My current system is:

AMD Phenom xII 945 Quad Core 3.0 Ghz

Foxconn H-RS780-uATX Mobo

ATI Radeon HD 4670 1GB

8GB DDR3

 

I've had an OK with experience with FSX so far. I REALLY like using my CaptainSIM B767 but it just absolutely murders my system and I average about 17 FPS in the virtual cockpit.

 

What should my next step be? I've looked at upgrading the CPU to something that is 4.0Ghz+ but not sure how much that would help my situation. Maybe it's time to upgrade to an NVidia card that is $150+.. would like some honest opinions about where I should be in terms of my experience and what I should be targeting as far as a hardware upgrade. Please hold off on the Intel/AMD a really excited user comments, they get old.

 

Should I be seeing better FPS with graphics on Ultra-High with my current system? Is it worth it for me to invest the $16 for the FSXBooster? So many questions... any help would be great. Thanks.

You have enough memory... At 3Ghz CPU, it is not terribly bad but could be better. Can that CPU be overclocked?

Video card is probably your best bet at the current time. A CPU upgrade will require a new motherboard to make it worth the money and effort and that could add up fast. If you can get a decent video card that would transfer over to a new mobo later (most all will) then go for that in my opinion... but also look to see if you can overclock your current CPU with a proper aftermarket cooler (relatively cheap these days). As for video card... depends on your budget. I wouldnt go any lower than a GTX570 though, with a GTX 670 or better being more ideal.

 

Hope that helps.