I haven't been able to do any flightsimming for the last couple of years although I lurked around these forums to stay informed. Since I now again have time for it I considered it was time to get back in the saddle. I have just ordered FSX Gold and am now deciding on the PC it has to run on. I have decided on most of the hardware, with the help of lots of configurations and tips from several posts on this forum, but there are still a few things I would like some opinions on.Configuration:Case: Antec Performance One 183 / Twelve Hundred -> P183 is quieter but will has it sufficient airflow for I7 [email protected]?PSU: Antec PC-850 or Corsair HX850 -> Both get good reviewsCPU: i7 920 (D0 stepping hopefully)Mobo: Asus P6T Deluxe V2 -> seems to be a good boardCooler: Prolimatech Megahalems / Corsair H50 -> First one has good reviews. Corsair H50 is interesting but relatively newCPU Fan: Nexus Real Silent D12SL-12 BW / Scythe S-Flex SFF21E -> Or should I get a PWM fan?RAM: OCZ Platinum XTC OCZ3P1600LV6GK -> see question belowGPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 285 SSC 1GBHDD1 (OS): Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS, 1TBHDD2 (FSX): Western Digital Velociraptor WD3000HLFS, 300GBDVD: Samsung SH-223BMonitor: Samsung 2443BW (24")I am trying to build a PC that is powerful enough for FSX and lots of add-ons which is also reasonably quiet.I still have a few questions that maybe someone can answer:- Should I discard the Velociraptor in favour of RAM with lower latency, like Mushkin 998691?- Since I am going to overclock the i7 (trying to reach 3.8Ghz, hoping for 4Ghz) I am a little worried that the p183 case won't be able to provide sufficient airflow. Has anyone experience with this case?- Can I save some money on the videocard by buying the standard version and overclock it myself?Thanks everyone for your help.Allard.

Allard,I posted just hours ago about a system I'm about to put together. I'll be following your post as well to see what suggestions you get. 'Seems we both have the good fortune of being able to upgrade/update.

Your component selection generally looks pretty good. A couple notes:You don't need that much PSU. A quality 550-750W unit will power any single GPU configuration on the market today, and at the upper end of that spectrum any multi-GPU configuration as well. I run a Corsair 550W in the rig in my sig. I guarantee you your i7 isn't going to suck down 300 more watts than my Q9550 @ 4GHz ;) So on that note, go for the Corsair PSU. They're top-notch quality. On the cooling don't bother with water unless you're going to do it right and piece together a setup using the best individual components available. All the existing all-in-one watercooling solutions on the market make a lot of sacrifices in efficiency and quality to achieve a target price and create a small, self-contained package. For the case I don't usually recommend Antec except at the low-end and mid-range. You can simply find cases with much higher build quality and cooling capability elsewhere. Coolermaster has several examples of such a case in the HAF and Cosmos series. Also Corsair's new D 800 case looks to be the best in its class right now. Silverstone also makes gorgeous and wonderfully functional cases. As does Lian li. I'm running 2 Coolermasters and a Lian li in my house right now, no regrets on any of them. In response to your specific questions:1) the RAM you've linked is fantastic. My roommate runs it in his i7 920 build and it's lightning-fast. The Mushkin RAM you refer to would not offer significant performance improvement over the OCZ.2) I believe I've already addressed this question for you3) you can but it's hit-or-miss. The first GTX 285 I had wouldn't overclock worth a darn (except for the RAM). I found it to be faulty even at factory clockspeeds and thus RMA'd it. The replacement I received overclocks like a champ, however. Reaching some pretty impressive speeds with the stock cooling and stock fan speed settings. I wouldn't be surprised to see my card capable of high 700MHz core operation and well over 1600MHz shader operation with water cooling.

@ TechguyMaxCThanks for the advice.Since Flightsimulator has these complex hardware requirements I was unsure if the benefits of CAS6 memory would be higher than those of a fast harddisk. Of course if money was no concern, I would get both. I will follow your advice and stick with the OCZ memory.The Corsair H50 is a liquid cooler but should really be compared with air coolers. I decided to buy the Prolimatech because it is proven technology. The Corsair is interesting though for its low weight and small footprint.I haven't decided on the case yet. There aren't many quiet cases around, especially if you want a gaming rig. The Corsair case you mention seems quite nice although there isn't much info on airflow and noise yet.@ Chuck DreierI am keeping an eye on your thread also. It is indeed a good fortune and since I haven't really flown in FSX yet I am looking forward to (re)discover flightsim. At the same time it's a bit scary because not everyone's experiences with new PC's are positive. I remember from a few years ago with FS9 that I spend almost as much time tinkering as I spend flying. I am hoping to avoid that this time.It seems we have both difficulties deciding on the case. I am looking for something quiet but don't want to sacrifice performance (airflow) too much.Allard.