Sometimes it just isn't fixable.
If you opt for a new desktop, like I said, you don't need top-tier hardware to run old software.
These are just a few of my personal guide posts of what to look for:
CPU- The old i3's are getting tough to find (FS9 and FSX classic are single-core games, you really don't need -or want- a lot of cores) and the i5* series of chips are now considered "entry level". Use that to your advantage. Being a single core game, the faster the CPU core clock speed, the better.
*- Obviously, there's more to life than Intel. Look at
all of the options. Shop smart and get the fastest core clock that you can afford. The closer you can get to 4 GHz, the better.
Tower/case- How bad do you need flashing lights?
You can save a TON of money by buying a basic pre-built system and then buffing some of the parts. As long as the On/Off button works, what else do you need? A pre-built system will have a stable power supply. Again, use that to your advantage.
Monitor- As long as your old one is good, consider keeping it. I've covered this before, but your display/monitor is one of the more important parts for your system. Its the ONE thing you'll be looking at- a lot. Don't go overboard. An 8 ft wide 4K monitor is going to take over the room. It also needs a LOT more graphics horsepower to run it. VR, IMO, is still a gimmick. In my case, its wasted money due to an eye problem BUT consider how much you have to sink into a system to run VR. A more capable GPU to run VR *may* require a bigger power supply plus a bigger cooling system. This stuff starts to spiral quickly and its always aimed at your wallet.
GPU/graphics card- In the old days of the early 2000's, this was important. With the new generations of CPU's this is no longer the case. A basic/cheap GPU can get you a lot of performance without bottle necking your system. Lower end/cheap GPUs don't require insane power supplies. A REALLY cheap fanless GPU has been just fine for me for the last 10 years and I'm running FS locked at 60 Hz.
Storage- I'm really sold on a 1TB device, either a physical hard drive or an SSD. Start with a good-old hard drive and get your system running the way you want.
THEN clone an SSD off your hard drive and switch them over. Its
that simple and you'll want to just keep your hard drive unplugged as a long-term back-up. With SSDs, I really like the Samsung EVO (1 TB) but they basically doubled in price last Fall.
We're talking $80- $100 bucks today, which is fair, but imagine how many times I've whacked my head on the wall since the price went up.
