Want to upgrade from my current E6850 @ 3.4, 4 gig RAM to I7 950, 6 gig triple channel RAM w/asus mobo.Also going to replace my GTX280 to a GTX460.However I can't afford to buy all at once so I either want to replace the GPU or the CPU/RAM/MOBO.Which do you reckon I should upgrade first please?Purely for FSX!thanks

CPU/RAM/MOBO

You'll have to replace your CPU and mobo together since yours is socket 775 and you'll need a socket 1366 for an i7 9XX series. Also, the 950 will need triple channel RAM meaning 3x1GB 3x2GB 3x3GB or 3x4GB. So that'll have to be upgrade also. So right now I'd say you'll need to do a CPU/MOBO/RAM upgrade like what Art said. The GTX280 is a great card from what I've heard and definitely not your bottleneck.

You'll have to replace your CPU and mobo together since yours is socket 775 and you'll need a socket 1366 for an i7 9XX series. Also, the 950 will need triple channel RAM meaning 3x1GB 3x2GB 3x3GB or 3x4GB. So that'll have to be upgrade also. So right now I'd say you'll need to do a CPU/MOBO/RAM upgrade like what Art said. The GTX280 is a great card from what I've heard and definitely not your bottleneck.

OK thanks guys.I am aware that all 3 need to be replaced at the same time but I wasnt sure whether to drop in a new GFX card for now or upgrade all 3 components and continue to use the GTX260 until next month.I can get all CPU/MOBO/RAM for £487. Everyday I check the prices they fluctuate - sometimes up/down by around a tenner!

The i7 950 has just turned very cheap, only 30£ or so more than the 930. I´m just in the proces of making that same switch. I´ve turned to Gigabyte mobo now, they usually a tad cheaper than Asus, I´ve heard several positive opinions on this forum about that brand. And I can recommend Mushkin Redline ram, they are very fast, CL 6, they run at 1600MHz. And I´m keeping my GTX 285 for now, and when funds allow it I´ll go for a GTX 460, perhaps a 2 GB edition. Good luck with the build!

CPU/RAM/MOBO

+1jja

The i7 950 has just turned very cheap, only 30£ or so more than the 930. I´m just in the proces of making that same switch. I´ve turned to Gigabyte mobo now, they usually a tad cheaper than Asus, I´ve heard several positive opinions on this forum about that brand. And I can recommend Mushkin Redline ram, they are very fast, CL 6, they run at 1600MHz. And I´m keeping my GTX 285 for now, and when funds allow it I´ll go for a GTX 460, perhaps a 2 GB edition. Good luck with the build!

Hi Bjorn,The 950 is now the same price as the 920 a few months ago. Every day I check the prices and wonder when to make the leap to buy something. Even today the 930 is £10 cheaper on www.aria.co.uk than it was yesterday!I really want to upgrade but something also keeps me from purchasing right now and waiting towards the end of the year.But then, life can be short so live for today........ I was looking at the Mushkin as there are lots of good reviews but I am in UK and cannot find any suppliers. Instead I am looking at getting the OCZ brand as currently it is £111 for 6GB Triple Channel 1600 8-8-8-24.So many options to consider....regards

Hi,CPU/RAM/MOBO... I had a GTX280 and it worked very well with FSX...Dexter