Upgrading to another graphics card for FS9

[Guest tskillman89]

So I want my fs9 game to run better. Right now it runs ok enough for me to be satisfied but my fps ranges from 25-60 while playing. But on the other hand I dont have the luxury of recording because my fps drop to like 8-15. I want to be able to record my flights also with descent fps so the game doesnt look too choppy on fraps. I was thinking of getting a geforce 8600GT. Will this help with my fix? Current specs: Intel p4 8400 3.6 GHzprocessor 2GB PNY DDR2 RAM 500GB HD 80GB HD ATI Radeon HD 2400Pro Or whats the best card i can get for this system to max out fs9 or come real close with good fps and good fps while recording?

[Guest Nealoc187]

I can't believe you're running a 2400 pro with that processor. a 2400 pro is a REALLY low end graphics card... really low end. Even though it's not that old, it's got the processing power of some cards that came out literally like 7-9 years ago according to Tom's GPU charts (ATI 9700 and 9800, FX 5900, etc. These are cards that have been discontined for years and years). Take a look at this page to see how that 2400 pro and 8600GT stack up in the grand scheme of things.http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-g...ard,2118-7.htmlBe sure to check out the rest of the article too (that page I linked is the last page in the article.)While a definite step up, the 8600GT is still a low end card, it's equal in processing power to cards that came out like 5 years ago (X800 series, I bought one of these as a mid-low end card like 3 years ago - cost like $100 back then). At $50-60 on newegg (before rebate, I don't count rebates because in my experience it's very hit or miss whether or not you actually get them back or not), I say you'd have to be crazy to buy that over a 9600GSO which is a VASTLY faster graphics card than the 8600GT and costs $20 more. I know that money is always an issue and we can play this game of "oh it's only $20 more" forever until you find yourself looking at $300 video cards, but I think that $20 jump from $60 to $80 is worth it since you will be getting a card which is actually recommended as a good, cheap, solid graphics card for people on a budget, vs the 8600GT which is not even on the radar. Buying that 8600GT would be a mistake, imho - they weren't worth their weight in dung when they were first released and certainly aren't now when there are alternatives that are barely more expensive that are multiple levels higher in the hierarchy.

[Guest tskillman89]

hmmm. ye the 9600GSO does seem much better. Ima do some more research on it and maybe get one.Just gotta find the best card compatible with my ddr2 RAM.