HelloWas hoping someone maybe able to answer my 2 questions?I have a GTX 285 PCI Express along with a asus P6T Deluxe V2 motherboard.I am just about to buy a GTX580 and I am not that great at building PCs etc so I was wondering1 Will the GTX 580 take up the same amount of room in my case as the GTX 285 or is it a bigger card? ( I am asking becuase the GTX 285 already covers one of my PCI slots and just leaves enough room for a sound card in the second PCI slot)2 WIll it just be a simple case of switch the cards round, install correct drivers and let FSX re build the config file?Many thanksKeithy

I have moved from GTX280 to GTX580 about a week ago.The Zotac AMP! GTX280 is much bigger and heavier than Gigabyte Windforce3 GTX580 but both uses two slots.You can obtain the newest driver from nVidia (I am using beta from 1st March - do not remember the exact number) and the only thing I've done was a 'clean install' at nVidia setup + recreation of FSX's profile at nVinspector.I have not let FSX to rebuild fsx.cfg, the old have the same performance results as a new one, so there was no need to create a new one, but try it Yourself.

I have moved from GTX280 to GTX580 about a week ago.The Zotac AMP! GTX280 is much bigger and heavier than Gigabyte Windforce3 GTX580 but both uses two slots.You can obtain the newest driver from nVidia (I am using beta from 1st March - do not remember the exact number) and the only thing I've done was a 'clean install' at nVidia setup + recreation of FSX's profile at nVinspector.I have not let FSX to rebuild fsx.cfg, the old have the same performance results as a new one, so there was no need to create a new one, but try it Yourself.

Hi BartEnderThanks for the reply and answers.Are you pleased with the upgrade then? From a FSX point of view?Keithy

The card's specs should have the dimensions. Especially length-wise be sure you got enough room. I think you can get a so-called riser for the other pci slot if it's covered, basically an extension cord.Bjorn

Hi Keithy,Should be a 5 minute swap out and in without connection or length problems. Can you take your machine to a local shop and just try to make a 580 GTX fit to make sure? I have found that if you ask really nicely and bring your own screwdriver they will usually let you stick in a demonstrator they may have fooled around with. It is worth going in and asking, then going out to your car and hauling the box in if they say yes. No need to turn it on or anything. Or else, use a friends 580GTX in the same way. A 480GTX will work for a size fitting too.In any case the 580GTX is worth having. If the rest of your system will keep up, you will enjoy significantly better FSX performance. In the past couple of years or so, I went from an ATI something or other to a 7200, 8800, 9800, 275, 470, 480 to a 580GTX. The 580GTX is really special and worth the extra cash in my opinion. Good luck.Kind regards,

Hi Keithy,Should be a 5 minute swap out and in without connection or length problems. Can you take your machine to a local shop and just try to make a 580 GTX fit to make sure? I have found that if you ask really nicely and bring your own screwdriver they will usually let you stick in a demonstrator they may have fooled around with. It is worth going in and asking, then going out to your car and hauling the box in if they say yes. No need to turn it on or anything. Or else, use a friends 580GTX in the same way. A 480GTX will work for a size fitting too.In any case the 580GTX is worth having. If the rest of your system will keep up, you will enjoy significantly better FSX performance. In the past couple of years or so, I went from an ATI something or other to a 7200, 8800, 9800, 275, 470, 480 to a 580GTX. The 580GTX is really special and worth the extra cash in my opinion. Good luck.Kind regards,

Hi SpiritFlyerThanks for your reply and suggestions, its funny because it was partly down to reading your posts that made me want to go for it.Any way I am going to buy this onehttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Zotac-GeForce-GTX-Graphics-Card/dp/B004BDOJ7C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=computers&qid=1302021913&sr=8-1There are so many different models and I cant be bothered to compare all the differences, I figure any GTX 580 is going to be good.Thanks againKeithy

Are you pleased with the upgrade then? From a FSX point of view?

I have changed Graphic Card, MoBo, RAM and CPU, so hard to tell, if it was a big upgrade having only nVidia in mind.Definitely You can go higher with AA settings. This is only dependent on GPU. Cannot comment more.Ah, I forget - it produces less noise (Gigabyte Windforce3 GTX580)

I went from GTX285 to Zotac GTX580. It was worth it, all the way. I also didn't test the card in the old system, but I know what impacts the card and what CPU.And not to mention how much less IQ impacts frames on GTX580.WAY BETTER!