I'm aware this forum is populated by multi-display over-clock enthusiasts, but I'm not in that far and use a more basic approach. My computer specs including my video card are in my My PC in the sidebar, but a summary is: Gateway FX6860 Gaming desktop with Intel I7 2600 @ 3.34 Ghz with 8 GB DDR3 and a ATI Radeon 6750 with 1 GB DDR5. My Dell display is a 22" that is matched for work in Photoshop, with max res of 1920 X 1080. I'm running Windows 7 Home Premium.

 

I had a five year absence from flight sim due to work/career constraints but am now semi-retired. I fly mostly GA but VAs are in my past and I may add the PMDG NG 737 soon. I get good frame rates in the 30-45 range most of the time, but when using a more sophisticated GA plane like say the Carenado King Air C90, RXP gauges, and some of the cloud texture sets from REX I am having some issues. The frames still appear smooth, but when passing through some cloud layers, or in level flight near a cloud layer, my speed indicator starts to pulse, and if I use an outside camera view I get some pulsating stutters, They are livable but irritating.

 

I read in the forums on the REX web site that Radeon cards have more trouble with clouds and see a consensus there for GeForce cards. I see here on Avsim that quite a number of members are using the GeForce GTX 560 TI. I am seeing that card on Amazon, EVGA 2 GB DDR5 for $241.00, and equivalent GigiByte for $229.00. I've used a couple of the benchmark sites to compare and the GTX 560 TI appears to offer a jump in performance over my Radeon 6750 1 GB card.

 

Is there something else under $250 that I should be considering?

62 views and no feedback?????? I am .............

FP please post the link to the card your interested in please for starters this is a better card and cheaper and I would def go with an evga card they are rock solid.

 

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814130826 actually if you do not want to buy a gtx680 due to the price this would be your best choice hands done in the nvidia family anyway, ati I'm all set lol

Add another $100 and I will sell you a new gigabyte gtx670OC.

Anything nVidia 660ti and up will do you well. ATI has issues in clouds that nVidia just doesn't have.

Add another $100 and I will sell you a new gigabyte gtx670OC.

 

So why do you have it for sale? Is it in a factory sealed package?

 

Thanks Richard and Randy. What is the difference between the GTX 660 and the GTX 660 TI ?

Both cards are superclocked TI is a fancy name from that vendor to give you an idea its overclocked both cards mentioned are overclocked the evga is superclocked thats what they call it they just dont mention it in the part name, you should go with that evga mentioned above in your price range it should do a great job for you plus that price is excellent, buy all mu stuff from newegg always got top quality product from them.

 

So why do you have it for sale? Is it in a factory sealed package?

 

 

I have a gtx680 now. The 670 is about a month old. I used it for about a month and was able to oc to 1240mhz. Then I got an asus gtx680dc2t and was hoping to get even more performance but that didn't really happen. From my experience, the factory overclocked 680 performs about the same as the gigabyte 670 overclocked at home. They are both great performers, but the 670 was almost $200 less.

 

It's wrapped up nice and neat back in its factory box, but not sealed. It's priced about $50 less than newegg.

I have the same CPU as you have and I use a GTX 560ti graphics card. I can tell you I can't run FSX with all sliders at max settings. I have reduced my settings till the internal frame counter reads 30 fps and it is locked there as that seems to give me the best results. I still have flashing, wavering and studdering graphics. I admit. I have not tried to tweak the program and FSX is still all default.

 

Having said that, my system runs FS9 as smooth as glass with all setting maxed out.

 

Good luck getting your system together.

 

Jim

Take a look at this EVGA superclocked GTX 570, $244 after rebate:

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814130622

 

You might not see any expected improvement with a new graphics card until you overclock the CPU above 4GHZ.

 

I just upgraded from GTX580 to GTX680 for better performance with REX/detailed airports/planes. I also upgraded DDR1333 RAM to 1800 which enabled me to increase OC from 4.7 to 5.0 on my 2600K. Using Word Not Allowed's guide, I used to run my 2600K at 4.7Ghz with 570 and had fluctuations from 25-30fps in high detailed situations. Now at 5Ghz with 680 I am able to maintain 29-30 fps in most detailed situations. Example I just bought the CS767 and went to Flightbeam KPHX, my system was able to consistently maintain 29-30 fps. That wasn't the case at 4.7Ghz with GTX580 using ifly or PMDG NGX in same situation, constant flux between 25-30fps.

 

The only frustration left for me is AI which is still a killer (I have traffic360). With AI on my system fluctuates between 25-30fps at certain airports (ex:Taxi2gate KSTL) with detailed planes and ai set between 10-15 percent, so now I just turn it off.

 

Hope this helps a bit. Good luck.

Here is another not so crazy question. I have not swapped out a video card in perhaps 10 years. Are the slots now all standard? I recall there used to be at least 2 if not three types of video card slots.

PCI Express 3.0 is the latest, my 680 is 3.0 but I have it installed in a 2.0 slot with no problems.

Check the the power supply requirements before ordering - some cards are very power hungry!

Good call Bert. FP I have a 750W PSU which is doing ok with a GTX 680 so far, I think your system has 500 or 750W PSU.

Tha

Check the the power supply requirements before ordering - some cards are very power hungry!

 

Thanks Bert! I am looking at that. My current card Radeon 6750 draws about 90 watts. The best among those recommended above is the 660 drawing a reported 140 watts (HWCompare.com). Even the 560 draws more. The 570 is a hog, taking a reported 219 watts!. My power supply is 500W (reported by Gateway in their specs for the FX6860 UR20P. I'm running (3) hard drives. The 660 appears to draw 50 watts more than my current card.