Hi AllI know this might seem like a tedious subject but any advice would be appreciated.I have just bought a new PC after years of suffering with low detail settings and stuttering only to find I've still got stuttering with my brand new high spec PC. First of all here are the specs:Intel Pentium 4 3.4Ghz1024mb DDR RamATI Radeon X600 256MB Graphics320GB Hard DriveOnBoard 8.1 Channel AudioWindows XP HomeAt first I thought it was to do with the drivers that came with the PC so I updated them to 5.3 drivers from Guru3d. Still no joy. Then I tried the Catalyst control centre drivers, and also some modded ones but still I only get decent FPS when looking up towards the sky.Sometimes I get as low as 12fps when using default flight sim scenery. I have tried a multitude of settings in the graphics card control panel and flight simulator. I am running with 100% traffic in flight sim and all maxed out display settings as I beleive with this PC I should be able to do that and acheive at minimum 21FPS??If someone could help me out that would be great. Is the X600 a naff card that they put in just to sell the PC? Or is it just a coincidence I have downloaded all the naff drivers available!?Thanks again in advance!Cheers[br][/img][/font][/b]

The weak link in your system looks to indeed be that X600.Ati makes great cards but the X600 series is a more budget minded solution that probably doesn't have the performance your looking for.If you have the $$, look more towards the X800 or X850 line.I have an X800XT & it handles very well in FS9.Just keep in mind that even the best PC's out there right now can still be brought to their knees w/ flight sim if you have the right combination of scenery, AI, weather, & aircraft all @ the same time.

Ok!What about a GeForce 6800 GTO?Cheers[br][/img][/font][/b]

U mean a 6800GT ?Yeah their decent cards as well. Just make sure you get a 256mb card. (theirs 128mb versions floating around).For FS9 tho I think an Ati card will give you a slight edge in performance. If you play alot of OpenGL games such as Doom3, then you may want to consider a GeForce card.

So if I was going to lash out on a graphics card, which one should I choose?Cheers[br][/img][/font][/b]

Hi obk, jamiee spotted the weak part of your system very well. For an general overview of Ati features, perhaps check this link: http://www.rojakpot.com/default.aspx?locat...&var1=88&var2=0If you scroll down to the bottom, you'll find a link to the same in Nvidia flavour. Hope this adds to thoughts, good luck and kind regards Jaap

"So if I was going to lash out on a graphics card, which one should I choose?"Well that's largely going to be dependant on your budget.The higher end cards arn't cheap!For ATI I'd start looking @ an X800PRO & above for decent flight sim performance. The X800XT I have is excellent & the X800XT Platinum Edition is even a little faster. There's also the new X850 series which adds more performance & subsequently costs a little more. For Nvidia I'd go w/ either the GeForce 6800GT (256mb) or the 6800 Ultra.***In both cases make sure you get the right form factor for your motherboard as many graphic cards now come in either or both "AGP" & "PCIe" slot types.***

I think my Mobo is equipped with PCIe slots.I was going for around $350 mark because I just want to get a card and get it over and done with!Many thanks for all your help.Cheers[br][/img][/font][/b]