New computer

[alis14]

Hi all,
After my 3year old computers HD crashed (see another post somewhere here :D) I descided to get a new computer, so after a little bit of shopping around I found the following and I wondered how well this would work playing FS.
Specifically the graphics card! Are there any known issues with FS2002 and has anyone had any experiences, good or bad they would like to tell me about?
Thanks in advance
Alis14
Alistair Strong

New computer:
2.8Ghz P4
120Gb HD (7200rpm)
512Mb DDR Ram (will probably upgrade to 1Gb)
NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 128Mb

And the rest non FS related

6 USB ports 2 Firewire
15in TFT Flatscreen monitor
DVD 16x DVD+RW

[MadMaster]

Everything is good, except I would suggest stacking in another $100 (if you can) for a graphics card. If you can't than plan to upgrade soon because the FX5200 won't be great for FS. Also remember that (regardless to what people say) a flat screen monitor that ghosts can be EXTREMELY irritating when playing FS. So make sure the ghosting isn't going to be really bad with the monitor your getting (by looking at reviews, or seeing it yourself).

[alis14]

Thanks but what exact problems might there be? Stuttering? Im using FS2002 and will not upgrade until FS2006!
Thanks again
Alistair

[fsc_RJ]

Throw at least another $100-$150 at the Graphics Card. 5200's are worth the circuit boards they're printed on. POOR performance.

Ensure it's decent quality RAM and a VERY nice TFT (LG), or you'll get ghosting and a unpleasantly bright image.

[MadMaster]

Just low frame rates, and things not looking good. I would highly suggest a better graphics card especially if you arn't going to upgrade till 2006.

[superbrett]

Looks pretty good. Like others have already said, I would spend a bit more on the graphics card. If you are on a budget, you might want to consider a smaller hard drive to afford a nicer graphics card. You can always add another drive later, either in an external or internal form. Unless you are downloading a ton of mp3s, videos, or hundreds of Flight Sim addons, 120 gb might be a little overkill.

512 megs of RAM should be just fine. I'm not even sure if you will notice much of a difference by going to a gig of memory. Besides, you can always add in more memory at a later date if you feel the need to do so.

If you can, try and check out the monitor that you plan on purchasing at your local computer store. I would consider getting the monitor seperately at a local store. You may pay a little extra, but it could be worth it since you will know what to expect out of your monitor. I use a 17 inch LCD for my main monitor and it works great. Just be sure to get a quality monitor.

[alis14]

Okay thanks all, Superbrett i do need the extra ram as i use photoshop alot and every Mb of Ram is used with multiple layers and points etc!
Ive seen reviews of the monitor and they look fairly good.

In comparison to the 5200 how does a NVIDIA GeForce 4 MX 420 compare as this is what I have in my current computer and FS is beautiful with a frame rate of +15 most the time even at EGLL with PAI and UK2000!
If the 5200 is equal to or better than the 420 then I think ill stick with it anyway because it suits my needs fine.
Are there any major differences between the two? Is one much better than the other? Display problems etc?
Thanks for the replies so far
Alistair