I have a new Dell XPS 720 computer, QX6850 Core 2 Extreme processor, 4GB DDR2 800MHz SDRAM, 2 x 500GB SATA Drives, NVIDIA 8800 Ultra graphics. I am running FSX, SP2 on Windows XP, SP2 and defrag and run clean ups regularly. I am getting good quality graphics using Nvidia driver 169.21 with nHancer and settings in accordance with advise on this forumWhy then can I only get single figure FPS around Sydney Airport with moderate settings, high but not maxed out. I am not using Bloom and I have vehicle and boat traffic set at 15%. When running the FSX Mission

As a first step, unlock your framerate. Failing that, the most likely culprit looking at your post, is the AI traffic (aircraft as well as ground/sea).Don't know about the lock ups, I'm afraid.Tim

Try removing a stick of RAM (assuming you have 2x2 GB), and run with 2GB only.

Check your Bios if you have version A03. If you do go to Dell support site and update to the A04 Bios. The A03 Bios does not post the QX6850's correctly! A04 is supposed to fix that!

The BIOS was version A03 but has now been upgraded to version A04. Thank you for putting me on to that change.Unfortunately, no noticable increase in performance. Time will tell if it helps with the 'lock ups'.

>The BIOS was version A03 but has now been upgraded to version>A04. Thank you for putting me on to that change.>>Unfortunately, no noticable increase in performance. Time will>tell if it helps with the 'lock ups'.>>Sorry that wasn't it! Have you tried rebuilding your fsx.cfg file? I just had to do mine when my numbers dropped in the single digits, now there back 20+ in most areas. I think every now and then you have to clean out that trusted gauge/dll section and start over. Unfortunately it fills up again. I wish there was a way to disable that, it's so annoying. Remember to put back the statements you had to enter manually such as affinitymask etc..

I think I may have found the problem. Ground Scenery Shadows.On the Tokyo mission with Ground Scenery Shadows on I get the low single figure FPS, but without, frames improve to high teens and low twenties.I get Similar improvements in other heavy areas. Still monitoring the situation with 'Lock Ups' but have not had one for the past couple of days.

Oh yeah, that will do it! Ground shadows is almost as bad of a performance killer as Bloom is in DX9! Aircraft shadows though, doesn't seem to be that bad though.