Hey Guys,Im looking to build a new FSX system to run at near ulra high settings on up to 3 27inch LCD's using ATI eyefinity. I'm a real life pilot and I plan to use the system with REX, VAT sim and add on scenery to help practice for IFR and complex ratings and to prefly flights to see nav aids. I'm a computer consultant by trade, but It's been a while since I have built a custom system, and I am pretty much out of the gaming loop. That being said, I did a lot of research and here is what I came up with. I'm looking for your input on my selections, im not afraid to learn, and im not afraid to spend LESS or MORE money if need be, im just looking for an awesome FSX system! I understand FSX is very CPU intensive so I selected the water cooler instead of an air cooled heatsync and RAM that should allow for good overclocking. The case I selected should help keep the video card and ambient temp in the case cooler than most (i hope) The Video card I selected because I like the flexibility it should provide, and it seems as if all the super high quality, smooth FSX videos on youtube are running on the ATI cards.Ok, so here it is: Video: SAPPHIRE 100290SR Radeon HD 5870 (Cypress XT) 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Eyefinity 6 Edition Video CardCPU: Intel Core i7-950 Bloomfield 3.06GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor BX80601950Power Supply: INGWIN Lazer LZ-1000 1000W Modular 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC W/ 3-Way LED Switch and Universal Modular Connector Power SupplyBoot Drive/FSX if enough room: OCZ Agility 2 OCZSSD2-2AGTE60G 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)RAM: AIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TR3X6G1600Motherboard: (unsure about this one... so many options) ASUS P6X58D Premium LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel MotherboardCPU Cooling: CORSAIR Cooling Hydro Series CWCH50-1 120mm High Performance CPU Cooler - RetailCase: SILVERSTONE RAVEN RV02-BW Matte black 0.8mm Steel ATX Full Tower Computer CaseThermal Paste: Arctic Silver 5 Thermal CompoundHow did I do?

1: nvidia GTX480 beats 5870 in FSX. ATI cards have texture issues in FSX and require extensive tweaking. GTX480 can handle higher AA also. If you want to run 3 screens, eyefinity is not the way to go. Get triplehead2go. Works with nvidia WELL, and has brilliant effects in FSX. Also you don't want to run 3 widescreen displays because you end up with a 5:1 ratio, making the cockpit look stretched and unrealistic. Get 3 4:3 monitors. Best way to do it. Look at the post Pictures of our FSX systems. All those guys with TH2Go is using 4:3 screens. 2:PSU is cheap and rubbish. Get a coolermaster silent pro Gold 1000W. Yes it's expensive, but it's a lamborghini compared to that toyota. 3:Not a chance of FSX fitting on that SSD with windows. Win takes up about 32GB. So unless you have no addons, it won't fit. 4:Get Mushkin Redline 1600MHz CAS6 Ram. Better than dominator. 5:Mobo is fine6:that CPU cooler is lame. Noctua NH-D14 beats it easily. My recommendation is to only get liquid cooling if you do it right (ie.build it yourself). These closed loop pre-filled ones never perform well. The noctua NH-D14 is the best air cooler. It will OC your 950 to 4GHz+ without breaking a sweat. 7:Case is very poorly designed. It's got fans on the bottom, sucking air and dust off your floor. Not very smart. Get the coolermaster HAF X, or the Antec 1200 if you want full tower. They will also provide best air circulation. No fans on the floor. Only at front, back, top and side. 8: why the thermal paste? 99% of coolers come with it.

Hey Chris,thanks for the reply.- I was hoping that water cooling heatsink would keep the heat out of the case. My thought with the case with the fans at the bottom was... well, heat rises, it does make sense, but I never thought about dust factor, no none seems to complain about it however. The antec was my second choice, so ill jut place it safe there.- Perhaps ill get that SSD drive for boot, and im open to suggestions for a fast drive to install FSX and add-ons to.- I thought you guys were going to squak at that PSU, I was hoping all the decent reviews would help save it, but those people are probably just trying to justify the purchase.. ill get better one- Even though ive always been an Nvidia guy (hate ATI drivers) Im surprised to hear about the Nvidia card over the ATI, what the deal with all those sweet youtube videos using the ATI's? - Newegg doesnt have that RAM in stock, so I figured the corsair is the next best choice (is it that big of a deal?)- will change cpu cooler, ive always heard good things about arctic silver, and use it on rebuildsoh, also... any suggestion on the exact 480 card, so many to choose from!

Well, here I go again. You can get pretty much the same performance with a much cheaper rig. It depends on your expectations, but being a VATSIM user, you can get silk smooth sim sessions with no AI traffic with a system like mine. I agree with chris, as 4 FSX, nvidia is the way to go

- Even though ive always been an Nvidia guy (hate ATI drivers) Im surprised to hear about the Nvidia card over the ATI, what the deal with all those sweet youtube videos using the ATI's? oh, also... any suggestion on the exact 480 card, so many to choose from!

Now a days in FSX the Nvidias are better, in the video there proably talking about other games where yes the ATI's can play them better. And if the videos are from FSX either they've done the numerous tweaks to make the card work better and its becasue FSX doesn't rely that much on GPU power.I suggest the http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127502&cm_re=GTX_480-_-14-127-502-_-Product its the best price, you don't need all that superclocked trash, it overclocks well manualy.

Generally it doesn't really matter what "make" of gpu you get. In the end, they are all the same card with the same gpu underneath, just with a different logo. eVGA with give you the best accessories, and I also have an addiction to eVGA cards, but Zotac are cheaper, but still give you the exact same card, but with their sticker on it. Asus and gigabyte are the same. Some other companies might have different heatsinks and fans on theirs, but the stock nvidia looks awesome, and does a really good job at cooling. I recommend a 150GB or 300GB Velociraptor. Next best thing to an SSD. Only problem is you will have to defrag etc. The corsair ram should be fine, as long as you get the CAS7 version. Latency can have quite an effect with performance in FSX. The lower the better.

Thanks for the help guys, I made my order this afternoon. Went with a 120gig SSD, EVGA GTX480, Antec 1200 case, and the heatsink and psu recommended by chris and had to go for this ram: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226124 (cas 6)Gonna throw it all together and start out with this monitor http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236101 and the itrackrcan't wait, thanks again-mike

That RAM is great value for the money, good choice. Enjoy your new rig! definitely you will :)

The ridgeback and redline from mushkin is the same ram with a different heat spreader. If anything, the ridgeback disperses heat better. In my opinion that monitor is a waste of money. To start with, asus have a 27" 1920x1200 monitor, without a webcam, and is less stretched than that monitor, with a higher vertical height than the one you chose. It's cheaper also.

The ridgeback and redline from mushkin is the same ram with a different heat spreader. If anything, the ridgeback disperses heat better. In my opinion that monitor is a waste of money. To start with, asus have a 27" 1920x1200 monitor, without a webcam, and is less stretched than that monitor, with a higher vertical height than the one you chose. It's cheaper also.

I think a waste of money is a bit extreme, I actually went for the 16:9 based on this information I looked up on the forum:"FSX looks slightly better on a 16:9 ratio monitor (1920x1080) rather than a 16:10 ratio monitor (1680x1050 or 1920x1200). I've tried it on both types and they both show exactly the same amount picture vertically from top to bottom but with a 16:9 you will gain a bit of extra picture at the sides. Although a 16:9 is better for games and films most poeple seem to prefer a 16:10 because the extra vertical space is more useful for everyday Windows and internet use."I know the numbers tell otherwise, but as everyone knows, sometimes that doesn't mean much. Ill let you guys know how it is!