Just ordered a new Core i7 system, ATA before Christmas (I hope).I hope to receive a water cooled Core i7 system with the specs as mentioned below in a fee weeks time, if there are no reviews on the net by that time of a Core i7 running FSX, I will tell you good people out there how my new system runs FSX.As I am only a software engineer, the computer hardware will be custom build by a Dutch computer shop who know their way around water cooled systems, so when it arrives I only have to do the fun parts like install the OS and FSX and away I fly.Any predictions to what this system can do for FSX?ComputerCase: Lian Li PC TYR PC-X2000PSU: Corsair HX1000 1000WCPU: Intel Core-i7 965 XE Extreme Edition 3.2GHz overclock 4.0GHzMOBO: Asus ROG Rampage II ExtremeMemory 12GB: 2x OCZ OCZ3G1600LV6GK Gold 6GB(3x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800 1600MHz CAS 8 1.65vGPU: 2x EVGA GeForce GTX 280 HC16 HydroCopper 691/2430MHz 1024MBHDD RAID-0: 4x Western Digital VelociRaptor WD3000GLFS 300GB 10Krpm 16MB SATAIIAudio: Creative SB X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro, PCIeDVD ROM: Samsung SH-D163B 16x DVD-Rom, zwart SATA bulkBlu-Ray R/W: Plextor PX-B920SA 4x Blu-Ray Rewriter SATA retailWatercoolingThermoChill PA120.2ThermoChill PA120.1Swiftech Apogee GTZSwiftech MCP655Nalgene tubing 1/2" ID / 3/4" OD (13x3)EK Water Blocks EK-Multioption RES 100 rev. 2InputLogitech G15 v2 Gaming KeyboardLogitech G9 Gaming Laser MouseMonitor2x Samsung 305T+ 30" WideTFT 2560x1600 6ms S-PVAOSMicrosoft Windows Vista Ultimate UK SP1 64bits Box OEMNASQNAP TS-509 Pro 5 x SATAII hotswap RAID5+Spare5x Seagate Barracuda ES.2 1TB 7200rpm 32MB SATAIIExtraD-Link DGS-1008D Switch, 8 port 10/100/1000Corsair Flash Voyager GT 16GB, USB2.0

Looking forward to your report on how it runs FSX :-)Ulf BCore2Duo X6800 3.3GHz4GB RAM Corsair XMS2-8500C5BFG 8800GTX, Creative SB X-FiFSX Acc/SP2, Vista 32

Check out this guy at the FTX forums...he has already got an i7 system going with FSX and what few posts he has seem very promising. They should be waking up in a few more hours in Aussie land I am sure he will posts some more about it. Reading a post like his and yours makes me jealous...LOL. I am getting ready to upgrade to and antique Q6600. http://orbxsystems.com/forums/index.php?topic=6700.0 Regards

>Check out this guy at the FTX forums...he has already got an>i7 system going with FSX and what few posts he has seem very>promising. They should be waking up in a few more hours in>Aussie land I am sure he will posts some more about it.>Reading a post like his and yours makes me jealous...LOL. I am>getting ready to upgrade to and antique Q6600. >>>http://orbxsystems.com/forums/index.php?topic=6700.0>>>> RegardsHi Alphahawk3,Thanks for the link, Core i7 does look very promising for FSX.

Can you see the frame rates in his screen shots...One looks like 16.5 the other looks like 7.5 ?

I can't make out anything in the line of text no matter how large I make it. You may be correct but I would think that is not the case....but don't know the guy. It appears he has been a simmer for a while and I doubt he would write comments as he did for 5 or 6 frames a second. Anyway time will tell on all of this but I expect that machine to bring FSX more closer to it's real potential than any so far. All I know is I will not be able to one anytime soon...LOL Regards

Dutch, would you mind sharing the cost of this system. It looks like the ultimate for almost every component.Best,Bob

>Dutch, would you mind sharing the cost of this system. It>looks like the ultimate for almost every component.>>Best,>BobHi Bob,Yes I could have mentioned the total cost of the system, but that would be like to much barging about my newly ordered system and that is the last thing I want to do.Don't worry about the cost I can afford it.If you are interested in a system like this you could send me a private message and I could send you the full order information including the prices.Regards,Dutch.

I can tell you the i7 965, Rampage II motherboard and the 1st 6GB set of memory sticks I purchased were just over 1700, alone. No other parts included as I transferred the support components from a old P35 DDR3 tower to the new build.It wont be until well into next year before prices drop

>>>>I can tell you the i7 965, Rampage II motherboard and the 1st>6GB set of memory sticks I purchased were just over 1700,>alone. No other parts included as I transferred the support>components from a old P35 DDR3 tower to the new build.>>It wont be until well into next year before prices drop>>>>>>NickN From all my reading on here you seem to be the man with the answers...at least civil and answers based on facts. Cyberpower PC has i7 rigs already to go out the door. Components aren't bad...far better than a lot of Dell stuff. I was getting ready to do a Q6600 build and find that the i7 920 with all else being equal in ram amount....hdd...etc...the cost will be about the same. What do you think of the i7 920 over a Q6600? Regards

How are they with service? do they test the build that they do or do they just install everything and ship it?

>> From all my reading on here you seem to be the man with the>answers...at least civil and answers based on facts.>Cyberpower PC has i7 rigs already to go out the door.>Components aren't bad...far better than a lot of Dell stuff. I>was getting ready to do a Q6600 build and find that the i7 920>with all else being equal in ram amount....hdd...etc...the>cost will be about the same. What do you think of the i7 920>over a Q6600?>I question any build from a makerWill their BIOS give you access to Bclock to overclock the 920?I can not tell you the exchange for the 920 over a Q6600. I am still doing my own tests on the 965. If its a 965 I would go for it. I have not seen anything yet that would make me want to go back to a 4GHz clock QX97 on DDR3 but I have a lot more testing to do.of course the cost was outrageousThey will void the warranty when you clock it so what it comes down to is the access they give you and how high you can get that proc.. and the results of tests which are not out there yet. Intel has shifted gears with the i7 and it appears they are making sure those who throw down the cash get the real goodies over their appoach in the past where they gave you more perf per dollar in clocking over the extreme seriesTo tell you the truth though.. the Q6600 is pretty much a done deal even before i7 with the Q95 96 and 97 out there on the right boards

Thanks for the reply Nick. I was just trying to figure out the better cpu...and I do know that it all maters how it is put together and with what parts. I used to keep up with all of this but after retirng in 2001 I have let my tech skills go from what they used to be. Used to read every white paper that came out on new cpu and kept up with the latest moves in tech but have long since stopped that. I know the Q6600 is outdated already but as with everything for most it is about money. The Q95...96....and 97 are still over my budget for a build...at least they were as of last week...will have to look again. But anything I go to will beat this P4 3ghz 2gig ram...I think you will agree on that.......and I am actuly flying fairly well with GA using GEXNhanced....FEX.....FTX....XGraphics....FSGEN.....and applying tips from your articles to my system. Just when I am ready to order a new rig a fly gets in the ointmnet. The thing I don't want to do is spend a grand....a lot of money for me....and not see much improvement in the sim and also find out a week later that grand would have bought me something better. But I guess the research has to end somewhere and just do it. I know you are a very busy man but I do respect your advice if you have time to give it. I can do my own build but sure could use advice as how to go with that 1000 dollar budget. Thanks

>I don't want to do is spend a grand....a lot of money for>me....and not see much improvement in the sim and also find>out a week later that grand would have bought me something>better. But I guess the research has to end somewhere and just>do it. I know you are a very busy man but I do respect your>advice if you have time to give it. I can do my own build but>sure could use advice as how to go with that 1000 dollar>budget.Wait till after the 1st of the year and into Q1Intel will be wanting to start phasing out the old so I suspect those on a really tight budget should wait for that move and take advantage of it

>How are they with service? do they test the build that they>do or do they just install everything and ship it?Well just for the mb...cpu...and mem that they use in the computer costs 697 dollars at Newegg.com. It comes with a 580 watt power supply. I called and they do test. You can pick your OS or none at all and they do test after they build. Checking the site that does reviews of internet sales stores CyberpowerPC gets 7.43 or something like that for lifetime and 8.1 in the last 6 months for satisfaction. You can read it here http://www.resellerratings.com/ What does all that mean? I have no clue...LOL. But check out Dells rating from this site...2.2. NewEgg is 9.76 lifetime rating and I would have to go along with that as I have bought a lot from them and their last 6 months rating is 9.89! So at least it is something to go on. You could build this system for 1000 Dollars from NewEgg. For me I would have to pay 100 more in sales tax as I am in TN. Cyberpower does not charge sales tax. NewEgg has to because they have a distribution center in Memphis. So I am looking at a 300 dollar extra to build it myself. Cyberpower does include a video card but I have one better than they are using so I could save another 57 bucks there by leaving that out. So I can get it shipped....install my OS...use my keyboard....mouse....video card...ready to go for 817.00 dollars. Very tempting....now if I just knew how this CPU stacked up against the Q6600..E8500 and so on but there is no way I can afford to get the QX..series that Nick gave up for the best i7. See his post. That top end i7 must be some chip. This flight simming is a horrible addiction!