Looking at a new system for a mate. He is offloading this and I am in the market. What is everyones thoughts on the following combo? Intel i7 950 overclocked to 4.2gHzGigabyte X58A-UD3R motherboardG.Skill 1600MhZ DDR3 RAM – 12gb 2 x G.Skill Phoenix Pro 120gb SSD Hard DrivesNVIDIA GeForce GTX480 video cardNoctua NH-D14 CPU cooler Cheers, FH

Highly depending on the price.

Thanks for the reply. Price is "mates rates" if you know what I mean!!

If FSX performance is you're primary goal, then I would suggest considering something other than your friend's system. A lot of people have upgraded from 1366 to 1155 and reported pretty awesome performance gains. Check out the FSXMark11 results to see what I mean. Keep in mind you don't have to spend much on an 1155 system to get the very best FSX performance. Why don't you price out a decent 1155 system so you have something to compare "mates rates" to? I've attached a quote for a somewhat well-rounded rig that will probably yield 15% to 25% higher frame rates in FSX than your friend's rig. Prices are all quoted straight from newegg, so no shipping, bargain hunting, or rebates were applied. Realistically, you can build a system cheaper or more expensive than this... I can't tell you what price deems your friend's rig a better deal. It really depends on your use. 2 SSDs are pretty nice, but aside from loading times they won't have any effect on FSX performance. The GTX 480 is a great (but hot) GPU, but on a single monitor a GTX 560 is perfectly fine. The i7-950 is one heck of a CPU, but the i5-2500k is simply better clock for clock and even more so at 4.5GHz+, not to mention it puts off much less heat.

Thanks for your detailed reply Corey. I am out of the hardware game these days as I have not followed it since my last computer purchase. I am from Australia so we get ripped off for computer components in general but I will look into the system you just described. Thanks again, FH

No problem. While you're researching it, just make sure you only consider P67 or Z68 motherboards. Doesn't really matter whether you go P67 or Z68. As for CPUs, the 2500k and 2600k are the only two you need to consider as they are the only two that can be overclocked. Truly, though, the 2500k is all that's necessary. The 2600k yields zero benefit to FSX. You will be happy to know that hardware is quite simple right now... and overclocking is too!

Another question re sound cards? What is the best card for quality per price?

I recently upgraded from a i7-950 system, not overclocked quite to the rig you're looking at (3.8ghz). I upped to a i7-2600k and the difference is considerable. Yes i am clocked higher with my new rig, but there was even a difference before i started my oc.I might also add that it is much easier to oc a 2600k than it is a i7-950 IMHO. If you can possibly afford to, go for it. You won't regret it.Regards,

Another question re sound cards? What is the best card for quality per price?

You don't need a sound card anymore unless you're doing pro audiophile stuff hehe. The onboard sound is just fine.

You don't need a sound card anymore unless you're doing pro audiophile stuff hehe. The onboard sound is just fine.

I wouldn't agree to that. Onboard audio sux if you have anything better than cheapest computer speakers... The sound quality is usually bad (for my taste), noise and SNR too. And Ryan, your profile photo is just priceless. EDIT: I can't upload my pic, it says failed... it's jpg, it's not big, its 400pix... oh well. :(

I wouldn't agree to that. Onboard audio sux if you have anything better than cheapest computer speakers... The sound quality is usually bad (for my taste), noise and SNR too.

Sure, if you're still using analog ports... HDMI FTW!

Sure, if you're still using analog ports... HDMI FTW!

Ya talking about HDMI output on the FTW Geforce? Cuz my Pro has only optical, which my mixer doesn't support...

I've got the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 speakers and I have no complaints with my onboard sound. Then again, I'm not exactly an audiophile. Either way, I think a sound card ought to be very last on the priority list.

Ya talking about HDMI output on the FTW Geforce? Cuz my Pro has only optical, which my mixer doesn't support...

Just a regular PNY Geforce GTX 570. I meant FTW in the literal sense, not as some branding nonsense. I believe all the 500 series have mini-hdmi ports and most board partners include a mini-hdmi to hdmi adapter. I use mine to output to my receiver. mmmm, 7.1 channels of 1200W and 42" of 1080p plasma goodness

Just a regular PNY Geforce GTX 570. I meant FTW in the literal sense, not as some branding nonsense. I believe all the 500 series have mini-hdmi ports and most board partners include a mini-hdmi to hdmi adapter. I use mine to output to my receiver. mmmm, 7.1 channels of 1200W and 42" of 1080p plasma goodness

8 speakers of 1200W? Is you amp 10kW lol? Can't add up speakers, but probably is amp 1200w? RMS vs Peak? Amp 1200W spread over 8 speakers? What are speakers rated for? Especially .1? What is their continuous RMS? But nevermind that really... just being interested. :) I know I could use the mini-hdmi on my GPU, but still - I have no digital input on my tablemixer, which powers my audio setup, which is XLR-connected. I have studio speakers which have built-in amps. And believe me, I compared all 3: analog from motherboard, analog from X-Fi and analog from Audiophile card. Major differences. Worst being motherboard.