OK, I did more homework with my FS friend. At this stage, we are at this (see below) with Digital Storm. What is the consensus? Will it run FSX gangbusters? Let me know, OK? Thanks. Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Corsair 650DExterior Finish: - Standard Factory FinishTrim Accents: - Standard Factory FinishProcessor: Intel Core i5 2500K 3.30GHz (Unlocked CPU for Extreme Overclocking) (Quad Core)Motherboard: ASUS Maximus IV Extreme-Z (Intel Z68 Chipset) (Features Intel Quick Sync Technology)System Memory: 8GB DDR3 2000MHz GTX-8 Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended)Power Supply: 750W Corsair HX (Dual SLI Compatible)Expansion Bay: - No ThanksHard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (120GB Solid State (By: Intel) (Model: 320 Series)Set 1 Raid Options: - No ThanksHard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: 1x (256GB Solid State (By: Corsair) (Model: Performance 3 Series CSSD-P3256GB2) (SATA 6Gbps)Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No ThanksOptical Drive 1: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)Optical Drive 2: - No ThanksInternet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)Video Card: 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 1.5GB (Includes PhysX Technology)Add-on Card: - No ThanksSound Card: Integrated Motherboard AudioExtreme Cooling: H20: Stage 4: Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System: CPU OnlyH20 Tube Color:Blue Tubing with High-Performance Fluid (UV Lighting Reactive)Chassis Airflow: Upgrade Chassis With Zalman Performance Fans (Up to 6 Fans)Internal Lighting: - No ThanksEnhancements: - No ThanksChassis Mods: - No ThanksNoise Reduction: - No ThanksBoost Processor: Stage 3: Overclock CPU 4.9GHz to 5.2GHz (Requires Extreme Series Motherboard)Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memoryBoost OS: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating systemWindows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate (64-Bit Edition)Recovery Tools: Advanced Recovery Kit (40GB Hard Drive Partition of Image With OS & Drivers)virus Protection: - No ThanksOffice: - No ThanksBenchmarking: - No ThanksInstall/Test Game: - No ThanksDisplay: - No ThanksSurge Shield: - No ThanksSpeakers: - No ThanksKeyboard: Logitech Media Combo MK200 Keyboard and MouseMouse: - No ThanksExternal Storage: - No ThanksExclusive T-Shirt: - No ThanksPriority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 5-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully ProcessedWarranty: Life-time Expert Customer Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty

OK, but the 2500K will not run on DDR3 2000. You will have to underclock to 1866 or overclock to 2133. You want DDR3 2133 for best performance. Lots of people are at 5.0-5.2 GHz without water. I doubt heat is the big issue, volts may be. Even with water, you will need at least 1.4 volts to get to 4.9 sooooo, why go high end water? The Maximus is awesome, but what does it do for FSX? Kdub

Thanks again for more replies and info. The comment on the 2500K not running on DDR3 2000 is interesting to me; I wonder if DS would tell me that if I submitted an order?! Anyway, noted, thanks. I am not sure what I think of H20 cooling. In the older FS9 world there certainly were a lot of cooling issues, it seems. I figured if I was going to overclock by 50%, maybe best to be as cool as possible. But maybe air/fans works just as well...? I had seen today the comment about the i2600K, etc. and thought that was interesting too. I would upgrade to the i2600K based on what I've read. Thanks, all! JS

here we go

Yep.

I think mine is the best value for money. Maybe if I could do it again i would get a UD4 motherbaord and some 1600mhz RAM.

Mark: I actually watched the first NewEgg video just now. It was good. Maybe I shall reconsider...! Have you found your huge Nochua fan works well? I was thinking of liquid cooling but I am not impressed with the idea of having to service liquid cooling. Just curious about this item in particular given that we all want 5 Ghz machines. JS

Make sure you check out the new Corsair H100, which would look beeautiful in that 650D! Here's an excellent review of it at OC3D. The Corsair units are sealed, which means lower risk of leaking, no refilling, or any other servicing is necessary. If they leak and damage anything, Corsair will replace your system. Users who set their corsair units to exhaust air typically see lower GPU temperatures as well because the heat from the CPU is dumped directly out of the case. ...and contrary to the advice above, don't do the 2600k. The extra cache provides no benefit. Certainly not worth $100 more than the 2500k!

If you are gonna use three screens, it might be worth considering getting a 3Gb GPU. And speaking for myself: I wouldn't invest money in a secondary SSD, a fast hard drive is just as effective and much cheaper. For the first drive I also have a SSD, I love the general speed when starting windows and applications, not sure if it really helps FSX though.Good luck with your new rig.

If you are gonna use three screens, it might be worth considering getting a 3Gb GPU. And speaking for myself: I wouldn't invest money in a secondary SSD, a fast hard drive is just as effective and much cheaper. For the first drive I also have a SSD, I love the general speed when starting windows and applications, not sure if it really helps FSX though. Good luck with your new rig.

+1 on the 3GB. I tried using both in FSX today and with my favorite scenario, in case you haven't already guessed, ORBX YMML with PMDG 737 NGX it went from about 25FPS to 17FPS. Now I know this isn't really using multiple monitors but its still an impact that would not happen with 3GB of VRam,

One thing you have to consider with 3GB VRam is that this comes off your VAS. So OOM's are more likely

Hmm possible. Sometimes you can iron these out, which one, good FPS or no crashes, soo hard!

I guess one way or the other, there will be a consequence