OK, Ok, Ok. So if you are an an experienced computer assembler you can make a superior system.

But I'm a pilot,  not an electronics guru  (after all Babe Ruth didn't have to make his own bats did he ?)  so what commercially available computer should I be looking to buy ?

I'm willing to have some computer super store install a card or so in the new machine, but what machine is my best choice to run CFS3, FS 2k4 and and Falcon 4 ? It would be nice to have it also handle the upcoming FS 2k? when it finally arrives on the market.

I don't want to build one I just want to buy one in a box and have it give very good performance with those games.

Any ideas ?

Gringo6

Just get one with an nForce4 ultra or nForce4 SLI chipset mainboard on socket 939, Athlon 64 3500+ CPU minimum, 1 gb PC3200 (DDR 400) RAM minimum, nVidia 6600GT PCIexpress graphics card minimum, preferably a nv7800 series.

All the Hard drives,  DVDROM's, Printers and extras wont buy you performance, so consider those things last.

If it has the above, you can't go wrong, if it doesn't you are asking for trouble in one form or another, there are intel based systems that work as well, but they will be more expensive for the same performance category.

There are no pretenders and the spec should read as above if it's AMD based. A local PC shop would be glad to custom build it for you, if they attempt to alter the spec, insist or go somewhere else. Any mass produced PC is gonna have either inadequate hardware or an excesssive price tag, start shopping for the above spec and see what I mean.

SLI mainboards can use 2 expensive graphics cards to increase performance in some games, but a single new nv7800 graphics cards will outdo most, if not all non7800 SLI PC's.

Just give the local custom PC guy a copy of this post, he'll know exactly what you require then. Get a quote and then see if you can do better with the big boys, but I doubt it.  Quality and manufacturer are secondary considerations as there are only one or two suspect manufacturers who produce components of this calibre.

If you are worried about the brand, check here again and quote what you found so we can check it out.

Thanks Congo and others.

Should I elect to go this way what operating system should I specify ?

Gringo6

OK Thanks,