Hi there ... I've been flying with FS2k2 since January and the PC seams to lock up a lot. It's gotten better ever since I installed the Nvidia GForce 2 Ti card (I think), but it still locks up when playing.I'm curious ... do other simmers have these problems A LOT? If so, what's the best CURE?My real problem ... by having to hard reboot all the time I'm causing registry and "dll" errors and it's basically screwing up my PC. I'm using Win98, 733MHz, 256MB RAM, GForce 2 Ti 64mB.PLEASE HELP...Should I upgrade to XP?What is the BEST video card?Is it a video card problem?

What controllers chips do you have; VIA, Intel, Sis and what version controller chip software are you using?Do you have IRQ sharing between graphics, and other peripherals. Open Device Manager and look at the IRQ assignments. If you are sharing between graphics, sound, NICs, modems, it could cause your problems.How hot is your processor becoming; do you have adequate cooling?Have you scan and defragged you harddrive lately?

Thanks for the quick reply ... I will look into your suggestions. Now for even more FUN, it looks like I may be upgrading to a whole new system - to allow the other PC to be used by my wife :)I'd like to spend $1000 - $1500, but MIGHT be willing to go to $2k ONLY IF NEEDED. I don't want to BUILD anything. This PC would be used strictly for MSFS2k2 and I use a lot downloaded scenery, planes, etc. I fly mainly on vatsim, with squakbox and RW.Any suggestions for a decent, smooth running PC system for this $1000-$1500 price range?Also, what's the best method for hooking up multiple monitors? Wideview or a video card capable of hooking up 2-3 monitors? Thanks for your time. Your input is very much appreciated.

Hie Pookie,It really depends on what you want your additional monitors for. If you simply want to move guages and nav to another monitor, then go with a dual head card, or a second PCI card. If you want additional views beyond the front view (left, right, two forward, etc.), then WidevieW is the way to go. However, with WidevieW, each additional view requires a seperate computer. You can see my system specs to get an idea. If you go with a single PC, then there are plenty of ~1.5-2.0GHz systems to be had for around $1K or less. If you go up to $2K, you can buy one of those bad boy P4/2.4-2.5 GHz systems (make sure it is the Northwood core). I always like to go for the systems that are just a level below the top of the line. It's always cheaper, and the performance difference isn't that great. My recommendation is any system with a P4/2GHz or greater, or an AMD Athlon XP1800+ or better. For more ideas, run a search for author Elrond, he always has good advice.Have fun.