Best combo for Flight Simulator X???

[dasickninja]

You're going to need something damn powerful to handle FSX. It slows even the fastest system.

I recommend a Core 2 Duo E6600 with a Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 or DQ6 as the base. For RAM, any one of these sets are good for what you need. For GFX, you need the fastest card there is, which is definitely the 8800 GTX. I recommend this one from Foxconn.

 

[slicessoul]

Money no problemo ?

Get those Striker or EVGA.
QX6700, OCed it.
Get 2 8800GTX.
Get 4GB RAM
Get 4 HDD then RAID 0 them. Raptor aren't obligation, but if you can afford them, it's better.

FSX will release patch soon (this year) and apparently "more cores" aren't issue anymore and it'll support DX10.

FSX aren't optimize for SLI, but it support multi monitor. With 4 DVI output you can have 4 monitors and you can create an amazing view in FSX.

RAID 0 ?
Well, FSX is a games with big scenery, lots of components need to be loaded on the beginning of the games and while in the games. Those RAID will help you to reduce the loading times and reduce skipping between changing the view.

That's it. Have a good fly, sir.

 

[Wisecracker]

I'd buy a cheap mobo/cpu combo (like a Gigabyte GA-945GZM-S2 and a Celeron Prescott 2.66GHz).

Worst.Advice.Ever.

FPS is the most CPU bound game to date, and you recommend a Celeron D 2.66GHz. :roll: :roll: :roll:

It's like telling someone to play Oblivion with integrated video.

And your recommendation would be ... ??? :?:

A $500 mobo/cpu combo that will be worth $250 or less in six months?

A dual core processor that FSX will not utilize ???

PCIe x16 SLI with x8 or worse lanes that has been recommended ???

I recommended a mobo/cpu combo that costs $100 with a cpu that can be OC'ed over 3.6ghz - even a caveman like you could do it.

I recommended a mobo with a 1066 FSB that will support a X6800 stock at 2.93GHz with 4MB L2 cache. A cpu which costs $980 TODAY . . . .

I recommended a roadmap with an intial total cost of $1,100 with a goal by the end of the year
of TRUE SLI x16 and *TRIP* 19-inch LCD's for a cost of an additional $900 to $1,000.

Flame-on Beeg Boi . . . .

 

[Stealth_JAG]

Slicesoul has been the closest in his recommendations so far but his recommended equipment is a little to high-end to fit your budget. Its clear to me that the people who keep recommending core 2 duos haven't been following FSX developments closely, and have instead based their recommendations on general core 2 duo supremacy. I think its great they are trying to help but I know you can do better than an E6600.

The Microsoft Aces Team (group respobsible for FSX development) have been blogging about FSX enhancements in the upcoming service pack release. Phil Taylor (Aces Team lead) has said that the SP1 patch will essentially take advantage of multiple cores and people will see a performance increase from having a quad core. Essentially, FSX will become multi-threaded in the SP1 update. The SP1 patch isn't released yet so we don't know the true impact of the multi-threading on a quad core. Based on the significant performance increase in other multi-threaded applications, however, a quad core may have a huge impact on FSX. SP1 was supposed to be released in late April, but they encountered some problems in Beta 3 and they have pushed back release until May.

After they finish SP1, the ACES team will start working on the DX10 patch for FSX. They hope that can be done in September. Although Phil Taylor is loathe to recommend any specific hardware, he did make an off the cuff statement that seems to favor the ATI DX10 solution. He said something to the effect that DX10 might be harder to implement because of the different approaches taken by ATI and NVIDIA and trying to figure out why ATIs geometry shaders were so much better than NVIDIA.

So, for a new computer under $1500 to run FSX, you should definitley aim for a budget quad core processor and then the best DX10 card you can buy. The Q6600 keeps falling in price and is a reasonable $550.00. If the ATI 2900 XT is as good as it seems, and is in the $400.00 price range, than that might be a good option for a video card. You can get some good RAM for $200.00. That leaves you $350.00. I don't know what other components for the computer you already have, but I would invest in a good motherboard and power supply before I messed with anything else. A good budget mother board is the Gigabyte P965 DS3 and the Corsair HX620 PSU has gotten great reviews everytime a professional evaluator has touched it (thought its pricey).

The main thing is getting the Quad Core processor and the best DX10 card you can afford after that. Happy simming!

Rob

 

[Thanatos421]

I don't understand how someone who recommended a nearly $4000 system is the "closest". He clearly stated he needed the price to be between 1000 and 1500. For 1500, the system I speced is damn near the best performance you are going to find. If he had said money was no object, then duh, quad core would have been a better solution.

A dual core proc will be all he will need once the multi-threded patch is released.

As for the raptors x4, is kinda pointless. I have had 2 36 gig raptors since they came out in RAID 0 and standalone configurations, and I promise you, the RAID doesn't make that big of a performance difference. What makes the raptors fast is their rotational speed and seek times. Now if they were only SATA 3.0....sigh.

 

[TSIMonster]

.

Dude, you just recommended a single core netburst based prescott celeron..... probably the worst CPUs ever engineered.

 

[SockPuppet]

I don't understand how someone who recommended a nearly $4000 system is the "closest". He clearly stated he needed the price to be between 1000 and 1500. For 1500, the system I speced is damn near the best performance you are going to find. If he had said money was no object, then duh, quad core would have been a better solution.

A dual core proc will be all he will need once the multi-threded patch is released.

As for the raptors x4, is kinda pointless. I have had 2 36 gig raptors since they came out in RAID 0 and standalone configurations, and I promise you, the RAID doesn't make that big of a performance difference. What makes the raptors fast is their rotational speed and seek times. Now if they were only SATA 3.0....sigh.

No one even read the threads anymore. They just skim the OP, and post whatever gibberish they deem important. I think most of the guys here are just trying to get a larger e-pen. . . post count.

 

[dasickninja]

*Sigh*

I see my suggestion was ignored then.

 

[Wisecracker]

Dude, you just recommended a single core netburst based prescott celeron..... probably the worst CPUs ever engineered.

Dewwwwwd. The worst?

For $$37 all I gots to say is . . . . "How do you like your Crow"? :lol:

 

[epsilon84]

Dude, you just recommended a single core netburst based prescott celeron..... probably the worst CPUs ever engineered.

Dewwwwwd. The worst?

For $$37 all I gots to say is . . . . "How do you like your Crow"? :lol:

Yes, it's crap, and the price proves it too.

With a freaking Celeron D you'll be lucky to get 30fps at low details FFS.

You're way outta your league, stop talking out of your ass, and start thinking with your head. Highly ironic that you mention 'crow'... :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[SockPuppet]

Dude, you just recommended a single core netburst based prescott celeron..... probably the worst CPUs ever engineered.

Dewwwwwd. The worst?

For $$37 all I gots to say is . . . . "How do you like your Crow"? :lol:

You need to stop posting advice to those that come here in need. Stay, read, learn, ask questions, whatever.

STOP giving out advice. You are only going to take someone's day from bad to worse. Leave it to the big boys to answer questions. Thanks.

 

[Sansun Suresh]

Since XP Support has stopped for my FS9 system (AMD Athlon 64, 8MB), I like to build a new system with FSX and eyefinity. My budget for MO/CPU/GPU/ is $600 and OS-Win7 is $200. I have a 27" LCD monitor and will add monitors (3x32" later).