Hi!( part of this post does belong in this part of the forum, and another part doesn't )I'm having some fsx problems...I have a brand new computer: GeForce GTX 480, intel i3, windows 7...But when i run the pmdg md-11 with REX2 and Fly Tampa Kai Tak it's very very choppy... I read that Micorsoft based the perfomance of FSX on the power of your processor, is this true?If yes what processor would be needed to run FSX ( with add-ons of course ) smoothly?thanks

Thomas, Yes, it is true. Most of us use i7s. Some use i5s. Most overclock. I have an i7 which I was running at stock speed, but have recently started to overclock because once you load up FSX with nice add-on planes and weather generators and traffic utilities, and add-on scenery (especially the near real sceneries like FSDT or FlyTampa), even the best processors start to bog down. The PMDG birds are pretty hungry for CPU power.

So from what I understood the best processor to have is an i7 or i5... Does the i7 have to be top like i7-950-960 or can it also be a 920-930-940 ( stupid question right? :-) )...Thanks very much

Go for the fastest standard clock CPU you can get, and then overclock it with a good cooling system...An i7 875 for example is simple to overclock with the unlocked multiplier...Andrew

So from what I understood the best processor to have is an i7 or i5... Does the i7 have to be top like i7-950-960 or can it also be a 920-930-940 ( stupid question right? :-) )...Thanks very much

If the budget is not unlimited, get the i7 930 and a good air cooler. This way it can be overclocked to a stable 4Ghz. Sensational speed for the money.Regards,Markus

If the budget is not unlimited, get the i7 930 and a good air cooler. This way it can be overclocked to a stable 4Ghz. Sensational speed for the money.Regards,Markus

Yeah budget isn't unlimited...too bad they didn't base it on the performance of the video card! ;-) I'd be in heaven..Well you can't win them all...I checked the prices of the 930...it's affordable...P.S ( My computer already needs alot of power nearly 800 watts when in turbo mode... how much power does an i7-930 @ 4Ghz ,with the cooling sistem of course, need? )Thanks for replies and assistance!

I would suggest a single rail 1KW power supply... get a good quality one that has good test ratings... I have used Silverstone for a few years now and they have always delivered the power...Andrew

I agree with Andrew, except I have the Corsair - 1000W and prefer 2 rails (I may upgrade to a 2 1/2 rail box!!! JK).

WOW!You need a nuclear power plant to support the computer... I mean my CPU rarely reaches 800 W ... maybe 400-500 Watts...I thought it could've ben affordable but... now that i know how much power it uses... I couldn't use my computer any more practically, because: my father uses his CPU to work here at home so that's one, my mother uses one to work as well,we use one for internet ( MAC ), that's 3 and my blood sucking CPU...that's 4... plus count in other appliances...I think that for now the i7 will stay in my wish list...Well Thanks!

I beta tested the md-11 with a 3ghz P4, although I had to upgrade due to a motherboard failure I didn't have stutters. You may have to make adjustments especially water effects and ease up on scenery detail. The md-11 is a much better performer with a low end system than the 747X. Regardless, I've little reason to upgrade my current 'last generation' cpu until this recession is over.

WOW!You need a nuclear power plant to support the computer... I mean my CPU rarely reaches 800 W ... maybe 400-500 Watts...I thought it could've ben affordable but... now that i know how much power it uses... I couldn't use my computer any more practically, because: my father uses his CPU to work here at home so that's one, my mother uses one to work as well,we use one for internet ( MAC ), that's 3 and my blood sucking CPU...that's 4... plus count in other appliances...I think that for now the i7 will stay in my wish list...Well Thanks!

Heya Thomas, No one NEEDS a 1000w PSU, ok well maybe some of us. It really comes down to future use with me and not having to worry a couple months down the road. I also have a ton of gadgets and drives, video cards, etc, etc... I would say at least a 600 or 650 though. I also don't like to bother with the online PSU calculators so just get the best I can afford at the time of the build is all.

Hi Thomas.No need to feel left out.I run the PMDG 747-400X,the MD-11,and the J4100 on a Core2Quad Q6600 overclocked to 3.4GHz,with 12Gb RAM,a 650W Be Quiet! PSU,Win7 Pro,output through an XFX HD5770,air-cooled,running FSX with the Aerosoft EGLL,EDDF;Imaginesim,FlyTampa,and UK2000 Extreme sceneries,and MyTraffic X,and so far touch wood,I don't have any stutters.Agreed I don't have REX,GEX/UTX,etc,etc,but nevertheless,I can still get a smooth simming experience.So,you can do it even if your budget will not extend to the valid hardware suggestions made by others.

Thomas,are you sure you are at 800 Watts already? I'm right now building a new system with a 1KW power supply, but that's because I'll be using two GTX480, and the CPU will be the i7 980X. If I had only one video card, then a 800W power supply would be sufficient.So with your present system using an i3 I don't think you are at present using 800w. If you want to calculate power requirements, head over to this site:http://www.enermax.outervision.com/Regards,Markus

Thomas,are you sure you are at 800 Watts already? I'm right now building a new system with a 1KW power supply, but that's because I'll be using two GTX480, and the CPU will be the i7 980X. If I had only one video card, then a 800W power supply would be sufficient.So with your present system using an i3 I don't think you are at present using 800w. If you want to calculate power requirements, head over to this site:http://www.enermax.outervision.com/Regards,Markus

Yeah sorry a bit confused! My power supply is of 800w. But right now to be able to reduce the choppiness of FSX when at Kai tak with REX2 I have to put it on turbo mode! And turbo as you might know turbo mode is not peanuts! It's the highest mode possible!So i mean i might not reach 800w but count that moreless i reach 300-500

Intel i7 [email protected] + Cooler Master Hyper 212 heatsink/fan + Asus P6T Deluxe V2 motherboard = 3.8ghz @ 70°C with all 4 cores at 100% load. After nine hours. Stable. Ambient was over 28°C, so theres room for more if you live in a cooler climate than I do. A friend with the same processor ran the stock intel heatsink/fan for a short time, and was hard pressed to stay under 70°C at the stock 2.8ghz.A single word of warning, the Hyper212 is enormous. Massive. Ridiculously large. Make sure you have enough space in your case. Totally worth upgrading if you don't, but something to think about.Also, Ive noticed that alot of people are in a testosterone-fueled willy-waving competition over power supply rating. (Not here, don't take me the wrong way, I mean in general, particularly on hardware forums.) I run my machine with the above combo, three hard drives, a GTX475 video card, and a bunch of powered USB accessories (Logitech G9 Laser Mouse, G110 Keyboard, TrackIR, TrackIR TrackClip Pro, etc etc etc, all on a 550W powersupply that I bought to run my old 2.4ghz dual core system with a GTX8800 and a single hard drive. With power to spare.1200W power supplies are for people running servers, or have four video cards, six hard drives in raid arrays, and liquid cooling, and/or are bad at math. Get a good quality, name brand, 500-650W power supply, and you're good to go.Frank McWilliams