My system: i7 975 @ 3.33ghz(NO overclocking for me), Nvidia Geforce GTX 285, 6.0GB RamAny appreciable upgrade worthwhile? Should I wait a little longer for something more powerful?Thanks.Abe

My system: i7 975 @ 3.33ghz(NO overclocking for me), Nvidia Geforce GTX 285, 6.0GB RamAny appreciable upgrade worthwhile? Should I wait a little longer for something more powerful?Thanks.Abe

Why no overclocking? That CPU would be wonderful overclocked. Wonderful. Since you don't overclock I'm betting that 975 has a stock heatsink on it. :Black Eye: I wonder what your temps are under load?Back to the OP though. The only thing I'd consider right now is the video card. Maybe to a GTX 570/580. You're system isn't really dated too horribly but no overclocking is crippling any FSX experience. :Secret:

Oops

Why no overclocking? That CPU would be wonderful overclocked. Wonderful. Since you don't overclock I'm betting that 975 has a stock heatsink on it. :Black Eye: I wonder what your temps are under load?

+1 to OCing... just be sure to get a good aftermarket cooler.

Not to mention that's what that processor was freakin' made for. :Big Grin: Could have saved $700+ and just gotten the i7 960. Intel got another one! :Just Kidding:

Thanks guys. Appreciate the input.NO overclocking for me. Because I worry about overclocking. I know there is a lot of SUCCESS with overclocking - good benefits, of course. I have to keep a constant EYE and a FEEL for heat etc....I am getting fairly good frame rates with my sliders practically all to the right, NO stutters, sharp enough, practically no bluriness. Of course, I would ENHANCE whatever I got with overclocking. For me peace of mind means a lot. That does NOT mean I am not adventurous with other aspects of life (LOL). I have to draw the line....SOME.Going back to my original question. Does my GTX 285 hold its own against the newer graphic cards? I understand that Intel is upping the ante for a new CPU sometime late in the year. I am still open for any suggestions (including OVERclocking, LOL).Thanks again.Abe

Abe, your CPU was made to be overclocked. It has an unlocked CPU multiplier for exactly this reason. If you're not overclocking, you shouldn't have purchased that CPU. If you would like help in doing so, we can help. FSX needs as much CPU clock as you can give it, and your CPU can give it quite a bit. Over 4GHz is easy with that chip, and that's where FSX really starts to fly. Your worries about heat would be completely alleviated with a cooler better than the (likely) stock cooler you're using now.Bottom line: if you want more performance, you have to overclock. There isn't a stock CPU you can purchase that will be a large upgrade from what you already have, and FSX needs more CPU clock to be fed properly.

My system: i7 975 @ 3.33ghz(NO overclocking for me), Nvidia Geforce GTX 285, 6.0GB RamAny appreciable upgrade worthwhile? Should I wait a little longer for something more powerful?Thanks.Abe

"Upgrade" to the i5 2500k - with TurboBoost it goes to 3.7 Ghz!Keep the GTX 285 and wait for the new Nvidia lineup later this year (2011)

My understanding is the stock i7 970 cooler isn't all that bad. Anyway, good luck without overclocking.

Abe, your CPU was made to be overclocked. It has an unlocked CPU multiplier for exactly this reason. If you're not overclocking, you shouldn't have purchased that CPU. If you would like help in doing so, we can help. FSX needs as much CPU clock as you can give it, and your CPU can give it quite a bit. Over 4GHz is easy with that chip, and that's where FSX really starts to fly. Your worries about heat would be completely alleviated with a cooler better than the (likely) stock cooler you're using now.Bottom line: if you want more performance, you have to overclock. There isn't a stock CPU you can purchase that will be a large upgrade from what you already have, and FSX needs more CPU clock to be fed properly.

Thanks again, guys.Techguy. I am open to your suggestion for overclocking. Please point out all the steps I have to take to OVERCLOCK in detail - and please let me MULL it over.Thanks.Abe

Thanks again, guys.Techguy. I am open to your suggestion for overclocking. Please point out all the steps I have to take to OVERCLOCK in detail - and please let me MULL it over.Thanks.Abe

I wouldn't upgrade. The CPU that you have is very good. Without overclocking, your videocard is fine, also.

It all depends on the type of flying that you do. Flying a Jet into NYC in poor weather with UTX night lighting enabled, cars, etx. your FPS will need an additional boost.If you want an increase in performance (fps) your CPU must be faster. It's all about CPU core speed and at least 4 cores. If you don't want to overclock, enable HT and Turbo in BIOS (if your board supports it.)Turbo mode will OC the CPU for you.I have an i7 975 OC to 4ghz and I wish I could go higher. If I want higher I have to go with an i7 2600K or 2500K and OC to 5ghz.If you upgrde your gtx 285 (your bottleneck) to a gtx 580 you could lower BufferPools setting to 0-30000 and you will see fps rise about 10 fps, maybe more. I see double the fps in certain situations with BP=30000.If you are using Vista, upgrade to Win 7 64.You can always just lower the FSX settings.