Hi to AllI am not very Technically Proficient when discussing Computer hardware, so I want to say that at the outset. I have been reading this and other forums diligently for the past few weeks in preparation for a new upgrade to a machine capable of running FSX and my PMDG aircraft well (or as well as is reasonable with today

Hi,That's a super-duper system you have going there. Yes, the higher clock speeds of the E8500 and the 1333 FSB will make a difference. The more cores the processor has does not mean it will always run smoother; it just means there will be less stutters and blurries and faster load times since the game engine can spread out those tasks over more cores. FSX will use a max of 256 cores if there were a such thing today.Also, please check out the link in my signature which might help you out, and do leave a comment if you do like it; sorry for the propaganda attitude!Regards,

Hi Boeing GuyThank you so very very much for your kind response and world of helpfull information. I think that I am beginning to see the way clear to being able to design a great system that will allow me to really fly FSX with the PMDG aircraft and Mega scenerys.I am a real life pilot who has loved the sims since back in the stick figure Mac Classic days--today we are getting so close that when I am in the real plane I sometimes almost need to slap myself and say " Hey man get serious and alert--this is not the sim! You might really hurt yourself".Thank you for helping make my simming better than everCheers

No problem no problem, I am happy to help.I've liked FS since I started playing FS98 at the age of four (I'm 13) and yes, it is getting better and better every time.Another bit of advice, you might want to consider overclocking. The E8500 is 45 nm, meaning less power draw, less heat output, and easier overclocking. You can coax a few extra frames out of FSX if you do. Just my little advice.Regards,

Thanks again Boeing Guy.I just talked to my Computer building friend and he asked me to ask your opinion of the E8500 vs the Q6600----Thanks again for any help.You are 13---are you thinking of any sort of Aviation Job in your future?

Hi again,Again no problem.E8500 vs. Q6600...well, E8500 will overclock up past a good 3.8-4.0 GHz since it's 45 nm, but Q6600 has more cores. I Googled E8500 vs. Q6600, and I'm getting the same answer:Q6600 has more cores, but not many programs today, except for Photoshop and FSX and etc., are not optimized for quad-core just yet. E8500 has higher stock FSB and clock speeds, meaning the game(s) might run faster, but with 4 cores like the Q6600, there will be less stuttering, less blurries, and faster load times. Also, you can overclock the Q6600 up to a good 3.2+ GHz with decent cooling, which meaning a Q6600 overclock can outstrip an E8500 stock.It's a personal trade-off, if you prefer a faster (more FPS) or a smoother (less stutters/blurries) game. E8500 for faster, Q6600 OC for smoother.Yes, I want to be a biz-jet pilot and to earn up the money to do so, I want to become a doctor :)Regards,

Hi Boeing GuyThanks again. Now I guess the question will be whether or not my Computer Building friends are technically proficient enough to over clock and cool the Q6600 chip.Once again your technical writing skills and overall computer knowledge have saved the day.I am a 64-year-old pilot and ex high school teacher---I was being quite careful during my posts to keep my writing skill at a decent level so as to match yours. When I was told that you are but thirteen years of age, I about fell out of my chair.You are well on your way to becoming both a pilot and a Doctor---some of the best people in the World are Flying Doctors--they bring kindness, health, and hope to many distant lands. I wish you many, many hearty hurrahs on your way to what most assuredly will be a lifetime of adventure and success!Cheers

Yeah many people here say the Thermalright 120 Ultra CPU Cooler helps out very much. Liquid cooling, if you can afford it, is even better and will take you to a good 3.5+ GHz.Thank you very very much for your well wishes! I am very grateful.Cheers,

OK Boeing GuySpent the afternoon at my computer shop---AND!!--It Looks like this:A Q6600 or better Quad core processor overclocked with cooling4 Gigs of top quality DDR3 Ram2 8800GTX Cards in SLI ConfigBig Power supplyTop notch motherboard2 500 Gig Drives of top quality--Etc EtcThanks for all the helpI will report on performance when the computer is finishedCheersPS I am doing the SLI Config because I run my sim on a Mac 32 inch monitor at 1600x2500 Rez