My best advice is simple. When you get Win 7, do a fresh install, do not run the install from windows and choose "Yes, upgrade my computer". After you do a fresh install of windows, install your system drivers that you can start getting now while you wait for Windows 7. Don't use any CD's from stealth or driver discs. If anything use them as reference if you're not sure what to get. Go to your motherboard manufacturers site and get your storage driver, chipset driver and anything else they have available and just toss it on a cd or usb drive (or on your second HD).You should install the chipset driver 1st once in windows, if your running raid then the raid driver during install and storage driver. Then the rest (video card should be last or sound card drivers can be as well, I prefer vid last, always). After everything is fine and dandy in device manager begin the long process of installing all the windows updates, checking for more each time you reboot since some won't be available until they finish install which is often during the load phase after reboot.If you're familiar with hardware then I would also recommend (most importantly) to flash your bios to whatever the latest version is, especially when getting a pre-built I don't care who builds it :(Another practice I like to do that really isn't necessary anymore but have still found it effective is removing any connection, pcie card etc... for everything you don't need to install windows such as sound card, video capture card or whatever you may not need to do a fresh boot. Your other video games running good is a good sign but keep in mind that they have actual gaming engines, FS does not. FSX will peg your CPU like nothing else on the market game wise. I have everything there is, you name it as a video game I have it (that's actually kinda sad when I think about it haha). Bad Company 2 & Assassin's Creed 2 are my latest titles and run them @ 5040x1050 max options and CPU usage is nothing like FSX. I would put most of my money on it being either a heat issue, but if you do as I mentioned you will be running a clean system and built the way it should be.Since Win 95A, windows has flaked out during installs at different intervals. Strange, unexplanable issues caused from a windows hiccup and you can rule most known ones following the advice above. I am A+ certified and actually have 13 other computer certifications. I have been building customs for people and providing tech support for over 15 years and stay rather fresh monthly with new builds and still do exactly as I mentioned above as a must.You chose a pretty decent builder for your comp, but in my eyes, none do it right and everyone out their doing large volumes cuts corners. I have had to rebuild $7,000 Alienware's for customers just to find they tossed in a no name 450 psu with 1 rail, or even saw ram and MB mismatched, so at least following the steps above you will quickly get to know exactly what's under the hood and breathe easy.Anywho, to make a long story longer. While you're waiting for the transition, Download a CPU monitor. Run FSX in windowed mode and check your temps. 10 degree difference can make a 20fps difference in certain cases and most comps (especially pre builds) that I have seen have cooling issues of one kind or another.Hope this helps. Let me know if you need help with your bios. If nothing else, compare your version to the latest out there and let me know the numbers. The motherboard is the most important part of a build. It is the foundation to your house sort of speak. The biggest issue I have with any and all companies out there that do high volume is some tend to skimp a ton on the system boards.

I would put most of my money on it being either a heat issue, but if you do as I mentioned you will be running a clean system and built the way it should be.

With 7 fans, I hope to goodness it isn't a heating issue! But I'll have a look at that CPU monitor, interesting to know. And for reference I use a ASUS Rampage II Extreme motherboard. Like I said, I'm maybe an "intermediate" when it comes to bios, I believe my version number is American Megatrends Inc. 1406 06/01/2009; so maybe an update is in order.Thanks for the responses, I truly appreciate it.

Well, trust me on one thing, the more fans you have is definitely far from the best thing. Having them keep warm air from getting hot is key. Fans should always work in a directional flow so they don't just fight each other just blowing the air out of the case. In other words in some cases 3 fans could easily beat 10. Anywho, yeah proper ventilation is a key aspect but the main concern is with the CPU thermal compound and how much or how little is a factor. Good air flow to carry out the warm air is essential too. Of course, I don't think your systems flawed or anything, but just know how hot the cpu can get with FSX vs Games. And most reputable companies that build gaming rigs do build to accomodate games and temps may not get remotely close to what good ole FSX can produce.Edit: Nice motherboard by the way.I agree with Ryan below, those programs mentioned are benchmarks that will take and keep you cpu at 100% for stress tests. But since I am only referring to the game platform and in comparison to others, FSX is the game stress test. You might want to look into some. You probably already own a Mad onion benchmark or something. Run some and compare your results with other systems like yours. Again though, the key thing I think I'm getting away from here is heat. FSX will use more CPU than another game therefore have more heat, and therfore can give less than desirable results than other newer titles.

In my experience, FSX (and basically any "real world" app/game) doesn't get anywhere close to the level of CPU usage/heat as those torture test apps like Prime95 or OCCT do. (Or something like MSI Kombustor for the vid card)

After about 45 min of FSX in windowed mode, the SpeedFan app says my CPU temp is pretty cyclic but averaging 40C or so then 34C without FSX.

Nice. Those are the temps you want, so there is something else wrong somewhere but it's nice to get one ruled out. Did you get the same lousy FPS during that run?There could be some other app, like a virus scanner bogarting your resources but doubt it since we kind of ruled that out with the answer to "How do other games run?"I'm about to crash, but think after your fresh windows install and FSX you might have better luck. You could try other methods that may help that have helped others with strang anomolies.Here are a few. No harm done since your about to do a fresh windows install so worth a couple minutes.1.) Hold CTRL + Shift before, and during FSX start up and hold them until FSX loads. It will rewrite all your main FSX files (including controls). A corrupt FSX.cfg is hard to pinpoint, but this method may help with other corrupt files as well.2.) Download and install the latest C++ 2005, 32 bit and 64 bit,,, also do the same for the 2008 (32 bit and 64 bit). You can find them here.3.) If you're old enough, drink a few beers and let your minds FPS slow down as well, that should calibrate your mind to fsx making it a more exceptable problem ;-)

Glad to hear the CPU is in normal range - I honestly would have been pretty ticked if this whole time it was temperature-related. I saw about 15-18 FPS this time around, so nothing really that stands out as different.I use Norton for antivirus but in fact usually close it from the task bar when using FS. I'll double check the C++ installs and the FSX.cfg rewrite. I'll keep my fingers crossed for the weekend.Though, I'll take you up on #3, sounds like a winner to me.Again, thanks so much for taking time out to think about this.

Gosh, well, unfortunately I'm just not seeing the results I hoped for (now up to $4200 on this computer hehe). Spent the whole weekend (literally) getting Win7, doubling my RAM to 12 gb, drivers, and FSX reinstalled with just about the same results. The FSX splash screen sure goes fast now but that's about the only difference. I've followed the steps in NickN's tutorial, and even turned on use simple clouds with all of the reboots in between. With the default Friday Harbor flight, I can get about 50 FPS in the default ultra light full screen but throw in any weather, and it drops quick; or try loading FSDT JFK. AI traffic is totally disabled.PMDG JS41 in VC full screen, default tutorial flight, seeing about 23-25 FPS with simple clouds.PMDG JS41 in VC full screen, default tutorial flight, seeing about 20 FPS with detailed clouds.PMDG JS41 in VC windowed mode, default tutorial flight, seeing about 10 FPSs with simple cloudsPMDG JS41 in VC windowed mode at FSDT JFK, seeing about 7-9 FPSs with simple cloudsPMDG JS41 in VC full screen mode at FSDT JFK, seeing about 14 FPSs with simple cloudsPMDG JS41 in VC full screen mode at FSDT JFK, seeing about 11 FPS with detailed cloudsIt seems like the default JS41 flight is flyable to me but add in any night effects, weather, advanced scenery and forget it. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong here, or is this the kind of performance other people are getting and I'm just being picky? I would love to make the jump to FSX but right now I'm really having a hard time justifying leaving FS9 if I can get much better performance with just a small tradeoff in scenery quality. I've also tried disabling desktop themes when running FSX but no real difference that I can see.

Ignore the framerates in FSX, it has a different meaning than in FS9. The key criterion are no stutters and fluid animation, the fps number doens't measure this.

Agreed, however the only true fluid scenario is case #1 above for me. Every other time, panning around the flight deck, Ill hold my hat trigger to pan and it will stutter while jumping around; makes focusing on one particular panel difficult on the first try. This is why I'm so concerned.I personally would much rather have performance than quality, so this is why FSX is a difficult sell for me. To get this smooth performance, I have to trade off quality that makes FS9 look better than FSX. I don't want to accept that for such a computer like mine but I suppose I'll have to if I want to fly the JS41 smoothly.

I switched from nVidia to ATI and have a image quality issue. You can read this HEREI am not sure if this depends on my new ATI card or due to my new installation of FSX.

K.C.I have almost same problem you have with a system (was) like yours with same results you are getting, with every body's advice over here, I would add, when you install FSX step by step till you reach installing your add on stop, and try to test your FSX after each add on individually, because I found most of them drag the computer's performance down even though they claim 0 FPS effects.I did get additional 7-10 FPS when I did not install airports add on.Good luck.@Turbine777I've tried OC my system and CPU temp will reach 70-80C from 45-50C in a fraction of a second (even though I'm using latest BIOS and pre configured OC setting in BIOS of 4Gh), any advice?Thanks

I switched from nVidia to ATI and have a image quality issue. You can read this HEREI am not sure if this depends on my new ATI card or due to my new installation of FSX.

Any difference you've seen in performance or just quality?

K.C.I have almost same problem you have with a system (was) like yours with same results you are getting, with every body's advice over here, I would add, when you install FSX step by step till you reach installing your add on stop, and try to test your FSX after each add on individually, because I found most of them drag the computer's performance down even though they claim 0 FPS effects.I did get additional 7-10 FPS when I did not install airports add on.Good luck.@Turbine777I've tried OC my system and CPU temp will reach 70-80C from 45-50C in a fraction of a second (even though I'm using latest BIOS and pre configured OC setting in BIOS of 4Gh), any advice?Thanks

Currently the ONLY addon I have installed is the JS41. That's also true when I reported the FPS in my above post.Might be a time to pull out this old YouTube video:

Any difference you've seen in performance or just quality?

Yes, just check my posting where I linked to.

Yes, just check my posting where I linked to.

I only see a discussion on image quality. Could you perhaps point me to the part that discusses Frames/fluidity?