I just installed an overclocked BFG GeForce 6800 Ultra (425) and it didn't appear to change the overall performance of FS2004. I upgraded from a TI-4600. I installed this card into a Gateway 700XL, 2.54GHz, 2Gb RAM, 2-120Gb disk drives, a pot-load of USB connections (I have a GoFlight setup), and of course a partridge in a pear tree. I left all FS settings as they were before I upgraded the card.I'm running a massive FS system - 6500 AI aircraft, approximately 1450 individual airline *.bgl files, and numerous payware scenery packages. Traffic 100%All FS settings are max'd to the right. Application handling functions offloaded to the graphics card. Screen resolution (for the moment) is 1024x768. Card is set to same at 16Mil colors. Antialiasing is set to 8xS.I don't use the Frame Rate indicator because I believe it is quite misleading but I know there was quite a bit of "stutter" in the movement of "flying" aircraft (not much hesitation in the AI aircraft) using the old card and its still there with the new one).I'm using the NVidia driver 61.77 and DirectX9c.My question - does anyone (using this type of card) have a recommended card/FS setting set that I can use as a baseline to see why FS performance has not improved dramatically with this card. (Yes, I know that I can turn everything off and inch my way up the settings ladder. However, with a system as large as this, that could take weeks since it takes quite a bit of time to start FS - sometime I think it takes days :-)Thanksfb

6500AI aircraft??? 1450 airline .bgl's??? Sweet *******, I have a newfound respect for Gateway computers!!!First off, you should know that your new video card will add few if any FPS in MSFS. What it will do (and do it very well) is enhance the image quality. Here's a couple things to do right away...1) Go to 32 bit color. Anything less means you're not using the VC to it's great capabilities.2) If you have a larger monitor (19"+) then certainly you should increase the screen resolution. These new gen video cards do best when allowed to run at high resolutions with AA and AF. Then they simply run away from previous gen cards.3) Set AA to 4X and AF to 16XWhen you say "application handling functions offloaded to the graphics card", what does that mean? Fact of the matter is, the stutters you see are not because of your video card (old or new), but rather something going on with the system. Not the sim, the system.If you're not using Ken Salter's FS Autostart you certainly should be. It is available in the Avsim library. It will allow you to configure your system so that certain services and programs that you don't need running while you sim are shut down. Those you do need will be left running. It is comletely user configurable... simply set it to do what you wish. Anything that is shut down when you start the sim can then be automatically restarted once you exit back to desktop. It is a must have utility for any simmer (I have it configured for each of my games)."...since it takes quite a bit of time to start FS - sometimes I think it takes days"I'm not surprised! :-) That Gateway is serving you quite well... you might think about including that little gem in your will. :-)Cheers,Greg

"6500AI aircraft??? 1450 airline .bgl's??? Sweet *******, Ihave a newfound respect for Gateway computers!!!"LMAO!!! that was great Greg!One helluva setup you have there, must have taken forever to set that up!Regards, MichaelKDFWhttp://www.calvirair.com/mcpics/PBTMCa.jpgCalVirAir International VACalVirAir International

Greg,First, thanks so much for your response. I really appreciate it.1. Too bad about the frame rates - I was hoping. At $600 per I should get 100 FPS - dreaming on.2. I tried 32-bit but when performance didn't pan out, I went to 16. I'll try it at the higher color content.3. I have a 22" digital monitor and it will take quite a bit more in resolution - so I'll bump it up.4. I'll try the settings for AA and AF - see what happens.5. Applications handling - FS can handle such things as anti-aliasing. But, I read somewhere you should offload this function to your graphics card - so I did.6. I have AutoStart but I haven't used it yet. I'll give that a try. However, I have a few security protection packages running in the background that I'm very reluctant to give up. With "always-on" broadband, I feel like I need things like Norton and SpySweeper running just to protect my system. If I disconnect from the Internet, then I can't use real-time weather - Catch 22 I suppose.Thanks again for your time.fb

Michael,I wouldn't have any other computer. I'm on my 9th Gateway and none of them has every croaked on me. In fact I still have an old 386 running.It didn't take a whole lot of time - JUST A LOT OF MY WIFE'S MONEY. Just kidding of course - wink, wink, wink. I am getting a bit long in the tooth in the USB department. I think I have 20 devices plugged in at the moment. Oh well, onward and upward!!!!!fb

"5. Applications handling - FS can handle such things as anti-aliasing. But, I read somewhere you should offload this function to your graphics card - so I did."Ahhh, OK now I understand. Yes, you should turn off AA in the sim and let the VC handle it. The sim's AA is 2X, and is of course software renedered (which takes up even more precious resources). You card is much better at giving you AA than the sim is."6. I have AutoStart but I haven't used it yet. I'll give that a try. However, I have a few security protection packages running in the background that I'm very reluctant to give up. With "always-on" broadband, I feel like I need things like Norton and SpySweeper running just to protect my system. If I disconnect from the Internet, then I can't use real-time weather - Catch 22 I suppose."Hmmm... Norton is not friendly to simming rig. It roots itself into your OS and is very difficult to get rid of. Even when it says it has nothing running in the background (which, as you say, one would not choose to do) it is still taking resources.I use a hardware firewall and AVG for my anit-virus. The combo works for me and is very simple to set-up.Greg