Currently have the following:AMD 1.4c, 512MB DDR, Original GeForce 3 (64MB)Is it worth the effort to pick up COF & PMDG's 737 or am I more realistically looking at dropping some money into a P4 3.2/GF 5900FX combo to not be unhappy?I'm not blaming the app or anything, just asking for info from folks who have similar configurations so I know if it's time for a new machine. I generally do a full machine upgrade every 3 or 4 years, I guess the question comes down to is this the time to do so?Ray(crossposted in MS forum)

Ray,Your computer will run COF fine, about the same as it ran FS2002. However, the clouds kill my Ti4600, so your card will probably not be able to do the job in that regard(well, you could cutback the clouds). To be truely happy I would suggest a new computer(if you can afford it, but instead get a ATI 9800 256 mb in lieu of a nVidia 5900....:-hah), but I certainly wouldn't wait to get both COF and the NG just because you have a computer the can't run the clouds at 100% :DSo, my suggestion is get COF and the NG because your computer can do it, and worry about the new computer later :)

Fred, I understand what you are saying, but 2K2/PIC pretty much soured me completely and I went back exclusively to PS 1.3. I don't want to set myself up again by expecting anything other then a slide show, why buy it if you can't really use it eh?Let me rephase the original question to you:What is the minimum frame rate required to hand fly the 737 on COF without massive overcontrolling through a approach and landing? Just how stripped do I have to go on the sliders to get there?

Hi,I'd say it would be a hard decision for me if I were in your shoes. Your system will run FS2004(FS9, CoF) ok, just not real great. I would maybe suggest another 512 MB's of RAM and/or the video card Fred mentioned. Depends on how much you want to spend on upgrading. If you're thinking about getting a top of the line newer system, I would suggest considering waiting until new systems come out using the upcoming PCI Express system bus that will be replacing the current PCI bus. I'm not certain, but I believe these newer boards with PCI Express will also have the ability to accept and run the upcoming newer version of Intel Processors, codenamed Prescott. Don't know about support for AMD processors on it though. I'd have to read up some on it again, but it seems like it should have a different name than PCI Express because it really is a newer architecture than PCI, yet still backwards compatible if I remember correctly. There won't be an AGP slot on them(or at least a need for one) as it will be plenty fast enough for some time to come to run video cards without such a slot. It will probably be several months yet before they appear. Just something I thought I'd put out there for you to think about though.Sincerely,Jim Richards

Hi!It's hard to say, surly I can't give numbers since these vary accourding to the settings, scenery, AI etc.I can tell you this much: on my system (p1.5 G4-4200 512rdram) the post-patch version gives very reasonable FRs. I get similar numbers with the NG as I get from 767PIC and the PSS A320.This is with FS2002 (don't have FS9 yet).I don't think there are any other addons with a similar degree of complexity which perform noticebly better.Obviously I can't comment on the performance in FS9.best//Mike

sorry, double post

I will be real honest with you, on my tweaked out rig, clouds at 100%(the 3D kind), I get tops 20 fps. With any clouds, I get 13-15 fps. Sounds low, but in all honesty that is 'smooth' enough for me. YMMV.I really am not too sure on how stipped on the sliders you would have to go, as I don't own the same video card/CPU you have, so anything I have to say in that regard is pure speculation, but I do know that the 3D clouds will kill your FPS....

Hi Guys,My 2 cents worth.I am running a Pentium 4C 3.0GHz, 2Gb DDR400 Dual Channel, GeForceFX 5900Ultra 256Mb, and the OS is Windows XP Pro.My scenario running the PMDG B737 in 1280x1024 with 4xAA and sliders maxxed out:Terrain: all sliders on max, texture blending and extended terrain textures enabled.Scenery Objects: all sliders on max, with Ground scenery casts shadows.Global Aircraft Quality: Ultra HighVirtual Cockpit Gauges: Low (I rarely use the VC)Weather: Sight distance is 110nm, Cloud draw distance is 60nm, 3-D cloud %age is 100%Cloud Detail is enabled and set at medium.I have the following hardware options:Target FPS=35Render to texture enabledT&L is enabledAA is enabled throught Detonator Drivers 45.23 at 4xFilter is set to trilinear.MipMapping is set to 4 (and higher and you get horrible shimmering)Hardware render lights set to 8Global texture size is massive.With these options selected I easily attain the locked 35FPS. In areas of detailed scenery and high cloud volumes, this may drop to low 20's. Overall I am impressed with the new FS.No going back to FS2K2 for me - I am hooked on COF with the PMDG 737. :-DBryan

I want a rig like that too! :-(PIII/800MHz512Mb Rambus PC800Intel 820 chipsetGeForce3 Ti200/128Mb30Gb HDWin98SERegards,

So would I =)

Hello Ray,Like yourself I am a long time PS1 user -I got the original on floppies and now have 1.3 and Bill Bulfers FMC guide, so, I should imagine we like the same things in flight sims.My system is AMD1.3, Nvidia2 GTS Pro 32mg ram,512 mg sdram,Asus A7v motherboard.Now let me say that I have no problems with 737Ng at all!Frame rates set to 18 these can drop when taking off but still ok.I have very little clouds,no shadows but most of the other sliders are fine -mainly max.I run at 1280x960 32 bit.Although everything is not yet 100% this is the nearest to 1.3 that I have yet seen.For the price as would call it unbelievable value for money.regards,David Pedder