One-Eyed Look at the Old Box (Long and rambling)

[Charl]

When Microsoft launched FSX in 2006, I was ready.
I had taken the test
Here are the Microsoft Flight Simulator X System Requirements (Minimum)
• CPU: Pentium III/Athlon or better
• CPU SPEED: 1 GHz
• RAM: 256 MB for Windows XP, 512 MB for Windows Vista
• OS: Windows XP
• VIDEO CARD: 32 MB 100% DirectX 9.0c video card with Pixel Shader 2.0
• TOTAL VIDEO RAM: 32 MB
• 3D: Yes
• PIXEL SHADER: 2.0
• DIRECTX VERSION: 9.0c
• SOUND CARD: Yes
• FREE DISK SPACE: 14 GB
• DVD-ROM: Yes
Microsoft Flight Simulator X Recommended Requirements
• CPU: Pentium 4/Athlon XP or better
• CPU SPEED: 2.4 GHz
• RAM: 512 MB
• OS: Windows XP
• VIDEO CARD: 256 MB 100% DirectX 9.0c video card (NVIDIA GeForce 6800 or better)
• TOTAL VIDEO RAM: 256 MB
• 3D: Yes
• HARDWARE T&L: Yes
• PIXEL SHADER: 2.0
• VERTEX SHADER: 2.0
• DIRECTX VERSION: 9.0c
• SOUND CARD: Yes
• FREE DISK SPACE: 14 GB
• DVD-ROM: Yes
I splashed out for this:
Playtech 19 Mar 07 $3651.75 incl.GST
CPU Intel Core 2 DUO E6600 2.4GHz Conroe 1066MHz FSB 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Dual Core Processor
Operating System Windows Vista Home Premium OEM Edition (Downgraded to XP equivalent on request)
Memory G.SKILL 2GB kit (1GB x 2) DDR2-800 (PC-6400) CL4-4-4-12 F2-6400CL4D-2GBPK
Motherboard ASUS P5N-E SLI Socket 775 nVidia nForce 650i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard
Hard Drive 1 Seagate 320GB 7200RPM SATA2 16MB Cache
Monitor VIEWSONIC VX2235WM 22" WIDE LCD 5MS 1680X1050 DVI 3 YR ONSITE WAR
Graphics XFX PV-T80G-THF9 Geforce 8800GTS 640MB GDDR3 PCI-EXPRESS 16x Video Card
Audio Onboard 7.1 Channel Audio
Optical Drive 16x Dual Layer +/- DVD Writer
Network Onboard 10/100/1000 Network
Power Supply Silverstone ST60F 600W Power Supply with 12cm fan
Case Silverstone SST-TJ06 Tower Case w/ Side Window, Wind Tunnel (Silver or Black)
Keyboard Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard
Mouse Logitech G5 Laser Gaming Mouse + Everglide Titan Gaming Mouse
Speakers Logitech X-530 5.1 Black Speakers

This was overkill but we all knew that flightsims grew and bloated and needed plenty of heft.
Needless to say, the operating system was crap (Vista) and a “downgrade” to XP made sense.
Alas the new flightsim code also turned out to be crap, and it ran abominably.

Luckily FS9 ran like a dream on this hot machine, and then began a wonderful decade of flightsimming.
The sim grew into such a custom monster that we started calling it “FS9.5”. I have screenshots from it that look great after 10 years (a lifetime in computing terms!)

The computer had midlife upgrades: Sound Blaster X-Fi and NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 gave it a great lift. I smiled at everyone in the FSX community struggling to find a bit of hardware that would even work with their sim without OOMs and other awful - sounding 3 letter acronyms. Interesting too, that they generally lied about performance, to somehow hide the enormous blunder of their commitment. (This gleaned from casual browsing of Other forums)

Late last year the video card fried itself.
A shock awaited: the architecture of the build was so outdated no modern card would work.
A used one was found.
Then the HDD died.
No matter, a second drive held a mirror and could be restored.
But for some reason WIN XP, that most excellent stalwart, balked at some of the “Updates” that had somehow crept in over the years and lodged in the various applications. What to do?
WIN10 was by now obligatory but also would not accept some of the modded bits in the sim.
It all seemed too hard, and I became an Ex-simmer by simple lack of interest and motivation.

A bin arrived on site last week (as we are renovating) and as you do, anything that looks old or feeble is fair game.
I eyed the beautiful Silverstone SST-TJ06 Tower Case, by now relegated to a corner under some file boxes.
But the story doesn’t end as badly as it might have.
I connected with original supplier Playtech and said: “Do you recycle old beloved computers?”
They said: “Yes, but bring it in we might be able to do an upgrade for you!”

I duly took it in and we looked and looked.
By consensus the decision was reached that the old box had done well and indeed had reached the End.
It will be dismantled and the appropriate bits recycled in the appropriate way.
I think this end-of-life process should be built-in for every item of electrical goods sold.
Kudos to Playtech that they play their part already without coercion.

RIP(ieces) faithful old box. I became quite attached to you. Funny, that.

[chopper_nut]

Those original system requirements for FSX are funny... Imagine trying to run it on those specs....

[Charl]

Yah! Eggzackerly.
My computer was one notch off abso-bloody-lutely bleedingedge.
Pratz.