Hi:

I am looking to just upgrade the cpu on this xp machine, not ready to do a complete change.

Heres what I have found and was wondering which would make fsx happier?

Any suggestions of another type, please inform.

https://www.superbiiz.com/desc.php?name=E8600

 

https://www.superbiiz.com/desc.php?name=Q-9550

 

Thanks

Your best option is probably to overclock your current CPU and save the money for a bigger upgrade replacing CPU, mobo and RAM. If you don't have an after market CPU cooler already, get one now. You can transfer it over to your next build.

 

The E8600 is just a higher clocked version of your current CPU. Both should be able to reach similar manual overclock so it would pretty much be wasted money.

 

The q9550 is a lower clocked quad core version of your CPU. It will still cost you a fair bit of money. It will probably give you the same avg FPS as your current CPU but faster load times and texture loading but how much faster depends on the access time of your current storage. The same applies when both are overclocked. So is faster texture loading and load times worth that money for you? I'd save up for a system with IvyBridge 3570K or if you intend to wait longer for your main upgrade, Haswell.

Thank you for taking the time to reply, appreiciate it. Kinda looks like I have to upgrade the whole rig and os, sucks. I have only owned 2 OS, windows 3.1 and xp, The constant changing of OS systems seems like a big money grab,

There's actually not a bad idea to upgrade to a 64bit OS anyway. FSX might only be a 32bit application but when you run it on a 32bit OS it has to give up some adress space for other things. I think a 32bit OS only allows the applications to use 3GB of RAM, while when you run it on a 64 bit OS it will allow FSX to use the full 4GB of RAM the full 32bit adress space gives. People still get OOM crashes even with the full 4GB RAM allocated on a 64bit OS allthou it has been reduced.

I highly recommend saving up for a whole new better system. Fastest CPU you can afford too. Do not upgrade your current rig, it will gain virtually nothing.

The only recommended thing to upgrade now is the CPU cooler so you can overclock your current system. You would be recommended to get the cooler for your next build anyway and you can take it with you. In the meanwhile overclocking your current system should give you a noticable boost with what you have for the moment.

The only recommended thing to upgrade now is the CPU cooler so you can overclock your current system. You would be recommended to get the cooler for your next build anyway and you can take it with you. In the meanwhile overclocking your current system should give you a noticable boost with what you have for the moment.

 

+1

Thank you gentlemen, when I upgraded this system all the parts were cutting edge and cost a fortune, seems like such a shame to have to do that all over again.

Pre built unit from Jetline would be 2000, probably a self built willl be very similiar, but it does seem like the parts that are being sold today have way better performance for less cost then the parts did for this vintage of machine.