Upgrade strategy (ies)..

[Brett_Henderson]

Hi Nick..

[NicksFXHouse]

[quote]Thanks Congo..

[NicksFXHouse]

[quote]Hi Nick..

[Brett_Henderson]

Ok.. thanks everyone..  as usual, listen to enough good advice and the smoke clears.

Since I'll have to buy another copy of Windows too.. no matter how I go, I'll probably just wait... *sigh*

I'm not squeemish when it comes to "pay to play".. but $500 for a card and some RAM (yes,, same exact RAM) for what might be no more than 90 days of "playing", isn't prudent.

I've seen at NewEgg where you can buy XP now and get a coupon towards Vista. That's the only way I could justify ANOTHER $200 for a copy of XP.

Maybe I'll just go ahead and get an E6600, a board and some DDR2 RAM, now...

[NicksFXHouse]

[quote]Ok.. thanks everyone..

[Brett_Henderson]

OK.. I've made up my mind. I'll just wait for Vista/DX10 and go nuts..  I'll start studying now so I'll know why(if) something like PC8000 is worth buying (as opposed to PC6400).. I'll know whether a high-end DX10 card will suffice (or if we'll still be experimenting with SLI/Crossfire)  (I hope the money ratio will be worked out by then.. (I'm still of the school that  a $600 card is better than two $300 cards, SLI-ed)..

Now humor me please.. In the mean time.. will doubling my RAM help much, re: FPS ?   I'm not worried about loading time.. or an occasional studder. If it would buy me as little as 2 fps across the board.. it would be worth the $150 right now.

I've been pondering this so much that if I don't buy SOMETHING.. I'll feel like I've wasted all of our time  :)

[NicksFXHouse]

[quote]OK.. I've made up my mind. I'll just wait for Vista/DX10 and go nuts..

[Brett_Henderson]

I'm locked at 20fps right now.. but still fall below 15 now and then (scenery density @ "dense" ..

[congo]

[quote]I'm locked at 20fps right now.. but still fall below 15 now and then (scenery density @ "dense" ..

[NicksFXHouse]

[quote]


The 4800+ is for people who can't press the FSB button in bios....

[richardd43]

I am seriously thinking about the Conroe route after the first of the year. I have never had a top end processor so this might be the time.

The 8800s will have to wait though, my 7950s will have to be good enough for a while.

I can only hope they quit making the 7950 and one of mine breaks. I have a 3 year instant replacement warranty on them. If the card is no longer produced they have to give me another one of equal or better quality.

[Brett_Henderson]

Is that in FSX Brett?



I reckon a Conroe isn't going to be of much benefit until there are video cards built to  match them, perhaps an SLI 8800GTX x 2 cards would come close, but I doubt it judging from the preliminary test results I've seen.

Yes.. And what you say hear is what bugs me. I can't help but wonder that when Vista/DX10 lets both cores go to work, that the potential performance bonus from a Conroe is over-kill. Either one of them (E6600 or 4400+) will be limited by the v-card anyway..

After my April upgrade.. (o-clocked 3700+, o-clocked 7800GT).. I was running FS9 without even thinking about FPS.. Had EVERYTHING at maximun, scenery-wise and so much PAI traffic running, that every gate at KORD would be full and there'd be a line of planes waitng to take off, no matter what time of day.. Frames locked @ 30fps and it never dropped below 25 (which was pretty amazing at  O'hare with lotsa clouds and 30 or more planes either on the ground or lined up on final(s) )

I got spoiled .. lol

With FSX.. I'm getting over 20fps now, once the I'm up and away from big, scenery laden airports.. and that's with detailed clouds and "moderate" autogen/scenery-density and 50% AI.. So, I guess I'm not really suffereing    

I'm just one of those guys who can't STAND to know that I'm missing something ! I'm so close to going out the door for a 7950GTOC and anothe GB of RAM, that I wish someone would come steal my car-keys. $500 for hardware that'll I'll use for probably 3 months is folly.

Thanks again for all your (all of you) input. I really appreciate it. I've been wanting to ask this stuff for a while now, but wanted to wait until "we" have some idea about Vista/DX10. If you ever take to the skys for real.. feel free to pick my brain,, any time..

[Mees]

If you buy a single core now is the same as giving your money to me.



Everything in my life seems to be Dual-Core...

-My CPU
-My brain since i need it for school work and stuff
-My parents...



And the list goes on, so yes, DUAL CORE IS THE FUTURE!

And I was under the impression there were different cores Manchester, Toledo, Winchester, Smith & Wesson, Remington

Don't tell me you know all of them Nick.....

[Brett_Henderson]

If you buy a single core now is the same as giving your money to me.  

That's a given.. It's now just a matter of which X2 CPU.. (and when)

[congo]

[quote]
Ok Ok ... I understand the cost/performance concept but I simply prefer to have the highest slug in the box and clock the crap out of it from there.

And I was under the impression there were different cores Manchester, Toledo, Winchester, Smith & Wesson, Remington