


Edited: After a lot of searching without coming up with a good answere I downloaded the trial version and it runs on my computer. Is this a good indication that the game will be fine?

[Malc C]

Edited: After a lot of searching without coming up with a good answere I downloaded the trial version and it runs on my computer. Is this a good indication that the game will be fine?

Isn't that the whole point of a trial ? :)

If it runs fine on your system then so would the retail version

[faustrocket]

I would kinda think so. However the actual version will be much larger and I don't know if that makes a difference.

I finaly found what my computer has for graphics. It is called "Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with 8MB-128MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory"

Whatever that is.

[Ace of Spades]

If it works in the trial version, I would also think the full version would work as well because what is loading in the system memory should be the same for both versions; the trial and the full version. Malc wouldn't steer you wrong. :D

[flyx]

Well, not really.
The trial version is only a photofield with hardly any objects
Even if you get it working. Pay attention to flickering and how the back ground
image shift. it's a bit hard to tell if you're just using a keyboard,
but I garantee you..if you sit and play it long enough your eyes
will start noticing these things.

The zoom is also set out a bit too far on the demo default.
The further the zoom the smaller the pixel...you get a better picture.lol

if it fires up ...it's working or at least it's compatiable with your PC.

Like they say...it's the minimum and you won't get the full effect of the sim.lol

There's water effects, layers, shadows, reflections from the water.
Layers of clouds that you add to a scenery to enhance it.
It'll also require a more powerful card

In 3D sceneries ...there's objects up the wazzooo.
Some objects in realflight simulate movement and are not just posser objects.
There's rotating windmills or a roller coaster that moves....etc
The objects in realflight are inner active..meaning if you hit a
trash can...the can will fly or move.

you won't be able to go on line...becuase it'll just stick with a 128MB card.lol

Some models will also have more 3d meshing.
More meshing needs more PC power or vedio card power.

[Malc C]

I finaly found what my computer has for graphics. It is called "Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with 8MB-128MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory"

Whatever that is.

FlyX may have a point, but I would of thought that any developer offering a trial / demo to test the performance of the users PC would be leaving them selves wide open if the retail package was so far apart from the demo.

The Graphics on your PC is embedded into the mainboard, and effectivly shares the system RAM. The dynamic allocation means that if the appliaction only needs to display limited graphics it will only pinch a small amount of memeory (min is 8M), however when needed it will take upto 128MB.

Shared memeory can cause problems with some sims. XTR used to have issues with intel based graphics controllers and shared memory, but that was some time ago before motherboards ran at these fast bus speeds and managed memory allocation as well as they do now.

Best advice would be to confirm what options you have in retuirning the item if you find that the retail pacage bombs on your PC when the demo runs sweetly.

[faustrocket]

So if the graphics card is sharing the RAM because it is imbedded in the mainboard, and there is room to upgrade the memory with another 1024MB would that help the performance? It would seem to make sence to me that it would but sometimes, with computers, what seems sensible is not. I am basically hopeing the Core2 processor picks up any slack here.

[flyx]

I'm running it with only 128mb share memory. I'm not going to rip my PC
apart just for a sim. Yes, you can up grade to an out side surce vedio card..
But..I think not. It defeats the purpose of having a LT.

It dose fine for me. I don't go crazy with chase mode or on line gaming.
I get 45-50 fps on photofield setting, 30-35 FPS on 3d landscaping
depending what scenery.
Heck...I think only used 3D mode once.
It's a R/C flight sim for me...not a vedio game.lol

Bascailly if i shut off the clouds on some 3D landscaping, it'll run fine.

I have to set the antialsing to minimum.
What dose that do ? The higher , the less jagged lines (ouline)
of a model or object. In others words...it dosen't look as pretty
up close or if you zoom way in to a model.


Yes more RAM would help.

There's no tell'in how a software is going to run on variouse
vedio card combo. My LT actaully runs realflight better than it dose
Heli-x. On heli-x i have to adjust veriouse settings with that
software and my card also to get it to run decent.

I can actaully run realfight in 32bit colors, verse heli-x
I have to run in 16 bit colors.

You have options to adjust variouse graphics settings with in realfight.
Plus the settings within the vedio card.

My processor is 64turion AMD, slighty faster than yours but not the dual core version. 1 Gig RAM
Plus I have Vista, that's driving the heck out of it to begin with.
Just to get to desk top...it's using almost 50% of my processor and ram.lol

You can get a new LT that's twices as powerful as mine for the same price
i paid for mine a year ago.lol

[Malc C]

So if the graphics card is sharing the RAM because it is imbedded in the mainboard, and there is room to upgrade the memory with another 1024MB would that help the performance? It would seem to make sence to me that it would but sometimes, with computers, what seems sensible is not. I am basically hopeing the Core2 processor picks up any slack here.

Not always. depends on the mainboard and its BIOS. It may only support between 8 and 128MB. However you will notice a better performance in the PC by giving it 2GB RAM for the OS to play with.

My Dual core E2180 PC with 4GB RAM also has shared memory onboard nvidia based graphics, which is fixed at 256MB and must admit provides more than adiquate performance when running AFPD on my wide screen monitor at 1440 x 900 res in full colour. If you really want to get better graphics then disable the onboard graphics and install a dedicated AGP or PCIe graphics card with 512MB (or more) RAM.

[Ace of Spades]

Well, I jumped the gun there I guess. Sorry for sending you information that might not be correct. I don't actually have the G4 so I don't know what it's system req's are but for the most part, demo's of games or programs are supposed to be setup similar to the original version so the end user can get an idea of how it will work on their system. Any game/program manufacturer should already have this as a set parameter in releasing a demo so as not to have unhappy customers because the full version wouldn't work and the trial version worked fine. This is what I figured and I was wrong. Sorry to mislead you but I hope your system works fine with it as having a simulator is loads of fun and very helpful in learning to fly! It's also good when the weather keeps you from being able to fly. At least those of us in western Washington will need them because the weather never cooperates!

Btw, I own the FS One simulator and love every second of it. I'm not sure of the differences, but if you just want to learn how to fly better, it's $100.00 cheaper than the G4! Just a thought! And with that extra $100.00, you can buy yourself some more RAM! That's if you need it.


Well, not really.
The trial version is only a photofield with hardly any objects

Like they say...it's the minimum and you won't get the full effect of the sim.lol

There's water effects, layers, shadows, reflections from the water.
Layers of clouds that you add to a scenery to enhance it.
It'll also require a more powerful card

In 3D sceneries ...there's objects up the wazzooo.
Some objects in realflight simulate movement and are not just posser objects.
There's rotating windmills or a roller coaster that moves....etc
The objects in realflight are inner active..meaning if you hit a
trash can...the can will fly or move.

you won't be able to go on line...becuase it'll just stick with a 128MB card.lol

Some models will also have more 3d meshing.
More meshing needs more PC power or vedio card power.

[faustrocket]

Thats a good idea. My LHS is sold out on the FS One but I think they have the game minus the controller so,,, assuming my DX6i will work I should save a couple dollars more, maybe.

I can't do anything with a graphics card as I have a lap top and I am not concerned about haveing a great game. I just want a great training aid so top notch graphics are not a priority. Extra memory would be a good all around upgrade to the computer anyways and might help my work dedicated software.

[Malc C]

Thats a good idea. My LHS is sold out on the FS One but I think they have the game minus the controller so,,, assuming my DX6i will work I should save a couple dollars more, maybe..

maybe not

I'm not 100% sure, but it may need the hardware to permit the software to run. Most topend sims come with dedicated hardware that also provide the copy protection for the software.

There are alternatives, Phoenix seems very popular, but again I would check through this forum to see if you can find confirmation that the TX works with this sim.

[Ace of Spades]

If you lived close by, I would bring it over and let you try it out before you bought it! That of course would mean you would have to delete it while I'm still there so as not to break the copyright. He he....


Here's the System Req's for the FSOne

Minimum System requirements:
Operating System: Windows XP or Windows 2000
Processor: 1.8 GHz Intel Pentium IV or AMD Athlon XP 2500
Memory: 512 MB RAM
Hard Disk Drive Space Available: 4 GB
Video/Graphics: NVIDIA or ATI graphics card with 64 MB VRAM
NVIDIA: GeForce Ti, GeForce 5000-series (5200 or better)
ATI: Radeon 9000-series (9200 or better)


Recommended System requirements:
Processor: 2.8 GHz Intel Pentium IV or better
Memory: 1 GB RAM
Hard Disk Drive Space Available: 4 GB
Video/Graphics: NVIDIA or ATI graphics card with at least 128 MB VRAM.
NVIDIA: GeForce 6000-series or 7000-series (6600 or better)
ATI: Radeon X-series (X600 or better)






Here's the System Req's for Realflight's G4:

Minimum Recommended System:
Some graphical features may be disabled. Aerodynamic Calculations will still be high quality.

* Windows* 98SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP or Windows Vista®
* Intel® Pentium® 1.0GHz or equivalent
* 512 MB RAM
* 3 GB Hard Drive Space
* 3D Accelerated Video with:
32 MB Dedicated Video Memory
Full Windows DirectX® 9 compliant (Pixel Shader 1.4 support)

Optimal System:
For best graphical performance.

* Dual Core 2.4GHz CPU
* 2 GB RAM
* 3D Accelerated Video with:
256 MB dedicated video memory
(Pixel Shader 2.0 support)



Looks like the G4 requires less but costs twice as much. Your choice!

[faustrocket]

FS would be a nice way to go being cheaper but from those requirments it seems a quality graphics card might be more important. Sometimes spending a little extra is more than worth it, especially if FSOne doesn't run but G4 would.

It would be perfect if someone would let a guy load a program to see if it runs, you need the CD to play it anyways. My LHS has FSOne as their floor simulator but that might be asking too much of them even though I almost buy exclusevly from them.

Goodness, I started this on fathers day and they already have more than 2K of my money. I have to get this sim thing right or I will be posting a used game for sale soon.

[jim_ag3y]

Ace-Of-Spades, you wouldn't have to worry about the copyright. You couldn't do a thing with the G4 unless you had the controller box, which is integrated to that specific set of software ( keyed together, in other words )

I have my G4 on two computers. One is a 2Ghz machine with integrated graphics, the other a 1Ghz machine with a 250Mbyte basic graphic card. You would think that the 2 Ghz machine would outperform the slower one, but the additional memory in the graphic card of the slower machine makes all the difference !

The bios of the 2 Ghz machine only allows for 128 MBytes of memory to be allocated to the graphics functions, and that is the bottleneck. There is no way that I know of to increase that number, regardless of how much RAM you have installed. I would love to know how to do it, if there was a way!

Don't worry about whether the demo version of G4 is demanding enough to test your hardware. It will do that job just fine! And you will find the control box to be just exactly like a "real" Futaba controller in your hands, because it is hardware based on one of their actual units.

Clear skies and light breezes. Jim

[Ace of Spades]

Ace-Of-Spades, you wouldn't have to worry about the copyright. You couldn't do a thing with the G4 unless you had the controller box, which is integrated to that specific set of software ( keyed together, in other words )

Yeah, I know, but I don't like to get myself into copyright issues if you know what I mean. Even though I don't agree with Microsoft demanding I use a separate copy of Windows for each computer in my house, I still have one for each. Rediculous that I have to do that since it's my copy and my computers. I understand their issue with the whole thing, just makes it that more expensive for us that just want another computer, ya know!

I don't have the G4, but I think FS One might be similar. You can't even use the program unless the controller is connected to the computer. You are able to use your own Tx I'm sure because it comes with another cable for that. Anyway, I would help you out if I could, but you don't live down the street from me so it won't work. Besides, I'm not sure I could live without it for more than a day or two. LOL! The wind and rain hasn't allowed me to fly at all for at least two weeks or more it seems.

[faustrocket]

You wouldn't have to go for a day or two with out it if you lived down the street from me. Load it, fly a few planes (take turns) then I would have to split and go pick a copy up. To bad we don't have a local forums section for each state.

[Johndou]

Well, not really.
The trial version is only a photofield with hardly any objects
Even if you get it working. Pay attention to flickering and how the back ground image shift. it's a bit hard to tell if you're just using a keyboard,
but I garantee you..if you sit and play it long enough your eyes
will start noticing these things.

...



Well, that's not exactly true. The Demo version comes with two fields, one is a photo field the other is one of the new 3D fields with water - "Sandy Point". It will tax your system requirements and give you a good "Demo" as to how your system will handle the program.

The Demo will also allow you to change the graphics settings to allow for changes to the graphics quality (low, medium and high), higher resolution settings, refresh rates, etc. It is a full representation of the program and will give you a full representation on how your system will handle the requirements.

It's specifically designed to allow you to test your system before you buy it. For those who own G3.0/3.5, it will allow you to use your existing Interlink controller to control the aircraft. For others they'll have to use the keyboard. But, it's intent isn't to allow users to "play" the game but to test your system.

[flyx]

Yeah..that's kind of retarded..becuase you can't really tell by using the keyboard.lol

That's why all these threads about "is this real...is this real ???
What's more realistic ???...is this sim better than that?
Bascailly you just get tease with eye canddy..

Obviously it can't be full funtional as a demo.lol
That's why you paid a marketing department...to keep
re enforcing..."this is the best sim with the best physics".lmao
That's why it cost more that other sims... MARKETING.lol

The water is just there to tease the 3.5 owners. :p

[faustrocket]

Thanks everyone. I tested the G3 and G4 versions and the G3 gave me apx. 60 frames per second while G4 was only giving me about 40. I couldn't tell the difference visually and since I did not see any of the other sims offering similar test versions, I bought a used G3 from the boards here. Well, even 60 is low but it seems to run good enough to be a training aid, and I am not worried about haveing a great game. I may pick up a cheap/used vid card for my desktop and try that out but I appreciate everyones information.

Thanks again

[chribrian]

Thanks everyone. I tested the G3 and G4 versions and the G3 gave me apx. 60 frames per second while G4 was only giving me about 40. I couldn't tell the difference visually and since I did not see any of the other sims offering similar test versions, I bought a used G3 from the boards here. Well, even 60 is low but it seems to run good enough to be a training aid, and I am not worried about haveing a great game. I may pick up a cheap/used vid card for my desktop and try that out but I appreciate everyones information.

Thanks again


60 frames a second not too bad .
I have G4 with all the eye candy on max and getting 60fps . My system is just ok ,it is AMD 2.8 Dual core 4 gigs ram and BFG 9600gt overclocked video card that has 512 mb gddr3 dedicated memory! I can turn the eye candy down and get 200 fps but i like the better graphics ! Sometimes it will bogg down my computer but only switching planes,and fields!
The only problem i have with realflight is it dosnt simulate wind very well :(