I'm getting no hits for advice and comments regarding the following system, I am thinking of building myself. After you read from below, what FPS (median) do you think I will achieve on this new machine?Thanks. I just want a comparison to my P4 3.4Ghz used as a baseline.---------------------------------------------My proposed new FSX machine:PROCESSOR Intel

1. Forget about RAID unless its a professional RAID card... FSX -can- be a file access monster especially with sliders pushed up, and with the very inefficient use of RAID and higher CPU use motherboard and cheap cards provide, that can rob more resources than it's worth. You are better off on a single fast drive unless the RAID0 system is a professional platform such as a 3ware 9650SE with the BBU unit so proper write cache can be enabled and unlock the full potential of the card. I would also select the right drives for that card as well. Otherwise I would use 2 hard drives... one for the OS and supporting program installs and the other for FSX install. Even on the right RAID solution, I would set it up the same.. OS on its own drive with installed software and NOT on the array, FSX on the array.2. The rest of the system seems fine I do however prefer XP over Vista... DX10 is a preview and I found no reason to use Vista for DX10 purposes over XP at this point in time, however, I do understand wanting to keep up with the times. I do use vista 64 but only for testing hardware right now, and not for regular flying.3. You may wish to wait a bit longer and see what comes out in the next few weeks in VC products.. and the X23780 ATI card is in fact, and in my opinion, a better deal, a better performer with less issues than Nvidia right now. However that is just my opinion.4. Frame rates are subjective... I do not even look at the frame counter to gauge FSX performance, I watch the screen for how smooth and how sharp the image is,.. I care less about frames in FSX.5. 4GB of memory will require you know how to set that up and use it within the BIOS and the OS it is being applied. I use a 64bit OS so I need not deal with any of that however I also researched all my hardware to ensure it would all function within a 64bit OS without issues.I do not have time to post any more right now but that is my run-down on your question

Mitch,You let your post sit for a whole 8 minutes in the hardware forum before bumping it, and now you are here. How about exercising a little patience and use the right forum, even if it does mean having to wait a few hours for a response?Gary

Thanks Nick. All has been read and taken under advisement.:)Mitch R.

Minutes turn into hours, hours turn into days... ;)Just wanted to catch someone who might not view the hardware forum on a regular basis, but has/had a similar setup.I wanted to cover all the bases as I don't intend to put something together that another found did not work...such as Nick's comments about RAID setups vs. single hard drive configurations.Mitch

Shame on you, Mitch!I'm saddened to see you are now intent on leaving our illustrious club of "maybe I should get another PC but keep battling away regardless to eek all the performance I can from yesterday's system as I can't really afford or justify an upgrade" stalwart band of FSX flight simmers. I hope you'll still find a little time while enjoying your elevated status to remember us lesser mortals..LOL!!And...VISTA??!! That clinches it, I'm now starting to doubt your sanity - heh, heh :)Cheers!MikeEdit: I should have added, "Good luck!"

>Shame on you, Mitch!>>I'm saddened to see you are now intent on leaving our>illustrious club of "maybe I should get another PC but>keep battling away regardless to eek all the performance I can>from yesterday's system as I can't really afford or justify an>upgrade" stalwart band of FSX flight simmers. >>I hope you'll still find a little time while enjoying your>elevated status to remember us lesser mortals..LOL!!>>And...VISTA??!! That clinches it, I'm now starting to doubt>your sanity - heh, heh :)>>Cheers!>>Mike>>Edit: I should have added, "Good luck!"---------------------------------------------------Mike...I am laughing at this post so hard...that it shook up a nice pint of Rickard's Red!!! Don't be doing that again, ya hear?!? LOLOLOL!!!!!Don't blame me...blame the blokes that put out the FSX software that I shall now call the 'Chairman-Of-The-Board Trio' Oh yeah...and when I find the guy who was responsible for the first 'Oh thank you, GEXnhanced' post' inside this forum----I'll be sending HIM the bill for the FSX-rig. Oh yeah...oh yeah....ROTFLMBO!Did I mention, '..Oh yeah?....'...... I was HAPPY with my P3.4GHz..and GLOATING that I didn't need to go beyond one...and I was LAUGHING at all the guys and gals spending $$$ to make FSX run. It just goes to prove...WHAT COMES AROUND...GOES AROUND!!!! Mike, you just might want to keep your distance from my further posts, for there is no reason to suck you down the maw along with me, LOLOLOL!Here's to raising that cool pint of Rickard's to 35-55 SMOOTH FPS running FSX and the Chairman of the Board....:) Here! Here!Oh, about VISTA 32/64--- was only curious about DX10..and if things actually happen for it with FSXI, then it would be good to have in the wrapper. I'll most likely use it for a week...and then wipe the drive for my install of XPsp2. :)

Mitch-I would not get Vista for dx10 preview-I just don't think it is worth it and I run the sim in dx9.That being said-I have 4 computers running xpsp2-my flightsim computer running Vista-and I would never go back to xp. Once you set it up the way you want it (like turning off uac) it runs great.Go here and read about Vista-the first paragraph pretty much says it all:http://www.tweakguides.com/TGTC.html..and now I have to do my moderator duty and move this to the hardware forum... :-)http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/1b5baf...b9f427f694g.jpgMy blog:http://geofageofa.spaces.live.com/