Hi, I realize I have a low end systemCeleron 500256 ram16 meg TNT2 NividiaThe board I have Celeron 500 is the limit.So is ram.I am pretty broke - and was wondering would a sound card help out vs. on board sound? Would that free the processor up some? Or would it be negligable?Also, I have no AGP port. Would I see 'tremendous improvement' with a 32 meg TNT2 card?Thanks - getting a new computer is outa the question for the forseeable.Also - just to ask, I came from FS98 and 2002 is a big improvement.With my machine, would I enjoy 2000 alot more? It has mesh terrain too.I open for comments!-TB

Even on your machine, FS2002 would run better and looks far better than FS2000.... As for onboard sound vs. a card, it's still a separate chip that is handling the sound--not the cpu. However, some sound chips are faster than others, but I think you'd see a minimal return on investing in another sound chip.I think the 32 meg TNT2 card would give you a bit more breathing room texture wise. But I do think I recall someone with exactly your graphics card that found FS2002 alright with it.I do not know from reading your post if you have FS2002 or not. If you do, the best thing you can do is to keep the Autogen and AI levels right. If you stay away from the detailed airports (LAX, ORD, etc....), I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't see fps performance in the low to high teens...-John

I agree with John. I have a very similar system and I would not recommend switching to FS2000. It will be much slower and you will be very disappointed. A sound card would probably help. I have one but it was installed before FS2002 so it is difficult to know exactly how well it has helped performance. Even with my lowly system, I do not intend to upgrade for FS2004. Well...at least until my second daughter is born and my wife is working again. Oh well, enjoy the flight..I know I will. Greg in KAVL533 Celeron191 MB32 MB Radeon VE PCIWindows Millenium15 GB storage15-20 FPS most of the time

How much $ are you willing to spend to upgrade?