Building a new computer exclusively for FSX use

[PaulTheSimmer]

Hello to all,

I'm back to FS and restarting from scratch. I'm not a computer wizard. This is the proposition from my retailer:

INTEL Quad Core QX6600 2.4 GHZ 8 MB
Intel X975XBX2KR Intel X975
4 GB DDR II 800 RAM PC2-6400 Dual Channel
NVIDIA eVGA 8800GTS 512 MB
WD 750 GB AAKS 7200 RPM 16 MB Cache SATA II
DVD Pioneer 18X Dual Layer
Int. GB Lan 10/100/100
SATA RAID et Firewire
Intel High Definition Audio
Antec Solo w/ PPC 610 Watts PS
Logitech X230 2.1 PC SPK w/ Sub Woofer
Logitech Scroll Mouse Optical
Keyboard HP Carbonite USB

Questions:

1) With this confiuration, can I expect a solid and fluid performance for FSX?

2) QX6600 is $300. Is $1000 for a QX6800 2.93 GHZ or a QX6850 3.0 GHZ is really worth the spending?

3) Should I look for a more powerful graphic card? Retailer says more expensive cards (like 8800 Ultra 768 MB - $300 more) will provide only a very slight performance increase.

4) I hesitate between 3 HP 19" monitors with Matrox TripleHead2Go OR a single Samsung 24". What do you think?

5) Windows XP Pro OR Vista (Home OR Pemium?) ?

Thank you for your comments and advices.

[congo]

I'd think twice about the badaxe mobo. While capable, it is certainly a superceeded piece of kit.

[Slotback]

Change motherboard to some kinda of X38. Gigabyte, or ASUS would be good.

[NickN]

I'd think twice about the badaxe mobo. While capable, it is certainly a superceeded piece of kit.

[NickN]

Hello to all,

I'm back to FS and restarting from scratch. I'm not a computer wizard. This is the proposition from my retailer:

INTEL Quad Core QX6600 2.4 GHZ 8 MB
Intel X975XBX2KR Intel X975
4 GB DDR II 800 RAM PC2-6400 Dual Channel
NVIDIA eVGA 8800GTS 512 MB
WD 750 GB AAKS 7200 RPM 16 MB Cache SATA II
DVD Pioneer 18X Dual Layer
Int. GB Lan 10/100/100
SATA RAID et Firewire
Intel High Definition Audio
Antec Solo w/ PPC 610 Watts PS
Logitech X230 2.1 PC SPK w/ Sub Woofer
Logitech Scroll Mouse Optical
Keyboard HP Carbonite USB

Questions:

1) With this confiuration, can I expect a solid and fluid performance for FSX?

2) QX6600 is $300. Is $1000 for a QX6800 2.93 GHZ or a QX6850 3.0 GHZ is really worth the spending?

3) Should I look for a more powerful graphic card? Retailer says more expensive cards (like 8800 Ultra 768 MB - $300 more) will provide only a very slight performance increase.

4) I hesitate between 3 HP 19" monitors with Matrox TripleHead2Go OR a single Samsung 24". What do you think?

5) Windows XP Pro OR Vista (Home OR Pemium?) ?

Thank you for your comments and advices.

XP Pro unless you like torture and DX10 is nothing but a preview and about as useless as tibs on a Bull

Video adapter.. X2 3870, unless you like torture then go with nvidia and take nothing less than the GTX

Motherboard... as mentoned above.. a modern x38 chipset board would be much better

processor.. hmmmmm

[PaulTheSimmer]

Thank you for your helpful remarks.

I did a lot of research this weekend. Indeed the initial plan needed serious ajustments. Without being definitive yet and trying to reach for the best, here's what my next FS machine should look like:

- Asus Maximus Extreme X38 Socket 775 motherboard (with Crossfire technology)
- ATI Radeon

[Slotback]

Nice!

My Q6600 runs fsx extremely well, however it can still struggle abit, overall, with the installation of UTX, performance in fsx has been fantastic (Autogen from Dense to Extremely Dense). IF you really want the best, I would def go for the QX9650. Especially with a videocard that powerful and loads of screens!

And make sure you do NOT use them Raid 0 with those drives. Only use it with a proper RAID card. Intel Matrix storage does not count.

[waspiflab]

It will be out of date by Easter anyway

[Slotback]

It will be out of date by Easter anyway

QX9650? Doubt it, especially when you get one to 4ghz or more on air.