Three low cost upgrade options what do you think ?

[jfri 42]

I'm looking for a low cost upgrade that would give a significant improved FS9 performence. Here are three options with emphasis on, as low price as possibleMy current system isAsus A8V deluxe S939 AGP motherboard with AMD 64 3200+ CPU and 1 Gb PC3200 RAM and NVIDIA 6600GT 256M DDR3 videocard. Two IDE 7200 rpm harddrives and a OEM Win XP Home1) Keep existing motherboard and replace CPU and videocard and add 2 Gb RAM. These components (except RAM) would have to be purchased on auction. By searching an internet auction where I live I estimate approximate prices for now active auctionsCPU AMD 64 4600+ 700 SEK (1$=7 SEK) other frequent offers are AMD 64 3800+ for about half the priceNVIDIA 7900GS 512M DDR3 800 SEK or 7950GT 512M DDR3 1100 SEK2 Gb RAM about 500 SEK or 600 SEK by mainstream reseller2) Replace motherboard with an upgrade kit consisting of(http://www.komplett.se/k/ki.aspx?sku=325623) 1349 SEKAMD 64 X2 5000+ 2 Gb PC 5300 DDR2 RAM and a MSI mikroATX moboA XFX 8800GT 256M DDR3 videocard (I don't need 512M in FS9 right?) 849 SEK (http://www.komplett.se/k/ki.aspx?sku=346542)Here I also need new OS license since I got an OEM Win XP. Which OS would you pick 900 - 1200 SEK3) Replace motherboard with (http://www.datorbutiken.com/se/default.aspx?Cart=879-48250)Asus M2N-SLI nForce 560 SLI MCP moboAMD 64 X2 6000+ CPU2 Gb PC6400 DDR2 RAM9800GT 512M DDR3 videocardSame thing and qustion tegarding OS licenseHow much will the three alternative differ in practical FS9 performence? All are inadequate for FSX right? Should a new fast SATA harddrive be of higher priority?

[Bjoern 1,156]

Hej!For best FSX performance, I would suggest option 3, but you can excange that 9800GT for an older and cheaper, but almost identical 8800GT.The only difference between those cards is the memory and chip frequencies. You can easily overclock an 8800GT to a 9800GT.Do you want to stick with AMD by all means?A comparable Intel solution would be an ASUS P5B + Core2Duo E6600. Try to see if you can get an equally low price on those.Hey do!(Greetings from Tyskland :))

[Mace 1,904]

>I'm looking for a low cost upgrade that would give a>significant improved FS9 performence. Here are three options>with emphasis on, as low price as possible>My current system is>Asus A8V deluxe S939 AGP motherboard with AMD 64 3200+ CPU and>1 Gb PC3200 RAM and NVIDIA 6600GT 256M DDR3 videocard. Two IDE>7200 rpm harddrives and a OEM Win XP Home>>1) Keep existing motherboard and replace CPU and videocard and>add 2 Gb RAM. These components (except RAM) would have to be>purchased on auction. By searching an internet auction where I>live I estimate approximate prices for now active auctions>CPU AMD 64 4600+ 700 SEK (1$=7 SEK) other frequent offers are>AMD 64 3800+ for about half the priceI am very familiar with the Socket 939 platforms having built several in the good ol days so I will advise here. Option#1 would be the cheapest but it would also not give you much more performance. I would not replace it with a 4600+ or 3800+ or any of those. Those are dual-core chips and are the same or slower clock than the single core San Diego chips (3700+, 4000+, FX57) which are the fastest S939's for FS9 by far, and they also overclock much much better than the 4600+ or 3800+ or 4800+ dual core chips.In short if you are going Option#1, do not get a 4600+ etc. if FS9 is your only consideration. Instead buy at auction/ebay an FX57 chip, overclock it to 2.8-3.0 ghz, add 2 gb ram, an 8800GT, and be done with it. 2.8 ghz is an easy overclock for an FX57, and that will run FS9 all day.>NVIDIA 7900GS 512M DDR3 800 SEK or 7950GT 512M DDR3 1100 SEK>2 Gb RAM about 500 SEK or 600 SEK by mainstream reseller>Depends on how much money you want to spend. You ought to be able to find an nVidia 7-series for cheap at auction/ebay/private seller. And the higher nVidia 7-series (7800GT, 7900, 7950GX2) are plenty of GPU for FS9. I would want the 512mb vid ram model. I really would. Even for FS9. 256 will do if that's all you can find though.>2) Replace motherboard with an upgrade kit consisting of>(http://www.komplett.se/k/ki.aspx?sku=325623) 1349 SEK>AMD 64 X2 5000+ 2 Gb PC 5300 DDR2 RAM and a MSI mikroATX mobo>A XFX 8800GT 256M DDR3 videocard (I don't need 512M in FS9>right?) 849 SEK (http://www.komplett.se/k/ki.aspx?sku=346542)>Here I also need new OS license since I got an OEM Win XP.>Which OS would you pick 900 - 1200 SEK>>3) Replace motherboard with >(http://www.datorbutiken.com/se/default.aspx?Cart=879-48250)>Asus M2N-SLI nForce 560 SLI MCP mobo>AMD 64 X2 6000+ CPU>2 Gb PC6400 DDR2 RAM>9800GT 512M DDR3 videocard>Same thing and qustion tegarding OS license>>How much will the three alternative differ in practical FS9>performence? The 5000+ and 6000+ would of course be better yet, for FS9. I can't tell what SEK relates to dollar, but if you can do one of these cheaply, then I might be inclined to do so. However I doubt they are that cheap, usually those "upgrade kits" are ripoffs in my opinion.On the other hand any Socket 939 board with an FX57 with even a mild overclock will run FS9 very very well with a 7800 or 7900 series gpu.You do not need a 6000+ and a 9800GT just to run FS9.>All are inadequate for FSX right? Depends how you define inadequate. A well-kitted FX57 system, with 2gb system mem, and a high 7-series graphics card, will run FSX at what I would call "ok" with mid sliders. I should know, I ran FSX like that for over a year. Forget about complex add-on aircraft though. For those you will need more cpu.The 6000+ rig you mention above will indeed run FSX. Ask around, Ryan Butterworth a forum member here at AVSIM runs a 6000+ with FSX, he can tell you about it.>Should a new>fast SATA harddrive be of higher priority?>Hard drives are extremely cheap, they should be so in Europe too. HD should be a minor consideration as long as you have a 7200 rpm one. Your focus for FS9 should be to spend your money on the fastest clock speed cpu you can, since FS9 is your primary consideration.Hope this helps you a little.RhettFS box: E8500 (@ 3.80 ghz), AC Freezer 7 Pro, ASUS P5E3 Premium, BFG 8800GTX 756 (nVidia 169 WHQL), 4gb DDR3 1600 Patriot Cas7 7-7-7-20 (2T), PC Power 750, WD 150gb 10000rpm Raptor, Seagate 500gb, Silverstone TJ09 case, Vista Ultimate 64ASX Client: AMD 3700+ (@ 2.6 ghz), 7800GT

[bobbyjack 61]

Regarding your OS license, if you have an HP where the recovery option is on a HD partition, you can still reformat or boot from the HD even after a MB and/or CPU upgrade. If you made recovery disks, those will not work. Not as good as owning OS disks, but it can be done. You can also change from AMD to Intel.Bob

[jfri 42]

>Option#1 would be the cheapest but it would also not give you>much more performance. I would not replace it with a 4600+ or>3800+ or any of those. Those are dual-core chips and are the>same or slower clock than the single core San Diego chips>(3700+, 4000+, FX57) which are the fastest S939's for FS9 by>far, and they also overclock much much better than the 4600+>or 3800+ or 4800+ dual core chips.>The 3800+ I had in mind is single core at 2.4 GHz which was also the case for the latest 4000+. 3700+ is often out for sale but I saw it was obly clocked at 2.2 GHz.>8800GT, and be done with it. 2.8 ghz is an easy overclock for>an FX57, and that will run FS9 all day.>Does 8800GT exist for AGP?>want the 512mb vid ram model. I really would. Even for FS9. >256 will do if that's all you can find though.>The two 79 series AGP cards I see out for auction now both have 512M DDR3. I will have to see how high bids they collect.>The 5000+ and 6000+ would of course be better yet, for FS9. I>can't tell what SEK relates to dollar, but if you can do one>of these cheaply, then I might be inclined to do so. However>I doubt they are that cheap, usually those "upgrade kits" are>ripoffs in my opinion.>These are dual cores. 7 SEK = $1. Total approximate prices are1) 2000 SEK2) 3500 SEK3) 4000 SEK>You do not need a 6000+ and a 9800GT just to run FS9.>6000+ was only 200 SEK higher than 5400+>>All are inadequate for FSX right? >>Depends how you define inadequate. A well-kitted FX57 system,>with 2gb system mem, and a high 7-series graphics card, will>run FSX at what I would call "ok" with mid sliders. I should>know, I ran FSX like that for over a year. Forget about>complex add-on aircraft though. For those you will need more>cpu.>Addon planes are a must for me

[jfri 42]

>Hej!>>For best FSX performance, I would suggest option 3, but you>can excange that 9800GT for an older and cheaper, but almost>identical 8800GT.All 8800GT with 512M was priced higher than the 9800GT at my suggested reseller.>Do you want to stick with AMD by all means?>>A comparable Intel solution would be an ASUS P5B + Core2Duo>E6600. Try to see if you can get an equally low price on>those.>I find no E6600 for sale at the suggested reseller but I did consider a similary option that was excluded for a noticable higher pricesee http://www.datorbutiken.com/se/default.aspx?Cart=243-48251

[Guest ugotkevin]

May I suggest another alternative? Grab a different graphics card. My brother had that same CPU that you have and with a 7800GS was getting 70+ fps all sliders maxed.

[jfri 42]

>May I suggest another alternative? Grab a different graphics>card. My brother had that same CPU that you have and with a>7800GS was getting 70+ fps all sliders maxed.Then the 7900GS should be a good buy.

[Guest ugotkevin]

You may just want to grab a 9600GT/8800GT/ or whatever if you can't find that for a pretty good price on ebay. You can grab a 9600GT for $80 after rebate from newegg.com. Make sure if you are looking for the 7800GS that you get the PCI-E version (I imagine that's what you got).I'm not sure if you are aware of this but gpureview.com is a good place to compare cards.

[jfri 42]

>You may just want to grab a 9600GT/8800GT/ or whatever if you>can't find that for a pretty good price on ebay. You can grab>a 9600GT for $80 after rebate from newegg.com. Make sure if>you are looking for the 7800GS that you get the PCI-E version>(I imagine that's what you got).>No I don't have PCI-E but AGP and newegg is no option for me since I don't live in USA. Right now there is a 7900GS AGP and a 7950GT AGP out for auction on tradera (the Swedish part of eBay)>I'm not sure if you are aware of this but gpureview.com is a>good place to compare cards.I have bow bookmarked that site

[jfri 42]

>>purchased on auction. By searching an internet auction where>I>>live I estimate approximate prices for now active auctions>>CPU AMD 64 4600+ 700 SEK (1$=7 SEK) other frequent offers>In short if you are going Option#1, do not get a 4600+ etc. if>FS9 is your only consideration. Instead buy at auction/ebay>an FX57 chip, overclock it to 2.8-3.0 ghz, add 2 gb ram, anThat AMD 64 4600+ was sold for 800 SEK and I would suspect a FX57 to go for even higher price.>You do not need a 6000+ and a 9800GT just to run FS9.>Do I need a FX57?