Are these specs OK for FS9?

[Guest The Captain]

I've seen this refurbished machine with these specs & wondered if it will be OK for FS9? I'd appreciate an opinion, especially the CPU & Graphics card.Model.................... Dimension XPS 720 H2CCase Type.............. TowerCPU...................... Intel Core 2 Quad Extreme QX6800 2.93GHzMemory (MB)........... 6144Hard Disk (GB).......... 2x 750Optical Drive/s.......... COMBO & DVD-RWVideo .................... 2 x 768mb GeForce 8800GTXSoundcard............... Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi Xtreme GamerUSB Ports................ 8Card Reader............ Yes1394 Firewire Port..... YesBluetooth................ YesExtra Info............... H2C Cooling SystemExtra Info............... 128mb AGEIA PhysX Card AgeiaMany thanks,TerryW.

[FLEX1978 373]

Simple answer is YES.. with that amount of memory I guess your going for 64bit system?Rob

[Guest The Captain]

Thanks Rob but what's a 64 bit system? It doesn't come with an OS installed so I'll use the XP discs I have from my last Dell. Am I on the wrong track?!!

[BoeingGuy 0]

A 64-bit system takes advantage of a 64-bit capable processor/motherboard, like yours. It makes more RAM recognizable (32 gigs or over actually) since the memory doesn't have to be mapped everywhere. It makes your computer faster. And it's more stable. I think XP has a separate disk for it.

[Guest Jeffhew]

Just adding my two cents here. I hope you find it useful.First off it's a Dell. FS9 needs clock speed and this is a bit slow. Being a Dell, it's doubtful you will be able to overclock, if that was your intent. I would also be concerned about what MB is being used. I would be rather reluctant to purcahse a refurbished Dell.The QX6800 is at the lower end of the Quad core spectrum. A faster dual core would be a better option for an FS9 dedicated machine. Of course a Quad does provide benefits for other apps but for FS9 it's not a must have.With 6GB of ram, XP64 and VISTA 64 are the only OSs that will use that much memory. WINXP and VISTA (Home, premium, ultimate) are 32 bit operating systems and will only see and utilize a system total of 4GB. That means that with those two 8800s at roughly 1.5GB, Windows will only use 2.5GB of the 6GB available. A little less when you factor in the memory on the physics card. On the subject of the graphics cards, two 8800s are overkill. SLI doesn't work in FS9. At the very least, it provides zero benefit. A single 8800 would be fine. The listed soundcard has had some issues for some folks. I would recommend the Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi Xtreme Fatality Pro.Liquid cooling is nowhere near being necessary. Yes, the quads run hotter than the duals but, unless you're overclocking beyond about 3.8GHz (rough estimate), it will provide no discernible advantage. Liquid cooling can present some maintenance headaches as well.Lastly, there is no need for the physics card as the 8800s have a physics engine built in. Very few programs can use the Ageia card as the program needs to be coded for it. FS9 isn't.I would say if the price is right for you, and only you can judge that, go for it. Just go into it knowing that there will be some limitations, and that FS9 may not utilize this systems full capabilities.Best Regards,Jeff

[Reset XPDR 1,271]

For FS9, all you need for max performance is:1. Fast clocked dual core CPU (E8500 is the best value right now), or overclock your way on a cheaper dual core CPU to 3GHz+.2. 2G RAM3. 7900 256M video card 4. Onboard sound. 5. A 7200RPM hard drive that will fit FS9 + addons + the OS (ie. 100GB+)6. Whatever OS you want7. A DVD drive, a case and any reasonable quality 500W PSU.You can up any of the above specs higher for other games, but it will make neglible difference to FS9 performance.Gary

[ryanbatc 12,854]

>First off it's a Dell. I agree with you on that one FS9 needs clock speed and this is a>bit slow. I disagree here. That CPU will tear FS9 to pieces. You could fly the LevelD 767 at JFK with full WOAI traffic and still get 30FPS...Now if it was FSX, yeah, you'd want a clock of at least 3.6, I'd say 4.0ghz