Here's another suggestion! To take the guess work out of sitting there trying to figure out the average FPS in the sim, we can use the benchmark function in Fraps. You can set it to a specific time period to sample, in this case 90 sec as stated in the instructions. This will give you min, max and avg FPS. The results are appended to the file FRAPSLOG.txt in your fraps folder. They can then be posted here!! To come up with a benchmark Round to the nearest frame for each of the test runs and add the 2 together. This will give us the most accurate sample for a test like this. Many here already use FRAPS for those that don't yo can download it free at fraps.com (There is a payware version also) The only difference is in the video capture capabilities.Here's mineBenchmark settings scoreSpot2007-02-24 22:44:37 - fsxFrames: 1577 - Time: 90000ms - Avg: 17.522 - Min: 14 - Max: 22VC2007-02-24 22:47:12 - fsxFrames: 3216 - Time: 90000ms - Avg: 35.733 - Min: 19 - Max: 49Benchmark score = 54Here it is with my current settingsSpot2007-02-24 22:29:18 - fsxFrames: 3449 - Time: 90000ms - Avg: 38.322 - Min: 33 - Max: 51VC2007-02-24 22:31:43 - fsxFrames: 4102 - Time: 90000ms - Avg: 45.578 - Min: 32 - Max: 60Benchmark score = 84

My 8800GTS arrived today! 7600GT3D Mark 06/Windows XP: 3325FSX/Windows XP: 20FSX/Windows Vista: 23 (8 Spot/15 VC)8800GTS (320MB - Factory Superclocked @ 576 MHz)3D Mark 06/Windows XP: 8805FSX/Windows XP: 24 (9 Spot/15 VC)FSX/Windows Vista: 27 (10 Spot/17 VC)FSX/Windows Vista (tweaked): 32 (11 Spot/22 VC)FSX/Windows Vista (tweaked/Bloom off): 45 (13 Spot/32 VC)FSX/Windows Vista (sweet spot): 41 (18 Spot/23 VC)FSX/Windows Vista (sweet spot/A321): 34 (18 Spot/16 VC)(Complete hardware details are in the signature)The default benchmark is just 3 points higher than the 7600GT. :(Oh well, it was expected, but I am still shaking my head in disbelief. Especially since my new 8800GTS scored almost 2.5x better in 3D Mark compared to the 7600GT.One can argue that my 4800+ X2 is showing signs of age, but it is still amongst the Top 10 CPU out there and yet the FSX performance is just "not there".This is the best I got. I am not spending a dime on new hardware until DX10. *sigh*Pat

Reporting from the low end of the spectrum.CPU: P4 2.4 (stock)GPU: 7800 GS OC AGP 256 mb(stock)Memory: 1 GB DDR (stock)OS: (Windows XP home)FSX Benchmark: 8+15 =23Remarks: (FSX texture reduce by 50%)

Hi Pat,This maybe of little consolation to you right now, but this is precisely the guidance I was looking for, and scenario I feared. The 8800s are not producing a big improvement in frame rates. Seems like I should wait for the DX10 patch and see what's available then.Thanks for putting the benchmarks together, they've been a great help to me.Simon

>>The default benchmark is just 3 points higher than the 7600GT.>:(>>Oh well, it was expected, but I am still shaking my head in>disbelief. Especially since my new 8800GTS scored almost 2.5x>better in 3D Mark compared to the 7600GT.>Naw, you shouldn't be that surprised. You know FS, any version, is a cpu-weighted app and the Aquamark of a vid card over another has less meaning for our FS purposes.>One can argue that my 4800+ X2 is showing signs of age, but it>is still amongst the Top 10 CPU out there and yet the FSX>performance is just "not there".>Good point. Makes me make a short fast list of the top 10 FS CPU's:1) the new Intel quad-core cpu whatever it's called2) Core2Duo/Core2 extreme3) FX624) 5200+5) FX606) 5000+7) FX578) 4000+/FX559) 4800+10) 3700+Don't know if that's quite 100% accurate but fairly close..Notice the Pentium D series is not even on there, and neither is a 4600+ or 4400+.>This is the best I got. I am not spending a dime on new>hardware until DX10. *sigh*>>Pat>>I am not either. Although yesterday, at your suggestion, I did receive a Seagate 120 gb external hard drive. One of those little 2.5 form factor drives.I haven't hooked it up yet or messed with the Backup software it has. But anyway, I'm not doing any hardware purchases until at the earliest August-September. Maybe longer, depends on when I see a cpu out there that can do a little better.RhettAMD 3700+ (@2310 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2 GB Corsair XMS 2.5-3-3-8 (1T), WD 250 gig 7200 rpm SATA2, CoolerMaster Praetorian case

Time to resurrect this Thread.I did this test again using the same conditions. Earlier I had 33 (14 + 19)After the SP1, i get39 (17 + 22)so thats a 20% increase. But not sure, this accurately portrays the real benefits. Like quick loading/start up of the FSX as well as loading of photo textures.Manny

Here's my post SP1 results! I've ran it multiple times to make sure! These are with my current settings, not the benchmark settings! (Same as my pre SP1 results)Pre SP1Spot2007-02-24 22:29:18 - fsxFrames: 3449 - Time: 90000ms - Avg: 38.322 - Min: 33 - Max: 51VC2007-02-24 22:31:43 - fsxFrames: 4102 - Time: 90000ms - Avg: 45.578 - Min: 32 - Max: 60Benchmark score = 84Post SP1Spot2007-05-17 11:12:42 - fsxFrames: 4318 - Time: 90000ms - Avg: 47.978 - Min: 30 - Max: 54VC2007-05-17 11:15:24 - fsxFrames: 6055 - Time: 90000ms - Avg: 67.278 - Min: 39 - Max: 76Benchmark score = 115

Here are my results updated with SP1 runs:CPU: C2D E6400 @ 3.5GHzGPU: 7900GTO @ 650/800MHzMemory: DDR2 PC6400, 3GB, 438MHz busOS: Windows XP ProFSX Benchmark: 37 (14 & 23)FSX + SP1 Benchmark: 48 (20 & 28)SP1 Improvement: 30% (43% & 22%)Remarks: Ultimate Traffic 2004 ported over to FSX, no other tweaks. I used FRAPS for a 30 second average FPS.Comment: A noticable FPS improvement, especially where I was getting low FPS before. Well done ACES!Gary

Updated Benchmarks with SP-1:PRE-SP1:CPU: Intel P4 3.0 HTGPU: ATI 9800 XT 128 MBMemory: PC-3200 (DDR400) 1,5 GBOS: Win XP FSX Benchmark: 16 (6+10)(Default Benchmark)FSX Benchmark: 21 (7+14)(Bloom Disabled)FSX Benchmark: 27 (8+19)(Bloom Disabled - default.xml in autogen folder renamed)Remarks: MyTrafficX, Cloud9 XClass replacement landclass and Adam Mills' terrain textures, Autogen at:TERRAIN_MAX_AUTOGEN_TREES_PER_CELL=1500 //4500 defaultTERRAIN_MAX_AUTOGEN_BUILDINGS_PER_CELL=700 //3000 defaultPOST-SP1:FSX Benchmark: 19 (6+13)(Default Benchmark)FSX Benchmark: 30 (7+23)(Bloom Disabled)FSX Benchmark: 32 (8+24)(Bloom Disabled - default.xml in autogen folder renamed)Remarks: MyTrafficX, Cloud9 XClass replacement landclass, no replacement textures. Autogen at:TERRAIN_MAX_AUTOGEN_TREES_PER_CELL=1500 //4500 defaultTERRAIN_MAX_AUTOGEN_BUILDINGS_PER_CELL=700 //3000 defaultWith Bloom disabled I get nearly 50% improvement in FPS, while renaming default.xml no longer results in a major improvement.Improvement is almost exclusively in VC mode. Spot view change is probably within the limits of statistical uncertainty - and wishful thinking :D Perhaps this is a case where a new GPU with 512 ram would make a difference?Lars

Great idea!1920x1200 32:FSX benchmark score: 49 (18 31)C2D E6700 stock (2.67Gh)Memory 3582MB 5300 DDR2 667GPU EVGA 8800GTS 387 StockOS Win Vista Ultimate 32 I used the average frame rate counter within the sim iself to get the average FPS.The above benchmark score was with the sim at a resolution of 1920x1200 32,I realized that the benchmark didn't change my resolution in full window so changed it manually. The numbers below are at 1024x768 321024x768 32:FSX Benchmark score: 53 (20 33)

The sim itself will do an average FPS for you paste the folowing into the FSX.cfg under TextInfo.2 under TextInfo.3 I changed the arguments to 2.2AverageFrameRate=2,1Hit Shift+Z twice or three times to get the average frames per second, will also display the highest and the lowest frames at the same time.

Well I'll chime in with my notebook's performance since I didn't see any listed above.FSX Deluxe + SP1FSX Benchmark @ 1024x768x32 Fullscreen 14FS + 19VC = 31 @ 1440x900x32 Fullscreen 11FS + 14VC = 25System Specifications:HP dv9000 series notebookCPU: Intel Centrino Duo T5500 (2x1.66GHz w/2048kb cache)GPU: Nvidia GeForce Go 7600 w/256MB dedicatedMemory: 2Gb DDR2OS: Windows Media Center Edition(XP Pro w/ SP2)Controller: XBox 360Notes:This notebook was recently wiped clean and I did a factory XP restore prior to installing FSX including a post installation registry and bloatware cleanup. FSX was installed using the Full Install option on the D: Drive (80GB 4500rpm) while the OS and misc FSX user files are on the primary C: Drive (80GB 4500rpm).

Here are mine.FSX+SP1:CPU: Intel E6700 (stock)GPU: nVidia 8800GTX, 768MB (stock)Memory: DDR2-6400, 2GB (stock)OS: Windows XP Media Edition SP2FSX Benchmark: 46 (20+26)Remarks: MyTrafficX, Various FSX cfg tweaks (FIBER_FRAME: 0.42, BUFFERPOOLS=500000, TEXTURE_BANDWITH_MULTI=40, JobScheduler_AffinityMask=3)Pete S.

What I am sure is now considered a low-end system.CPU: AMD Athlon 2500+ Barton core (o/c FSB 209)GPU: ATi Radeon 9800Pro 128MB (stock)Memory: PC4200 1GB (stock)OS: Windows XPFSX SP1 Benchmark: 22 (Spot 10, VC 12)All settings as the readme file.Remarks.Disable autogen files 'default.xml' & 'RoofDescriptions.spb' results in a 2-3 fps gain in VC view but less than 1 fps in spot view which I find strange.

CPU: C2D E6600 GPU: 7900GT 256MBMemory: 2GB DDR2 533MHz OS: Windows XP Media CentreFSX Benchmark: 42 (19 & 23)