Best Flight Simulator for Win 7

[anjou2]

Is MS Flight Sim still the best, and will my old version that ran on XP run on Win 7.
If not which is best alternative please.

 

[antioch]

Is MS Flight Sim still the best, and will my old version that ran on XP run on Win 7.
If not which is best alternative please.

Hi Anjou

Which issue/s of MSFS did you run on XP?

Rgds
Antioch

 

[anjou2]

Thanks A, looks like FS98

 

[antioch]

Anjou


I have FS2002, 2004 and the first issue of FSX. A disc for 2004 got damaged by a grandson and I hardly use FSX, though it did install on my new comp[Oct 2016] with no probs.
I run FS2002 most of the time - light aircraft around the UK + some airports and landscape add-ons. You may find that WIN7 is the most favoured OS for MSFS.
May I suggest you join the below forum where you will find a vast array of knowledge and help. Intro your self first. It also helps to enter your computer specs after you have registered.
Once your username appears top left next to 'Welcome', click on it and you will see 'Customize Profile' - click on that and fill in the sections. Your spec should then show every time you post.
https://www.avsim.com
Antioch

 

[chefduane]

Depends on what you want to fly. For GenAv FSX is probably the best. I run it with some terrain add-ons and add-ons for airports I fly into IRL. I run a Thrustmaser HOTAS stick & throttle combo with Saitek rudder pedals. I run a TrackIR headset for eye and head tracking. Also, with Win7 and FSX everything is plug and play, very east setup.

If you want combat sims for WWI - Rise of Flight is a good one. I prefer Wings of Prey (now War Thunder) for WWII. My dad was a WWII fighter pilot and the missions are my way of experiencing what he experienced IRL. I typically do not run combat sims after WWII, although FSX has an F18 sim that is pretty cool running afterburners Dallas to NYC at 750mph IAS.

One cool thing I did invest in was a Rosewill 5.1 Gaming Headset. Excellent audio with game sensitive vibration simulation. Really gets you into it with engine and weapon vibrations!

Interesting that you post from England. My father was stationed at RAF Bodney and flew escort missions over the Channel into Germany. Visiting there is on my bucket list once I retire.

PS: See my system specs for the setup I run. Everything I mentioned above runs perfect on my system.

 

[anjou2]

Thanks CD, this is great stuff. My present gear is not up to what I need to do now, edit GoPro video, my nephew is building up a "box" that will do the job, due next week I hope, details later.
My foray into FS started some years ago with MS fs98, run on an XP machine. I still have a copy on CD and, it may not have all the modern bells and whistles, but I liked it then and thought it a good opportunity to try on the new machine (Win 7 Pro 64 bit, AMD 8350 core 4 GHz, 8Gb mem, Geforce GT 1030, 1Tb HDisk etc )

 

[chefduane]

That machine should run it just fine. IIRC the GT1030 has 2mg mem so it should run acceptably. Happy simming!

 

[anjou2]

You must be very proud of your old man CD, Bodney is a fair way from us "up North" as we say, some very interesting stuff about it on the Web, another world!
regards

 

[anjou2]

I intend to use my Samsung GH17LS monitor with the new machine for the time being.
The monitor has a VGA 15 pin connector, the new machine has an HDMI slot, I understand that a simple modified cable will not pass the signal, I need also an adaptor.
Could some kind person tell me what I need and, the best place to buy one.

 

[chefduane]

What gender is your monitor? Assuming it is male, you could use this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OFQUDR...t=&hvlocphy=9026835&hvtargid=pla-318768076279

 

[poorguy]

I have Flight Simulator X Deluxe Edition and it's the best Simulator I've used.

I'm using it on this computer listed with all of the settings at high without any complaints.

Windows 7 Professional (64bit) / Dell Optiplex 360 (08/04/2011) / Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 Wolfdale (3M Cache, 2.93 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB, LGA 775 Socket) / DDR2 Memory 4.0 GB, 800 MHz FSB / ATI Radeon HD 4550 PCIE Graphics Card.
Monitor is an old HP 2010i.

 

[anjou2]

Thanks for that, will have a look, I'm just getting used to recent build:
Win 7 Pro (64 bit)
AMD FX-8350 Eight Core Black AM3+ 16MB
Gigabyte GeForce GT 1030 (2GB0
etc

 

[poorguy]

Anyone know of any good links to user manual pdf downloads can be had without creating an account to download them.

I've recently got back into Flight Simulator X and seem to have forgotten quite a few things about the GPS settings etc.

I've noticed Dovetail Games and Steam appear to be in control of Flight Simulator X production now.

 

[poorguy]

Found a good Youtube tutorial for the Garmin GPS 500 used in FSX and thought I'd share the link.

Flying the GPS with Ease - Part One - YouTube

 

[anjou2]

Just had a quick look pg, nice and simply set out, will study later.
thanks

 

[chefduane]

Haven't flown any glass cockpits in FSX as yet. And all of the WWII birds I fly in WoP don't have GPS(!). The pre-flights usually just say "Proceed to Checkpoint Bravo to rendezvous with the bomber group." Heh.

 

[poorguy]

Haven't flown any glass cockpits in FSX as yet. And all of the WWII birds I fly in WoP don't have GPS(!). The pre-flights usually just say "Proceed to Checkpoint Bravo to rendezvous with the bomber group." Heh.

A lot of the old war planes aren't equipped with auto pilot or GPS and besides they are more fun to fly by land marks imo.

I fly the Douglas DC-3 and the Grumman Goose G21A both have auto pilot and GPS which help out.
I like the big old prop planes.

I tried the glass cockpits although to much to learn for me to enjoy them although I guess once you learn how to set all of the avionics they are OK.
Just to high tech for my old fashioned self.

 

[chefduane]

I think a few of the Beech's have glass cockpits in FSX. Most everything I fly in FSX is VFR or pure dead reckoning. Sometimes I fly the F18 just to do max-out maneuvers with the HUD. An F18 touch and go at KFUL (the AP I originally learned to fly out of) 3000' runway is a hoot!

 

[anjou2]

OK. this original question of mine seems to have got swamped with too much tech I feel.
I think it was Msoft MS 98 that I ran on an old machine, then onto an XP machine. All I want is something very similar to this that I can run on Win 7. Just a basic bit of kit to enable me to fly (say) a basic Cessna otl.

 

[poorguy]

Hey anjou2,

If you are using Windows 7 and you have a good dual core processor and a good graphics card then Flight Simulator X is the best Flight Simulator to choose imo.

Flight Simulator X requires a high GHz processor speed and also a high end graphics card for best results.
It does run on the minimal specs that are shown on the Flight Simulator X box however is very disappointing.

If Flight Simulator 2004 "A Century of Flight" runs on Windows 7 then that would be the best choice as it is light on system resources.

I consider my computer as middle of the road for its time and it does run Flight Simulator X at a very satisfactory enjoyment level.