Hi all -
I'm looking at upgrading my current system to an i7 920 (4GHz aim) based PC for use primarily with Flight Simulator X. FSX is very picky when it comes to hardware - it does not like SLI or Crossfire, and tends to run better clock for clock on the i7 than any other CPU available today including the AMD Phenoms. It will eat as much CPU power as you can throw at it, and the ram timings need to be as quick as possible (8-8-8 max, 7-7-7 ideal)
I'm currently running:
E8500 @ 4.0GHz (Thermalright TRUE)
Gigabyte P45-DS5
4GB OCZ Reaper
GTX 280
625W Enermax MODU82+ PSU
2x74GB WD Raptors
1x750GB WD Caviar
Running in an Akasa Eclipse 62 with fan side panel (3x120mm Sharkoon 2000RPM on the front/back/side of case, and 1 on the TRUE)
While I get satisfactory performance in many situations in FSX as the situation stands, an i7 would, from what I can surmise from current users, give benefits that would outweigh of the cost of upgrading.
I'm looking to put all the new kit in a Coolermaster HAF 932 (following the crowd seemingly!). I don't plan on liquid cooling.
1 - Would it be worth it to replace the stock fans in the HAF? (ie, could I get better airflow at a lower or only slightly higher sound level? I've read good things about the Enermax Magma 120mm, is this justified?)
2 - The i7 920 D0 is a given, but what specific motherboard would people recommend? The EVGA X58 SLI LE looks like a good bet - would it be?
3 - Given that I need good timings, what would be a sensible 6GB 1600MHz kit to get?
4 - A general question here with many different opinions around on the net - would it be worth lapping my TRUE? I got this one in July 2008 (from Scan for £34.89) - is there any difference in cooling capability between one sold then and one sold now? (ie new revisions etc?) I'd need a 1366 mounting bracket for it clearly.
5 - Would I need a new PSU? I'm running a 625W Enermax at the mo. Given the GTX 280, i7 920 at 4GHz ideally, 3 hard drives, 8+ USB devices (many of which are controller hardware for FSX) and as many as 8 120mm fans + a 240mm and a 140mm (if I decide to upgrade the stock cooling), would 625W be enough? If not, could you recommend a good one please?
For the moment, lets assume a budget in the region of £700-£800, but i'd like to spend quite a bit less if I can get away with it. I'd like this upgrade to last me a long time given the cost!
Thanks for your time![]()


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