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Guest JonP01

How to Optimize your system, and get better frame rates

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Firstly i've just been given this URL by a FS friend - read carefully and also heard that some of these tweaks could damage your pc.I've yet to read it lol, but i've been told my friend has now an increase of 5 FPS after dealing with the Virtual Memory setup on his PC.All I can say is ADVISE CAUTION when doing these things.Link:http://www.flightsimnetwork.com/dcforum/DCForumID3/4901.htmlGood luckWill

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Can you post the text of the message? The site's blocked by my firewall....And having asked this, before you go through the trouble, is the post a variation on running a fixed swap file, or does it delve into other non virtual memory issues such as vcache, etc....? -John

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Guest Joshieca

If you ever wanted to know what all of those system processes are running in your background when you do a CTRL-ALT-DEL, try out this program. It's rather cool, gives a good description of what all of those svchost.exe process are and others.http://sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/procexp.shtml Enjoy...Josh[br][br][div align=center][br][link:members.cox.net/fstimes/wetimage.html]Click Here For Weather Image of the Day!

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I really don't know LOL... The WHOLE posting is about 40 posts total, and they should all be read.Isn't there a way that you can enable Cookies for that Website or disable your firewall while it loads?I'll copy the main posting and copy it here, but from the looks of it, it doesn't contain all info in that 1st post.1st/main posting of URL:First off, I have a Pentium II 350MhZ with a 4mb ATI Rage PRO Integrated AGP graphics chip and Windows 98, I have 320mb RAM, however when I had 96mb RAM it ran the same. In FS2000 or FS2002, with the DF734, I always have 16-22FPS on the ground, and 34+ FPS at cruising altitude. I also have all display options and densities set at 60 or above, and at least dense in all areas where this is applicaple. I also run PF2000, and FSTRAFFIC. I have talked with many people, and it seems that I get very good Frame rates. I think this is due to the success I have had with optimizing my system. I would like to share some of the techniques I use to increase system performance, and FPS:1. Download Cacheman, it is a free optimization program, you can download it at http://www.outertech.com/when you download it, set it for optimization of 3D games. This should help immensely.2. Right click on My Computer, left click properties, click the performance tab. From here click Virtual Memory, and click on "Let me specify my own virtual memory settings." Select your fastest hard drive from the list, and where it says Minimum and Maximum enter the same number in each. This number will be 2.5 times your system RAM, or 512, whichever is lower. For example, lets say you have 128MB of RAM. Take 128x2.5, this equals 320. For this instance you would enter 320 in both the minimum and maximum boxes. If your amount of RAM times 2.5 is higher than 512, enter 512 in both boxes. Doing this lets your system use less processor power to manage RAM Cache.3. Click on Start, from here click on run. In the prompt type in msconfig The System Configuration Utility should appear. Click the startup tab. Here are all the programs that your computer starts when it boots up, these use system resources. Disable any ones you don't need. However you may want to keep on your anti virus program. On my system I disabled everything, and when I start up I have 98 percent system resources, which is incredibly high.4. Run scandisk and defrag regularlly. This helps optimize and organize your system, for faster program access times. Before doing this make sure that in defrag the option that optimizes files for faster opening times is selected on. 5. Always make sure no programs are running in the lower right hand corner of your task bar. If you can disable these. Disabling the items in number 3 should get rid of most of these.6. Before flying restart your computer. This frees up any RAM that your sytem used the previous time. 7. Right click anywhere on your desktop that has the background. From here highlight active desktop. Make sure that "View as Web Page" is not selected. This devotes extra RAM to running your desktop, so you don't want that. 8. Here is one that is FS specific. Click on World , then click on Scenery library. Where it says CACHE, enter at least 1000, if you have more available hard drive space, take it up higher. I have mine set at 2000, and this helps greatly. If you don't have 1GB free hard drive space don't try this. 9. Right Click on My computer. Click the performance tab, then click Graphics. Make sure hardware acceleration is full. This optimizes your graphics card for better performance.10. Disabe V-Sync and Anti-Alliasing. This is system specific, and has to do with your video card. On most video cards you can go to the options screen and disable these two things. These use video card power to optimize the image, but with or without them, you won't notice much difference. 11. Right click on the desktop. Click Properties. Click settings, and set the color to High Color (16 Bit) This is more effecient than 24 or 32 bit color, and still looks the same. That is all for now. Try these AT YOUR OWN RISK! I am not responsible for any damage to any systems, and if you don't feel right doing one of these steps, don't do it!!! Well enjoy.Regards,Brad ....There we goWill

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Kind of what I thought...generally good advice, but I disagree with a couple of points and have a comment about the first...Number 1--One can download Cacheman, or simply make the vcache entries manually in system.ini. I limit vcache on my system in order to maximize memory for FS2002, although it's probably not worth the trouble if you have more than 256 megs....Number 2--the virtual memory tweak, has been around forever. In today's world of systems with 256M-1Gig RAM, there is no value to that tweak, and if anything it will simply waste space for a swap file that shouldn't be needed in a FS environment. If I ever caught one of my techs teaching that to a new hire, I'd whip 'em with a wet noodle!Number 8--on systems with a full scenery install, increasing FS's cache is simply foolish. The cache is meant to place data from slower CD's onto a faster HD... This one surfaces alot as well.As for the rest, I believe it's good advice. The Active desktop suggestion is one often missed....Regardless of the two suggestions I disagree with, none of them can damage a system.... -JohnP.S. Can't disable the firewall as it's server based.... Websense blocks the one site, and we give the "keys" to Websense to just one of our domain admins for...uh...well....good reasons :)

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Guest

I've used Cacheman for some time now, and can vouch for it's effectiveness in freeing up RAM. A good utility to use in conjuction with Cacheman is RAMPage, which is basically a free-memory indicator. Just using the canned configurations that come with Cacheman, I've been able to free 450 of the available 512 MB on my system, and I'm sure a more knowledgeable user could free even more.

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Guest gasebah

well I do not know. It frees RAm no matter what which is no very intelligent at all. Especially if you have enough. In my opinion a much better solution is EnditAll, which will shut down all the processes it can touch.Alex

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Guest gasebah

I totally agree and would like to add:Number 6. Forget this if you have WinXp. It is simply not necessary.Number 8. This makes absolutely no sense if you made a full install. Who in the hell does not have 1GB of had disk space today??? Today some people have 1GB RAM, ...jeeez.Number 9. Here is something totally new..., also make sure your power supply is on.Number 10. So AA makes no difference now. I really start wondering why we all need those GF3s and GF4s if that is the case.Number 11: Running FS2002 in 16bit triggers all kinds of funny stuff,the most minor solid black shadows...I can already see the next thread..."Do you have transparent shadows in FS2002?"Lord oh Lord.Guys do not try this at home. If you need this kind of tweaking guide better start enjoy flying and stop wating your time and messing with your computer. Alex

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>It frees RAm no matter what which is no >very intelligent at all. >>Alex Well, not exactly. I'm no techie, but my understanding is that Cacheman frees memory by managing the swap file size, as opposed to other memory managers. Note that I'm not suggesting using RAMPage to free memory, as I understand that it's not too good at that. It's just a handy indicator of how much free memory you have. I've tried EndItAll also, but I've found that using msconfig to disable all unnecessary programs on startup does the same thing, so I don't use it.

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On number 9....I've seen a few systems where this option was disabled (usually by a tech who did it out of some basic troubleshooting script, then forgot to renable it). If anyone's ever had their system serviced by a tech, it'd be a worthwhile thing to check.On number 11....The tip referenced desktop settings, as opposed to 2k2 settings. As long as you run 2k2 full screen in 32 bit, you can have your desktop set for 16-bit. But the 16-bit setting will have no influence on 2k2....I leave my desktop at 16-bit because I see a marginal improvement in 2-d graphics when I'm working with MSOffice, etc... But IMHO, 32 bit is the only way to fly in 2k2, just for the cloud visuals alone...

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I actually suggest people kill apps prior to loading---IOTW, out of the registry, win.ini, and other windows startup vectors. End-it-All, through no fault of its own, terminates apps after they've already loaded. But many processes, just through the process of loading, leave larger "pockets" of free RAM that are hard for apps like 2k2 to utilize well. And many of the system tray processes can just make a system unstable just through the process of loading....

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Guest gasebah

You are right about no.11. I read too quick. Thy fr yr correction.Alex

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Guest gasebah

You are right about that. But messing with the registry or the win.ini is only for a few of us, because you really need some idea of what you are doing. And then after installing new programs you have to do that again and again. So far I had zero system stability issues with EnditAll. If you have any you can edit what will be killed.Alex

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I am a techie, and that is not how cacheman works. It has nothing to do with the swap file--it limits vcache, which is completely different. Vcache is an area of memory held aside for freq. used files. A great example is 2k2's textures... If the sim is putting in a call for 30 or 40 of the same textures, it can pull them from the vcache vs. the Hard Drive, theoretically increasing performance. But I've seen a rule of diminishing returns when the vcache goes higher than 32 megs or so.... But I agree 100 pct. on the msconfig comment!

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That's a good way to look at it... I sometimes am fooled into thinking that most of us here dig into the innards of our O/S's and hardware. Certainly justifies End-it-all in that sense. Curious--does it do a good job of cleaning out the system tray?

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