I have the 7600 GT but plan on getting the 8600 GT...

I don't have one but I know it would be better. It is Direct X 10 so you should certainly get more FPS.

The 7600GT is not pathetic.. Im using a 7600GT-KO and am getting over 50fps standard, and 75fps in less dense areas...

You can check out the quality in the screenshots April contest, or the videos in my sig.

What are your other system specs?

System specs are as follows....

Processor: .........E6300 Core2Duo 1.86ghz overclocked to 3.43ghz Orthos Stable
Motherboard: .....Gigabyte 965P-DS3 v3.3
Memory: ............Patriot 2x1gb PC2-6400 800mhz overclocked to 1000mhz
Cooling: .............Alienware Liquid Cooling System
Video:................ Nvidia 7600GT-KO @ factory speeds 580mhz Core / 1.5ghz Memory 256mb
Sound: ...............Creative Labs Audigy 2 SE
Power: ...............650w Silverstone PSU
Storage: .............160gig x 2 Baracuda's SATA2
Case: ..................ntec 900 with (3) 120mm Intake (1) 120mm Exhaust (1) 200mm ehaust

FSX is more processor intensive than video intensive... thats why I am beating many people using 8800GTX video cards, since I out process their processors. Im ranked very high in PCMark05. Im only ranked about half way in 3DMark since that is based on video, not full system specs...

In any case, here is a screenshot with FPS showing so you can see.... the 7600 can perform just fine.

An 8800 GTS card that is unreachable? How much are you willing to spend? I have a EGVA/ NVidia 8800 Superclocked GTS card that cost me 320 dollars!!! 70 dollars less would have gotten me a normal 8800 GTS card and an extra 100 more would have got me an 8800 GTX card. I didn't think the card was expensive at all, comparing it to its more advanced sibling. 😕

JLangevin wrote:

FSX is more processor intensive than video intensive... thats why I am beating many people using 8800GTX video cards, since I out process their processors. Im ranked very high in PCMark05. Im only ranked about half way in 3DMark since that is based on video, not full system specs...

You are not quite correct there.....

It is all about what applications a user what his system to do. A guy who isn't quite into gaming may buy a 8800 GTX simply because they like to watch HD movies or shows on his PC. Or the person likes to do video editing as well as play games and sims. There are also a lot of games that requires an excellent graphic card just for the rendering alone, not just for the processing power. So it all depends on what the user wants out of their system.

And by the way, I recall beating your 3DMark score......and I use a 8800GTS video card!!! I'll post my specs, pics, and 3D Mark score a little later today on your recent thead. Gotta clean up the desk a bit. 😉

3D Mark only ranks you within the catagory of your video card... if you had an 8800 and did NOT beat me, then I would say you have something seriously wrong...

Do me a favor, take a screenshot with the visual sliders maxed, take of from KLAX and take a screen shot of your FPS with clouds

Hey JLangevin,

Thanks for your insight and input. I found it very intriguing. There are many people who are pushing for me to get a a very intensive graphics card. If it's processor power, I need, then I will make way for it... I was really hoping that this card I had (7600 GT) would the trick but I see that the CPU seems to be the culprit. I have a Pentium D 940 - weird I thought that since it had a 4M L1/L2 cache that it would be a very powerful processor. How does a Pentium Duo 2 Core outrun the Pentium D?

- Kareem

Kareem-

My previous setup included an extremely overclocked Pentium D 805 2.66ghz running at 3.62ghz.... All I did was change the processor out for the E6300, and WITHOUT overclocking the Core2Duo, I doubled my FPS... I then changed the Mobo and memory and began overclocking and doubled it again... then again... Ive maxed out at 70fps. I was looking at possible getting the 8600GTS since its cheap and still outclocks the 7600... Perhaps I will one day get an 8800GTX, who knows...