Hi all,I have the following PC for FSX:Intel i7 930 @ standard 2.8 GHz (i.e. no overclock), 6 GB RAM, Point of View Geforce GTX 470 gfx card (1260 MB GDDR5), Windows 7 64 bit.I can get quite nice FPS even with the PMDG NGX at some of the more complex airports but occassionally I experience the dreaded stuttering. Even though my FPS are limited to 30 (tried locking externally but locking it internally seems to be better in my case), sometimes, especially in spot plane view, I get frame skipping - stuttering. Also, on occassion, FPS gets down low. Another issue is the tearing, which I can fix with the Vsync tweak (ForceFullScreenVsync) but it takes its toll on my FPS.In fact, I am considering a minor upgrade to the PC. I cannot afford an expensive overall upgrade, so I am considering one of the two options:1. Buying a proper cooler (because I have only the standard Intel fan) and overclocking to around 3.6 GHz.or2. Buying a better video card (not being a hardware scientist, I have no idea whether my GTX 470 is a good card or not). I would like to know what do you guys suggest, should I overclock or is it going to be more beneficial for me to buy a new gfx card?My goal is to achieve a smoother FSX experience, less stuttering, less tearing.Cheers!

An expensive video card won't produce much bang for the buck in FSX. It responds to processor speed and cores.

Hi all,I have the following PC for FSX:Intel i7 930 @ standard 2.8 GHz (i.e. no overclock), 6 GB RAM, Point of View Geforce GTX 470 gfx card (1260 MB GDDR5), Windows 7 64 bit.I can get quite nice FPS even with the PMDG NGX at some of the more complex airports but occassionally I experience the dreaded stuttering. Even though my FPS are limited to 30 (tried locking externally but locking it internally seems to be better in my case), sometimes, especially in spot plane view, I get frame skipping - stuttering. Also, on occassion, FPS gets down low. Another issue is the tearing, which I can fix with the Vsync tweak (ForceFullScreenVsync) but it takes its toll on my FPS.In fact, I am considering a minor upgrade to the PC. I cannot afford an expensive overall upgrade, so I am considering one of the two options:1. Buying a proper cooler (because I have only the standard Intel fan) and overclocking to around 3.6 GHz.or2. Buying a better video card (not being a hardware scientist, I have no idea whether my GTX 470 is a good card or not).I would like to know what do you guys suggest, should I overclock or is it going to be more beneficial for me to buy a new gfx card?My goal is to achieve a smoother FSX experience, less stuttering, less tearing.Cheers!

Cooler and then overclock. That 930 will be the main "bottleneck" with FSX. Overclocking it will give a better overhead and allow the 470 to do it's work. What cooler are you looking at? I'm researching your case and it's dimensions right now. Depending on your setup, I can offer a few suggestions. The important thing is rather or not your case is well ventilated and moving cool air adequately, what kind of clearance you have from the heat spread to the case's panel, and how much you want to spend.That 470 is no slouch.By the way, Zsolt. Would you mind increasing the font size in your signature? The system specs are tiny on my 24 inch.

Hello all,And thanks a million for your suggestions. I will then go for the cooler. I am thinking about this one:http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/cooling/cpu/365/freezer-13-pro.html?c=2181The other problem is that I don't know anyone here in Ireland who could overclock my PC (I am not Irish only work here) and therefore I will face this challenge alone. Once again, my hardware knowledge equals to zero... Well, I already managed to find out that the stock cooler is not good, so I have to buy a better one that can handle the overclock. I also don't want to overclock too much because I cannot really afford a new PC if I ruin it. Just a conservative overclock from 2.8 to around 3.6 GHz or something like that.Liquid cooling again is not an option since I live in a tiny room in a houseshare, it's not the comfort of the "sweet home" and I don't want to complicate things. This is why I am considering the cooler linked above. It was suggested by the retailer who built my PC - unfortunately they don't want to overclock the PC.Cheers!

That Freeze 13 cooler is "okay", but for that price range I'd buy one of those ugly Zalman copper loops. Like this one (I realize you can't order from them. Just an idea.) ---> http://www.newegg.co...N82E16835118223With any of these heatsinks, it's important to have plenty of cool air going in and good exhaust at the top rear. With your case things are tight and fan options are limited, so make sure you've got some great cable management going on to keep the air flowing! It's very important to keep the MOBO, RAM, Heatsink, GPU, etc cool. Good luck!

Thanks for your advice Zach, I will definitely do a thorough research before overclocking!

Hi Zsolt,I ran my i7 930 at 3.4 on the standard intel fan for quite a while before upgrading to a Corsair water cooler(H60). I then overclocked to 3.9. I would highly suggest using this cooler as it worked pretty well on my machine. As a matter of fact, I now use my 930 to run several virtual servers and I still have it overclocked at 3.4.You could buy the H80 or the H100 and still be well below the cost of a video card.While it is true that clock speed is the main factor when it comes to FSX performance, a fast GPU can also help when you are running at high resolutions. I run at 1920X1080. I upgraded from a GTX280 to the 570 classified and noticed a significant jump in high res AA performance. A much smoother and more consistent experience overall.

Yup, as the guys have said. No benefit in upgrading the GPU, best thing is to concentrate on CPU power. The GTX470 is an excellent card, so don't let people suggest otherwise at any time. I did a comparison between the GTX470 and the 580 and to be honest IMO, I don't believe the difference in cost is justified, at least for FSX. The main problem with the 470 is it runs quite hot and should you decide to OC it, it will get quite noisy as a result.So with the setup as it is and a decent cooler, if you OC the CPU correctly, without being silly, you can gain a decent amount of performance for little outlay

While it is true that clock speed is the main factor when it comes to FSX performance, a fast GPU can also help when you are running at high resolutions. I run at 1920X1080. I upgraded from a GTX280 to the 570 classified and noticed a significant jump in high res AA performance. A much smoother and more consistent experience overall.

The 570 definitely outclasses your 930 as far as FSX is concerned. 1080p isn't that demanding for modern GPUs. And what you did was jump two generations of video cards (a >4 year difference!).The 470 is a good combination with the 930. That system should do ya' until you're ready to really upgrade, Zsolt.Oops. Howard stepped in. Sorry for the ninja!

Edited March 22, 201214 yr by ZachLW

Thanks for all the useful info! Decision made - I will order a cooler and once I find a knowledgeable person near me who can help with overclocking, I will do it!

I also suggest the Corsair H60 or H80; found it much better for overclocking than my tricked out fan type cooler.For overclocking, just ask for help in here. Tell us your motherboard and posting some screens of the bios would allow us help you. :)

Thanks VeryBumpy, when it comes to overclocking, I will definitely seek advice here!

I also suggest the Corsair H60 or H80; found it much better for overclocking than my tricked out fan type cooler.For overclocking, just ask for help in here. Tell us your motherboard and posting some screens of the bios would allow us help you. :)

LOL, love that avatar!

http://www.overclock.net/t/538439/guide-to-overclocking-the-core-i7-920-or-930-to-4-0ghzgood starting point for your research. The 930 is a snap to clock unlike some of the old cpu's. Just google " overclock i7 930" and you'll have enough reading to keep you busy. Just remember to take small increments and test - don't just jump right to your target. Be sure your cooler is installed properly and functioning and then go. Also - look for a program called OCCT - it's a much better stress test *as it relates to FSX* than Prime95, linpack etc. Just run the cpu test for 1 hour and if that flies, so can you.Enjoy and when you're ready to clock that thing, check back, there are lots of knowledgeable people here.Vic