FSX/Hardware Guru? Please Help!

If you get a better video card (you have a PCI) slot free you'll get much better performance.
Check with Dell what you can get and you'll have to disable the on-board card you have now.
Don't get a high end card, I doubt that Dell gave you a powerful enough power supply to handle it.

Explain what you mean by explode. do you hear sounds??

Appreciate the advice!

Well, it sounds like a car accelerating or sustained RPMs...My wife says it's the fan (she works in IT). My guess is I am taxing the system when I run FSX, especially the more aggressive missions/jets...

My settings are pretty low as is. It's really bad when I run the UFO chase mission from the acceleration pack or just fly a jet in general.

If it's the fan (I'm sure shes right) then you are pushing the system (FSX is very graphic intensive).
It's OK because the fan is doing it's job.
You could add a fan on the rear grid of the computer case to blow out the warm air.
Very easy to install and very cheap to buy ($20).

Your settings are low because of the card, it's nowhere near good enough for this Sim.

Thanks again...I will call Dell and see what they suggest. So is the video card really the main upgrade or do I need to bump up my RAM to 4 gigs as well?

Getting the extra RAM is always good any way since I run a lot of design programs, just wondering what the essentials are for FSX on this system.

XP won't recognise 4 gigs and your processor (CPU) doesn't warrant that much .

Ah, good to know. So just the video card then. Also, I do have my box in a little half-enclosed shelf in the custom desk I had made...Is that not good? I wonder about that sometimes...Here's a photo...

Open the back if you can, it's hot and dusty in there.
It picks up dust from the carpet through the front of the case.

That's a mighty small box there in that picture. There might not be a video card to fit in there. The open PCI slot in it is probably a PCIE-x1 for a sound card or something.

mdaskalos