System Hardware: PC | MOBO | RAM | CPU | HDD | SSD | PSU etc

Hi,My warranty went out this week on my Dell XPS420 Q6600 3GB 8600GTS so I'm in the market for a replacement motherboard. Anybody heard any good deals lately? I will replace my video card and power supply sometime soon as well. I think I can run my CPU at a speed more like it was meant to run. I feel Dell under-clocked it a bit. I used to be fond of Abit but haven't checked on their stuff lately. Perhaps there's better?Thanks in advance, Dolph

I've recently discovered that using full screen in FS9 can give me up to an increase in 10fps, which is pretty good and allows me to have a smooth flight. However, whenever I press alt to access the menu bar, the screen freezes and I get some weird corruption in the image..see link. Then whenever I click out of menu bar, the screen returns to normal.Also, now that I am in full screen, the mouse is not always visible and flickers whenever it is moved, this makes it very hard to see what I am clicking on and is pretty annoying.Lastly, is there anyway to make the menu bar always visible and accessible in Full screen without the main window freezing?My video card is a Geforce…

My C drive is where FS9 resides. I have installed addon scenery, payware or freeware, in C as well as D.I'm running out of space in C. (80GB for each drive)I noticed that as soon as C was over 85% full, FS9 began to be unstable. I had to uninstall some great scenery to bring FS9 back to life! (such as the Netherlands 2000 scenery-29GB!). So if I get a new external drive and use it for space hungry addons will FS9's performance be better/more stable?What specs should I look for when shopping for a new drive?Eytan OrnsteinIntel 2core duo 4400 2.1 GHZDDR3 2.0GBGeforce 8600GT 256 MBWindows xp sp3

Hi,Santa brought me an early christmas present for myself this year :(, a couple of new WD Raptor 10kRPM disks that I will use to replace my old and tired disks with. However that showed to not be as easy as I had hoped for...I'm using the built-in Complete PC Backup in Vista on a regular basis to keep the image updated whenever I do any changes to my config and my plan now was to simply replace my old disks physically and then restore the image onto them but when trying to do so I get a message saying the new disks (seen as one disk in Windows since it's a Raid0 array) isn't big enough to fit the image. The C partition on my old Raid0 array is 500 GB where the new one is…

Is the i7 920 worth it even if it is not OC for FSX? Seeing I've held out so long and waited it's looking to be the better end.Thermaltake M9 w/ windowCorsair TX 650WIntel Core i7 Processor i7-920 2.66GHz 8MBGIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD5Super Talent DDR3-1333 3GB (3x1G CL8Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB SATA2 7200rpm 16MBSamsung SH-S223F 22X Dual Layer DVD+/-RW SATA DriveEVGA nVidia GeForce 9800GTX+ or GTX 260Microsoft Vista Home Premium 64-bit (64-bit OS Required for 4GB and more RAM)

Here's my problem:I was trying to update my video drivers.I went to http://ati.amd.com/support/driver.HTML, and selected Vista 32 -> Radeon-> Radeon HD 2600 Series (PCIE)I downloaded the Catalyst Software Suite, v8.12When I try and install this, I get an error saying "Could not load file or assembly 'CLI.Implementation, Version=2.0.3257.26991, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=90ba9C70f846762e' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified."It then says installation failed. I downloaded the drivers seperately, and I think those installed allright, but now whenever I try to start the Catalyst Control Center, I get the same message above.When I r…

I have been simming with both FS2004 and FSX using the venerable MS Sidewinder2 Force Feedback joystick along with MS Force, IMHO one of the best addons for MS Flight Sim ever developed. This combo results in more realistic control forces and elevator trim implementation. While the joystick seemed appropriate to aircraft such as the Marchetti SF260 it seemed out place in the Cessna's. As I had a CH Flight yoke gathering dust I decided to add FFB capability to it. As there was NO WAY I was going to gut my trusty Sidewinder for it's components I looked around for a good but inexpensive alternative. The AVB Pegasus FFB Flightstick seemed to fit the bill and can be purchased …

I would like your opinion on how to best customize my Nvidia GeForce 8800 GS 512MB graphics card settings.Anisotropic Filtering - Default is "use global settings (application control)" Options .....off, 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x I was considering using the hardware setting at 16x ??Antialiasing game connection...Default is "use global setting (on)"Antialiasing monde..................Default is (use global settin (application controlled" Options.....off, enhance the application setting, and override application settingAntalising setting....................Default is "use global setting (applicati…

Hallo everyone Would really appreciate your input on this as Im a bit lost! I will keep things simple - I have chosen all the components for my new gaming rig but am stuck on the choice of processor. Its come down to E8600 or Core i7 920. The graphics card I have chosen is the HD4870 1GB. Both these CPUs will be a massive leap in performance for me since Im still on a clunky Pentium but thats where the confusion starts Im trying to decide which of the two paths to follow when it comes to a new system. Let me show you both of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------1. Pentium 4 -----> E8600 -----> Core i7 32nm 2. Pentiu…

I now haveAsus A8V deluxe AGP S939 moboAMD 64 4000+2 Gb PC3200 RAMNVIDIA 7950GT 512M DDR3Win XP HomeWhat do you think these upgrades could giveReplace CPU with Opteron 185. It's a dual core maybe this woyld make a significant improvement in FSX which I have installed with UTX GEX?Replace the videocard with a ATI 3850 the most powerful AGP videocard available.Upgrading Win XP to Vista. Maybe the better Vista memory management can help performence? And with a 3850 I would get access to DX10.I might point out that my mobo seems allergical against OC. Trying that and it seems I shoulkd expect trouble.

I downloaded and installed the Nvidia 180.60 Cuda drivers yesterday to give them a try with FSX after reading some very positive remarks abot the drivers at Guru3d. All I can say is WOW! what a difference on my Vista x64 system. These are the smoothest drivers I have used with FSX to date and they have the best IQ in FSX of any drivers I have used to date (previously I was using the 180.84 betas). I did not notice any improvement or degradation in overall framerate, however as I stated these drivers run FSX about as smooth as a babies bottom. The other big buzz about these betas was that users with 9 series cards and above were experiencing huge gains in framerate whe…

Seeing as these do not come off as being over clocked and while they do not use FSX as a benchmark it still is interesting to see that the stock i7 do better than the QX platform in quite a few areas. http://www.sharkyextreme.com/hardware/cpu/...3261_3782516__1

Hi all-I'm replacing my ASUS M2N-32 mobo this weekend with one that's similar. I'm running an AMD 6400 processor with Vista32 Business and use this machine almost exclusively to fly FSX (runs really well BTW). Will there be a problem if I plug all existing drives (3), memory (4GB) etc. into the new board and fire it up? I'll be switching the existing processor as well.Thanks,Mark

I downloaded and installed the beta release of the next upgrade to Windows Vista today. If anyone else is interested in doing the same, here's a link: http://community.winsupersite.com/blogs/pa...sp2-beta-2.aspx. It took about 30 minutes to install on my 32 bit system and, of course, the first thing I ran was FSX w/DX10 Preview enabled as one of the "fixes" was an enhancement of DX10 as requested by community users. Unfortunately it did not fix any of the problems associated with DX10 Preview enabled BUT I saw much clearer rendering of graphics and the fps were noticably better. It's difficult for me to get an exact benchmark of the increase but I did see fps in the 4…

I've been very unhappy with both the CH yoke and the new Saitek yoke, so I'm considering the Elite Pro Panel II. It looks very good, but I can't find reviews anywhere. Its quite pricy, so I wouldn't want to import the thing without some positive reviews. I fly twin props, so it seems like a very attractive package. Anyone have the Elite Pro Panel II yoke?http://www.flyelite.com/hardware.php?product_id=11

Hi - I finally ditched my windows box after it failed. Bought an intel iMac - it is on order now. My concern - and it is a big one - is the onboard audio with the iMac. I want to use Windows XP for games, and need to have true 5.1 surround support for that. I have a set of nice analog logitech (x-530) speakers, and I know the imac has an optical audio out port, but nowhere can I find a definitive answer that yes, you can use the optical port IN WINDOWS to drive surround speakers. (Willing to upgrade to digital speakers, not willing to forego 5.1 support and EAX in the windows environment).Can I use the built in digital audio port to drive speakers under XP, or do I h…

Ok this is driving me mad! It seems no matter what I tweak config or sliders I can never get above single digits in built up areas or large airports. To start out I'm currently running:E8500 IntelASUS P5Q MB4GB G-Skill RAMEVGA 9800x2500gbWD Caviar+ 500gbWD MyBookVista X64 (Home)My FSX installation has all od FTX plus REX.It seems no matter what I change or where I fly (default or FTX) I always get the same results with ALL aircraft 5-9 fps in built up areas 20-35 in rural areas. I've read many tips hear and tried quite a few but I think its my TH2G thats making it so unbalanced! Is anyone running this hardware at a decent clip? Am I missing something? I do have an 8800GTS…

Hi:I have been using FLY 2 on my old PowerBook G4. Primative I know! I just ordered a new MacBook Pro 2.53ghz with 4GB. Can anyone reccomend a new simulator.Many Thanks,Andy

Does anyone have any feedback on the Nvidia 9500GT video card?ThanksMike

My current setup: I use the X52 stick, CH throttle quadrant and CH rudder pedals. Everything works great, but my trusty X52 is starting to go after many years of use. The LCD is starting to not work sometimes and other lights seem to come and go. I'd like to replace it, but I'm not sure with what. I really like the X52, and am tempted to buy the same one new. However I'm thinking of other options:1) Replace the X52 with a brand new one. For $80 off Amazon, this is the cheap and safe route. I love mine now and have gotten tons of use out of it and have no problem replacing it with the same one. 2) Upgrade to the X52 pro for $137. I hear it has more resistance whi…

I'm looking for a CPU cooler that will allow me to OC a Q6600. I've done a search on-line and found the Thermalright Ultra-120. It is meant to work with the 775 socket OK. My one concern is the heatpipe arrangement connected to the base, and whether that interferes with the RAM. Has anyone tried this and can offer any advice as to the product and how effective it is?I have a GA-X38T-DQ6 board.Thanks for any advice, or any other cooling suggestions.Bruce.

Hello again,A few weeks ago, I posted a message listing components for a core i7 system I was considering. At the time, I mentioned that I was not particularly interested in overclocking.Well, things change. I've been doing a lot (that is an understatement) of reading since then. I even played with overclocking my ancient P4 3.2 system for a bit. Yup, taught myself quite a bit.In that original post, I listed a core i7 940. Now that I'm ready to overclock whatever system I end up with, I'm wondering if the 940 is worth the extra dollars. The problem is that I can't find any info out on the world wild web about overclocking the 940. Everyone is talking about the 920. (And a…

I am trying to finalise a system for FSX and FS9 but am not sure which CPU to use: E8600 LGA775 'Wolfdale' " with E0 Stepping or Q9650 with E0 Stepping. The first is half the price of the second in UK. I will probably not o/c initially but I would like to have the option. Apart from FS I run a LAN in my home, part wi-fi. I also have a large home photo collection so I like a top performing graphics card for stills and home videos. Depending on all this which mobo do you suggest? I guess X48 type, and which chipset? DDR3? GTX260 Core 216 planned. Do I need to plan for Crossfire/SLI? If cash allows I will probably buy a new 24 inch LCD. OS to be Vista 64. Lots of questi…

Well I upgraded to a MSI 9800GT, but my framerates didn't seems to move! It does run with less jerky movement, but even this card cant seem in increase the FR's in congested areas. I still only get about 9-12 at KATL (Imaginesim) and similar at other payware airports, slightly higher at FlyTampa airports. At the stock FS airports the FR's did increase, and at the smaller fields I don't see any decrease. My old card would sometimes do that, this one is pretty consistent. KMRC is one of the airports I fly into often, and it usually had 18-20fr with the 7950. On the 9800 it is up to 26-30. Anyone know what it will take to get this at KATL, KLAX, ect?I really dont want to upg…

Hi,I have a Nvidia 8800m GTX Video Card and use Vista with FS9, unfortunately I cannot get the settings into my FS. On my older system with XP I used Antialiasing from my card settings and had it unchecked in FS9. Now I would like to do the same but when selecting the AA and Anisotropic filtering in the graphic card's configuration program it shows no effect on my FS9 :(At the moment I have to use the AA from FS9. Are there any users here who experience the same problems and could help?I even tried the program nhancer without any effect. My driver is 7.15.11.6755 and I think there is no other driver available at the moment for this notebook card.Thanks in advance and kind…