Intel CPU and MB Questions

[Guest RichardL]

Hi All,I am finally at a point where I need to build a new PC. The current AMD Athlon XP just cannot handle FSX. Well it can, I just have to place sliders to the low end.I have read many posts here that have answered many of my questions. Thanks for those posting.Here are my choices:Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X38T-DQ6. CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6850. I prefer the Core 2 Extreme QX6850 but the current price a bit much. The X38T motherboard does give me some upgrade paths for future processor purchases. Will the E6850 give me a good performance boost in FSX?Would I be better of purchasing the QX6850 now vs waiting?Does anyone know if graphic card makers are planning an 8800 Ultra in PCI-E 2.0? I see GT cards in 2.0 but not the Ultra. Thanks,Richard

[brucek 38]

Hi Richard,I'm also deciding between the Gigabyte X38 and X38T board. I found an excellent article on the GA-X38-DQ6 here:http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.as...ARTPAGE=13#lastI'm still out on whether the additional cost of DDR3 memory is worth it for FSX, particularly for future processors.Bruce.

[Guest RichardL]

Hi Bruce,Thanks for the link. Good reading.I'm still wading through hardware reviews and forum posts before I start purchasing.Yes, the DDR3 is expensive but I do believe it is the right choice. We could wait for the price to lower but no matter when we buy DDR3 memory, the price will drop the very next day. Always seems to work that way for me.Good luck on your search,Richard

[brucek 38]

Hi Richard,Good luck to you too :)Apart from the price, which is a one-time event and we all get over :), the other thing that worries me about FFR3 is the high latency. I read that this will come down over time as the product matures, however for right now an equivalent stick of DDR2 might even be faster- that is, pay more for higher technology which performs slower (in the interim). Unfortunately, one has to make a choice one way or the other.Bruce.

[Guest RichardL]

Good points. I guess the problem then would be which motherboard? The X38 only supports DDR2 and the X38T only supports DDR3.If you get the X38, there is no way to upgrade to DDR3 when price and latency improve. The other catch is the X38T would be a good board to start with DDR2, then upgrade to DDR3 in the future, but it doesn't support DDR2.Always some configuration issue to work around.Richard

[brucek 38]

Yes, that's exactly what I was looking for until I figured out that DDR2 and DDR3 are mutually exclusive on a motherboard. That makes it harder as I now need to make a decision :)Bruce.

[Guest RichardL]

It appears we may have to do what Davis suggested. "Wait a bit longer." Richard

[brucek 38]

Here's what I decided, Richard.http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...&topic_id=15840