<>I understand. However the E8400 is about half the price I paid 4 years ago for a P4 3.0GHz. Hence why I described it as relatively cheap.As RESET has advised a change of mobo will allow you to use many of your existing components although you would need a new graphics card. Consider the Radeon 3870 single card - cheaper than a 8800GT and probably about the same in FS.A new SATA HD would overcome the IDE problem.<>Losing 3fps by having the counter displayed? :-hmmm haven't heard that one before.You need to consider how low performance would be with a low cloud, night-time approach into a busy airport with lots of Ai. That's the biggest killer of performance. OTOH if you're just flying in clear skies then a lesser system will probably do.

Helpful thread!I've seen many offers in stores featuring a Q6600 along with Geforce 8600xx, so there should be somebody out here using that for FS9.Any comments how the GF8600 runs? especially with in-game AA and AF?Anybody with the new GF9600GT? It saves more than 100$ compared with a 8800GT, so it's worth asking how that one works.Bigean

This is a responce to this post. From reading I gather that you feel this is for FS9 and that the general feeling is that there is no solid base 64 Bit system that will run FSX smooth. 1. Is this this in the "ballpark" or am I way off?2. If ther is a 64 Bit Vista OS base system that will run FSX smooth would you mind mentioning either the Specs and or a model number from a web site like dell in which I can look and try to understand more please? (I mention the model number from a place like Dell fro an example that a can view and see pics and upgrade options that are compatable and so on...) Thanks for your time. Thank you.Mark.OS:MS Windows XP Professional, Ver 2002 Service Pack 2 Hardware:Intel Pentium® 4 CPU 2.802.84 GHz, 2.00 GB of RAM GeForce 7800GS 256 MB w/ DDR3 running a 21/19.6 Sony Flat Screen Tubed Monitorand a,GeForce FX 5200 128MB 17/16 NEC/Mitsubishi Tubed MonitorGeForce FX 5200 128MB NEC/Mitsubishi 18 Flat Panel.

For FS9, an 8600 or a 9600 will do just fine, even with AA/AF levels cranked up high. FS9 is not very taxing on video cards.Gary

>An E8400 with a motherboard that will take everything else>you already have will do the trick.>Better is first get a new video card since my system is limited by that at the moment. But after that your suffestion is something to consider since I found out that there are indeed mb that can take old memory (but I think it would feel stupid not get new memory) and at the same time both AGPand PCIe card. I have found two such cardshttp://www.dustinhome.se/pd_5010131434.aspxhttp://www.dustinhome.se/pd_5010128707.aspx