Hi,I saw conflicting posts on the real added value to upgrade ram with FSX. I am myself in the process of upgrading from 2GB to 4GB.Have you seen real benefit in term of fps or stutters with FSX, or real gain remains quite marginal as FSX is more CPU than ram oriented ?Would appreciate your comments.Thanks,Patrick Geneva Switzerland

Assuming your using XP, you may find you have system problems after installing another 2 meg of RAM. not all mobo's are created equal, and the anything filling other than the first two slots can cause trouble. Check with your mobo manufacturer as I don't think XP - or FSX in XP - needs 4 gig of RAM.Allcott

Allcott is correct. I upgraded from 2 to 4 and it made no difference whatsoever in FSX. In fact, I could not overclock the memory at the same speed using 4gb, so I wound up going back to 2.Rich

I am in the process of building a new system and the mother board will take up to 8gig of ram. But apparently this is a waste of money because XP only recognizes 3gig max. I will probably go with vista but at this time I don't know the RAM restrictions.

>I am in the process of building a new system and the mother>board will take up to 8gig of ram. But apparently this is a>waste of money because XP only recognizes 3gig max. I will>probably go with vista but at this time I don't know the RAM>restrictions.Two memory modules only should be used in general.For example: For 1GB 512x2 is ok. For 2GB 1024MBx2 is ok.You can get 2GB modules but they will break your bank account (approx $1,000.00 ea.), if you want to spend the money then you could do 4GB of RAM.2 GB is fine for FS9-X.I've tried installing four 512 modules and ended up with a slower system,no good. Some mobo's revert to a slower frequency when you place dim models in slots 3-4.Also dim loading with all slots used is often a problem.Like the man above said tho, all mobo's are not created equal.This is just general thoughts on my part.I have had good luck with Corsair memory. If you go on Corsairs site/forum you can ask "RAMGUY". He will give you good advice on what modules are correct for what mobo/system. If you want to overclock your mem, they got the modules.I like the lifetime warranty, few problems but they replaced a customer of mine's memory in 24 hours from Mass. Put it the mail on Sat. got new modules on Mon. from CA. They paid the shipping!No I don't work for em!

>I am in the process of building a new system and the mother>board will take up to 8gig of ram. But apparently this is a>waste of money because XP only recognizes 3gig max. I will>probably go with vista but at this time I don't know the RAM>restrictions.It varies according to Vista version. In fact it's worth starting to get used to the idea right now that `Vista ` really isn't an Operating System. Its a COLLECTION of operating systems running from the same basic core. ALL Vista users will have to be aware that they will need to report much more about their OS and system in future to receive the correct advice and guidance on simming issues. Yet another reason for NOT switching early on, if you ask me!Anyway, FWIW `Vista Home Basic` has an 8gb RAM cap, IIRC, but no simmer will want that version anyway. The good stuff starts with `Vista Home Premium` which suppports 16Gb. More than we will ever need for FSX, and I hope it will prove possible to have a system that has enough RAM to hold most of FSX in RAM, not just the files in immediate use. That would deal with any sttttttuttering issues and lag!Use the Aero Glass UI and you are using up to 800 meg of RAM just to run the Vista OS, so 2 gig certainly won't be enough for Vista and FSX. 4 gig looks to be the sweet spot for Vista at this early stage, but if the architecture really does allow scaling with increases in RAM then there are some exciting times ahead - I expect we will see the take-up of RAM drives that fill a HD slot in the same way that existing platter-drives do, but which can take a wide selection of RAM sticks. This would be the obvious way to expand the memory on the Motherboard, as you wouldn't have to just rely on two or three sticks like you do know, you could re-use your old RAM when upgrading and basically just keep adding to what you have. That could be quite exciting for audiophiles like myself or people who work with huge video files. Use your `best` memory on the mobo, as now, but utilise the rest as `spare` on the ramdrive.Allcott

Don't know much about those Ram Disks for today's PC'sI do know that almost all high performance mobo's today wont take mixed speed memory because the timings have to be too tight.They don't even like the same speed RAM if it's a different version (read different IC's that make up the modules).In the case of ram disks of which you speak. Would they not revert back to the slowest ram in the bunch. So you mix old and slow ram with new and fast, than skew the mem clock until it all runs like crap?I gotta see it!

I currently have 4x512 ddr2 pc533 modules.Do you mean that changing them for 2x1024 instead would bring better performance from my system ?RegardsPatrick Geneva

>Don't know much about those Ram Disks for today's PC's>>I do know that almost all high performance mobo's today wont>take mixed speed memory because the timings have to be too>tight.>They don't even like the same speed RAM if it's a different>version (read different IC's that make up the modules).>>In the case of ram disks of which you speak. Would they not>revert back to the slowest ram in the bunch. So you mix old>and slow ram with new and fast, than skew the mem clock until>it all runs like crap?>>I gotta see it!>Yeah, but you're not using the RAM in quite the same way as a mobo-embedded sticks, it's really more of a super-fast SATA drive:http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=6200As long as you aren't trying to replace the RAM on the mobo, you could use the I-RAM just like a hard drive, but with almost instant access.Now here's the clever bit: FS already includes the ability to cache scenery, from the minimal installation option where it reads it from the DVD and caches to the HD. How about reading from the normal (platter) HD, and cacheing to the I-RAM drive? That would ensure in-game scenery file access times an order of magnitude better than today. The only question is how large the I-RAM storage capacity would have to be to cope with FSX? Would 8-gig be enough, on top of the RAM on the MOBO? Think, instantaneous loading of photoscenery!This is an amazing idea for sound and video editing, and opens up a interesting use for Vista, which is supposed to be able to take spare system RAM and use it in a clever fashion. If the I-RAM drive could be recognised as RAM, not simply another HD, then you wouldn't need matched sticks to get fantastic performance gains - although I acccept that for the very best performance you would.Now before we all get carried away, you also have to think about the cost. An external 320gig Barracuda can currently be bought on special offer from PC World for just