Got a E8500 as present - and now?

[Wody 0]

Hello,in another thread I got answered my HDD questions - thanks.My old FS PC is dead and now a new one has to be build. I got a original new E8500 as a present -unfortunately not a i7, but for me it will do running mainly FS9 and step by step involving FSX.From reading a lot in this and the Simviation forum I tried to configure a machine which fits my budget. If some of you would give me some comments I would be glad.E8500 --> is here already! Do I need a better cooler for this?Asus P5E Deluxe4MB Kingston DDR2-1066EVGA 9800GT 1MB --> stock cooling is ok?1 x WD6400AAKS (OS), 1 x WD VelociRaptor 300GB (FS and later FSX additional, not partitioned)PSU: PC P&C 610Case: Sharkoon Rebel 9 ValueOS: XP64 --> or better Vista64?I am not that good in PC, but appreciate all the tuning hints I read here in the forum AVSIM, Simviation).I am also not sure if I should/can OC this config. Any advice/experience is appreciated.NickN and some other poster here are already heroes for me :( Thanks a lot!Peter

[GSalden 4,673]

Hello,in another thread I got answered my HDD questions - thanks.My old FS PC is dead and now a new one has to be build. I got a original new E8500 as a present -unfortunately not a i7, but for me it will do running mainly FS9 and step by step involving FSX.From reading a lot in this and the Simviation forum I tried to configure a machine which fits my budget. If some of you would give me some comments I would be glad.E8500 --> is here already! Do I need a better cooler for this?Asus P5E Deluxe4MB Kingston DDR2-1066EVGA 9800GT 1MB --> stock cooling is ok?1 x WD6400AAKS (OS), 1 x WD VelociRaptor 300GB (FS and later FSX additional, not partitioned)PSU: PC P&C 610Case: Sharkoon Rebel 9 ValueOS: XP64 --> or better Vista64?I am not that good in PC, but appreciate all the tuning hints I read here in the forum AVSIM, Simviation).I am also not sure if I should/can OC this config. Any advice/experience is appreciated.NickN and some other poster here are already heroes for me :( Thanks a lot!Peter

Hi,Look at my signature.My E8500 FS setup is incredible fast and no issues at all. I use Vista 64 bit and has it tuned completely for maximum performance.For my setup I took some advice from Nick and also I used the help of FS-GG.Now I have the best of both worlds. Good luck.

[neumanix 114]

The E8500 is very overclock friendly so you should try to get what you can out of it.You'll need better cooling than stock though.I have an E8600 and it runs 100% stable at 4.17Ghz at the moment, last winter I ran 4.5Ghz but now I had to ease up a little due to warmer ambient temperatures.I recommend the Thermalright Ultra Extreme 120, it's the best air cooler you can get.

[ppo 67]

Have a look at my sig also. I love this CPU, it handles FS9 & FSX very well.But as you well know, CPU isn't everything. You have to find the right balance between CPU/GPU/Memory and of course money.My 8500 is matched with an Asus P5Qpro a GTX285/1gig and 4gig 1066Ram. It is overclocked at 4.1 and stable.And yes, I use a OCZ Vendetta 2 to cool the C2D, well worth it. Even though at 3ghz the CPU is doing fine, you'll find that it overclocks wellif you follow basic rules.Pierre

[Wody 0]

Sorry for late reply, my DSL provider had some problems for 3 days. Can you imagine FS-PC is dead and no Intenet :( I took time to work on my throttle...Thanks to all for their input. I will adjust my buying list accordingly. Though some more questions:1) Is the 9800GT in balance with E8500 and 4 Gig, or should I invest in a GTX260 or higher?2) Do you have experience also with XP prof 64? Or should I shoot for Vista64 or even not 64bit, but 32bit OS?3) I found NickN's guide for XP/Windows setup and optimization in Simviation Forum. Is there an other guide for XP 64bit or Vista64?A question to GSalden: what is FS-GG?Thanks again for help. On Monday I will order the parts for the new rig.Peter

[JW6984 0]

I just built an E8500 system a few months ago. It's an excellent FS9 platform especially if you are going to overclock. I have mine running @4.275GHz with no issues. I would recommend an aftermarket CPU cooler, I have a Zalman 9700LED and it's great. The 9700 is very large, so make sure you have enough room in your case. The only other problem is that it causes ice to form on my CPU :) Idle temps are around 40C and FS9 never takes it over 60C. The Zalman might be overkill if you aren't overclocking, though.Video Card: I have a GTX260 and it works great. I overclock it too. OS: I just went from XP32 to Windows 7 x64 (Release Candidate). Other than a few minor install workarounds I have had no problems running FS9.This system is taking everything I can throw at it in FS9 - FS Dreamteam sceneries, complex a/c addons, AI traffic, sliders to the right, etc. FPS usually stays around 50-60 and rarely goes below 40.

[Wody 0]

Thanks Jim,I made up my mind and will go with XP pro 64. Later next year I will migrate to Win 7.I also opted now for a GTX260First I have to build the PC, then install and optimize XP and FS9/FSX according NickN's guide.Then OC - maybe.My system as it is planned now:E8500Zalman CNPS8700Asus P5Q Pro4GB G.Skill DDR-2 800 (4-4-4-12)POV GTX260 EXOWD 6400AAKS (OS), WD VRaptor 300GB (FS9/FSX)Silverstone ST75EF 600W PSUSharkoon Rebel9 Value Midi Tower (250mm Side Fan!)LG GH-22NS DVD BurnerLG DH-16NS DVD ROMTeac FloppyWin XP pro 64Any comments? Monday I will order.Peter

[JW6984 0]

Looks good. I think you'll be happy with that setup. Overall I think the E8500/8600 is the best FS9 CPU out there for cost vs. performance. I did notice a big difference when I o/c'ed the CPU but not much difference o/c'ing the video card. If you do decide to venture into overclocking, there's a great tutorial on EVGA's website www.evga.com. It's written for an EVGA mobo but still has good general info. This was my first o/c attempt and the tutorial took me right through it. Haven't fried anything.........(yet) :)A couple final thoughts: 1) Make sure you have enough room in your case for the GTX 260, it is a very large card. I had to make some minor adjustments to my case to make it fit. 2) I wouldn't go any lower on the PSU than 600W, I have a 650W. If you ever want to run 2 in SLI mode you'll need a bigger one.Good luck!

[Wody 0]

A couple final thoughts: 1) Make sure you have enough room in your case for the GTX 260, it is a very large card. I had to make some minor adjustments to my case to make it fit. 2) I wouldn't go any lower on the PSU than 600W, I have a 650W. If you ever want to run 2 in SLI mode you'll need a bigger one.Good luck!

Hi Jim,re 1) Room:My configurator did not complain with this combination of GTX260 and the Rebel9 Value case which is 486mm deep. So I hope no complications with GX card. But I had problems with the cooler. I wanted a Thermalright Ultra Extreme (neumanix recomended it), but the configurator did not accept - to high, also the Zalman 9700 you recommended . So I was looking for a not so tall cooler and found the Zalman CNPS8700 which is accepted by the configurator for this case. the 8700 is smaller 3300 cm

[JW6984 0]

Peter, As far as cases, I have a Thermaltake Soprano, it has three case fans - 2 x 120mm fans (front and back) and 1 x 80mm fan in the side. Not too noisy and really keeps the air flowing. This is my first Thermaltake case and it's been very nice. I thought it had plenty of room until I installed my GTX260 :(Intel publishes a list of what they call "thermally advantaged chassis", or cases which they supposedly test for thermal efficiency. You might find it on their website. Not sure how meaningful the tests are, though. I usually look for a case with a decent name brand and as many fans as possible. The 120mm fans really do a nice job.

[Coqui297 7]

Looks good. I think you'll be happy with that setup. Overall I think the E8500/8600 is the best FS9 CPU out there for cost vs. performance. I did notice a big difference when I o/c'ed the CPU but not much difference o/c'ing the video card. If you do decide to venture into overclocking, there's a great tutorial on EVGA's website www.evga.com. It's written for an EVGA mobo but still has good general info. This was my first o/c attempt and the tutorial took me right through it. Haven't fried anything.........(yet) :)A couple final thoughts: 1) Make sure you have enough room in your case for the GTX 260, it is a very large card. I had to make some minor adjustments to my case to make it fit. 2) I wouldn't go any lower on the PSU than 600W, I have a 650W. If you ever want to run 2 in SLI mode you'll need a bigger one.Good luck!

Hey Jim, just a question for you. What temperatures, Vcore, Vdimm are you running that E8500 ?Temperature idle and under load? Which program did you run for stability, OCCT or Prime95?Thanks :(