MB - EP45-UD3PCPU - Q9650PS - Corsair WX-550GPU - 285-GTX w/ 1 gigRam - 2x CM2X2048-6400C4DHX (Corsair PC2-6400 (400 MHz)) (4gigs)CPU Cooler - Some air cooler from frys (worked well at 3.6)OS - XP Pro 64 bit I had a windows install error and decided to format and reinstall for FSX once again. So I decided to try and OC the system to get a bit more performance out of it for another year. For the last couple years I have been running the system happily at 3.6 with the memory running at 1/1 at a FSB of 400. I would like to upgrade the system for FSX and hopefully get a happy OC of 4.0 or more at a FSB of around 450. I know I will need to upgrade the CPU cooling, maybe the Power Supply and possibly the RAM. Would some of you hardware wizards point me in the right direction and maybe answer a few questions for me? 1. Do I need to upgrade the Power supply to maybe a 750W? 2. What cooling system should I go with? Air or water? 3. Since I have been playing with 4gigs of ram and I understand that FSX will only use 4 gigs regardless of the fact that I'm running a 64 bit OS, should I get a bit more ram? Maybe 6 gigs to help with some background programs that are running behind FSX (EFB data server, network services going to my remote laptop with all the other weather and acars stuff?) 4. Knowing that I will be taking the FSB to around 450, should I get faster ram, or just try and overclock the current ram to a frequency of 900 with a 2x multiplier? Any and all advise is much appreciated JB

Hi JB, not to be insulting or anything just trying to help, it isn't worth spending a dime on that rig. You can buy a 2600k based sytem off the shelf for less than $1000 even less if you par it down. You are talking about RAM and PSU and cooler for something that just isn't worth it. Take theat money and put it towards a new system. If you want to clock the system you have further just do it with what you have. Watch the temps and do not exceed 71c Your PSU is fine for what you have now, you can hit 4.5GHz if your RAM can handle 890 or so MHz all you really need is maybe a better cooler, I like air. But you are going to spend $100 on a good air-cooler and it won't be transferable to a socket 1155 if you upgrade. Just my 2-cents. I wouldn't bother.

A C2Q to 4.5GHz,

A C2Q to 4.5GHz,

4-4.2 avg 4.5 if it is golden. np

so its kind of like 5GHz for a SB.

I had a Q9650 before upgrading to what I have now, I was runnibg at 4.32GHz and I had a golden one trust me, I overclocked the f*** out of it, 4 > 4.2 is a very good Q9650. The CHEAPEST way for the OP to raise the perf. on his system will be to get some DDR2 1200MHz ram (lucky if you find some) and overclock the CPU to 4.2GHz if he does not care to take that chance (each CPU is different as we all know)....if not the best way to go is with the SB and a new mobo = more $$$

Thanks for all the advice... The evening after I posted I went down to frys and picked up a Corsair H80 Liquid cooler for $80, a cheap memory fan for $12, an Antec 750w PSU for $68 and an open box InWin Dragon Rider Case for $50 with seven case fans. Bought the case because every single quality liquid cooler needs a 120mm fan and my 6 year old case only had two 80mm fans. Bought the H80 to keep the Q9650 cold at 4.5Ghz and it will fit the latest and greatest processors. Bought the memory fan for piece of mind. Bought the 750w power supply since going from three fans on the old case to 7 fans plus a water pump and radiator fan would push me over the capability of the old 550w supply. All the new components fit and are recomended for an overclocked i7 in the future. Just woke up this morning to Prime95 still running a 12 hour torture test @ a cpu clock of 4.5Ghz, 500Mghz FSB, with the old memory running timing of 4,4,4,12,32,2 at 1000Mghz and stable. CPU temps under 100% load never exceeding 58c. It's a brand new install of XP64bit and ready to take a fresh install of FSX and all it's toys. Personally I believe the old Q9650's to be one of Intels finest processors ever made and is truly a fricken "tank". This same setup @ 3.6Ghz and a FSB of 400 ran FSX wonderfully for 4 years with the first version of the PMDG NGX running an average of 25 frames over UTX USA in Los Angeles with the FMC fully programed and on final inside the outer marker for LAX. My plan is to hold all the current bios settings and just drop the FSB to get the CPU at 4.25Ghz with a hopefull 5 fps gain in the PMDG NGX. I believe this will give me another possible two years before I can upgrade to todays latest I7 at a fraction of the cost of today with the all the components on board except a new MB, CPU and memory. Keeping fingers crossed. Thanks for all the advise/comments. JB

so its kind of like 5GHz for a SB.

Yes, I was really trying to indicate that 800MHz RAM would/could hit 4.5GHz so RAM was not needed for the OC potential. Realistic 4GHz is obtainable on nearly all and as the OP says above he can do 5GHz but 5 would be a bit of a stretch, I would say about same as SB as far as potential to hit that.