Basically, with that setup, you will be able to run X-Plane flawlessly, max settings! It's expensive, but fair. You're paying for what you get. First off: it is the processor and the graphics card that will contribute to FPS in X-Plane, which is what you want. RAM (memory) won't. 16 GB is more than enough, 32 GB is pointless. Basically it allows you to run more programs at once without memory overload. I doubt you'll be running so many programs at the same time with x-plane, so it's useless. In fact, the setup is a bit overkill. I think you should stick with the GTX680, however. That is a beast. You don't really need the cooler x6, the standard fans are usually fine if you play in a relatively cool room. 1000watts should be enough, even if you overclock. You won't need to with the GTX680, default settings will be fine. Keep the i7, that's also very good and will last you a long time with that power. Oh, and get windows 7. It's easier to use considering x-plane actually works properly on it (unsure if it does on 8). Do it just to be safe. I'm not sure about the PCI thing, maybe some one else will be.