Delta Virtual Airlines Water Cooler - Is this a good upgrade?

Delta Virtual Airlines Water Cooler | PC Support | Is this a good upgrade?

DVA11957
Captain, MD-11
OLP

Joined on February 02 2014
DVA One-Year Anniversary
Double Century Club
Online Double Century Club
Everett Century Club
Events Century Club

"Fly everything, it never hurts."
Centereach, NY

290 legs, 843.0 hours
256 legs, 779.3 hours online
276 legs, 797.1 hours ACARS
117 legs, 260.7 hours event

Posted onPost created on July 15 2015 06:31 ET by Darren Tung

First off: Apologies for quitting out of events lately. I got into some technical difficulties with ACARS that made me quit events, but .update seems to fix this. Second: I'm a little fed up with my laptop, an Asus Celeron N2830 that caused me to avoid payware. In other words, I need a new one.

Yesterday I found this laptop online: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-inspiron-15-6-laptop-intel-core-i7-8gb-memory-1tb-hard-drive-silver-matte/8963248.p?id=1219698444394&skuId=8963248
I also found this laptop. The price is wrong, it should say $699.99: http://www.costco.com/ASUS-TP300LD-Touchscreen-2-in-1-Laptop-%7c-Intel-Core-i5-%7c-2GB-Graphics.product.100168645.html

So which laptop is the more cost effective one, and how will said laptop run FSX-SE?

Darren Tung

Captain, MD-11

DVA9545
Senior Captain, B777-200
OLP, 737-ATP

Joined on March 03 2011
50 State Club
Globetrotter
Quad-Jet Quartermaster
US Coastal Club
US Mountaineer Club
Million Mile Club
Events Double Century Club
DVA Ten-Year Anniversary
Toulouse 500 Club
Bi-Millennium Club
Online Twenty Century

"YUPIIIII"
Goiás Brazil

2,495 legs, 5,044.8 hours
2,324 legs, 4,766.4 hours online
2,487 legs, 5,015.2 hours ACARS
271 legs, 683.8 hours event

Posted onPost created on July 15 2015 18:03 ET by Thiago Braga

Darren;
You really want a laptop? DIY (Build) is one of the great things for Desktop PCs. I would stay away of Dell. Asus is descent.

Thiago Braga (DVA9545)

Posted onPost created on July 15 2015 18:37 ET by Darren Tung

Thiago Braga wrote:

Darren;
You really want a laptop? DIY (Build) is one of the great things for Desktop PCs. I would stay away of Dell. Asus is descent.

Yes, I admire the portability of laptops. If I didn't, this post wouldn't exist, and I'd have an extremely good desktop. Somehow, I think the Dell laptop is better.... why do you say that Dell isn't good?

Darren Tung

Captain, MD-11

DVA12617
Chief Pilot, A350-900
OLP, VFRADV
DISPATCHER
E-MAIL

Joined on April 23 2015
B757 100 Club
Eurocap Club
Millennium Club
Toulouse 500 Club
Online Triple Century Club
DVA Ten-Year Anniversary

"Go Utes!"
Herriman, UT

1,280 legs, 2,967.8 hours
391 legs, 810.3 hours online
1,261 legs, 2,925.6 hours ACARS
25 legs, 78.6 hours event
39 legs dispatched, 174.2 hours

Posted onPost created on July 15 2015 20:36 ET by Joe Burner

I run my fsx steam on an asus. Runs pretty smooth. Windows 8.1

Joe Burner (DVA12617)

Posted onPost created on July 15 2015 21:24 ET by Thiago Braga

Darren Tung wrote:

Thiago Braga wrote:

Darren;
You really want a laptop? DIY (Build) is one of the great things for Desktop PCs. I would stay away of Dell. Asus is descent.

Yes, I admire the portability of laptops. If I didn't, this post wouldn't exist, and I'd have an extremely good desktop. Somehow, I think the Dell laptop is better.... why do you say that Dell isn't good?

Ohhh dude. You don`t need to get upset buddy!!!! eek

It was just a questions and opinions. I just hate Dell PCs, as my 2 laptops and 3 desktops was a disaster for Flight Simulator. I would stick with Asus thou, as if you want an opinion.

Thiago Braga (DVA9545)

Posted onPost created on July 16 2015 14:31 ET by Darren Tung

Well, I ended up choosing the Asus i5 because I thought it was more cost-effective. Thanks for your suggestions.

Darren Tung

Captain, MD-11

DVA11021
Captain, B757-200
OLP

Joined on September 13 2012
B757 100 Club
Everett 250 Club
Triple Century Club
Online Triple Century Club
DVA Five-Year Anniversary

Milford, NH

375 legs, 620.5 hours
365 legs, 604.5 hours online
374 legs, 618.9 hours ACARS
21 legs, 51.4 hours event

Posted onPost created on July 17 2015 08:38 ET by Sean Zarella

FSX cant be compared to one pc vs another, the amount of add ons, and basically, How many displays? Now with cards being standard with 3+ monitors with ati eyefinity, or nvidias Surround, this also puts duty cycle on your graphics card and CPU.

the problem with RETAIL pcs, such as dell ect is the amount of Adware, bloatware we call it, instead of the barebones Windows software and the propriety hard and software that the company has and the limitations of upgrades.

Sean Zarella (DVA11021)

DVA12216
Senior Captain, MD-88
OLP

Joined on July 25 2013
50 State Club
Globetrotter
Tin Dispatcher
White Knuckles Club
Online Triple Century Club
Million Mile Club
DVA Five-Year Anniversary
US Coastal Club
DVA Fleet Master
Everett 500 Club
Flying Colonel

"Speed is life, altitude is life insurance."
Alexandria, VA

1,798 legs, 4,339.1 hours
378 legs, 681.8 hours online
1,718 legs, 4,088.0 hours ACARS
14 legs, 36.8 hours event
311 legs dispatched, 224.4 hours

Posted onPost created on July 17 2015 09:18 ET by Matthew Murray

Both options have the newer ULV (ultra low voltage) processors, which is great for portability but will probably be slow for FSX. You want all the raw power you can squeeze out of it. Let us know how it works! smile

Posted onPost created on October 29 2015 19:53 ET by Darren Tung

Matthew Murray wrote:

Both options have the newer ULV (ultra low voltage) processors, which is great for portability but will probably be slow for FSX. You want all the raw power you can squeeze out of it. Let us know how it works!

Flash forward three months later, and I don't feel satisfied by my i5 anymore. It's almost there, but not quite there in terms of running FSX. Fortunately, I've found two laptops that might serve as good replacements. I will put SSDs, and Windows 7 in one of these two: the better one. Help please? Note that I will add to this list over the next few days.
#1: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-y50-touch-15-6-touch-screen-laptop-intel-core-i7-8gb-memory-1tb-8gb-hybrid-hard-drive-black/6337026.p?id=1219665860106&skuId=6337026
#2: http://m.costco.com/ASUS-X751LX-Laptop-|-Intel-Core-i7-|-2GB-Graphics-|-1080p.product.100228428.html (Price is $749)

[EDITS] #3: http://m.costco.com/ASUS-X550JX-Laptop-%7c-Intel-Core-i7-%7c-2GB-Graphics-%7c-1080p-%7c-1-Year-Accidental-Damage-Protection.product.100213769.html?krypto=Ghgy30aV1%2FtvhOZGNfmKh5XOrizjMp4t0PfHLC5eUhUd7MAg9dEO%2BXyy3n2DT%2F%2BOrukwYkYLdibU%0Ats6ZVN29bIGHTZ9Y6WeEUEJa7EIl4rI%3D (Price is $879).
#4: http://m.costco.com/Acer-V17-Nitro-Laptop-|-Intel-Core-i7-|-2GB-Graphics-|-1080p-|-Blu-ray-Writer-|-Backlit-Keyboard-|-Windows-10.product.100232032.html (Price is $999)
#5: http://m.costco.com/Dell-Inspiron-15-7000-Series-Touchscreen-Laptop-|-Intel-Core-i7-|-4GB-Graphics-|-4K-Ultra-HD.product.100227554.html (Price is $999)

Darren Tung

Captain, MD-11

DVA10236
Captain, B747-400

Joined on October 02 2011
Century Club
DVA Ten-Year Anniversary

LaGrange, GA

107 legs, 433.3 hours
51 legs, 144.5 hours online
105 legs, 429.8 hours ACARS
3 legs, 3.9 hours event

Posted onPost created on October 29 2015 20:32 ET by Jacob Buchanan

Darren, I fly FS9 on my Laptop (HP Envy 15 (touchscreen) with the AMD A10-5750m (or a high/low i3/5). In a C172, everything maxed with REX and a few airport addons, 70-80 FPS is common. However, my average is 20-25 with other payware aircraft.

The downfall to flying on a laptop is the heat generated. It's immense. I've jerry rigged a 60mm fan that plugs into my USB ports to blow cold air into the fan intake on the laptop. It has reduced temps 10-15C while playing, and makes a big difference.

The problem that you're running into is that you're entering home built PC territory prices, which personally after flying on a laptop for a year, would be 10X better then the mistake you're going to make.

In the span of owning my laptop, I've only flown once away from my house, which was at my other house. I have yet to find the time while waiting in traffic to load FS and join VATSIM to do a flight. Yes, they have great portability, and I love using it for schoolwork, but for practicality reasons, I'm going to have to say (especially with what you seem willing to throw into this) to build your own.

You could create an excellent gaming PC for almost 3/4 of what #4 and 5 are going for, and still have tons of cash to splurge on more addons. It's all of what you think you're actually going to do with it.

And I'd stay far away from 2 in 1's.... they will NEVER replace a laptop, as they have a hard enough time replacing desktops..

Jacob Buchanan (DVA10236)

Posted onPost created on October 29 2015 21:14 ET by Darren Tung

While I would normally agree with you, I can't exactly put a PC Desktop in my house and have it function. My basement is way too cold, while the second floor of my house is all carpet. As for the first floor.... It's completely filled up.

Darren Tung

Captain, MD-11

DVA11781
Captain, MD-11

Joined on October 03 2013
Everett 250 Club
Million Mile Club
DVA Two-Year Anniversary
Quatercentenary Club

Northeastern United States

Posted onPost created on October 29 2015 21:46 ET by Joe Cappelo

Darren Tung wrote:

While I would normally agree with you, I can't exactly put a PC Desktop in my house and have it function. My basement is way too cold, while the second floor of my house is all carpet. As for the first floor.... It's completely filled up.

Whats wrong with having a PC Desktop on carpet? Also, if you get a powerful PC you wouldn't believe how much of a space heater they become when you have FSX running smile

Posted onPost created on October 29 2015 21:52 ET by Darren Tung

Okay. I don't see a problem using both machines concurrently....... Maybe I will build a computer and use my laptop when I have to travel. I already have a good idea about what to use, so all I need is to pay roughly $1500 for parts to build a desktop..... keyword Maybe.

Darren Tung

Captain, MD-11

Posted onPost created on October 29 2015 22:34 ET by Jacob Buchanan

You won't need that much (big emphasis on that) to do build a nice rig. Maybe if you were purchasing a pre fabbed one, but hand built, nope.

And the colder the better it is for the PC. If it's unfinished, I understand. But as far as placing it on carpet, there's nothing to worry about. Nothing big is on the bottom anyways..

Jacob Buchanan (DVA10236)

Posted onPost created on October 30 2015 18:43 ET by Thiago Braga

Darren;
If you are still looking to buy a PC and I want to sell mine.

PM me.

Thiago Braga (DVA9545)

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