Hi Chaps, just bought the 727-100/200 outfit - very classy.... sadly, hammers frame rates, though. There's all sorts of advice on tweaking it, but on my system, which aint brilliant...

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce 9300 GS with 256 on board
Gaming graphics 1535 MB Total available graphics memory
Primary hard disk 700GB Free (922GB Total)
Windows 7 32 bit O/S
19" LG LCD panel on DVi at 1400 x 900

1) look at the pre-loaded applications running in the background in the task pane/panel. EXIT those you don't need - you'd be suprised what is running that you don't need.

2) In Windows Vista and 7 especially, dump out of the "aero" themes - very pretty, but chews the performance. Check on the 'net for the best way to do this for your O/S.

On the system above with most graphics sliders on "medium", live weather and full traffic, I get 22-26 FPS on or near the ground and around clouds, 34 - 40 at altitude - set your FPS in FSX to "unlimited" and in your graphics card settings use your equivalent of "let the application decide"... use the Sitka approach mission as your bench mark to twiddle your graphics settings... you might have to live without some of the eye candy like special effects and auto gen scenery, sea, ground and airport traffic. What you really want is extremely high settings for ground texture, detailed clouds, but limit the draw distance, and medium water settings... I think you'll find it pretty enough... on finals, or taxiing, zoom in on your 3D panel a little - showing fewer gauges on the screen will give you a Frame or two extra.

Incidentally, I'm thinking seriously of upgrading my grahics card... recommendations?

Drew M