I'm finally tiring of FS9 and have started looking at a new system for FSX which I hope will run it as fluently as my current E8400 / 8800GTX runs FS9.

 

Although I have built my last 3 systems I'm probably going to buy one from a specialist UK company - Palicomp. Here is the spec:-

 

INTEL Core i5 3570K (Quad Core) OVERCLOCKED TO 4.7Ghz

Motherboard: GIGABYTE Z77X-D3H

Cooling: CORSAIR CWCH80 WATER COOLER

Memory: PATRIOT VIPER V3 RED 16GB DDR3 1600Mhz OR 16GB DDR3 2133Mhz

Hard Drive 1: CRUCIAL M4 128GB SATA3

(SSD Is Setup As Split 18GB Intel Smart Response Drive & Storage)

Hard Drive 2: SEAGATE 2TB SATA2

Optical Drive: HITACHI BLU-RAY COMBO Drive, Blu-Ray Reader & DVDRW In One

Graphics Card: nVidia GTX680 2GB PCI-E 3.0 Ready

Case: COOLERMASTER Dominator CM690 II

Power Supply: XFX 850W REALPOWER 70AMP EASYRAIL 80+ Certified PSU

Software: MICROSOFT WINDOWS 7 PREMIUM 64BIT

 

I'll be keeping my Dell 2405 24" 1920*1200 display.

 

All flying will be IFR with either the PMDG737 or Flight Sim Labs ConcordeX. I also run Project Magenta via WideFS so when flying the 737 it will be full-screen.

 

I've chosen the i5 over i7 as FSX doesn't use Hyperthreading so the extra cost of the i7 seems pointless. Also, I can't find an i7 that can be clocked faster than 4.7Ghz.

 

I've highlighted faster memory as an option. Will it make a difference for the small additional cost of £25?

 

I plan to use the SSD purely for the OS and a few non-FS programs and the Seagate for FSX and all scenery.

 

I'd appreciate any comments.

Looks like you've done your homework. Just remember that proper installation, configuring, and tweaking is essential for good Fsx performance. Also, even at 5 Ghz, compromises still have to made with performance settings in Fsx. If you already have 3 builds under your belt I'd consider building it yourself and save even more money.

Thanks Adam. There's a good document on how best to install and configure FSX on this forum. I'll take a look nearer the time.

 

I will be installing FSX on the Seagate, not the SSD and nowhere near Program Files.

 

Do you have a view on the faster memory? I don't know precisely what speed the mobo will be running at when overclocked but I've always bought the fastest memory for the system without going silly.

 

I have thought about building it myself but this is the first time I'm going to overclock and would rather leave it to the experts. And that water cooling is also a bit daunting. I've only built air-cooled systems.