First off I am not a computer whiz. So I hoping someone could help me.I am getting a system that is a PIV 3.2 ghz 800mhz front side bus with hyperthreading512 mb DDR SDRAM at 400MHZ for memory128mb DDR ATI Radeon 9800 proHeres my question....What would the big difference be, if any, in FPS and graphics fluidity in FS2004 if I were to go with this setup(below)instead.........PIV 3ghz 800mhz front side bus with hyperthreading (lower processor)512 mb DDR SDRAM at 400MHZ for memory (no Change)128mb DDR ATI Radeon 9800 (not pro)I guess I am trying to justify cost of a upgrade. If there is negligible difference I would rather go with the PIV 3ghz and radeon 9800 (not the pro)Any input would be helpful.Thank You!

Tocallo,When your talking the systems you speak of the difference will be nothing that you'll notice at all. Although the only choice I would make without question would be a 256 meg card.If your not in a hurry why not wait a month or 2 when the prescott comes out along with the new R360's from ATI.Bobby

I have a non-pro and have it oc'd to near pro speeds I love it. Go for it!

>with the new R360's from ATI.>is it the so called 9800 XT card ? If so it will be an absolute waste of money as far as FS2004 is concerned - tomshardware shows benchmarks. Also, again looking at tom's benchmarks - 256 megs video is another waste of $$$ unless you want to play at 1600 X 1200 resolution.Michael J.http://www.reality-xp.com/community/nr/rsc/rxp-higher.jpg

>is it the so called 9800 XT card ? If so it will be an>absolute waste of money as far as FS2004 is concerned ->tomshardware shows benchmarks. Also, again looking at tom's>benchmarks - 256 megs video is another waste of $$$ unless you>want to play at 1600 X 1200 resolution.No it's not the 9800XT. And actually it's not a waste of money for a couple of reasons. Suppose your one of those people who like to run at higher resolutions than 1024x768x32? Although there really is no performance boost compared to the Regular 9800 it is a viable option. Also, you do realize that FS9 is more than capable of filling the bandwidth of a 128 Meg card right?. You do also realize that there is a world outside of flight simming and that a 256 meg card is almost a prerequisite for games coming out such as DOOMIII and Half-LifeII. I know the world outside FS is small but it is there :)As far as Toms Hardware goes I no longer put as much faith in the site as I used to. If you regularly follow hardware threads you'll find the same issue with quite a few other people. It's not the site it used to be and neither are the reviews. Take them with a grain of salt. Learn to balance the results from a number of sites as well as individual user results you find and than make a choice. The last time I checked nobody at Toms was seated at the right hand of the father. ;) Although it would seem some people may disagree Lol.Just posting some info....Bobby

I agree with bobby. Especially the opin about Tom's hardware. If I want to read misinformation, I'll go there. Best to ready all the reviews/info available at the various sites.