Best Computer For FSX

My computer: Windows 7 Home Premium
AMD Athlon 64X12 Dual Core Processor 6400+ 3.20 GHz
5 GB RAM
64 Bit OS
1 TB Hard Drive
NVIDIA 8600GT

I would like to have built for me the absolutely best Computer for FSX. Could anyone suggest how I might improve my existing computer bits.
Thanks in advance.

A new card would help quite a bit, I'd suggest a GTX 460, you get good bang for your buck. CPUs are rather hard to upgrade, as you need to upgrade a whole lot of other parts, but all in all I would try sell the current computer you have and then build a new one.

Thanks Cheeks.
I would prefer to have a new computer built . But with what components?

That somewhat vague, as there are so many possibilities. The first step I suppose would be to say the price range your looking at so you can get the best value out of your rig

I guess up to $AU1500. Given the exchange rate I guess that roughly $US1500 too.
One of the outcomes I would like to achive is the removal of the terrain 'popping up' as I approach it when flying. Likewise the runways. I have a feeling though that this might be a FSX programme issue rather than a graphics fix one.
I get the slow frame rate sometimes too depending on the aircraft . This is another issue I would like to fix.
Would quad core be better than dual core? So many aspects I'm just not sure about.

Oh no worries, im in Australia too

For about that you could build a really decent system, GTX 460s are about 220-300, and you could pick up a really good i7 950 processor for about $300-350, maybe 6GB of RAM (its optimal, any more theres barely any performance boost) and then just pick suitable motherboard, PSU, etc, and I would recommend a 24" screen for the best experience at 1900 x 1200

PC DIY or MSY are good online stores and have catalogues for Australia, they usually have the cheapest prices around

Thanks. That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Could you tell if the 'popping up' of terrain can be solved or is it an FSX problem?

No problem

I'm not too sure what you mean by the popping up of terrain in FSX, as I'm more of an FS9 man, but if its related to hardware, then this system will have no problem with it. If not, then theres probably a patch for the issue your seeing.

By 'popping up' I mean the vegetation appears almost when you over it and not before. There is no distant viewing of trees until the airicraft is over them. Ditto buildings etc.
I think I get the same result with FS9. I'm no expert but it might have something to do with the frame rate or even my settings. No matter the situation cannot be worse with the new computer.

Oh the draw distance, I'm pretty sure thats related to your graphics card.

Have a look at this, should help you out

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?214874-Increase-terrain-draw-distance

Thanks for that. Sorry to be a pain in the 'A' but I have no idea where the fsx.cfg is or how to find it.

The FSX.cfg file can be found by default in C:\Documents and Settings\Application Data\(Your Windows User Name)\Microsoft\FSX - I suggest making a shortcut to it on the desktop and setting Notepad to open .cfg files by default.

And no worries, I'm glad to help!

Thanks for the advice but its all too difficult (for me). Windows 7 doesn't have a Documents and Settings folder. I eventuall found the AppData under my username then found three folders for AppData ....Local, Local Low and Roaming none of which has the fsx.cfg fle.
I still have no idea where the fsx.cfg file is.

Please excuse me for not making myself clear enough!

It will be C:/User/'Name'/AppData/Roaming/Microsoft/FSX/

It wasn't your fault, it was me for assuming your Operating System!

Thanks for all your help.

No problem.

To eyton402:

I too am looking to upgrade my 1st computer. It runs on an AMD's Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Black Edition OCed to 3.4. My 2nd computer is the intel i7-920 along with a GTX 280. I will say that the i7-920 has shown a modest improvemnt over the Athlon, but not as much as I wanted.

So if Iwanted to have a really good system, and from what I have been reading and watching (look at crashmax73 videos under youtube) the i7-980x is the ticket. However it is $999. Quite a wallop in your pocket. I would go for the i7-950, considering it has gone down in price.

Then there is the newly released i7-2600k Sandy Bridge 3.4 Ghz with OC capabilities in the 4Gz and beyond bracket, and from I read it is quite the competitor. It is priced a little more than the 950. I would like to see the 950 and 2600k go head-to-head. It aleady went head-to-head with the 980x and came out looking pretty good.

Then there is the Ivy Bridge, Intel's 22nm chip. To be released to the consumer in 2012. A completely different chip acording to Intel. It seemes the smaller the chip the better OC abilities it has.

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/323323-i7-2600k-vs-i7-950/

oh yeah