I am getting way depressed at buying this new card.It is actually a 6600, but shown in install as an 6800. Gforce numbering always confuses me!Anyway, with every other application on my computer its is fine to very good. With Fs it is a disaster causing crashes to desktop (sleep mode) many times.It seems to be at approach to airports, or at airports, so scenery density must be trigger.I have upgraded to every new driver/forceware, and reset FS9 from desktop. My sliders are where they were, more or less, with my old 4800 which worked well. I just wanted to increase quality and frame rates.The annoying thing is that it does increase these aspects, and all is wonderful, till at random, regular, times it freezes and crashes.Somewhere on the forum I read that these cards are an issue to some folks, and recommendation was to go to a beta driver around the 80 number, with current Forceware at 78.11 or such. I cannor find any site offering beta 80 numbered forceware, so any help in directing me to what site hosts it, gratefully received.Any advice on general Nvidia settings also greatly appreciated.I have regular (60 a minure) senior moments, and this one is really bugging me!Thanks,

Hi,Yes, I have the 6800GT and I'm not what you call real happy with it try the site below for the bata 80.40 driver, but it just seems like there should be better output.Good LuckTony http://www.guru3d.com/MY RIG Processor:INTEL 3.73 EEOperating System:WINDOWS XP PRO SP2Mobo:INTEL D925XECV2RAM:KINGSTON KVR533D2N4/512 X 2Video:eVGA 6800GT Driver 80.40Storage:PRIMARY SATA 120 SECONDARY: WD 120 X3Audio:REALTK ON BOARD

Tony,Thanks for reply.I cannot see the 80.40 driver anywhere on the Guru 3d site. However, I did spy a Nvidia Refresh tool that fixes the 60 Hz problem on monitor refresh. This is something I have seen a few times at crash, some report on 'unable to display screen at 60 Hz.' I want 70/72 as my flat screen is happy with that. I have downlaoded the refresh tool and will see what it says.It is so annoying. The PNY 6600 card came with a very graphic intensive game, which I cannot recall what its called, but I ran it and deleted it after seeing it work superbly.I know that Fs graphics are in somee way particular to FS, but my old 4800 was just happy running what it could at 15-18fps.I can max now out stuff, looks great, but crashes. The latest has been around Salt Lake City airport, yet it handled O'Hare no problem!Regards,

Tony,I have bitten the bullet and joined the Guru Nvidia forum.Are you a member?If so I am registered as RonMac. If not a member, I will happily share findings on this thread.Regards,

Um,Nobody has mentioned this, but have you tried to increase cooling to the board? I assume it is AGP, so you're stuck in its position, but if you have some other cards next to it, try moving them to other slots away from the graphics board for starters. Or maybe you should buy a heatsink/fan for it or do something like that.To test, perhaps try opening the case and directing a fan at or away from (so it sucks air over the board) the system, see if that helps.Thomas

Thomas,Thanks for the reply and advice.Funny thing is that I reported to the GURU forum only yesterday saying that I was starting to suspect overheating.I upgraded to Beta driver, and things did improve with less flashing segments, but fuzzy distance graphics.I also downloaded a small program to 'fix' hertz of screen display, and it appears that some (all?) 6600/6800 cards can have a problem in resetting themselves to 60HZ. Fs does not like this one bit when in mid flight.Anyway, last night I tried a flight from La Guardia to Dulles where both scenery areas are packed. Departure was OK, some minor segment flashing, in flight superb with glorious sun/water effects, and on approach to Dulles whole screen dissolved in chaos and computer crashed! Yep, just on final approach 3 miles from touchdown, where airport scemey probably kicks in.However, this time I got a clear on screen warning of graphic card failure.What I need is some way of measuring heat from card retrospectively.Anyway, I intend to follow your advice and get some heatsink cooling fan fitted. It does have a fan, but a very small one.I would happily take card back, but like all things in Sods Kingdom, I have lost receipt and my dear wife has chucked out packaging! Things that have worked for ever I have the lot for, the one thing that is B***** I do not, so I have to fix this!Thanks again,

RON, Since my last post I decided to go back to the non bata driver (78.03)and put all my sliders to the right plus I put the Antialis to 4x and the Antisropic 8x and it looks like I got a new card !!! This is as best since I've been using fltsim.Tony

Thomas,I will follow these settings immediatley!Ronald

Thomas,OK followed all that except 78.03 driver. Where did you get it? Guru? Is it the 64bit?I rolled back to 78.01 still flashing and hanging in scenery dense areas.Ronald

Ron, Yes, you can get the 78.03 at guru3d.com just go to the download section and you should find them on the front page.good luckTony

Ah Well,I have finally given up.I e-mailed PNY the card makers, and they accepted that the card is faulty. In general it should handle mostly anything Fs9 throws at it.Fortunatley, for me, I found the receipt which I thought had been thrown out with box, in a moment of senior sanity I had tucked receipt in to packet with old card!!So, to be replaced hopefully today.This will be interesting, I shall remove old card, fit new one keeping FS 9 at current 'failure' settings and driver..lets see if new card works!Watch this space..

Best of luck to you, I have owned 2 PNY cards, haven't had to return one yet (knock on wood), yet I have heard their return policy is excelent!Let us know how the new one works.-JeremyThe Ozark DogfighterHappy Flying!

Jeremy,Thanks for reply.Installed new 6600 and screen segment flashes still evident. However, not as bad as last card.No screens of sleep death yet, but still to to approach busy airport.Early days, but I can see an improvment over old card. Screen behaviour is surprisingly different in that when loading flight, screen goes black with only tasking progrss bar being seen against black screen as flight/scenery loads. On completion, screen flashes to cockpit as flight starts.So thats a major change from last card.I have kept settings exactly as I had them, just swapped one 6600 for another. I am not entirely convinced that 6600 is card for Fs9. Dual processor sounds a great idea, but my personal experience is getting a tad weary of 6600!I have to say that desktop plus all other applications are just fine.I have troublehooted reset from windows Fs9 menu, and that should alleviate need for a re-install, but I wonder if this is the bullet I really need to bite and do a clean re-installtion over new card.Never in my Fs career (back to sub logic Fs2 days) has the sim caused such problems to me. Its a new painful experience! I just wanted better eye candy and nice 20-25fps!Regards,

Ah well. Re-installed Fs9, and same problem!Flashing graphic sectors, and eventiual crashing to sleep mode.Any suggestions as to other cards that work???I shall be taking this second one back, shame Nvidai has always been my choice of card, but this time I am just fed up to the teeth!

Well! I just may be speaking too soon!I bit the bullet, and re-installed.I kept my Bruce Beresford's 737 panel, and back to default 737.I reinstalled Fs passengers (Just LOVE this add on), and pushed settings to max scenery, dynamic scenery medium, Mips at 4 Lighting at 6 and so far have added nothing else. So, default out of the box, Fs9.I re-installed 78.01 drivers (before re-install of Fs9) and so far.....blimps, pauses, segment flashes, but NO crashes to sleep!I have completed 8 Heathrow to German airports and return is all weathers, and survived them all. (Not saying Fs Passengers were all that happy..moaning gits) but 6600 card seems to be working!Frame rate of 23 no problem.So, why now semblance of stability?I have always believed that XP learns. I have never known an OS that can improve add ons, sofware so well, over time. Each flight seems a wee bit better. This is not hard evidence, and it all may go pear shaped, but I feel I can add on stuff bit by bit and see what happens.Funny, I have not seen the default stuff for ages! Runways are dreadful. I can fix this.So moral is ...hang in there ..it might sort itself!(loL)Thanks to all for support and ideas...