HP (Hewlett-Packard) HP Pavilion Elite M9350f Desktop Computer

Good stuff

By Kevin Head  May 31, 2009

Pros: good dollar value

Cons: Not much

I bought this explicitly to be able to run Microsoft Flight Simulator X, among other more mundane tasks. FSX is CPU intensive, but a decent to good GPU is necessary also. This computer fills the need way better than the dollar amount would lead one t...o believe. In case you're reading this and don't understand how intense FSX is on hardware, I believe it should be the defacto standard by which all hardware is benchmarked. This software is rough! One must have at minimum a dual core CPU to make it run anywhere near usable, and there really isn't a consumer computer made that will fully utilize the software to it's fullest potential. One must tweak parameters to get best performance and often compromise is required. Less clouds, not flying into busy airports, less traffic, etc. to get it to fly right. This computer is able to run FSX on the next to highest settings of weather, scenery, and so forth with frame rates above 30 smoothly with no stutters or jitters. I also set the ground, air, and sea traffic 20-30%, aircraft detail to max, and global to max also. I lock frames at 50 and on clear weather days it stays there. Flying into cities with weather can draw it down into the mid twenties, but still smooth and flyable. NOT OVERCLOCKED AT ALL. I won't do it. It is also VERY quiet with the larger cooling fans. I also installed the Windows 7 Release Candidate build 7100 over Vista and in has improved performance a bit. Very nice!Unbelievable performance for the bucks. It's not going to beat a similar Intel quad core cpu, or a new I7, etc., but how much more does that slight edge in performance cost? The only drawbacks are the lack of HDMI port but I have a different computer to feed the HD TV. The other drawback is the placement of the GPU in the case will cause heat build up, so one should make sure to keep the inside of the case clean for best cooling. Oh, one more annoyance: the wireless indicator light flashes about 4 or 5 times per second, in blue, located on the front panel. Right into your eyes, Drives me nuts so I put a small piece of black tape over it. Sniggling detail yes, but worth mentioning. Great deal on a great computer. I paid a little more for mine refurbished and am still thrilled. Read more Less