Notebook PC Configuration for MSFS2004

On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 18:01:10 -0500, wrote:

Just wondering what the preferred configuration of a notebook PC
should be to support the next generation of flight sims with good
results. Thanks.

Laptop displays in full-screen mode: The display adapters on some
laptop computers may let you select a resolution that is larger than
the LCD device can support. In these cases the view may be cut off
when running Flight Simulator in full-screen mode. To see the full
screen image, either reduce the resolution or use windowed mode.
Driver updates do not resolve this issue.
ATI (http://www.ati.com/na/pages/na_index.html)
· ATI Radeon Mobility 6P: Screen display image is too big for the
screen in full-screen mode at resolutions greater than 1024x768. To
see the full screen image, use resolutions no higher than 1024x768 or
windowed mode. Driver updates do not resolve this issue.
· ATI Radeon Mobility 9000: Screen display image is too big for the
screen in full-screen mode at resolutions greater than 1024x768. To
see the full screen image, use resolutions no higher than 1024x768 or
windowed mode. Driver updates do not resolve this issue.
· ATI Radeon 7200, Windows 98 SE and Windows ME, retail driver: Upon
launching Flight Simulator, the error message "Fs9 has performed an
illegal operation & will be shut down" is generated and you cannot get
into the game. This does not occur with Windows XP.
· ATI Radeon 7500, latest drivers: Line is drawing on the back wing of
Cessna Skyhawk SP and Cessna Skylane airplanes.
· ATI Radeon 8500, retail drivers: Various textures may be missing.
· ATI Radeon 8500: Using this card with Windows 9x and Windows ME will
cause Flight Simulator to crash. Updating to the latest drivers will
fix this problem.
· ATI Radeon 8500: Using this card with Windows XP and the retail
drivers will cause the computer to stop responding. Updating to the
latest drivers will fix this problem.
· Gateway ATI Radeon VE, Windows ME, retail driver: List selections do
not highlight, but instead outline, when you are selecting airports,
aircraft, seasons, flights, time of day, resolutions, and other
elements in full-screen mode. The latest driver v4.13.1.3233 from
Gateway fixes the problem.
· When using the ATI All-In-Wonder 128 graphics card, the sun may
appear distorted or be absent when the MIP mapping quality is set to
anything other than 4.
· ATI Rage 128 with the latest drivers: At resolutions of 1024x768 and
above, pressing ALT causes graphics display problems. At resolutions
below 1024x768, however, such problems do not occur.
· ATI Rage 128: If you see random colored triangles drawn on the
screen, your ATI Rage 128 card needs an updated driver.
· ATI Radeon DDR 64 MB in Windows 2000, retail drivers: Polygons may
flash on the screen, usually when the airplane is flying.
3Dfx (http://www.3dfx.com)
· Voodoo 5 5500, Windows 98 SE: Weather effects, such as rain and
snow, may not display properly.
· Voodoo 5 5500, 64 MB, Windows 98 SE, all drivers: When pressing the
ALT key or when selecting from the drop-down menus during a flight,
objects, such as airplanes, buildings, and clouds, may not display
correctly. You may also notice lines on the screen.

Creative Labs (http://www.creative.com)
· Creative Annihilator Pro, Windows 98 SE, retail drivers: The game
will not run.
Elsa (http://www.elsa.com)
· ELSA Gladiac MX, all retail drivers: The numbers on the back of the
Cessna Skylane appear as a black square in the preview window.
Intel (http://www.intel.com)
· On the Intel 845 chipset with driver versions above (newer than)
33.17, fog may not display properly under low-visibility conditions.
Setting the visibility to 10 miles may cause display problems.
Matrox (http://www.matrox.com)
· Matrox Millennium G-200: Rain and snow are not animated. Airports
may look white at night.
· Matrox Millennium G-400, Windows 98 SE, Windows ME, and Windows XP,
retail and latest drivers: The game may lock up, usually when the
aircraft is flying. The problem is less frequent with Windows XP.
· Matrox Millennium G-550 in Windows ME, latest drivers: Background
screen will be corrupted in full screen mode. Use windowed mode
instead.
Nvidia (http://www.nvidia.com/)
· Nforce motherboards with integrated audio may require upgraded BIOS
(Basic Input/Output System) and drivers.

S3 Graphics (http://www.s3graphics.com)
· Savage IX with latest driver: Clouds in the distance may appear in
front of the horizon. These clouds disappear in Slew mode.
· Super Savage IXC and Twister K, latest driver, Windows XP: The
aircraft and runway may disappear when you select weather.