I can now run FS9 with only minor performance issues with UT FE GEPRO AS6.5 RC4 and some airport scenery. I

FSX is not FS9. It's akin to comparing apples and oranges even though both are fruit. Your new system will, for the most part handle FSX quite well. However, if you have the eye candy cranked up you will see a performance hit around major cities and airports.

>FSX is not FS9. It's akin to comparing apples and orangesFSX and FS9 is trying to do the same things i.e simulating flying and depicting scenery. With a sufficient powerful system FSX can do this better than FS9. With my current system I must put down the sliders in FSX to such an extent that my FS9+addons looks better.My current system handles FS9 quite well but I occasionally see minor performence hits. Well there is one exception the Megascenery titles where I have big problems with blurries.>most part handle FSX quite well. However, if you have the eye>candy cranked up you will see a performance hit around major>cities and airports.I intend to crank up the sliders so FSX looks better than FS9+addons i.e mostly (say average 75%) but not fully maxed.How well performs your system (which is noticable more powerful than my suggested upgrade)

You'll be severely disappointed with the 8600 as your primary Vcard. It'll run 'bout the same as that old 7600. Might as well just get a 7600. Forget about DX10 for the time being unless you want to SLI some 88s. If you want significantly better performance immediately (but don't want to drop for the 88), get a 7900GT and use it till the G92 comes out . . . and its price settles down. Grab that G92 after November. Then, swap the 7900 over to the secondary PCIe slot and drive your 3rd and 4th monitors with it. This is a great time to be buying CPUs but a lousy time to be buying GPUs. The transition from the 88s to the 98s (G92s) will be significant . . . but we gotta wait till November. Bummer.

First off let me start off by saying hello to everyone as this is my first post. It's a great site for virtual aviators and i've been flying virtual planes or trying to learn how to fly lol, since FS4 and i've been hooked ever since. :)How ironic we both have the same CPU and motherboard, except i'm upgrading from an 4000+ Clawhammer core. My current video card is an nVidia 7900GTO w/512 ram.I typically like to fly with FSX mostly maxed and near my home town in Venice, FL. I expect with this setup FPS should be smooth and stable unless I fly into TPA, MIA or FT. Lauderdale Int'l. One other great thing about the E6750 is that it runs extremely cool and is very overclocker happy with a stock heatsink and fan. I've read that some have gotten their E6750's to hit the 3.2Ghz speed with stock cooling. And we all know with FSX the CPU is much more critical than the videocard unless the vid card is a slug.

Hi Sam, I totally agree on the GPU. However, it depends a bit on the resolution too. At 1024x a 8600 should do fairly well. But who's running 1024x nowadays? :-) A good, priceworthy GPU for FS9 is the X1950pro. ;-) 256MB GPU RAM should suffice for FS9 and single displays. Kind regards Jaap

>You'll be severely disappointed with the 8600 as your primary>Vcard. It'll run 'bout the same as that old 7600. Might as>well just get a 7600. Forget about DX10 for the time being>unless you want to SLI some 88s. >If so I might try using IDE drives with my current MB and getting a 7600 AGP (and of course stick with Fs9). From what I have understood I should forget DX10 since I don't have Vista.>If you want significantly better performance immediately (but>don't want to drop for the 88), get a 7900GT and use it till>the G92 comes out . . . and its price settles down. Grab that>G92 after November. Then, swap the 7900 over to the secondary>PCIe slot and drive your 3rd and 4th monitors with it. >I don't have 3th or 4th monitor. Buying a new grapfics card now and than another one in just about three months makes me hesitant.>This is a great time to be buying CPUs but a lousy time to be>buying GPUs. The transition from the 88s to the 98s (G92s)>will be significant . . . but we gotta wait till November.>Bummer. What about the prices? Won't they be significantly higher also?

Either: 1) Wait till November (+) for the whole rig or 2 Go ahead and get your system now and call the 8600 a well spent expense. Use the 86 as long as you can stand, then get your permanent G92. The G92 will be a ~ $500 card. That's what the top dog always costs. If you are going to get full value from that top notch CPU, you gotta have a top dog Vcard that can use its horsepower. Otherwise, you are waisting $$ on the CPU. There's no sense getting that CPU unless you will end up (eventually) with a Vcard that can use it. Sooo, I'd suggest option #2. Consider this a $100 expense to have your system running for 2-3 extra months. The 86 will always be a good card for something. But if you are going this route, don't get that 50 GB, DDR-Super-duper GTS version. Get the cheaper one. A 8600GT with 256, DDR2 is fine (Do not get the GS, though). You can get one of these for ~$100. If you ever get more monitors or want to build a home theater system, you have the Vcard.

>Either: >>1) Wait till November (+) for the whole rig or >I think I will straight away remove my two SATAII discs and get a new sufficient big IDE drive. If that switch from SATAII raid0 ti IDE doesn't impose significant problems in performence or satbility, I might getting a new fairly cheap AGP Vcard and overclock my CPU somewhat. Use that as long as I can stand. >The G92 will be a ~ $500 card. That's what the top dog alwaysTo expensive!>costs. If you are going to get full value from that top notch>CPU, you gotta have a top dog Vcard that can use its>horsepower. Otherwise, you are waisting $$ on the CPU. There's>no sense getting that CPU unless you will end up (eventually)>with a Vcard that can use it. Sooo, >Decided for that CPU since the pricedifference were rather slim compared to lower CPUs.>don't get that 50 GB, DDR-Super-duper GTS version. Get the>cheaper one. A 8600GT with 256, DDR2 is fine (Do not get the>GS, though). You can get one of these for ~$100. If you ever>get more monitors or want to build a home theater system, you>have the Vcard. I now have DDR3 RAM and have heard that it's an important factor. Have also heard that FSX really needs 512M DDR3.To summarise the answers I got my impression is that even with the very costy upgrade I had decided for I will still have noticable problems with FSX + addons. If so I think I will wait with a cost upgrade and try to make my current system stable in the first place and then examining minor upgrade possibilities.

>Hi Sam, I totally agree on the GPU. However, it depends a bit>on the resolution too. At 1024x a 8600 should do fairly well.>But who's running 1024x nowadays? :-) >Me!!I know, I know. I need a new monitor. I still use a CRT ancient Sony 17" Trinitron. Guess I'm not a hard-core simmer.RhettAMD 3700+ (@2585 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2gb Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8 (1T), WD 150 gig 10000rpm Raptor, WD 250gig 7200rpm SATA2, Seagate 120gb 5400 rpm external HD, CoolerMaster Praetorian

jfriYou keep mentioning an AGP vid card.I doubt the P35 motherboard you have selected can take an AGP video card. I would check on that, if I planned to run an AGP card.Regarding the vidcard, you mention the G92 at $500 is too expensive. That tells me that you are not intending to get a "placeholder card"...to tide you over until the G92. Instead you are implying that you will not be getting a G92 anytime soon. That means, if it were me I would get something I could live with for a while...and that's NOT an 8600 card. What I would do then, is get an 8800GTS (with 640mb) and be done with it.I know it's a little more money but since you are going to use the card for a fairly long while, it will pay off in the end. I don't think you will be happy with an 8600 with only 256 megs of vid ram.RhettAMD 3700+ (@2585 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2gb Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8 (1T), WD 150 gig 10000rpm Raptor, WD 250gig 7200rpm SATA2, Seagate 120gb 5400 rpm external HD, CoolerMaster Praetorian

>You keep mentioning an AGP vid card.>>I doubt the P35 motherboard you have selected can take an AGP>video card. I would check on that, if I planned to run an AGP>card.>It won't and I know it. My suggestion was to use my current mb for a while and with an upgraded vcard it might be easier to stand a little bit lomger. And if so I would also wait with FSX.>Regarding the vidcard, you mention the G92 at $500 is too>expensive. >That tells me that you are not intending to get a "placeholder>card"...to tide you over until the G92. >>Instead you are implying that you will not be getting a G92>anytime soon. That means, if it were me I would get something>I could live with for a while...and that's NOT an 8600 card. >What I would do then, is get an 8800GTS (with 640mb) and be>done with it.>Neither will I get a 8800GTS 640M anytime soon. Also that is to expensive. But maybe its price goes down anytime soon?>I know it's a little more money but since you are going to use>the card for a fairly long while, it will pay off in the end. >I don't think you will be happy with an 8600 with only 256>megs of vid ram.>But a 8600 with 256M DDR3 still must be an significant improvement compared to my current 6600 256M DDR3. I have had it now for 16 months. Should I buy the suggested 8600 512M I suggested it has to last at least as long. An even more expensive card like 8800 even longer.