just recently purchased a new PC laptop (Alienware M17XR3). Specs. Interl 7 2800 core 2.3 (Turbo Boost to 3.4) 8GIG DDR3 Nvidia 580 2GIG. Honestly speaking i was thinking it was going to blow FSX out of the park. I followed every detail that is available to set up a clean FSX, but this software is a beast, or maybe just not taking advantage of most of my new specs. To be able to use all addons including NGX and high end airports. i had to disable Light bloom, an option i was hoping to taking adavantage of, but it is difinitly quick loading times. Here i come tweaking. i can go on and on about what i had to do to get above 15 fps, but i rather just stay quite. sorry felt like sharing, Wife don't understand these things.

I think a lot of us are scratching our heads with the reality of the performance we are getting vs. the computers we have purchased or built. Having said that although I am not locked at 30 where I have my frame rate lock program set, I am very happy with what I am seeing in the sim. Best to not look at the counter.

just recently purchased a new PC laptop (Alienware M17XR3). Specs. Interl 7 2800 core 2.3 (Turbo Boost to 3.4) 8GIG DDR3 Nvidia 580 2GIG. Honestly speaking i was thinking it was going to blow FSX out of the park. I followed every detail that is available to set up a clean FSX, but this software is a beast, or maybe just not taking advantage of most of my new specs. To be able to use all addons including NGX and high end airports. i had to disable Light bloom, an option i was hoping to taking adavantage of, but it is difinitly quick loading times. Here i come tweaking. i can go on and on about what i had to do to get above 15 fps, but i rather just stay quite. sorry felt like sharing, Wife don't understand these things.

The GTX 580 will use 2 gigs of the 4 gigs of ram that FSX can use.If you are running Win7 64 bit then Win 7 can use the memory above the 4 gig limitation but NOT FSX.FSX can only use the 2 remaining gigs of ram. If you follow the advice in the Intro manual I think you should be fine.

Actually, it won't use all the 2GBs. The VRam that comes off the vas is only the VRam that's used. So if 1GB is in use, only 1GB will come off the vas, not the entire 2GB

In my humble, newb opinion, the answer is very simple. For those reading this thread and thinking about whether to build or buy mainstream, go the middle route: customworxusa. There's a user on here, name is Ethan. I think his handle is efussander or something like that. Either way,vthe website can be found through searching customworxusa. It's a start up company and his hobby/passion is custom building desktops. He charges a very, very reasonable premium between the total say, adding up the components on newegg. The customer service is beyond legit. They do it all, from remote logging in and helping install certain processes, to customizing the windows install etc. before it arrives, overclocking (mine was upped to 4.8ghz I think). To each his own, but if you do not want to build your own, then absolutely do not do some s*it brick ripoff like Dell, or worse.....hp. My performance on my new machine is simply freakish. Fsx is a joke to my processor and everything else in the tower.William EzzellkATL

FSX needs a 20GHz single core CPU and a 3 year old graphics card.

FSX needs a 20GHz single core CPU and a 3 year old graphics card.

I think that is about exactly right.

FSX needs a 20GHz single core CPU and a 3 year old graphics card.

Actually sine FSX SP2 it can handle quadcore no problem.

FSX needs a 20GHz single core CPU and a 3 year old graphics card.

I see the point being made, and it holds merit, however, FSX does benefit from multicore and a high GHz, but a good GPU capable of keeping up with the modern CPU's is also warranted. The higher GB of modern Graphics Cards does not consume all of FSX's VM, only the portion that the Graphics card is using. i.e. A GTX 8800 will struggle with a Hexacore CPU Chris

Performance is getting better day to day as i play with it. I am currently getting 20 fps at Aerosoft Amsterdam, NGX, Virtual Cockpit, 81% traffic and a lot of sliders are full except for Auto Gen, i hate it.