Hello,I'm using Vista 32 and Flight Simulator X.I upgraded my system to a Q6700 (1066) and GF9800GTX+ (512mb) at 1280x1024.My MB is a MSI P6N SLI V2, and I have 2 x 1gb (667) RAM (Dual Channel)BIOS is using AUTO / Default settings for CPU/Memory Timings.FSX is very smooth, but every few seconds it shows a quick pause / stutter like processing or loading something. Even at very low settings in FSX, I get the stutters.Before the upgrade, I was using a E4500 and GF8600, frames were lower, but without these pauses / stutters, it was constant. Now it is faster, better graphics, but some stutters every 4-6 seconds.Thanks so much for sharing your experience,Ulisses

If you run out of RAM, Windows will put things up in the pagefile (Virtual Memory), which causes a slow notch cause the HD is slower than RAM by a long shot.By just watching the RAM usage graphs, you may not notice it as being this cause Windows is leaving some headroom. Heck, I use 3.2G RAM sometimes under Vista64 flying FSXWhen I was using Vista32 it often surpassed 2 G, yours is holding back, putting things (slowly) in the hard drive instead....not good.So if you get these periods of "stalling" that is your bottleneckUse 4G

"What is my bootleneck ?"FSX.:D

>If you run out of RAM, Windows will put things up in the>pagefile (Virtual Memory), which causes a slow notch cause the>HD is slower than RAM by a long shot.>>By just watching the RAM usage graphs, you may not notice it>as being this cause Windows is leaving some headroom. Heck, I>use 3.2G RAM sometimes under Vista64 flying FSX>>When I was using Vista32 it often surpassed 2 G, yours is>holding back, putting things (slowly) in the hard drive>instead....not good.>>So if you get these periods of "stalling" that is your>bottleneck>>Use 4GChecking my graphics with FSX running, it is using about 1.5gb of physical memory and about 2gb of page file.When I start a turn, I get the stutters and disc activity goes up.No stutters = No disc activity.So I should add more 2 gb of RAM, 4gb in total and Vista 64 ?My page file isn't in the system HD where FSX is installed, it is in another HD.Thanks so much,Ulisses

So I should add more 2 gb of RAM, 4gb in total and Vista 64 ?Yes, then move the page file back to the boot drive and set to system managed . . . then forget about it. Defrag with a modern defragger. O/C that Q67 to 3.6 and you will have a whole new system.

Testing more, I get stutters / stallings when FSX is loading scenery textures / autogen.Ulisses

If there are long stutters it means the game is waiting for something to come on board the video ram, and the slowest most obvious is the lack of system ram requiring the use of the Hard Drive Virtual Memory, not a good thing for a game.Vista64 is not really needed unless you use the FEX and photographic terrain, etc... high RAM there,... It only helps...the critical upgrade that you need is RAM, might as well go for 4G, then you can take advantage of dual memory. I think you get microstutters when the videocard uses shared system RAM, but you get macro stutters when the system RAM uses the hard drive pagefileSo the best is 1G videoram to avoid microstutters (autogen..) and this is where Vista64 comes in handy cause the video ram is taking up equaL amount of the 4G ram limit in Vista32 but not in Vista64 leaving the 4G totally freely available in Vista64. A 1G video ram takes away 1G system ram in Vista32. People buying the new HD4870 2x with 2G RAM need Vista64 for it removes 2G ram from Vista32 and you still need system memory, another 500 megs taken away, eventually you got no RAM !!!! man

Look up BufferPools and see what yours is set to. You may need to increase it so that more data is buffered so it takes load off when needed and puts it in other places.You also really need more memory. I run 4x1Gb for 4GB ram and my 8800 has 768MB on it. Use the 3GB switch (plenty about that around as well).---John

Thanks guys !Will get more memory and probably install Vista 64.Ulisses

Vista64 helps if your videoram is higher than 512, say 1Gotherwise you should be OKyour system RAM though should be more

My GF9800GTX+ has 512mb.If I install 4gb in Vista 32, will it use the memory to help video board or only bellow 3gb ?Some people say Vista 64 manage memory better than 32 bits.Anyway I'm thinking in re-install OS, I upgraded video and CPU and still the old OS install.Thanks,Ulisses

Installed 2x2gb 800mhz memory (4-4-4-12), machine is faster ! But FSX is stuttering more... maybe time to install Vista 64.Or back to XP :)Ulisses

Just make sure that the 2 sticks are in the proper place to enable the dual memory capability. Check your MB manual

Yes, it is. Slots 1 and 3 for Dual Channel, boot screen confirm.Prime 95 doesn't show any error.I think something could be wrong with my Vista, I'll format HD, install only Vista+FSX and check the result.It is strange because before I upgrade the video board (from GF8600) it was ok... I tested a HD4850 and now a GF9800GTX+, HD4850 was worst.I did video driver uninstall/clean up with utility. Sometimes I think it is the MB don't managing CPI/MEM/Video well. I also update the BIOS to last version.Thanks,Ulisses