I just finished upgrading my system today and finally got everything tweaked how I like it. It took me ALL day today and I was ready to pull my hair out after messing about with my HD's and Windows last night. Here is my old system: Gigabyte GA 8 mobo with older intel chipset. P4 at 2.8GHZ(OC'd to 3.0) 1G of PC2100DDR, SB Audigy, Radeon 9800 slightly OC'd with WIN XP Home. I run it pretty lean with very few services running and use FS Autostart when simming. Here is what I went to: ASUS P4 800SE with Intel 865P chipset. P4 3.4GHZ Extreme edition,1G of Kingston Hyper X PC3200 DDR, Same Audigy, Radeon X800 XL, and the same OS. After messing about and getting everything tweaked back the way I like, I ran FS. All I can say is HOLY COW! I am getting just about a doubling of frame rates just about everywhere except hi density scenes with lots of AI. The sim is more fluid now also, its still not perfect (dont think it ever will be) but the fluidity is so good now it's like I have a new sim. I even took out my really detailed add-ons and went to town tonight. I can finally turn everything just about all the way right and enjoy the weather a lot more now too.I had to post for folks who are thinking about upgrading, GO FOR IT! While I am definitely not cutting edge here, I made a large enough leap that it made a noticeable difference all around. I usually wait at lest 6 months to upgrade after the latest tech hits the streets, saves me a lot of dough and it's always a good relative boost for me. I think this one went so well due to the fact that I jumped up in more than one or two areas. The memory speed, CPU, Chipset and Mobo, along with the Radeon really came together here. It's probably the best upgrade I have done in years. I really notice the diference! I just had to tell someone!! My wife thinks I'm a major geek :)Hornit

To experience a big difference and noticeable gain of speed, expensive hardware is needed.That doesn't mean to go from an Athlon 64 3400 to a 3800 model, but to a dual core costing well up to EUR 1.000,-.Same for graphics adapters: 9800 to X800 XT is wasted money, and the next level (SLI, NV6800 or 7800 or the best ATIs) alone cost as much as my entire PC.Upgrading is one thing, but clever upgrading is another - and that means a big hole in your pocket, everything else is a big compromise.In your case, the P4 EE is one expensive piece, and the specs of your old system show the upgrade made sense, though I would have chosen a much better graphics solution.Great that it works for you! I certainly wait another year or even longer before investing in a new CPU, graphics and hard drive array with at least 5 drives.Andreas

Well you may be correct about the graphics but the reason I went the way i did was because my son works at best buy. I got the X800 for less than 200$ with his discount. The P4 believe it or not only cost me 220$. I wasn't looking for THE BEST thing as I noted. I never do. This whole upgrade cost me around 575 $. I think for what I am seeing here it was money well spent. BY the way the X800 is an XL not the XT and it has 256mb of ram. I went up 600mhz, went to at least the next gen with chipset,mobo, memory and the Video. How is that not a cost effective upgrade when it cost me less than 600$?? The P4E is old news, and I took advantage of that IMHO. I really needed a new mobo to take advantage of better/faster ram too. That is what really drove my upgrade I think.Hornit

I wish I could get those prices! Newegg lists that P4 at over $1000.

Going from the now old ati 9800 128 mb is a smart move to x800 xl 256mb. What else did you expect him to do go for x850 which is so expensive. Hornit i congradulate you for your upgrade it will buy you another year or so. I think im about to do the same.

>I wish I could get those prices! Newegg lists that P4 at over>$1000.at this guys $200.oo .. must be hot .... or gray market

> All I can say is HOLY COW! That's was my reaction when I upgraded just about a year ago. I bought a whole new system and it was at that time that I finally upgraded to FS9 and all my FS addon software. It's been a year now and everything works for me just great. I'm not one to tweak, just like to fly. You'll have hours of fun, that's for sure.Lawrie

I'm looking at (at a distance no less) going form a 9800 Pro 128 to an X800Xl 256. ONe of these days. I did however just upgrade to 1GB of RAM from 512. That was a huge impact. The PMDG 737 VC is as smooth as the 2d now. The best $62 I've ever spent on an upgrade.I've got an A64 3200+ that's a year old. Great CPU. One of these days I'll do the Video card. Current (and for the foraseeable future) specsA64 3200+1GB ram (goo Corsair XMS stuff too)9800 Pro (128 ram)I'm building a real Home Theater with a front projector rightnow so that's where my money is going right now.Jim, If you are in Boston anytome soon, let me know. The new terminal is stunning- if a bit quiet. Only half of the Check-in desks are in use!Tim