Hello fellow simmers!After a few long years of using my computer to fly FS9, the time has finally come for me to perform a huge replacement.I am going to buy a completely new PC since no more changes or upgrades seem possible or reasonable with my old equipment, which is currently (after a few lift-ups):GA-EP43-UD3L, E8400 3GHz, GeForce 8800GT, 4 GB RAM 2x2 DDR2, PSU Xilence XP700, Win XP 32 bit.I need some professional help based on your knowledge and experience as I am by no means a hardware specialist and I would not like to make a mistake as my next purchase will come probably in... another couple of years!Of course I have done my homework and had a thorough reading on hardware, operating systems, tweaks, et cetera. I did take some precious notes and have a general idea what it is all about.But I also admit I have too many doubts and I decided to kindly ask you to help me understand my transition and make good decisions. So, quickly before you get too bored to care...I need a very good rig but not the world’s best as my bank account (read: my wife) does have certain limits (lol). I am going to continue flying mainly FS9 (for many reasons).And I would love to have a perfectly fluid experience when performing my type of simming (airliners with all possible addons of scenery, traffic, weather, textures, etc).But at the same time I would like to give FSX another try as there are some great addons I really miss in FS9 and really want to try.They are mostly some FX-only sceneries like Oslo, Trondheim, new Madeira, Corfu X, new Austria Professional, new Monastir, Melbourne, Brisbane, Tahiti or Maldives.Also some other addons like the FSDT’s GSX or Majestic Software’s Dash 8-Q400 yet to come. Of course I would like to see some good performance in FSX too (with airliners, VC, large airports, traffic, weather).As for Flight, Prepar3D or X-Plane 10 – well, I don’t know yet. FS9/FSX are essential now.I do not know the final cost yet but I plan (read: am allowed to, lol) to spend around 4000 PLN, which would calculate into some 900-1000 euro or 1200-1500 USD.Plus the cost of Windows 7 64 bit unless it is included in the price (would be really good) as happens with some offers around.1. My collected hardware choice - from what I can figure out after reading many recent threads, a good idea (for now and the nearest future) could be to invest in:a. processor: Intel i7 2600k 3.4 GHz ?b. graphics card: GTX 570 <--- if so, then which model? 1280MB or 2560MB?c. motherboard: AsRock or Asus? Which models do you recommend?d. RAM: 8 GB <---- too many options for me though to choose the manufacturer/modele. hard disc: a good SSD one <---- but which model?f. PSU: Corsair WX 750 ?Would the above be good choices? If not – what else would you personally recommend?BTW I am rather not planning to overclock – I have always been a total ignoramus when it comes to it2. What about other not listed hardware parts? Do you have any advice on them?3. Is a separate sound card really recommended (and worth investing) for simming or are the mobo-integrated ones good enough (I don't have a separate one at the moment)?4. I read there are some FS aircraft not fully compatible with Win 7. Is there any list of them available somewhere? Or maybe now that is a question of the past?5. How is WOAI and generally (custom made) AI traffic doing under FSX? What about the shadows not visible on the ground (I read about it somewhere)? Has that problem been solved yet?6. Are there any real tricks to know about when migrating from XP (32 bit) to 7 (64 bit)?7. Does it matter (for simming) if I buy Windows 7 Premium (most reasonable price), Professional or Ultimate (as long as it is 64 bit of course)?8. Is the 3(4) GB switch still necessary to avoid OOM’s when having Win 7 64 bit?9. What are your experiences of having both FS9 and FSX installed at the same time? Any problems or real stopovers?10. Does it really matter how many HD partitions you create and where you install what (currently under my XP 32 bit I have only disc C: and everything is installed there)?I feel sincerely sorry for having asked so many questions. Especially that I know most of them were somehow answered more than once in many locations.But, like mentioned before, I got a bit lost and hope to collect some basic answers in one place. Maybe someone else can use them too (hopefully)? If you have ANY advice on ANY of those questions, I will be more than thankful and of course in return will offer my help at any time in any matter I have knowledge of.I am posting it in both the FS9 and FSX forums, as my questions touch different platforms/problems but also because some of you may not visit the other very often and I could miss some precious advice.If that double posting is against AVSIM rules though, please do not hesitate to remove one of them.Thank you!

Your post is complete and well thought out! We do have a nice hardware forum here on AVSIM where individuals have asked many of the same questions. When I upgraded my current system I looked on this forum and saw complete systems individuals had on AVSIM by looking at their signatures (like mine below). It gave me an idea of what was good as you'll see some individuals in the hardware forum are hardware and computer geeks and so their system must be the one to buy. I highlighted each individual part (like the i7 2600K CPU) and did a Google search for the best prices for that part plus look at some of the reviews to make sure it was a good part of any new system. I saved the page that had the best price for the part as a Favorite then went to another part. You can buy pre-built systems too but they will usually be more expensive if they have the same parts. Here are my responses to your questions:1. My collected hardware choice - from what I can figure out after reading many recent threads, a good idea (for now and the nearest future) could be to invest in:a. processor: Intel i7 2600k 3.4 GHz ?A: An i5 2500K will work just as well and be much cheaper.b. graphics card: GTX 570 <--- if so, then which model? 1280MB or 2560MB?A: For the price range you are looking at, you will probably have to look for a 400 Series video card. FSX is more CPU intensive so GPU is not as important. Previous versions of FS had the GPU as more dominant.c. motherboard: AsRock or Asus? Which models do you recommend?A: No recommendation but you should get one that is compatible with the upcoming Ivy Bridge chipset. Current MB's for Sandy Bridge will be compatible with Ivy Bridge too with a BIOS upgrade.d. RAM: 8 GB <---- too many options for me though to choose the manufacturer/modelA: You should get at least 4 GB now. You can always upgrade later to another 4 GB once the wife provides you more funds....e. hard disc: a good SSD one <---- but which model?A: I like the one I have but the technology is always improving. For the amount of money you want to spend on a new system, it will be difficult to buy an SSD as they are very expensive. I would stay with a 1TB SATA HD with at least 7200 speed. They are much cheaper and the speed difference is minimal.f. PSU: Corsair WX 750 ?A: Good choice!Would the above be good choices? If not – what else would you personally recommend?BTW I am rather not planning to overclock – I have always been a total ignoramus when it comes to it2. What about other not listed hardware parts? Do you have any advice on them?A: You will need a case to put the parts in it. Look at the case I have in my signature below.3. Is a separate sound card really recommended (and worth investing) for simming or are the mobo-integrated ones good enough (I don't have a separate one at the moment)?A: FSX/FS9 runs best with an independent sound card. Creative has very cheap models that work great.4. I read there are some FS aircraft not fully compatible with Win 7. Is there any list of them available somewhere? Or maybe now that is a question of the past?A: No. All aircraft made for FSX are compatible with Windows 7. If it was developed for a previous version of FS, then maybe it will have issues but I seriously doubt it. 5. How is WOAI and generally (custom made) AI traffic doing under FSX? What about the shadows not visible on the ground (I read about it somewhere)? Has that problem been solved yet?A: None. You can easily Google that whole first line of your question and you will find several responses. Just copy and paste the question into the Google search bar (or Bing).6. Are there any real tricks to know about when migrating from XP (32 bit) to 7 (64 bit)?A: Yes. Check out the Windows 7 Forum here on AVSIM! Believe the post is pinned.7. Does it matter (for simming) if I buy Windows 7 Premium (most reasonable price), Professional or Ultimate (as long as it is 64 bit of course)?A: IMHO no. You must install the 64 bit version (the Windows 7 Premium disk comes with both the 32 and 64 bit versions).8. Is the 3(4) GB switch still necessary to avoid OOM’s when having Win 7 64 bit?A: Absolutely no switch required.9. What are your experiences of having both FS9 and FSX installed at the same time? Any problems or real stopovers?A: I do not have both installed but many people do have both sims installed and I have heard of no problems.10. Does it really matter how many HD partitions you create and where you install what (currently under my XP 32 bit I have only disc C: and everything is installed there)?A: Does not matter. I have everything (Windows OS, FSX, MS Office, and several other software programs) installed on my SSD on one partition - Drive C. I have a 1 TB HD that contains huge scenery folders such as MegaScenery and have my Scenery Library directed to that HD for those scenery files.Good luck on your quest for a new computer system.Best regards,Jim

Jim,Thanks so much for you reply! I have a lot to think about tonight.Of course I thought about the Hardware forum, but was a bit afraid (of admins and mods, lol) to post in three places. I will have to check that option though.

I looked on this forum and saw complete systems individuals had on AVSIM by looking at their signatures (like mine below). It gave me an idea of what was good as you'll see some individuals in the hardware forum are hardware and computer geeks and so their system must be the one to buy

That is a nice idea and I am going to collect those signatures for analysis. Right after I finish working tonight, I will have some hard thinking to do.Thank you very much again!

Jim,Thanks so much for you reply! I have a lot to think about tonight.Of course I thought about the Hardware forum, but was a bit afraid (of admins and mods, lol) to post in three places. I will have to check that option though.That is a nice idea and I am going to collect those signatures for analysis. Right after I finish working tonight, I will have some hard thinking to do.Thank you very much again!

Hope you find a good system! It's actually a lot of fun exploring like that!Best regards,Jim