I am concluding my shopping list for a computer to be able to run FSX and I have not yet decided on the video card. My shopping list is as follows:-MOBO: ASUS P5W DH Deluxe (would like to stay with Intel Chipset)CPU: E6600Memory: Corsair TWIN XMS2 - PC800PSU: 650WattsCooler: Standard CoolerVideo Card : 7900GT or GF 7950 GTAs regards the Video Card I cannot see the difference altough the 7900 GT is around $25 cheaper. Can somebody advise what will be the difference between these cards as regards performance and wheather is worth buying the most expensive for FSX.Tony

TonyBuy a new DX10 card (Windows Vista compatible ad also compatible with the future FS X patch for Windows Vista), they are allready available; go to the NVIDIA or ASUS Homepage and look for the two new cards beginning with 8xxx.Peter

Hi Tony,You might want to consider this motherboard][/b. It's $40USD higher in price than the one you indicated but the difference in options and ability to overclock is extensive. Independant reviews of the product can be found here:http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2869http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html...W50aHVzaWFzdA==http://www.hothardware.com/viewarticle.asp...cleid=902&cid=3http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=320&type=expertAnd as another poster said, go fo the nVidia 8800. Here are some reviews:http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html...W50aHVzaWFzdA==http://www.guru3d.com/article/Videocards/391/http://www.hothardware.com/viewarticle.asp...cleid=903&cid=2Jim Karn

8800gts all the way. I own both a 7900gt and an 8800gts and the 8800 is wayyyy faster AND is DX10 compatible. Do yourself a favor and spend the extra $175 or so and get the 8800gts. It's worth it.

why spend that extra $175 when FSX is more CPU dependant, id rather spend it on a faster CPU, Core2 Extreme maybe?

I would go with the 8800GTS rather than the X6800 Core 2 Duo. You could OC the E6600 to almost what you could OC the X6800. The most I would go is E6700.Don't scrimp on the Video card...when the DX10 card is already out. Big mistake.7950 GT? No No No..It costs almost as much as the 8800GS. Absolutely not.Manny

FirstI would like to thank all those who are helping but unfortunately I am already overbudget. I will consider a lower card then the 7950 if it gives me a good performance ( similar to 7900GT) in FSX and then in a year's time or so I go for a DX10 card but buying now a DX10 card I think is premature.If sombody can advise on a good card but cheaper or equivalent to 9500GT card then I will go for it but spenidn moe money is out of question.What about the 7600 cards ?

The 7600 cards are slower and I wouldn't really recommend them unless you're building a budget rig. Oh, don't get me wrong--the 7600 will do you fine in this next year you speak of, where you plan to wait on DX10--so the 7600 is an option for you for sure.But for just a little more money, a 7900 or 7950 would be all right, since you don't want to get a DX10 card right now.If it were me though, and I were building a new rig, I'm afraid I'd have to shell out for an 8800 card. Even if I had to pick up tin cans for the recycle money. Not that an 8800 is that great--it's the first generation, after all--and it's a gigantic card--and runs hot--and will undoubtedly be surpassed fairly quickly--but still I would be a leg up for Vista/FSX DX10 patch, and if I was spending the money on a new system, I would probably find a way to drop an 8800 in it.My personal upgrade path right now is like yours--wait about a yr for DX10.RhettAMD 3700+ (@2530 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2 GB Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8, WD 250 gig 7200 rpm SATA2, CoolerMaster Praetorian

My 7900 GTO 512M (almost a GTX) only cost me $220, and it runs FSX beta pretty well (well, no worse than everyone else with this class of video card).Gary