Rat1

I installed a new video card Geforce 5500 oc (160.00 out the door) then installed my brand new Realflight G3 sim (200.00 out the door) and now when I try to launch it I just get error after error. Grass billboards and so on and so on and so on.

So now I have 360.00+ dollars in a flight sim that at the moment is worse then an Atari video game since the atari video games actually work.

My PC is a three year old dell dimensions 4300 1.60 ghz with 384 mb of ram ( I added more ram 2 years ago) It is running on windows XP home.

I am about ready to stomp this whole works into the ground and the wife is even more upset since I spent all this money on what she calls a video game and it doesn't work.

peefiddyonefan

Download and install the G3 Heli update.

Rat1

Well I tried that and still a no go on this sim. I am just beside myself right now. I spent a months worth of savings to purchase this inoperable program.

Dig it

Its not the program, its your system. You have a fairly old system in technology terms. I run a computer business on the side and what I would suggest to you as your problems is this. You don't have enough ram. Ram makes things run smooth, plain and simple, you need more. Your processor is not bad but I'm running it on a 2.4 and I see the odd bump. Lastly, Dell isn't selling top end components, so I wouldn't expect a top end graphics program to run on a low end system. The video card update would have helped but the bottom line is that your system is out of date for this type of program. Sorry for your luck but graphics are the be all, end all of a system. Unless you run top quality compenents you simply will not get maximum effect on a top end program. On a system of the age you speak of, I wouldn't even have tried.

D MAN

My Feedback: (1)

I would have to agree that you dont enough ram.That amonut is barely enough for XP and limited use. Ram is fairly cheap now and it would make your system faster. Dell uses RD and DDR ram in their systems,more than likely you have DDR ram and 512 mb should be fairley cheap.
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...145-026&depa=0

Rat1

For my machine it costs over 100.00 for a 256 card. it has the shared DDR/sdr type ram and uses the card with two notches in it were it plugs in. The system will only use 512 of ram no matter what is installed.

The main problem I see here is when I picked up the flight simulator at the hobby store I read it to see what I needed.

Minimum requirements are

WindowsXP,2000,ME,98

Intel Pentium 1.0 ghz or equivalent

DirectX 9 compatable video and sound card

3D accelerated video card with 32 mb or more of RAM

256mb Ram

1.3 GB hard drive space

Best performance would be

Windows XP
Intel Pentium 3.0 ghz

3d accelerated video card with 128 mb ram

1 GB of RAM


My System falls in the middle of these recomendations

Pentium 4 processor 1.6 ghz
Windows Home XP
Geforce 5500 OC with 256 mb RAM and it fully directX 9 compatible
384 MB of Ram
With over 18 GB of free hard drive space

So going by the box and the specs on my computer it should work with no problems. Although it would not be the best as far as performance it should work with out many hitches. But it does not work at all.

Errors loading grassbillboards etc (about 10 errors) and it shuts down as in completely inoperable.

Rat1

Thsi being said then RFG3 is falsly advertised as to what systems it will work on and their programmers should go back and rethink the complete sim.

In all actuallity if more is needed then what is written on the box then Real Flight and Knife edge should be liable for getting the needed parts to the consumers free of charge.

peefiddyonefan

Are you sure all your drvers are up to date?

jhimmel

Yes, check your drivers. The errors you are seeing are consistent with DirectX9 compatibility issues from what I have seen. If you haven't already, check for the latest video drivers for your card.
I do not see your card listed in KE compatability testing, but if it truly has full support of DirectX9, it should work.

Jim H.

Rat1

I downloaded the drivers from Nvidia last night. This is part of the company that does the Geforce cards.

I was on the phone with BFG/Nvidia then Dell Tech support till 2:30 AM this morning and it boils down to me needing to get a different card. Even though it did not list what cards are acceptable or not ont he box of the simulator.

See this is the problem. Only certain cards are acceptable and Knife Edge/Realflight did nto list them on the box the simulator came in. Heck I did not knwo that Knife edge/Realflight had a disscusion board untill I tried using the tech support link when the RFG3 page first opens on my computer.

So if this is the case of needing a specific card for the game to run then it is up to Knife Edge/Realflight to supply the card to the consumers.

This is just like a ruling back a few years ago when Dodge/Chrysler tried to say that there would be no 100,000 mile warrenty on the cummins motors int he 3/4 and 1 ton trucks unless they used Mopar oil. It was brought to court and ruled that if this is the case then Dodge/Chrysler would have to supply this oil free of charge to the consumers. No it is not against the warrenty to use other then Mopar oils.

A similar instance was Polaris saying that there would be no warrenty on their machines unless Polaris only oils were used in their machines. Polaris can no longer make this claim because they would be liable in supplying their lubricants free of charge to the consumers.

I hate for any other unsuspecting consumers to have to go through all of this like I did. But then again is not Real Flight a part of Great planes, which is also a part of Horizon, Also part of Hobbyzone/ParkZone. I am starting to see a pattern here.

r1derbike

At this point, I would contact Great Planes/KnifeEdge Big Kahunas with your concerns. Jim Bourke is CEO of KnifeEdge Software, I don't know who the Big Kahuna is at Great Planes.

Charles

drumbum

My Feedback: (1)

I posted over at the KE forum for some help a couple of weeks ago dont waste your time. NONE replied

My soundcard drivers were my problem. the driver i had werent DX9 compatible

Im running a

HOMEBUILT (THE WAY TO GO IN PC`S)

Athalon 2600+
1.5 gigs of ram
OLD nvidia 4800TI
2 WD 200gig drives


I bought all of this 2 years ago and have to say after i got all driver staight it works great.. I get 146 FPS on that old vid card.. not great but works fine.

I would go and update ALL drivers and get some ram ( or a motherbord, processor, case and ram) not as expensive as you might think

Knighthawk2100

Call Real Flight Tech Support they will help you out. They are absalutly wonderful.

jhimmel

Rat, your analogies are not the same. They are not requiring that you use only their own companies card - or even one specific brand of card. They are merely offering a list of graphics adapters that have been tested and are known to work . They even state that their own list is not all inclusive. They are not dictating what brand of oil you must use - they are giving you some guidelines and offering the benefit of their testing results. My card (Radeon X800 XT PE) is not specifically listed, but works very well.

For instance - they may say that their software worked only on Microsoft Windows platform, however they would not be required to SUPPLY Microsoft Windows with the product.

That being said, I think they ARE negligent in not making the graphics adapter requirements clear enough on the box. The requirements on the box are too general for a product that requires such specifics. You should try Knighthawks suggestion and contact them by telephone and see if you can come to a satisfactory resolution.

Good luck, Rat - your frustration is understandable. I hope you eventually get to enjoy the product and put the pain behind you.

Jim H.