I am going to be purchasing my MB and CPU shortly and wanted to know what you all though about the X4 9950. I never have traffic maxed out I mostly fly online via Squawk  Box. Does anybody have any input to this processor?

Thanks!

It depends on what you are coming from if it will equate to anything for you but if this FSX you are talking about anything AMD pretty much bites for gaining perf

your trying to build a FSX tower and use addons along side FSX

I have 2 questions and will check back tommorow..

1. Are you running FSX now with these addons?

2. What are you running for a system right now... CPU, memory, video card, motherboard

I think after you fly FSX you may reconsider the "I dont need secenery" thought  


If you are looking to place yourself in a system that will carry you for 2 years (up to FS11) and allow upgrades in video card and possibly processor and memory again then i7 would be the way to go however, i7 920 unclocked is not the way to go.

The i7 line of processors are easier to overclock than the Q Core2 of the past. If you do not intend to clock then I would at the very least go with the i7 940 and you can still clock that processor should you decide to at some point.

A 940 will clock to 3.4Ghz without any special cooling but will require a larger heatsink to clock higher. All of the i7 processors will reach 4GHz with the 940 getting there easier than the 920.

Memory choice is based on if you intend to ever clock or not. If not, 1333 memory is fine. If so 1600 memory is suggested to cover you in clock calculations. In either case you always want the lowest timing memory possible for best performance.

i7 requires special DDR3 memory which is rated no higher than 1.65v and comes in tri-channel kits (3 sticks)

sticks come in 3x1GB and 3x2GB kits

In order to make use of more than 3GB you need to be on a x64 operating system.. either WindowsXP x64 SP2 which is what I use or Vista x64. You can run a 32bit OS on more than 2GB but it will be limited to accessing a max of 3.2GB or less and only with special OS boot file tweaks for VM.

I guess the next question is, what are you looking to spend.

You will need to build from scratch which means a purchase of a tower, PSU, HDD(s), memory, processor and possibly CDroms if what you have there is old. You will need DVD drives to install FSX.

You cant use HDD's from that old system,.. they are too slow

When considering the cost, remember that what you spend now will determine what you get for the next year or two

Either a 260 or 280GTX.. and if you can afford it, go with the 280 and get the fastest core and memory speed you can... they are sold with different specs for core and memory speed.

640 core speed and

Do keep in mind the higher the resolution the greater the load.. 1920x1200 is a good resolution to work with in a 24" monitor




CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115201

MEMORY: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227365  (covers you for 1333-1600 and any clocking you may wish to do)

MOTHERBOARD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131351

HARD DRIVE: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136260

NOTE: You can use 2 hard drives.. one for OS and installed programs and one for FSX and addons

2 x http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136296

VIDEO CARD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130368

Power Supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703009

Other devices such as CD/DVD floppy etc are up to you

I do suggest a GOOD tower that does not restrict airflow. The trick with towers is the fan ports.. are they perf metal like this?  

http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/productimage/11-144-151-16.jpg

or are they OPEN fan grills that allow airflow like this:

http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/productimage/11-163-075-07.jpg

you want a tower with fan ports like images #2

This is an awesome tower: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163075


They carry the TJ09 and 10 series in silver, black and with plex windows too


Look for the TJ09

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH...

or the TJ10

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH...

Aircraft quality, professionally made.. they are what I use



Extra fans may be needed.. tower usually comes with 2 120mm fans but you can add 2 more. I use Sony Fluid Dynamic bearing fans for ultra quiet operation

lower CFM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185005

Higher CFM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185006


Overclocking heatsink
>3.4GHz clocking use: Thermalright 120 Extreme 1366 edition

Coming to newegg and other shops soon.. you can get one here now though:

http://www.quietpcusa.com/Thermalright-Ultra-120-Extreme-1366-RT-Quiet-CPU-Coole...


How to clock

The first post in this thread may seem a bit heavy but it will get you orientated to the clocking process and it includes the 920, 940 and 965.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=205688&highlight=nehalem+10...


however...

This video is a very simplified clocking tutorial video using that information

http://www.linustechtips.com/how-to/ncix-tech-tips-19-intel-core-i7-video-overcl...


You dont have to clock to the max.

oppsss

sorry.. links fixed

I do

Anything that places the data at the edge of the platter increases performance through basic geometry.

I format the FSX drive to 64K clusters instead of the default 4K using Acronis Disk Director (Windows does not allow 64K) and that cuts way down on fragmentation.. you lose a little space but its worth it to keep it clean.

I use O&O Defrag and run multiple passes of Complete\Name defrag with a reboot between each pass... there is a list in the FSX forum for system optimizing and using the right software for defrag.. sticky at the top of the forum


With the larger Raptor you can install everything to one drive however you can not format the drive to 64K clusters.. no Windows partition can be formatted to anything other than 4K

Do not partition performance disks.. one drive, one partition.. only partition storage disks that hold backups and that type of data

You could get away with a different drive for the OS but dont use the ones you have now unless they are modern SATAII units.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148309

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136320

Well

1080 is actually lower resolution than FSX wants to run and I have heard of people doing that and it works however you may need do a bit of settings work for it to run right... the drivers need to be set up for HDTV display

I have never done it.

Yes, Alienware is garbage especially their laptops

the only laptop on the planet which is really sufficient to run FSX well is the Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q708 for 4000 bucks

G1000Pilot wrote on Dec 9^th, 2008 at 12:49am:



not even close

TOTAL 0/P       460W

EFFICIENCY         70% MIN. AT FULL LOAD

that means when the unit heats up and gets hot you get 70% of 460watts

which is 1/2 the power you need to run the parts I posted and do any clocking

that PSU would not be sufficient for a AMD 3700+ on a ATI 1900XT



you need a decent 750watt PSU

you can not get this one?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703009

ok i ordered that PSU. This should be good for when i OC as well correct?

cause88 wrote on Dec 9^th, 2008 at 10:20pm:



With the partition part. If you already have a hard drive with an OS on it then you can open up your computer, plug in the second hard drive using the sata cable and the power for it, then turn your pc on, once its on and running it will boot into widows normally you will have to format the space on the hard drive (i think) using admin tools, computer management, storage tools, disk management, you always format the drives to NTFS. You assign it a drive letter and then it will be an empty hard drive with nothing on it ready to use. You can then start installing all your MSFS stuff on it .

Or you can use acronis to format the drive changing the clusters to 64K like nick suggests


Acronis will turn the NEW hard drive with nothing on it to 64K but and partition with WINDOWS installed on it will not be able to do the 64K. But with the new hard drive its ok because theres no windows on there .


If you have a hard drive used ONLY for storage (just storing files no games or programs ect.) then it is ok to partition it because this will decrease the performance but who cares? its storage. Partitioning the storage will make it easier to find everything or you could have one partition of the storage disk for windows backups and the other for storage. It just keeps everything clean. So dont partition hard drives if they have programs or an OS or games on them because it will decrease performance and it is not a prerequisite to partition storage but can keep things clean.

Hope this answers your questions.

Apparently I am making this way more complicated than it is. I have used a 2nd drive for years as a storage only drive. I was totally unaware that I could run programs out of it. I just dragged stuff back and forth between the OS drive and the storage drive. Mainly digital photos and back up stuff that I didn’t want to lose in case of an OS crash.

This is ok, many people do this.

So windows must be installed on a drive that is formatted to the smaller cluster, however it will still talk to and use the drive with the higher cluster format, so long as it is installed after the OS drive is online. I think I got it.


Yes that is correct if you edit it to this


So windows must be installed on a drive that is formatted to the smaller cluster, however it will still talk to the drive with the higher cluster format, so long as it is installed after the OS drive is online. I think I got it.


You can also move this second hard drive with no OS on it to any other computer that also has an OS and still have all the files in tact and ready to go. It is essentially the next step up from "plug and play" because instead of just plugging and playing you have to open the case first .



I have for all these years, when doing a reformat, always partitioned the drive that windows was going to go on, but I set the partition to the size of all of the available unpartitioned space that the system would allow me too. That way I had one great big partition and then kept everything in folders for easy retrieval. So I guess I should not be doing that. I should be skipping the partition phase and just installing windows on the unpartitioned space, if I understand correctly. So format the drive, but don’t partition it.

No what you were doing is correct

You have to partition it but with just ONE partition. So for example you look at My Computer you will see only C:\ drive in it (+ cd drives etc.) You need at least one partition to be able to put things on it. But in your case if you have 2 hard drives you will see C:\ drive and D:\ drive as both of the different hard drives.

If you have 2 partitions then this means that your C:\ drive and D:\ drive will both be from the same hard drive. This allows you to format your windows from C:\ and keep all of your information on D:\.

any cable will work with a SATA II drive as long as it supports the 3gb speed correct? I am going to buy one raptor and the other is a 7200speed 3.0gb from the same manufacturer.

Any recommendations Nick?

Thanks!

And sorry to bug you again about the PSU, however, It arrives tomorrow and I just wanted to verify that this will suffice even when I OC. For the 940 i7 if i were to boost it to 3.5 would you recommend a different heat sink?

Thanks Nick! I think i will get everything up and running before i get the heatsink, the 940 should do the trick fairly well without a major OC for now. Does that heatsink mount up with screws or does it involve soldering?

I checked out your terrain package! I am going to order that up for sure! That is amazing.

The PSU arrived, it looks pretty awesome. Is there any way to make sure it is working without having a motherboard or anything? When i plugged it in and turned on the PSU switch I could not tell if it was working properly.

Thanks again.

Everything else is mounted and waiting for the MB and CPU!

I will wait, thanks for the input.

they have the board.. just not the OC PALM edition

the OC Palm is just a LCD digital display of temps


they have the one without the LCD unit

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131346

same board same BIOS same everything.. just no external display


Mwave has the OC Palm (they are good folks)

http://www.mwave.com/mwave/DeepSearch_v2.asp?scriteria=P6T+Palm&ALL=y&TP=

G1000Pilot wrote on Dec 23^rd, 2008 at 11:47pm:



Not at all.. especially if the i7 is clocked

it would the be card of choice

when buying one you will see many different offerings... let me look one up

ok thanks Nick! I went to Frys and saw 2 different versions. NewEgg BLOWS their prices away!

I will post some other questions on the other forum section as well, however, besides your terrain payware product I want a good weather add on. My biggest problem with FSX weather is that stupid haze layer.

have you tried http://www.hifisim.com/asa.php

Good deal, i will order that Pre-Clocked one!

This is going to be a sweet rig!

by the way.. its not FRY's its CRY's

thats what you do every time you buy something there and find out you could have bought it cheaper almost anywhere else

Newegg, Mwave, ZipZoomFly are my main parts houses.. Newegg being the primary

I have others too which are my super secret 'special parts' holes

mine's already loaded up into the case and everything is connected.. just gotta wait till the memory arrives and pop in the 3 sticks and OC to 4ghz  

Best laptop... ever...

http://www.eurocom.com/products/future/specselectfuture.cfm?model_id=201

I am finally ordering the i7 940! It has been a busy year but I have found the time to finish my project up.

Any updates on a good graphics card/hardrive? Those are the last two things i have to order up.

Thanks NickN!

Wow... I haven't seen this thread in a while

G1000Pilot wrote on Jan 29^th, 2009 at 8:55pm:

The system is running very nicely. The TRUE cooler allowed me to clock it up to 3.8ghz stable with temps at 66c MAX during an OCCT stress test. The video card I'm using is the original GTX 260 and that's clocked VERY nicely. I can't be happier with this system

I'm on the i7 920, so your 940 should clock up to 4ghz easily

Definitely the VRaptor is the way to go for the sim. I recommend the 300gb one; much more room for more addons. You'd be surprise how quickly they can all add up

For weather, nothing is better than Active Sky Advanced

just follow the first 4-5 posts in the FSX forum for setting up. They have all the links and instructions

you do not need to mess with marking the OS for >2GB but make sure you use Vista64 and not 32 for this system

This thread should be a sticky!  One of the best Nick advice threads on building a i7 project from scratch for the i7 leaning simmers.

Everything has arrived. Tonight I will put the Graphics card in, the processor, and boot her up for the first time!

Nick,

do i put the drive as IDE, RAID, or ACHI???? When i try to install windows it says none of the drives can be used but it does show their respective names.

Nick,

I changed it to Enhanced: IDE  As long as it shows this in BIOS we are good to go right?

When I formatted the 300gb VR I justed used the 4069 Cluster, let me know if I should re-do it at a different level. This drive is DEDICATED to FSX.


Anti-Virus: Any reccomendations? I am going to go through the VISTA optimization tonight, but I do not remember reading anything on anti-vi.


Tonights goals: Nhancer, O&O (should I run this now even though I have not even used the drives), and obtain anti-vi/spyware removal per your advice.


I was amazed how everything has come together so far, it was not as hard as I thought..... although the true test will be FSX 

G1000Pilot wrote on May 19^th, 2009 at 11:12am:


Yes.. good to go

I use a 64K allocation for my dedicated FSX drives and not 4K. Its not mandatory but it does help

As for AV

NOD32.. just the AV and NOT their security suite

http://www.eset.com/products/nod32.php


you should install EVERYTHING completely and use the RIGHT install order when installing FSX with its patches. Install all your software and addons.. then after everything is installed you start the optimize process for the OS.

http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1208959973

You do not tune FSX till after all the optimizing work including the defrags are complete

http://www.simforums.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=29041

after all that then the clocking phase starts and when complete you may need to re-trim the sim a bit

example:
http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1240304019/23#23

As a pilot you should not have any problems with this.. its pretty simple

G1000Pilot wrote on May 19^th, 2009 at 6:25pm:



Nhancer can go in at any time.. setting it up comes after everything is installed

If you are looking for GE its located here

http://www.flight1.com/products.asp?product=gexusacan

After installation open the interface and make sure you click the UPDATES button in the interface and download update 1.08. Close the interface, install the patch, then run the interface.

If you do not use UTX you only need the first 2 options.. if you use UTX then install all 4

UPDATE:

OO and NOD are installed! FSX is installing now..... Stay tuned 

If you have Vista.. you have DX10 (

which you WONT be using for FSX anyway

)

Just make sure you have the latest DX updates as the link was provided in my FSX install/tune list

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=2da43d38-db71-4c1b-bc6a...

As for Vista... review this post and go down the list...

http://www.simforums.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=30437&PID=174126#174126

http://www.simforums.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=30437&PID=174127#174127

it corresponds to my WindowsXP post and how to tune the OS for performance except it takes into account the nonsense in Visa like UAC, SEARCH and MS PRETENDER (defender)


So what YOU do is go through the links above.. then finish by going down the XP list I posted at the top of the FSX forum.. the items that you already did SKIP and then finish off by running the defrags after all software/addons are installed.

With Nhancer 2.5.1 you must be running Net 3.5. Make sure you have Net 3.5 installed. I know Vista comes with 3.0 but I dont know if they upgraded that on their disk or if it will come with Windows Update patches.

Thats another thing too.. make sure you are fully updated from Windows Update.

Also.. newer Nvidia driver may not be the best. I am not sure what video driver you are running. If you installed the one from the CD that came with the card you may need to upgrade that. Let me know what video driver version you are on.



BSOD's do not sound good.. could be related to something on the website Vista does not like but that one I am not sure.. I would need to see the error message.

Nick is FSX acceleration required or can i just get the SP1 then install SP2? I mainly fly on VATSIM (boring airline practice stuff).

ok thanks! You agree that i should just reformat the entire FSX hardrive and start over right?

The BSOD is freaking me out a little bit; however, maybe it will resolve after I fix up the OS and what not.

I will however take a guess at this.. go into your BIOS and do the following:

NOTE:


Under the ADVANCED Menu

JumperFree Configuration Settings

AI Overclock tuner: MANUAL

CPU Ratio Setting: AUTO
Intel (R) Turbo Mode Tech: ENABLED/ (DISABLED IF CLOCKING CPU)
BLCK Frequency: AUTO (or 133)
PCIE Frequency: 100
DRAM Frequency: 1600
UCLK Frequency: 3200Mhz  always 2 x DRAM FREQUENCY



DRAM VOLTAGE: 1.65 (1.66 is fine too)

QPI/DRAM VOLTAGE: 1.35v (1.37v is OK as well)

DRAM Timing Control: MANUAL

Asuuming this is the memory product:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227365

1st Information :

CAS# Latency: 8
DRAM RAS# to CAS# Delay: 8
DRAM RAS# PRE Time: 8
DRAM RAS# ACT Time: 24
DRAM RAS# to RAS# Delay: AUTO
DRAM REF Cycle Time: AUTO
DRAM Write Recovery Time: AUTO
DRAM Read to Precharge Time: AUTO
DRAM FOUR ACT WIN Time: AUTO
DRAM Back-To-Back CAS# Delay: AUTO

2nd Information :

DRAM Timing Mode: 1N
DRAM Round Trip Latency on CHA: AUTO
DRAM Round Trip Latency on CHB: AUTO
DRAM Round Trip Latency on CHC: AUTO






F10 save and exit


see if your BSOD clears.. if it does you most likely have a corrupt OS and FSX install due to memory voltage not being correct before you started installing everything. If it appears that is so then start over with the settings I posted above in the BIOS and wipe it all out.

If not, I need to know exactly what the conditions are with the BSOD and what the error message says.

go back up and read what I posted about your BIOS

1600 memory needs 1.65v.. if the BIOS is set to AUTO it may not be running DRAM VOLTAGE correctly and when DRAM VOLTAGE is set to 1.65, QPI/DRAM VOLTAGE must come up to 1.35v

If that is true then everything was installed on flaky memory and if that BSOD is no longer showing.. I suggest you start over and wipe it, all

send 50,000 in small unmarked bills to:

Boy Did I Get Ripped Off
PO Box 90210
Walla Walla, Washington 99362

Please allow 4-6 weeks for us to leave the country

All the stuff below is what i had to change. It says i am in overclock mode now (the ASUS utility that automatically controls fan/power settings so it is not able to work anymore). After I saved and Exit it gave me the BSOD right away after booting normally.

Any thoughts







DRAM VOLTAGE: 1.65 (1.66 is fine too)

QPI/DRAM VOLTAGE: 1.35v (1.37v is OK as well)

DRAM Timing Control: MANUAL

Asuuming this is the memory product:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227365

1st Information :

CAS# Latency: 8
DRAM RAS# to CAS# Delay: 8
DRAM RAS# PRE Time: 8
DRAM RAS# ACT Time: 24
DRAM RAS# to RAS# Delay: AUTO
DRAM REF Cycle Time: AUTO
DRAM Write Recovery Time: AUTO
DRAM Read to Precharge Time: AUTO
DRAM FOUR ACT WIN Time: AUTO
DRAM Back-To-Back CAS# Delay: AUTO

2nd Information :

DRAM Timing Mode: 1N
DRAM Round Trip Latency on CHA: AUTO
DRAM Round Trip Latency on CHB: AUTO
DRAM Round Trip Latency on CHC: AUTO

The log from the error does not help.. because the information I need is on the blue screen itself. What you posted is useless to me. That is part of the log which requires special software to decompile and show the full error

I need you to write down what is on the screen.

example

IRQ_NOT_LESS_THAN_EQUAL with a number string and possbly a file named


I dont need the full blow "if this is the first time you have seen this error"... junk

Go to System and Maintenance->System->Advanced system settings->Startup and recovery settings and uncheck the box to automatically restart. That will let the BSOD remain visible, giving you the opportunity to write down the STOP code and error message.





Those setting should not have crashed.. something is not right


go into the BIOS and also set this with what I posted above:

Note: Not all settings may appear


Advance CPU Settings
CPU Ratio Setting: Auto
C1E Suppport: DISABLED
Hardware Prefetcher: ENABLED
Adjacent Cache Line Prefetch: ENABLED
Intel® Virtualization Tech: DISABLED
CPU TM Function: DISABLED
Execute Disable Bit: DISABLED
Intel (R) HT Techology: DISABLED
Active Processor Cores: ALL
A20M: DISABLE
Intel (R) SpeedStep (TM) Tech: DISABLED
Intel (R) Turbo Mode Tech: DISABLED
Intel (R) C-STATE Tech: DISABLED



also... if it crashes again, try them with UCLK Frequency: AUTO


something is definitely not right here

Lets get a look at that error.

It makes no sense this tower is blue screening unless

1. corrupt install happened on the wrong BIOS settings.. but you said the voltages were correct before making the other changes in the BIOS.

2. some kind of hardware failure

3. Some kind of driver conflict

ONe more thing:

If you can give me a Final checklist to do tomorrow when I get back that would be great! I will make sure to follow it to a T.

Nick,

BSOD INFO:

It gives me the usual part on top the

Technical Information:

***STOP" 0x0000007E (0xffffffffc0000005, 0xfffff9800096b7cb, 0xfffff9800149a928, goes off screen to right

*** NETIO.SYS - Address FFFFF 9800096b7CB Base at FFFFF980095c000


Please note that once i started the machine up this was the first time i was trying to download Vista SP1.

Also, I did install my memory cards as per the Asus Manuals instructions for 3 sticks. It tells you which slots they go in.

I really hope this helps. Let me know if i should run that bios test.

Thanks

SP 1 and a windows recomended update for my network car/graphics card I appear to be operating great with now BSODS (for not at least). What do i do next? I want to make sure we get everything normal, including BIOS (i am pretty sure everything is as you wanted it from before) any key items to double check.


I also want to dump the FSX hardrive and start from scratch. A simple reformat from within windows should do the trick correct?

ok reformatted in 64k clusters. I am installing FSX right now per your guidelines. Can you please confirm that once i get sp1/2 I do not tune the sim until i get through the OS, programs, FSX/addons and defrag?

G1000Pilot wrote on May 25^th, 2009 at 12:09am:



acceleration installed? or just SP2?

I have seen this before.. somethin wipes out the RENO area (115) in FSX but I never did find out what caused it.. is this a fresh FSX install with no other addons? Nothing past FSX installed or uninstalled?

I always suspected it was some freaking addon scenery or aircraft from the internet that was doing this but its so rare to see I have never found the cause.


That may be a problem.. let me know if you have acceleration because the reno area is replaced by it




You do not tune the sim till after the defrags and that does not happen till everything is installed

You can do some basics in the FSX.cfg.. and setup for FSX

see the FSX.cfg section of the tuning thread for the exact lines

Texture_Bandwidth set to 80
Wide screen.. if you have one set it to TRUE if not leave it false

Disable preload =1 <--- added under the MAIN section

we will look at bufferpools later.. dont add that yet.. save and close the FSX.cfg

Open FSX..


Scroll down till you see the images of the FSX settings... set yours up exactly as I posted and make sure everything is the same, except set your AL and GA traffic to 30 (both), set cars to 8 and set autogen level to VERY DENSE.. everything else exactly, including the checkboxes.

Set your frame lock to 28 and set the resolution of your monitor.

REALISM button.. dropdown select HARD then set PFactor slider to 50%.. .the settings on the opposite side of the sliders such as collisions and fuel you can set as needed

close FSX


I bet that tunes you damn close.. none the less you cant really judge anything till its defraged


I need to hit the sack.. will check back tomorrow

I figured it out Nick! I guess I re-installed it as a repair. You have to uninstall the SP2 version, and then the regular version appeared! I uninstalled both of those and I am not reformatting the drive again as a precaution. After I get all of that in I with SP1/2 I will download Active Sky Xtreme, REX, Ext...

Nick,

This puppy is FAST!!!! I can just feel the power of it! It really pays to do this right.

Ok so here is where we are at:

1) FSX Is installed with sp1/2, I verified Direct X and added the C++

2)This afternoon I will install the addons
         - If i want the captain sim 757, should i do this now or can this wait?

3) OS optimization begins with the provided posts.

4) I will then get the driver for the GC you recommended as well as Nhancer.

5) OO Defrag

6) FSX Tuning begins

How does this sound?