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My system currently runs an AMD 64 X2 6000+ running at 3.0Hz. I'm also running 2 nVidia 9600 cards driving 4 monitors.

All things being equal, would switching out the CPU to something like an AMD Phenom Phenom X4 9750 running at 2.5Hz provide any worthwhile improvement in frame rates?

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www.youtube.com/401stbg
"The Best Damned Outfit in the USAAF"
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I went from an AMD 4400 dual and 7800GT to an Intel Q8300 quad and GTS 250. Keep in mind that I only have one 22.5" monitor, but my frame rates went from a steady 25fps at low-mid settings to 40-80fps at mid-high settings. While I good CPU certainly helps, in my opinion the video card matters more. Especially if you're lucky enough to have 4 monitors. I've found that resolution really takes a hit on fps, so if you've got 4 big monitors, you need a rather high end graphics card(s).

I've heard that the patches to FSX optimize it to use all 4 cores of a CPU pretty effectively.
So far FSX is capable of using up to 32 cores but had the possibility in the future of using 256 cores.
Read the posts by CompuTronix as he is the FSX expert at Toms Hardware forums
He states that there is an astonishing 80% improvement with using 4 cores over a dual core CPU which would be very efficient
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/247975-28-quandry

If you're going to upgrade your CPU at this time it would be better to choose a Phenom II X4 955 BE or a Phenom II X4 945 over last years older Phenom X4 9750 if you have a compatible AM2+ motherboard with BIOS updates that can take these CPU's.The Phenom II X4 955 BE is about on par with Intel's Core 2 Quad 9550 CPU.
By the way what is your motherboard make and model? if you're running an AMD Athlon X2 6000+ CPU it has to be either a AM2 or AM2+ motherboard.

However the best CPU to choose for high end FSX performance would be an Intel Core i7 CPU
I think that CompuTronix's new system is a Core i7 920 oc'd to 4 Ghz.

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Son of a U.S.A.A.F. 15th Air Force 463rd bomb group 772nd squadron B17 pilot.
Video of my dad on a B-17(So you can kind of meet him-he passed away in 2004)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGOP53TkGtA

On a similar but slightly different subject I have read that with FSX there is no advantage to using two video cards. However, when I went to two video cards in a crossfire configuration, my frame rates esentially doubled.

That's very interesting Bullfox as I've heard the same thing as well.Not sure what to believe but if you are getting nearly double the frame rates then you're probably right.
Here is a benchmark showing the new Radeon 5870 card either with a Intel Core i7 920 or a Phenom II X4 965 BE @ stock speeds.I don't see too many new benchmarks out there for FSX.
http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews.php? ... weetspot/3

Here is the card (5870) running 6 monitors
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzGtxlaPQqY

Here is a setup running 4 of those cards with 24 monitors.
Note this X-Plane not FSX and it's being run on Linux instead of Windows.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6Vf8R_gOec

_________________
Son of a U.S.A.A.F. 15th Air Force 463rd bomb group 772nd squadron B17 pilot.
Video of my dad on a B-17(So you can kind of meet him-he passed away in 2004)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGOP53TkGtA