Hi allFinally I will upgrade my system to run FSX.I would like to buy i7-2600k processor and to overclock it to 5 GHz, as well a a GTX580 graphic card. Which type of memory with a minimum of 8 GB ram should I buy? And which cooler or type of refriferation to choose?Better to have a ATA HD or SATA HD and at which speed (rpm)? Thanks.harpsi

See this, also lots of other threads on this forum with the info you are looking for.http://forum.avsim.net/topic/338136-need-help-for-building-new-fsx-rig/Mark.

HiNot so much information, I am looking for. I will wait for more answers.harpsi

Memory should be CAS7. I just got these http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=58100Cooling is in Dazz's post on the other thread linked.I think the SATA drives are the way to go. WD Cavair Black or Samsung F3 TTB seem to get very high marks.

HiSorry. I don´t know what is CAS7... harpsi

It is the timings of the ram. CAS7 ram would have timings like 7-8-7-24. The CAS7 ram is faster and is believed to reduce the chances of stutters in FSX.Mark.

It is the timings of the ram. CAS7 ram would have timings like 7-8-7-24. The CAS7 ram is faster and is believed to reduce the chances of stutters in FSX.Mark.

Ok. I don´t understand but well, I trust you. ;)harpsi

Hi allOk, after reading somethings, I can ask you some questions, based on the specifications below:- Processor: Intel i7-2600k 3,4GHz- Memory: A lot of them from Kingston and Corsair...- Videocard: Asus NVidia GTX590 3GB DDR5 PCIe2Gigabyte NVidia GTX590 3GB DDR5 PCIe2Asus NVidia GTX580 DCII 1536MB DDR5 PCIe2Gigabyte NVidia GTX580 UD 1536MB PCIe2- Motherboards: Gigabyte Z68X-UD7-B3 LGA1155Gigabyte Z68X-UD5-B3 LGA1155Gigabyte Z68X-UD4-B3 LGA1155Gigabyte Z68X-UD3-B3 LGA1155MSI Z68A-GD80 LGA1155MSI P67A-GD65 P67 B3 LGA1155Asus P8P67 LE P67 LGA1155Asus P8P67 P67 PRO B3 LGA1155Here are the questions:1. Processor:a. In comparation with i7-980Xtreme, would you save 600 euros and buy an i7-2600k, even concerning that this is a non-locked processor? Do I take advantages on my FSX performance with this one?b. The turboboost technology permits an automatic overclocking to 3,8GHz. Is this information correct? It means that if I want more than 3,8GHz I´ll have to do a manual overclocking…c. Some people are using this processor overclocked to 4,8 or 5GHz. It means that if I buy one, this should be possible for me as well, right?2. Memory:a. Which speed to choose: 1333MHz, 1600MHz, 1866MHz or 2133MHz?b. Which capacity to choose and how many slots: 2 slots or 3 of 4096MB, 4 slots of 2048MB?c. Which CAS Latency to choose: CL7 or CL9? What this means?d. Some people reported problems with this or that label. Is Kingston better? Corsair?3. Motherboards:a. The main differences from the first four motherboards are the number of USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports, the number of slots for SATA2 or SATA3 disks and so on. Which are the most important features to pay attention?b. For this processor, which motherboard to choose: Z68 or P67?4. Video Cards:a. GTX590 cards have more memory but they have less speed memory as well as processor speed, in comparation with both GTX580. In this case, which ones to choose?b. Would FSX take advantages from SLI technology, which means two cards instead of one?5. Power supply and cooling:a. How much power supply do I need? 800W, 1000W?b. Which would be 3 good options for coolers/cooling with this processor? Thanks for the answers.Greetings, harpsi

1. Processor:a. In comparation with i7-980Xtreme, would you save 600 euros and buy an i7-2600k, even concerning that this is a non-locked processor? Do I take advantages on my FSX performance with this one?b. The turboboost technology permits an automatic overclocking to 3,8GHz. Is this information correct? It means that if I want more than 3,8GHz I´ll have to do a manual overclocking…c. Some people are using this processor overclocked to 4,8 or 5GHz. It means that if I buy one, this should be possible for me as well, right?

2600k is hands down better as FSX is unable to take advantage of the extra cores on the 980X. You will certainly be able to OC it somewhere between 4.5 and 4.8GHz.

2. Memory:a. Which speed to choose: 1333MHz, 1600MHz, 1866MHz or 2133MHz?b. Which capacity to choose and how many slots: 2 slots or 3 of 4096MB, 4 slots of 2048MB?c. Which CAS Latency to choose: CL7 or CL9? What this means?d. Some people reported problems with this or that label. Is Kingston better? Corsair?

I would recommend going with 2 slots of 4096MB. Benchmark results have shown 2133 CL9 memory to have better throughput and lower latency than 1600 CL6, for example. If I understand correctly, LGA 1366 systems made better use of lower latency. Sandy Bridge, however, seems to prefer higher bandwidth (more MHz). Regardless, you always want the lowest latency possible for any given bandwidth. For 2133GHz 4GB sticks, CL9 is as low as you're going to find. Trusting that benchmark results translate to FSX performance may be a bad assumption, but it's the only thing at this point producing hard numbers so I'm going with it. For the cheapest set of 2133 CL9, I would recommend this set.If you want to learn more, we have a couple recent threads that ought to shed more light on the subject of memory:What RAM to BuyI5-2500K vs. RAM Frequency and LatencyYou will see that not everyone agrees regarding memory. Take comfort knowing that when all is said and done, memory has very little impact on FSX.

3. Motherboards:a. The main differences from the first four motherboards are the number of USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports, the number of slots for SATA2 or SATA3 disks and so on. Which are the most important features to pay attention?b. For this processor, which motherboard to choose: Z68 or P67?

Motherboard is very much a personal preference with Sandy Bridge. Features really depend on whatever you think you need or want. However, I will tell you that after switching from a Gigabyte P67A-UD5 to an Asus P8Z68 Deluxe, that I'm much happier with the Asus. The EFI bios really is awesome and the software utilities as well as the fan control options are phenomenal. That and I like the offset mode which allows the voltage to drop when the CPU is idle.

4. Video Cards:a. GTX590 cards have more memory but they have less speed memory as well as processor speed, in comparation with both GTX580. In this case, which ones to choose?b. Would FSX take advantages from SLI technology, which means two cards instead of one?

Unless you're running multiple monitors, get a single GTX580.

5. Power supply and cooling:a. How much power supply do I need? 800W, 1000W?b. Which would be 3 good options for coolers/cooling with this processor?

750W is plenty of power for a single GPU. Just be sure not to skimp on the PSU. Get a Corsair AX750 or Seasonic X-750 and you will be in good shape. If you really want to future-proof your rig, pick up an 850W PSU. Then again, the future of computing seems to be lower power...As for cooling, I would highly recommend waiting for availability of Corsair's H100. Without any reviews being released yet, I am confident it will perform better than any air cooler currently on the market. You will need a case capable of fitting a dual radiator, however. A couple other good options would be the Noctua NH-D14 or a Corsair H60.

Hi againThere is something that I don´t understand:If I overclock my processor from 3,4GHz to 5GHz, what happens to my ram memory? To buy 2133MHz with CL9 or 1600MHz with CL7 is the same if I am going to overclock my system? And what happens to memory voltage? It changes?Greetingsharpsi

With an unlocked CPU, nothing will happen (as long as you don't change other mem related settings).With a SB "K" CPU you should be able to change the multilpier to 45x and set vcore just a few bumps up (maybe around 1.3 - 1.35) and get 4.5GHz.

With an unlocked CPU, nothing will happen (as long as you don't change other mem related settings).With a SB "K" CPU you should be able to change the multilpier to 45x and set vcore just a few bumps up (maybe around 1.3 - 1.35) and get 4.5GHz.

But what do I have to do for the memory? For example, can I overclock the CPU to 5 GHZ with 2 sticks of 1333MHz CL7 of memory? About the memory I can find 2 sticks of 4096MB 2000MHz CL8. Is this a good one?harpsi

You can overclock the CPU completely independently of the memory and the memory completely independently of the CPU. When you say 2 sticks of 4096MB, do you mean 4096MB per stick (2x4GB) or 2048MB per stick (2x2GB)?

You can overclock the CPU completely independently of the memory and the memory completely independently of the CPU. When you say 2 sticks of 4096MB, do you mean 4096MB per stick (2x4GB) or 2048MB per stick (2x2GB)?

I mean a total of 8GB, distributed by 2 sticks which means 2 x 4GB (= 4096MB).In any case, I dont know why and how to overclock your memory. My problem is: if I decide to buy a certain type of memory should I decide everything in a basis of a non-overclocked system, or should I think that I have to buy this or that type of memory, concerning that my first objective is to overclock my system? For example, if I buy 1333MHz CL9 can I overclock my system up to 5GHz, or my memory won´t work with that speed?harpsi

Yes, you could buy 1333 CL9 and OC your CPU to 5GHz. Your memory will have no impact on your CPU overclock whatsoever. The only thing that links the CPU and the memory together is the BCLK, which is a constant 100MHz wtih Sandy Bridge. Whereas previous platforms used the BCLK to do the overclocking, Sandy Bridge strictly uses multipliers. There's a memory multiplier and a CPU multiplier. CPU multipliers go all the way up to 57 and your available memory multipliers in most cases include 13.33, 16.00, 18.66, and 21.33. Multiply that by the 100MHz BCLK and you have your speed in MHz for the CPU and the memory.