I just wanted to throw in my .02 - I would recommend taking a look at the Ivy Bridge i5-3570k. The only difference between it and the i7-3770k is the hyperthreading. I could be wrong, but I've never personally seen a huge difference in FSX with/without hyperthreading. The 3570k is available on Newegg for around $230. Pair that with a Z77 chipset motherboard and you should be good to go - I agree with the above poster though. When it comes to FSX you're much better off with an Intel processor and nVidia video card. A 560ti will handle FSX well - that's what I'm currently using.