My last post went unanswered and I really need someone who knows what they are talking about. This is the specs I put together for my new computer: ASUS "A8V Deluxe" Sapphire X800 XT AMD 64 3500+ 939Pin Raptor 74GB 10,000RPM Corsair 1GB XMSHeatsinks and misc. wires - 10DYNAPOWER 500W Power Supply, Model "ADW-50063" A)will these system specs cause any bottlenecks, if so where?B)Is there a substantial difference between an ATI-Radeon X800 XT and a Sapphire X800 XT?C)overall how does this system seem?My budget is about $1,000Thanks!!Andras

A) Looks really good except that Dynapower? Have never heard of it just kind of sounds cheap but what do I know :):( No difference apart from perhaps warranty. ATI have the best RMA service out there.C) Really good with questionmarks on that PSU may want to ask around. If it

and you got that for under 1000?i seriously should of held off on my new system.

I didnt get it yet lol, im making a list of specs for a new computer im building. Searching around ebay and such I found it to be about 1000, about the PSU, didn't know the PSU could be bad or good, will deff check around more. Thanks!!

i guess pc parts get better and are priced lower after the turn of a new year..

Hi Andras, upgrading is a daunting task sometimes and there is no general rule what will work best for you and it's hard to advise without knowing details. IMHO, people often forget to mention the most important factor, which is the way they'll eventually visualize FS. For example, you'll not need a great computer or a X800XT if you run 800x600 resolutions. So 1st, specifying the computer which will do best FOR YOU starts with the monitor/resolution and this will lead to further conclusions. At this point perhaps also consider what kind of displays might get attached during the lifetime of these components. Another thing to contemplate is the software in use and i.e. particular FS add-ons. Adding this to the first point will usually lead to a particular display adapter choice. When you specify a real mean machine, perhaps take your time and try to understand and research the implications as well as you can? After all, FS is a complicated application. Like a good car with a decent chassis, IMHO a good FlyTendo requires a good case and power supply too. AMD specifies 22-24Amps on the 12V rail and this is basically the only detail you have to bare in mind in the chassis field. As P

Thanks for the info,I do plan to run at higher res's and hopefully get some AA and AF working, get those lines smooth, I know in that are ATI outperforms Nvidia. For add-on wise im an avionics guy, PMDG 737, F1 Meridian, and hopefully more soon. @at the Raptor drive, I do plan to get some scenery, with my old comp that was about the least priority but with this I want it to look good! @the motherboard, I looked around Newegg.com, I couldnt find any nForce chipsets with AGP, which is what I plan my Vid Card to be.You guys have been great helping out a new guy to computer upgrades!!Andras

I think the Raptor is great. It

My bad I only searched for nForce 4s not 3s, on the topic ov AGP vs PCIE which do you guys suggest?

Well no real difference for performance but if you are buying a new video card anyway PCI E doesn

Oh awsome! I had read in one forum that AGP is much faster, but I guess you cant always trust what you read :) if thats the case, then I can get a PCIE card which will cut my cost somewhat.!!

@ P

http://www2.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp...N82E16813135175That is the motherboard I am most likely getting. You are saying that with this SATA2 technology the 7200 RPM will basically perform up to or out perform the Raptor? If so this is great, I can get a larger drive for cheaper and still get good performance!

Hi Andras, yes. I saw a test of the 80GB Hitachi S-ATA-2 and it produces a sustained transfer rate of well over 150MB/s and depending on the settings (max ca. 170-180MB/s). The Raptor delivers ca. 70-75MB/s compared to 'normal' P-ATA/S-ATA-1 HDs which 'do' ca. 40-50MB/s. Because of the rpms of Raptors it will function better in a few disciplines, but the arguement for loading fotoscenery faster will vanish once S-ATA-2 HDs are widely available. For the moment being, you could get almost any 160GB or greater HD and their performance should be almost identical. The only disadvantage I've seen with S-ATA interfaces in general, is that the drivers sometimes produce a higher CPU-load when accessing data and I'm sure this will improve over time. Finally, a word about display adapters, P

Here is some game loading benchies you can check out :) http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=2396&p=13http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=2094&p=11As for me having a Geforce only reason for that is stereo3d support. Otherwise to be honest I would still have been a X800XT PE owner :)