Actually it’s still only you. This month AND ever!
I didn’t count @dubnewt2648’s, unless he tells me otherwise 
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I’ll sulk … but in a dignified manner 
Hey, you’re unique 
… you’re special 
!
Just think of the bragging rights you’ll have if everyone starts buying it. You were THE Brave Pioneer 
and the OG Chippy Pilot! 
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For normal use most enclosures are fine.
The issues we have at work are basically when we want to upgrade a laptop we often remove the M2 drive and install the bigger one and then drop the old M2 in an external enclosure so we can get the data off. generally we are cloning around 300GB or so of data at once. In some cheaper enclosures cloning will fail after about half an hour due to heat.
If you feel you may be doing that sort of sustained read/write buy one with a fan, otherwise any heavy heatsink case is likely fine.
Also note that M2 just describes the physical socket, M2 SATA and M2 NVME are totally different do not get the wrong enclosure.
Things that effect speed:
- type of device NVME is faster than SATA
- type of NAND (SLC, MLC, TLC etc)
- PCIe 3 versus 4 can matter (is it worth the cost though ?)
- if USB gen 3.2 is better, thunderbolt is better still
- what your motherboard is capable of handing, in particular what else is loading up the lanes
In terms of NVME devices this article may be useful:
… and a video …
To be honest in terms of gaming the differences are likely minimal.
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It’s getting to be that there’s more January behind us than ahead of us, so it’s time to post my first Top Ten list for the New Year. 
These selections aren’t really in any sort of order, now that they count for one point each. It’s more a “stream of consciousness” list… but they are kind of in order I suppose, because I’m writing them in the order they pop into my brain. lol!
That said:
PMDG DC-6 - Of all the third-party aircraft I’ve acquired so far for MSFS, this one has taken me “deeper” than any other. When it first graced my hangar it rarely stayed there, and all of the others I’d had before stayed parked. For months. This is the only model that has ever gotten such complete and undivided attention, except perhaps for Falcon 3.0 back in the 90’s. If I could give this one “bonus points” they would be well deserved. Without a doubt “The Six” is my favorite airliner, and the only four-engined plane I fly. Makes me want a four throttle controller… it’s that good.
MilViz/Blackbird C310R - Another model that took front and center for weeks and weeks, keeping everything else grounded. The systems depth is superb. State saving works without flaw, and the “ownership” option is - more or less - unique. Flight characteristics are very satisfying. Learning to gracefully land gives a sense of accomplishment I’ve rarely felt in the simulator, other than with the DC-6. If I could only chose one GA twin this is the one. The Twin Cessna is a peach.
Simworks Studios Kodiak II - Another aircraft I flew exclusively for weeks and weeks after release. I am a big fan of Ryan (Missionary Bush Pilot) and his flights in PNG. I spent hours recreating some of the flights into little tiny unimproved grass strips. It gave me a new appreciation for just how difficult that type of aviation is, and how skilled an aviator Ryan is. The model is wonderful, and has only improved with the updates released so far. Again, if I could choose only one turboprop, this would be the one.
Just Flight PA-28 “Fleet” - This includes the Warrior, the Arrow, and the two Turbo Arrows. The first model I purchased was the Arrow, and - as above - I spent hours and hours to the exclusion of all else when I first got this one. I realize that the fleet is due for an update and I trust that will come in due course. The enjoyment I’ve gotten from flying these aircraft is great. My favorite is the Turbo Arrow III. I find engine management to be really fun, and the aircraft is just fast enough to be a good cross-country mount. My favorite single engine GA? Yeah, probably so.
Carenado C337H - I know that Carenado gets a bad rap for lack of systems depth and a “sameness” between similar models. This model - IMHO - is the best they’ve released to date, and is a really nice flyer. The liveries are really a throwback to what was parked on the ramp in the late 70’s and early 80’s. While not as sophisticated as some models in MSFS, the Skymaster is quite fun to fly and is another great choice for a cross-country trip. Because of the high wing, and with the pilot sitting more out front than in a C182, the visibility is really good. If you only buy one Carenado bird, this would be the one.
Simworks Studios Van’s RV-14 - This one was a complete surprise for me. The price was initially what attracted me, and my first-rate experience with the Kodiak II made me think that Simworks Studios wasn’t going to let me down. They did not, and I’ll go out on a limb and say that the RV-14 may be one of the best values in third-party A/C out there. In VR the experience is nothing short of amazing. I find myself taking the RV-14 up any time I want a flight of 100 nm or less in CAVOK skies. It is such a nice plane to fly and handles like a Lotus Elan with wings. I can highly recommend this one with a VR rig; it is among the very best in MSFS.
Flysimware C414AW - The pace of updates has finally settled down. For a while I parked this one because it changed - seemingly once a week - and made the flight characteristics different with every update. There’s something to be said for an “open beta” release, but this one nearly got deleted. It makes the list because it is a very good model, and because of the incredible attention to detail paid by the developer. It is a large, cabin class twin that sports pressurization and turbocharged Continentals, and it is fairly rare. My opinion is that it flies like a “baby DC-6” which is to say very stable and predictable. It is an excellent IFR platform.
Aeroplane Heaven C140 - If you enjoy taildraggers this one is the Bee’s Knees. Hands down, it is the best handling taildragger I’ve flown in MSFS. The liveries are a study in Fifties-era optimism. Think “I Love Lucy” or perhaps a favorite diner you went to for a burger, fries, and a milkshake when you were a kid. The big chrome switches look like they belong on a jukebox. The flight characteristics are so docile and sweet it gives you an idea of why Cessna sold more GA singles than anybody else From 1946 through the early 80’s. This is the forerunner to the venerable C150, and one flight - even in the sim - will feel familiar to you if you enjoy the C152 that comes “stock”… highly recommended.
Asobo C172 “Classic” - I may end up getting WB Sim’s 172SP Classic Enhancement for this model, but for this list I’m talking about the “bone stock” steam gauge C172 that Asobo provides with the Deluxe and Premium Editions of the sim. This model has sentimental value for me, because of all the aircraft I’ve flown in real life, I have more hours in a C172 with round dials on the panel than any other. The flight characteristics are pretty darned good, and I’m comparing that to my “real world” experience. Nothing is going to replicate real flying, but the model gives a good feel for what a C172 is like. Good job Asobo!
Asobo Daher TBM 930 - This one doesn’t get mentioned much, but it is a pretty good model. I’ve spent quite a lot of time in the left seat for long distance flights. It is probably as close to I’ve come to operating a “business jet” in the sim. To be honest, I haven’t flown it in months and months but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a solid model that’s a fun aircraft to master. Aside from the “stock” C172 this is other Asobo aircraft I’ve spent the most time in, probably due to the fact I followed steveo1kinevo for a good long while.
The two Asobo models will likely get bumped off the list at some point, as other good payware models become available. The Just Flight Piper Tomahawk is due out sometime this year, and I keep hoping Blackbird (MilViz) will see fit to release their Piaggio Avanti for MSFS. I can see those models easily making my Top Ten list once/if they become available.
Cheers!
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I’m only flying in VR at the moment so I will list all the aircraft that have good consistent framerates for me and are awesome anyway, even in 2d.
Milviz 310 - Probably the most realistic visually in VR. It is like being in the aircraft.
Flyingiron P-38 73 FPS Visual settings Ultra, Light settings High, all sliders 100
Asobo NX Cub 73 FPS also
Indiafoxtecho F-35
Aerosoft Twin Otter
Carenado M20 Mooney
FFX Hondajet
Glad to see thread going, helps me choose. I have my eye on a Hellcat 
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Hey,
Thanks for the update. Just checking a couple of things please.
-
Have you dropped the Longitude from your previous “Top 5”?
-
For the below, I assume you mean the Got Friends Monster NX Cub? The Asobo one (I think) is only called XCub.
Cheers!
@Seven7Tango Thanks for your update and nice interesting write-ups man
Judging by your reasoning for this one, I suggest you take the plunge and pick up the WB one right away! Whilst you’re at it, grab that sound pack I linked a few posts ago. Honestly I know you won’t regret it - especially if you install both those things at the same time then jump into it 
→ you will be a very happy bunny 
←
Come back to me here after that moment happens and tell me I was wrong (truthfully!) and I’ll pay you back
It seems like small changes but added together it just feels so much more “premium”, involving and interesting. And I don’t even have any proper experience to talk about like you have. You will love it even more.
Yeah I want this one too! With the Ferrari livery please
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Oooooh! I might become an influencer! Do I need a Tik Tok account?
I won’t hold my breath … 
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Asobo makes the NX Cub. Got Friends souped it up to be the Monster.
Oh it’s not on the list already sorry. So, first mention?
That’s a very good suggestion, and a great endorsement too. Ya talked me into it! 
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@Baracus250 should get a commission from developers for all the planes he (rightfully) gets people to plunge for.
I am about to pick up the WB-Sims 172 too now.
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I’m not paying YOU back as well! I know what you’re like
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The NX Cub is the nose wheel steering cub. And the Longitude is nice, but it is one I am not flying at the moment.
Hey, I already bought the WB-Sim 172 and the sound pack and I’m very happy with them and glad I bought both…but can I get paid back anyways? please! 
lol. How about if I ask with my best Scottish accent?
Scots are notoriously stingy aren’t they? So I won’t believe you bought anything if your accent is too good!
There is a great joke the Scottish Comedian Billy Connolly did (hope you know who I mean - absolutely one of my favourite comedians ever!)… something like:
His granddad was so tight with money that he once dropped a 50p coin and it hit him on the back of the head (i.e. he was so fast to bend over to pick it up that he moved faster than free-fall, including the reaction time )
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There you go again, blaming my Irish ancestors for sinking the Titanic, and now my Scottish ancestors are stingy…no wonder we are always hanging out in the pub. Haha!
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An ex-flatmate of mine lived in Scotland for a while and he tells a story about how he was sitting in a local Pub one afternoon and the only other person in the bar was an old Scotsman so he tried to strike up a conversation saying “Are we having fun yet?” .
The response was a disdainful look and the comment “We dinna come here for fun, we come here to drink.” .
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[quote=“EdamllamaB, post:3481, topic:507204”]
The response was a disdainful look and the comment “We dinna come here for fun, we come here to drink.” .[/quote]
Yikes that blootert guy is likelie yin o’ mah relatives!
I agree, have owned the Carenado Cessna 337H in FS9, FSX, P3D and now here, I think it’s one of their best and will always want it in my hangar.