Delta Virtual Airlines Water Cooler | PC Support |
PC Comparison |
DVA5544
Captain, A320
Joined on February 07 2008
"I'm at a 15° chin-up attitude." Spiez, Bern Schweiz
34 legs, 58.3 hours
24 legs,
34.9 hours ACARS
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Posted onPost created on
August 14 2009 04:54 ET by Alexander Kolb
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Hey guys. I'm looking to buy (not build) a decent computer, so I set up 3 setups I'm interested in. Tell me which one you think is best overall (for FSX).
Here's #1: $1300
AMD Phenom(TM) II X4 920 quad-core processor [2.8GHz, 2MB L2 + 6MB L3 shared, up to 4000MT/s]
• 8GB DDR2-800MHz SDRAM [4 DIMMs]
• 500GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive
• 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 220 [DVI, HDMI, VGA]
• HP w2338h 23-inch 16:9 Full HD Widescreen Monitor
• LightScribe 16X max. DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive
• Wireless-N LAN card
• 15-in-1 memory card reader, 1 USB, 1394, audio (Urgh! Only 1 USB...)
• No TV Tuner w/remote control
• Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium
• 20% OFF! HP 2.1 50W stereo speakers with subwoofer and remote control
Here's #2: $950
SAVE $30! Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor E7500 [2.93GHz]
• 4GB DDR3-1066MHz SDRAM [4 DIMMs]
• FREE UPGRADE! 640GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive from 500GB
• 512MB NVIDIA GeForce G210 [DVI, HDMI, VGA]
• HP w2338h 23-inch 16:9 Full HD Widescreen Monitor
• LightScribe 16X max. DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive
• Wireless-N LAN card
• 15-in-1 memory card reader, 2 USB, audio
• No TV Tuner w/remote control
• Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium
• 20% OFF! HP 2.1 30W stereo speakers with subwoofer and remote control
And #3: $1050
AMD Phenom(TM) 9650 quad-core processor [2.3GHz, 2MB L2 + 2MB L3 shared, up to 3600MT/s]
• 8GB DDR2-800MHz SDRAM [4 DIMMs]
• 500GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive
• 512MB NVIDIA GeForce G210 [DVI, HDMI, VGA]
• HP w2338h 23-inch 16:9 Full HD Widescreen Monitor
• LightScribe 16X max. DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive
• Wireless-N LAN card
• 15-in-1 memory card reader, 1 USB, 1394, audio
• No TV Tuner w/remote control
• Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium
• 20% OFF! HP 2.1 50W stereo speakers with subwoofer and remote control
Let me know which one you think is best, and feel free to suggest any changes I might make to make any of them better.
Alexander KolbCaptain, A320
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DVA5259
First Officer, B777-200
Joined on November 15 2007
Sacramento, CA USA
45 legs, 70.4 hours
5 legs,
9.1 hours online 43 legs,
66.5 hours ACARS
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Posted onPost created on
August 14 2009 17:07 ET by Daniel Haro
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I'd go with #2. Intel processor is a must in my book.
Daniel HaroFirst Officer, B777-200
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DVA7044
Captain, B757-200
Joined on February 12 2009
DVA Fifteen-Year Anniversary
Waterbury, CT USA
79 legs, 168.9 hours
77 legs,
163.1 hours ACARS
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Posted onPost created on
August 14 2009 17:32 ET by Bob Black
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I would go with #2 also. But if you have options I would pick the E8400 core duo 3.0 GHZ. a higher FSB and 6 MB of L2 cache. And I would opt for at least a GTS 250 video card, if the money is there.
Bob BlackCaptain, B757-200
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DVA1933
Senior Captain, B727-200
Joined on September 19 2004
Triple Century Club
Monterrey, NL Mexico
357 legs, 860.4 hours
72 legs,
132.3 hours online 255 legs,
668.3 hours ACARS 1 legs,
1.9 hours event
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Posted onPost created on
August 14 2009 18:42 ET by David Eugenio Gomez
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I would go with #2 too.
I'm an Intel guy, even though I've heard nothing but good reviews of the Phenom II CPU...
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DVA1038
Captain, B737-800
E-MAIL
Joined on January 12 2003
Century Club
"Celer, Silens, Mortalis" Summerville, SC USA
169 legs, 1,008.2 hours
56 legs,
288.5 hours online 25 legs,
221.2 hours ACARS 1 legs,
5.0 hours event
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Posted onPost created on
August 14 2009 18:49 ET by Kevin Cornish
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I'd go with number 1. Personally, I'd want more RAM and the more powerful video card. FSX can put a huge load on a system.
Kevin CornishCaptain, B737-800
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DVA4295
Captain, B767-300
Joined on April 05 2007
Online Century Club
Double Century Club
Stratford, CT USA
212 legs, 397.9 hours
194 legs,
368.4 hours online 190 legs,
356.7 hours ACARS 3 legs,
6.7 hours event 19 legs dispatched, 10.0
hours
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Posted onPost created on
August 14 2009 19:58 ET by John Alusik
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I wouldn't get number 3. For numbers 1 and 2 you have to decide what you want specifically. #2 has faster RAM and a bigger HDD over #1. HOWEVER, number 1 has more cores, and more RAM, and a better video card. 8 GB of RAM isn't really necessary, I run Vista and I don't think I've used more than 80%. I would personally go with #1, seems a little better overall.
John AlusikCaptain, B767-300
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DVA5544
Captain, A320
Joined on February 07 2008
"I'm at a 15° chin-up attitude." Spiez, Bern Schweiz
34 legs, 58.3 hours
24 legs,
34.9 hours ACARS
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Posted onPost created on
August 15 2009 04:42 ET by Alexander Kolb
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Hey guys. Thanks for the help.
I've downgraded the RAM to 6 GB now for #1 and upgraded it to 6 for #2. Still, #2's is faster.
I'm able to upgrade the #2 to have a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 [DVI, HDMI, VGA], but I'm concerned. Will having a better graphics card take away performance from my computers speed? Because I'd rather have medium-ish quality graphics at a nice speed then higher ones at a slow speed.
So if you could give me some feedback on that, it'd help alot.
Oh, and I'd like to let you know what I'm used to currently, so that you can get a good idea which upgrade will suit me best.
I'm currently having the time of my life in FSX with a 2.3ghz dual core, 2 gigs of RAM, and a 200-something MB graphics card. So anything that I'm looking at I'm sure will be much better in comparison.
Alexander KolbCaptain, A320
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DVA2541
Captain, B737-800
E-MAIL
Joined on August 17 2005
Century Club
"What's that button for? OOPs" Erwin, TN USA
122 legs, 206.7 hours
1 legs,
1.1 hours online 1 legs,
1.2 hours ACARS
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Posted onPost created on
August 15 2009 15:37 ET by John Swisher
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You can still run at medium quality faster with the better card. Just a thought.
John SwisherCaptain, B737-800
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DVA5544
Captain, A320
Joined on February 07 2008
"I'm at a 15° chin-up attitude." Spiez, Bern Schweiz
34 legs, 58.3 hours
24 legs,
34.9 hours ACARS
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Posted onPost created on
August 18 2009 12:17 ET by Alexander Kolb
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Thanks for the feedback.
I've decided now for sure to purchase #2, but I'm still open to the 512 mb vs 1 g, as well as 4 or 6 g of the ddr3 RAM.
Alexander KolbCaptain, A320
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DVA4491
Senior Captain, MD-11
E-MAIL
Joined on May 22 2007
Quincentenary Club
Online Quadruple Century Club
"You dun goof'd!" Lexington-Fayette, KY USA
592 legs, 1,474.8 hours
482 legs,
1,334.7 hours online 455 legs,
1,163.5 hours ACARS 11 legs,
33.0 hours event
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Posted onPost created on
August 18 2009 17:27 ET by Weston Woodward
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Number 2 is your best bet of those 3, but didn't you just get a new computer for your A320 sim? lol
Weston
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DVA5544
Captain, A320
Joined on February 07 2008
"I'm at a 15° chin-up attitude." Spiez, Bern Schweiz
34 legs, 58.3 hours
24 legs,
34.9 hours ACARS
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Posted onPost created on
August 19 2009 07:46 ET by Alexander Kolb
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Nope. I ordered a Dell with #2 configs in Feb, but they decided that I was getting too good a deal, and canceled my order.
They then forced a $3000 computer on me which was reported to have fan problems. I had to cancel my credit card in order to stop them from shipping it to me.
So then I decided to move over to HP, but I'm waiting for W7 to go on the markets before I buy one. I've had bad experiences with software upgrades before.
By the way, I've switched projects to an AS 350 B3 recently. The A320 project was just too far out of my price range.
Alexander KolbCaptain, A320
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DVA5544
Captain, A320
Joined on February 07 2008
"I'm at a 15° chin-up attitude." Spiez, Bern Schweiz
34 legs, 58.3 hours
24 legs,
34.9 hours ACARS
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Posted onPost created on
August 19 2009 08:42 ET by Alexander Kolb
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Well, I've decided on using 6gb of RAM in #3. This leaves four questions.
#1. Does having a better sound card help?
#2. Is there a significant difference between 50W and 30W speakers?
#3. I can find no information on what power supplys HP uses. Do you think it will be enough to run the #2 config?
#4. Should I get a 512MB or 1G graphics card? Would a higher graphics card take up or free up the computers resources?
Alexander KolbCaptain, A320
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DVA4295
Captain, B767-300
Joined on April 05 2007
Online Century Club
Double Century Club
Stratford, CT USA
212 legs, 397.9 hours
194 legs,
368.4 hours online 190 legs,
356.7 hours ACARS 3 legs,
6.7 hours event 19 legs dispatched, 10.0
hours
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Posted onPost created on
August 19 2009 12:32 ET by John Alusik
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Having a sound card takes the load off the CPU, thus giving you a little more processing power. The more wattage in the speakers, the louder, and better the sound. Don't worry about PSU's that is the manufacturers job. The more video ram the better.
John AlusikCaptain, B767-300
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DVA3672
Senior Captain, A320
OLP DISPATCHER E-MAIL
Joined on October 29 2006
B757 100 Club
50 State Club
Two Million Mile Club
Bi-Millennium Club
DVA Fifteen-Year Anniversary
US Capital Club
Toulouse Millennium Club
Online Fifteen Century
"Chris, NOT in Seattle" Northeastern United States
2,534 legs, 6,223.1 hours
1,537 legs,
3,252.2 hours online 2,243 legs,
5,407.0 hours ACARS 4 legs,
6.0 hours event 2 legs dispatched, 19.5
hours
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Posted onPost created on
August 19 2009 12:42 ET by Chris Frasure
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Alex, why not just have a system built for you? You can get what you want and MORE for the money. A fellow DVAer built mine. Best decision I ever made.
CF
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DVA3355
Senior Captain, B777-200
Joined on July 19 2006
Online Century Club
Flying Colonel
Everett 1500 Club
Four Million Mile Club
DVA Fifteen-Year Anniversary
"guiding you home..." Denver, CO USA
1,959 legs, 8,711.6 hours
181 legs,
715.0 hours online 1,891 legs,
8,382.8 hours ACARS 18 legs,
67.1 hours event
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Posted onPost created on
August 19 2009 14:20 ET by Daniel Hodnik
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If you must buy, rather than build your own, get #1.
#1. Does having a better sound card help? Not really, most on board sound cards (at least from reputable motherboards) are great. if you are an audiophile a nice audigy is a plus.
#2. Is there a significant difference between 50W and 30W speakers? no, the best computer sound comes from either a nice set of headphones (~$50+). Powered computer speakers are for the most part yucky. Of course a nice klipsch or the like set is nice. The best route is to hook up a receiver and some bookshelf speakers. that's a whole other post.
#3. I can find no information on what power supplys HP uses. Do you think it will be enough to run the #2 config? If HP makes it, whatever PSU they put in will work. It will probably not be a name brand PSU
#4. Should I get a 512MB or 1G graphics card? Would a higher graphics card take up or free up the computers resources? yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean more frames in fsx.
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DVA2541
Captain, B737-800
E-MAIL
Joined on August 17 2005
Century Club
"What's that button for? OOPs" Erwin, TN USA
122 legs, 206.7 hours
1 legs,
1.1 hours online 1 legs,
1.2 hours ACARS
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Posted onPost created on
August 19 2009 22:14 ET by John Swisher
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Alex,
I definitely would build your own. I just put a killer sysytem together for less than a $900 dollar.
AMD Phenom II 945 (3.0 ghz) Quad Core/Asus A478 Motherboard $225
4gb OCZ Platinum DDR2 1066 Ram $95
BFG GTX 275 896MB $199
Case/PS 500W - $49
Samsung 22x DVD Burner $26
WD 500gb Drive $49
Windows Vista Home/w free 7 upgrade 99
It easily runs fsx with high settings. I had it built in less than an hour.
Just an idea
John SwisherCaptain, B737-800
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DVA1633
Senior Captain, L-1011-100
Joined on April 17 2004
Century Club
Den Haag, Zuid-Holland NL
163 legs, 437.6 hours
2 legs,
11.5 hours online
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Posted onPost created on
August 20 2009 06:39 ET by Sander Jordans
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are you planning to run an 32 bit or an 64 bit operating system?
if using a 32 bit system, anything above 3GB of ram will be useless as the OS is only capapble of using those 3GB.
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DVA5544
Captain, A320
Joined on February 07 2008
"I'm at a 15° chin-up attitude." Spiez, Bern Schweiz
34 legs, 58.3 hours
24 legs,
34.9 hours ACARS
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Posted onPost created on
August 20 2009 07:29 ET by Alexander Kolb
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I'm planning on using either W7 32 bit (supports up to 4) or W7 64 bit if I end up using 6.
And thanks for the advice guys!
Alexander KolbCaptain, A320
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