Hello everyone

I use 32bit for everything at the moment. However, shortly I will buy a new mobo and a quad-core processor, plus a Gainward 8800 GTS 640mb card, hoping that it will drive MS Flt.Sim X with a bit more humph than my present setup. Which incidentaly I thought was quite reasonable until I fired up FS-X.

Do I have to do anything unusual if I wish to go to 64bit?

I did think of using my 5oogb external drive for games only. Is it possible to put WinXP Pro onto an external drive with 64bit? My present mobo will fire up from a DVD Drive, so my new one, I hope, is sure to?

This would allow me to maintain my 32bit computing for everything except games? Is there a special WinXP Pro CD that I must use, or may I use my present copy?

regards

grimerz

you can only boot from external HD's using some motherboards (most modern motherboards support it but just check for a usb boot function)

To answer a couple more points:

XP Pro 64 bit is a distinct OS. You would need to purchase it. It is also referred to often as Windows Server 2003. You could set up an internal dual boot if you so desired.

I use the 64 on my gaming machine and only one game that I know of (that I play) uses it. If the software is not written for it it will not use it. Everything reverts back to 32 bit.

Some older software will not work at all and some drivers are still hard to find but with all the Vista 64 bits out now I'm sure the next year or so will see a lot more compatibility.

Unless your game specifies that it is designed for 64 bit it will just run as a 32.

Thank you Madmike and jephree for the information. I was under the impression that Flt Sim X, which I should get tomorrow, providing the village stagecoach is running, needed 64bit computing?

regards

grimerz

I see no mention of that nor that it would use 64 bit.

System Requirements

Microsoft® Windows® XP SP2 / Vista
PC with 1 GHz equivalent or higher processor
256 MB of system RAM for Windows XP SP2 / 512 MB Vista
14 GB available hard disk space
DVD-ROM drive
32 MB DirectX 9 compatible video card required
Sound card, speakers or headphones required for audio
Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device
56.6 Kbps or better modem for online play

http://www.microsoft.com/games/pc/fl...x.aspx#sysreqs

Thank you jephree, my mistake.

regards

grimerz

PS Jephree.

How on earth does one run Flt.Sim X using only a 1Ghz processor? I doubt if the title would even appear.

At the moment I am using a 3.60Ghz with Hyper-threading, and it is like wading around in glue!

regards

grimerz

Well those are minimum requirements. They don't say how well it will run but just that it will.

In most games (including simulators) the CPU is not as important as the graphics card and RAM.

Your CPU should run that thing as well as any if your graphics card is high end.

shortly I will buy a new mobo and a quad-core processor, plus a Gainward 8800 GTS 640mb card

That should make a huge difference!

Make sure you get a good SLI ready PSU to power that 8800. They also make specific Quad Core ready PSU's.

Enermax makes some sweet PSU's.

jephree, thank you yet again. The graphics card that I use at present is fairly hi-end. A Gainward GF 7800 GTX with 256mb DDR3 on board, but it staggers along using FS-X?

regards

grimerz