FS 2004 Compared to FS 10?

Question

I know Flight Sim 10 uses aton of computer power and video card power but what about Flight Sim 2004?

Answer 1

Check Microsoft's Game Advisor web link for exact requirements for any of their games. Including Flight Sim 2004

Answer 2

I tried the Flight Sim X demo. It had some VERY NICE enhancements but they sure did eat up resources. I think I had the settings on medium or lower quality but it was too much to be playable and have the smooth performance I was used to.

With Flight Sim 2004, I have everything set to the highest quality and it runs smoothly without pause or delay.

My computer specs:
3.2 Gig Processor
2.5 Gig Ram
NVidia 6800 GT OC Video Card
SATA Hard Drive with plenty of free space left.

I did MANY upgrades trying to get the best quality out of the 2004 version. The video card EASILY made the most difference. Get the best you can find. Switching from a 2.4 to a 3.2 gig Processor made a little difference, but nothing spectacular. Everything over 1 gig of RAM made no difference at all. Right now my processor speed is the bottleneck.

I won't even consider buying X until I build a new dual-core computer with top of the line graphics cards in SLI configuration. MS Flight Sim has a long tradition of releasing new versions that are so robust that it takes a few years before hardware technology catches up and you can take advantage of the highest settings. Then, they release the next version and the process starts over again!

Yes, X is better, but 2004 still very good, it looks great and is a lot of fun. Besides, you can pick it up CHEAP now! I'd HIGHLY recommend getting a flight yoke and rudder pedals - that makes all the difference in the world. It takes it from being clunky and barely playable to being an enjoyable, addictive pleasure!