LOOKING TO BUILD A NEW PC FOR FSX THEN LOOK HERE!

***paulb*** · January 31st, 2011, 08:26

Originally Posted by txnetcop

I just finished testing FSX on our i7 2600K SandyBridge unit at TechCorp vs the old budget i7Core 950 for the second time. The results are about the same as last time. While the stock i7 2600k is about 38-40% faster than the stock i7 950 that difference did not show up in FSX. It did show up in some other games like Left For Dead, BIOSHOCK, FAR CRY2, and CALL FOR DUTY Black OPS. It was 5-9 frames per second faster in each game. Overclocked to 4.2 the i7 950 on an ASUS Sabretooth mother board outdistanced the i72600k by 3-5 frame rates per second and in FSX it ran 5 fps faster on avg. I could only overclock the i7 2600 to 4 ghz for some reason-still looking into it!

Why I still believe the i7 950 with a very good motherboard..those mentioned at the beginning of the thread, is a better deal to start with. The upgrade path for the 1366 socket is better because it leads to the capability to go to hex core. The 980X is very powerful even in FSX there is gain but just not enough to justify spending $1000.00 on just the CPU unless you happen to be rolling in GREEN stuff like Hey Moe! It may come in handy for Microsoft Flight...I don't know that for sure yet. The point is build your system so that you can upgrade when you gaming demands it. For the SandyBridge boards i7 2600k is top dog and there will be a 2800k in few months but no planned six cores. Bandwidth is everything when comes to flight simulation. If you are on a budget or just cautious I still say go with the i7 Core 950 to start. Just choose the best compatible memory, motherboard and video to make your experience enjoyable! Will you still get micro-stutters-only when you exceed the limitations of your setup!
Ted

I will add that if you are one of those that rarely upgrades there is no fault in starting with the i7 2600k SandyBridge just make sure you buy a premium motherboard and 1600mhz memory for FSX

Hi Ted

That is very interesting. Thanks for sharing the info with us. Interestingly, I have been reading a number of game comparisons on different sites over the past few days. They don't test FSX any longer, but when they tested 'cpu intensive' games - there was no 'real' difference between the unclocked i7 950 and an unclocked i7 2600K. That brought me to the conclusion that 'probably' I would not see any difference between them in FSX either. Your test now confirms that.

Interesting to hear of the forthcoming 2800K.

Out of interest what speed was your memory in the FSX test?

Cheers

Paul

**txnetcop** · January 31st, 2011, 09:23

Originally Posted by paulb

Hi Ted

That is very interesting. Thanks for sharing the info with us. Interestingly, I have been reading a number of game comparisons on different sites over the past few days. They don't test FSX any longer, but when they tested 'cpu intensive' games - there was no 'real' difference between the unclocked i7 950 and an unclocked i7 2600K. That brought me to the conclusion that 'probably' I would not see any difference between them in FSX either. Your test now confirms that.

Interesting to hear of the forthcoming 2800K.

Out of interest what speed was your memory in the FSX test?

Cheers

Paul

Hi Paul...1600mhz on both systems

***paulb*** · January 31st, 2011, 11:49

Thanks Ted

**BushAV8R** · February 4th, 2011, 10:46

Hi,

What would you think about the following setup?

CPU: Intel Core i7-2600K
Cooler: Prolimatech Megahalems incl. BeQuiet! PWM (TOP!)
Board: ASUS P8P67 Deluxe, Intel P67
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 1280MB
RAM: 8GB Corsair XMS3 Dominator DDR3-1600 CL7
Disc: 1TB Samsung Spinpoint F3 32MB Cache, SATA2
Power: 700W BeQuiet! System Power
Case: Coolermaster CM-690 II Advanced

Would be great to hear a few comments. This setup is around $2000 or 1500 euros.

Thanks!

-Pete

***kilo delta*** · February 4th, 2011, 11:28

Originally Posted by BushAV8R

Hi,

What would you think about the following setup?

CPU: Intel Core i7-2600K
Cooler: Prolimatech Megahalems incl. BeQuiet! PWM (TOP!)
Board: ASUS P8P67 Deluxe, Intel P67
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 1280MB
RAM: 8GB Corsair XMS3 Dominator DDR3-1600 CL7
Disc: 1TB Samsung Spinpoint F3 32MB Cache, SATA2
Power: 700W BeQuiet! System Power
Case: Coolermaster CM-690 II Advanced

Would be great to hear a few comments. This setup is around $2000 or 1500 euros.

Thanks!

-Pete

Looks to be a good 'un. Personally...I'm holding off a bit on my Sandy Bridge build.

**txnetcop** · February 4th, 2011, 12:09

Ditto sounds like a plan for that kind of money...make sure you get latest revision motherboard that includes the SATA fix!
Ted

**BushAV8R** · February 5th, 2011, 03:20

Thanks for the comments.

I heard about the Sandy Bridge problems. That explains why one of the shops where I tried to configure and order my PC is not offering the ASUS motherboard anymore at the moment. Probably due to the current problems.

Is there in estimate when ASUS will have the SATA fix?

Pete

***kilo delta*** · February 5th, 2011, 03:57

Originally Posted by BushAV8R

Thanks for the comments.

I heard about the Sandy Bridge problems. That explains why one of the shops where I tried to configure and order my PC is not offering the ASUS motherboard anymore at the moment. Probably due to the current problems.

Is there in estimate when ASUS will have the SATA fix?

Pete

As Ted has already mentioned...the latest revision boards should have the fix already. Just double check with your board.

http://event.asus.com/2011/SandyBridge/notice/

**txnetcop** · February 5th, 2011, 04:30

Get ready for a new powerhouse motherboard for SandyBridge processors:
These are currently in test at TechCorp and the news is good for us overclocker maniacs!
What makes the Big-Bang Marshal so special among its fellow LGA 1155 peers, is MSI's implementation of the Lucid Hydra chip, that enabled the company to equip the board with no less than eight PCI Express x16 slots.

These can be used in order to install an impressive number of graphics cards, running either in CrossFireX or SLI, the Lucid chip even allowing users to mix and match models from different vendors.

In addition, to further cater to the needs of the GAMING crowd, MSI has decided to pair the motherboard with a Creative X-Fi MB2 chip that enabled the use of EAX 5.0 sound effects and carries THX TruStudio Pro stereo certification.

As I mentioned above, overclockers haven't been forgotten, as the Big-Bang Marshal comes equipped with a 24-phase DrMOS power design, dual 8-pin CPU power plugs, a set of 6-pin VGA power supply connectors (for providing additional power to the installed GPUs), on-board power, reset, clear CMOS and OC Genies buttons, as well as a series of DIP-switches that disable and enable the PCI Express slots according to the user's preference.

Other MSI specific features, like the dedicated voltage measurement points, will also make their appearance.

As far as layout is concerned, everything seems to be arranged pretty neatly, as even the two 8-pin CPU power plugs are easily accessible.

Moving to the back of the motherboard, we find all the usual assortment of ports, but MSI went a step further than other manufacturers and included eight USB 3.0 SuperSpeed ports. All of these boards ship with the SATA fix in place!
Ted

**BushAV8R** · February 5th, 2011, 05:30

Is it true, that I am not affected by the Sandy Bridge Problem, when I am using the SATA3 interface or the additional board SATA controllers?

Unfortunately, my favorite PC Shop doesn't have the updated boards yet (probabaly end of Feb), but they gave me this answer, if I can not really wait any longer ;-)

**txnetcop** · February 5th, 2011, 07:42

Originally Posted by BushAV8R

Is it true, that I am not affected by the Sandy Bridge Problem, when I am using the SATA3 interface or the additional board SATA controllers?

Unfortunately, my favorite PC Shop doesn't have the updated boards yet (probabaly end of Feb), but they gave me this answer, if I can not really wait any longer ;-)

It takes a while for the degradation to occur, depending on how much you use your PC...

**BushAV8R** · February 5th, 2011, 08:45

So I guess I have to wait for the updated boards to arrive.

Dang, I thought I can buy my new PC next week.

Thanks a lot.

***pied*** · February 16th, 2011, 14:51

Aloha Ted (and other experts!),

I've gotten to the point where my gaming machine needs an upgrade, and this rig needs new MB.

I'm not flush enough to replace the MB/CPU/Memory and Vid Card all at the same time....

Here is what I'm thinking about:

Getting the Gigabyte MB recommended at the beginning of this thread, paired with an i7 950. I'd also be able to get the 'dominator' memory. However, I'd have to continue using the EVGA 8800gt that I already have.

Am I going to see much improvement in FSX with this plan?

Thanks for any input!

pied

**jdhaenens** · February 28th, 2011, 17:17

I'm going with a 1366 board this year, and have scored an Asus Rampage III Extreme mobo, an I7-990X CPU (same price as the 975), 12 Gigs of Corsair Dominator DDR3 2000 (ASUS QPL certified), an OCZ Single 12 V rail gold certified 1250 watt P/S, and a Zalman CNPS9900 CPU Cooler. I'll keep my two Raedon 5870 graphics cards, the Velociraptor drives (only SATA II) and my current case.

Down the road, I'll spring for an SSD and a couple of SATA 3 drives. Sandy Bridge may be next year's project. I've got the gulftown urge this year. One guy has his 990x pushing 5 MHZ on the Zalman cooler...lol, I'm sure my results will vary. I have no desire to toast a $1000.00 CPU so I'll go mild.

Jim

**txnetcop** · February 28th, 2011, 17:42

Originally Posted by pied

Aloha Ted (and other experts!),

I've gotten to the point where my gaming machine needs an upgrade, and this rig needs new MB.

I'm not flush enough to replace the MB/CPU/Memory and Vid Card all at the same time....

Here is what I'm thinking about:

Getting the Gigabyte MB recommended at the beginning of this thread, paired with an i7 950. I'd also be able to get the 'dominator' memory. However, I'd have to continue using the EVGA 8800gt that I already have.

Am I going to see much improvement in FSX with this plan?

Thanks for any input!

pied

Later, when you combine a GTX570 or 580 you will see more of a significant gain but if you will OC your new system to about 3.8GHz or better then yes you will see some gain over what you have now but very little because the problem will be with the 8800GT bandwidth. The SSD and Nvidia FERMI video cards are really winners in FSX so you will want to add those later.