I currently run FS9 and don't plan on upgrading for quite a while - I've got too much time and money invested in my FS9 install.I am however getting a new vid card here in the next few weeks since I sold my old one to a buddy who's vid card fried.Through much research, I've decided upon the Nvidia 9800GT (same card as the 8800GT with a new name). I wasn't aware until tonight however that you can actually get this card in both 512mb version and 1gb version. The 512mb version can be had for about $110 and the 1GB version is $150-170.My install often has problems at the end of long flights with ground and building textures not loading and then the sim crashing (sometimes with an OOM error popping up, and sometimes just a crash to desktop with no error). I don't know if more Vid Ram will have any effect on this.My system specs are:Windows XP 32bit SP2 (have held off on upgrading to SP3 because I didn't know how it would affect FS9)Intel E4400 dual core proc OCd to 2.92ghz2GB A-Data ramASRock Dual Vsta mobo (this mobo has both AGP and PCI-Express vid card slots)(to be replaced) ATI X850Pro AGP 256mb1680x1050 resolution (native) on a 22" WFP.AA and AF I will use but I will only set them as high as I can without killing my FPS in the vicinity of my major airports. My frame rates were fine with my 3 year old card.I run FS9 with basically everthing maxed out, tons of AI traffic, payware addon airports (FlyTampa, FSDreamTeam, etc) with 150 planes milling around the surface and flying around, AS6.5, high end add on aircraft (PMDG, LDS, Maddog2006, PMDG MD-11 as soon as it is released for FS9), Ultimate Terrain USA/Canada, GE Pro, Flight Environment, etc.Like I said, my only real complaint about my setup is the mystery crashes and super slow loading textures after really long flights. I'm not getting a new card SPECIFICALLY to remedy this, but if higher Vid Ram amount has any positive effect I could notice in FS9, I've got no problem spending the extra $50.Thanks for any adviceNCEDIT:http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...id=43225&page=9I just read the thread above in which it is suggested that more video ram on your vid card can actually INCREASE out of memory errors with 32 bit operating systems. Anyone else have an opinion on that theory?

>I just read the thread above in which it is suggested that more>video ram on your vid card can actually INCREASE out of memory>errors with 32 bit operating systems. Anyone else have an opinion>on that theory?With XP or Vista 32, address space (OS + FS + VRAM + Any otherprogram running) = 4 GBy, so adding VRAM reduces RAM available tothe OS + FS by the same amount.Cheers,jahman.

Bit of confusion there, but if you want to see how much memory FS9 is using, get " memstatus", its a free downloads it gives you a bar graph shwoing how much video and system ram is in use. As for system ram, there is some ram above 3.5 gig i think iyt is that is assigned to system devices and so if you add 4 gig of sytem ram, some of that becomes unavaliable because some of the top is already assigned to other things and youwil only see 3.5 gig or so avaliable.. As for video ram i only have a 512 card with fsx and it doesnt use all of it, fs9 has a lot less overheads then FSX hence it runs better on newer pcs, i doubt that a 1 gig card would do any good, in fsx it probaly would , if everything was wound up and you where in a major city with lots of textures, being loaded. But if you are looking at upgading at some time getting a new AGP card is a waste as you cant use it in a new pc.

>1680x1050 resolution (native) on a 22" WFP.>if higher Vid Ram amount has any positive>effect I could notice in FS9, I've got no problem spending the>extra $50.At that resolution, I don't think the extra video ram would be of any benefit whatsoever. If course, if you drive a 428 HP turbocharged hemi-powered vehicle to corner grocery store for a gallon of milk, you might find some value in the 1GB ram for bragging rights.>I just read the thread above in which it is suggested that>more video ram on your vid card can actually INCREASE out of>memory errors with 32 bit operating systems. Anyone else have>an opinion on that theory? I believe this was a Vista issue that has been corrected in Vista SP1.ArtBiostar TF560-A2+ | Athlon 64X2-6000+ | 4GB PC2-6400 RAM | Geforce 8800GTS-320MB | 500W PSU | 250GB HD | FSX(SP1-Acceleration) | UTX | Audigy SE sound | Vista Home Premium 32 bit | CH Yoke (modified) & Pedals | Logitech Extreme 3D Pro Joystick | 22" WS LCD monitor