Hello to all the experts!I was reading this forum now for several days. A lot of expertise and advice but finally I still have some questions. What I have:My current system is 5 years old and not worth to discuss - it will be replacedFS9 is installed with LVLD767 and some add-on sceneries. When FSX came to the market I bought it immediately, but never installed because of my crappy HW - high time to start with. OS is XP-Professional.What I aim for:A system for primarily FS9 use and step by step (slowly) transition to FSX. I am using 2 monitor (2D view) and a second laptop (WideFS) for com, ASv6 and my homecockpit SW (SIOC).I learned quite a lot from this forum about new systems but did not finaly make up my mind. Overclocking is not my favorite.My questions:- How many HDD should I install? 1000GB for OS and 1 HD for FS9/FSX with 2 partitions? or???- I tend to stay with XP as OS, don't like Vista and have no idea about Win7. Thanks in advance, more questions will arise later Peter

Hello to all the experts!I was reading this forum now for several days. A lot of expertise and advice but finally I still have some questions. What I have:My current system is 5 years old and not worth to discuss - it will be replacedFS9 is installed with LVLD767 and some add-on sceneries. When FSX came to the market I bought it immediately, but never installed because of my crappy HW - high time to start with. OS is XP-Professional.What I aim for:A system for primarily FS9 use and step by step (slowly) transition to FSX. I am using 2 monitor (2D view) and a second laptop (WideFS) for com, ASv6 and my homecockpit SW (SIOC).I learned quite a lot from this forum about new systems but did not finaly make up my mind. Overclocking is not my favorite.My questions:- How many HDD should I install? 1000GB for OS and 1 HD for FS9/FSX with 2 partitions? or???- I tend to stay with XP as OS, don't like Vista and have no idea about Win7. Thanks in advance, more questions will arise later Peter

I would go with a minimum of 2 HD--One for OS and other stuff and one WD VelociRaptor 300GB for FS9 and FSX--NO PARTITIONS on the Vrap drive.Alan

Agree with Alan. 2 disk setup is good. One fast drive dedicated to FS. The other carved up C, D, E for OS, Apps, other... etc All your FS Apps, as you say, can go on the WideFS'd laptop.

Agree with Alan. 2 disk setup is good. One fast drive dedicated to FS. The other carved up C, D, E for OS, Apps, other... etc All your FS Apps, as you say, can go on the WideFS'd laptop.

Thanks flyhalf and Alan,I will take yor advice: a WD 640 AAKS for OS/apps/data and a WD VelociRaptor 300GB for FS9 + FSX.I will open another thread for CPU questions, because I got a brand new originally packed E8500 as a present...Peter