xps LAPTOP

Hi Guys,
Just read this post "http://flyawaysimulation.com/postt21628.html"

and I am wondering if this will apply to my new laptop (awaiting delivery)
with the follwing specs

DELL XPS M1710
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7200 (2.16GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 667 MHz FSB)
2GB DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHZ, 2 DIMM
512MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7900 GTX
Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition

will I have to force FS9 to use both processoer
Also will FSX run good on this spec.

Thanks

I'm getting both soon, SLI and Core 2 Duo 6700.

http://www.steve-lacey.com/blogarchives/2006/01/flight_simulato_6.shtml

http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=121&topic_id=369574&mode=full

I have had my M1710 since April, and it ran FS9 perfectly. Never tryed to force the CPU. All the sliders at max didn't even slow the M1710 down.
Then I got FSX and found that with a little tweaking it runs exceptionaly well. Obviously you can't max out the sliders in FSX. Frame rates are slower, but over all I think you will be happy with it. The only thing I wish I would have put more money in is the CPU. The 2.16 may be a little slow, but that's it.

FSX is very CPU dependant, so even high end GFX cards don't improve FSX drastically.

Core 2 Duo is very different from the old Pentium 4 D. 2.16 Ghz may seem slow, but actually its very decent. Clock speeds are not as important anymore.

Could you explain how significant a dual core is and compared to the old standard Pent 4, and how that helps with FSX.

Dual core really will help when applications take advantage of it, but from what I read FSX does not make use of Dual core as yet.With two processor cores sharing the load this means better multitasking. Pentium D Intels last generation of Dual core was really struggling against AMDs X2 chips. Despite the Pentium D usually having better clock speeds it still could'nt compete with AMDs more effient X2 chips. Core 2 Duo however runs cooler and much more effient. Core 2 Duos usually have lower clock speeds than the old pentiums, but however perform better. Core 2 Duo is increasing becoming the prefered gamming chip than AMDs X2.