Evga Gtx260

[ferrari308guy 1]

I'm seeing a few guys around here with GTX260's...so :( I just upgraded my system. I upgraded my motherboard to a Nvidia 780i, and I upgraded my video card from a Nvidia 8600GT to an EVGA GTX260. Once I got everything set up, I installed the drivers for both products, and started FSX. My performance is worse than before! Any suggestions? Beyond getting the most recent drivers, I'm not sure what to do. I've heard that the CPU could be holding the video card back in a sense. But I would expect that I would at least get as good performance as before. I have FSX on medium settings, and I can run the default aircraft fine...but it's the add-ons that I have issues with. my goal is to get the VC of the Level D running at around 20FPS, right now I can't get past 10. I have the normal FSX.cfg tweaks put in, and I'm still not getting good performance. Based on my specs, is this the performance I should be getting? I would think it would be higher. Would overclocking do anything? I would need some help there, as I would have no idea what I'm doing.Specs:EVGA GTX2603GB RAMNvidia 780i MoboProcessor 820 2.8Ghz RAMAny suggestions?Ferrari

[Guest D17S]

Your CPU is the limiting factor for FS. As you are seeing, the Vcard won't help. However as long as you already have the Vcard/mobo, ya might as well finish off the upgrade with a CPU that - Will - help. Right now the best bang for the buck is the Q6600. It defaults at 2.4Ghz, but it'll probably go to 3.0 with your same CPU cooler. For $175, that's your best bet. Note: your existing ram must be at least DDR2-667 to get this 3.0Ghz CPU overclock. For the overclock, you will increase the Front Side Buss to 333 and your CPU voltage to 1.35. Leave the rest in auto. That'll get the CPU to 333 x 9 = 3.0Ghz. It will also drive your ram to 333 x 2 = 666Mhz. Then you'll be cookin'. You will Still not get 20FPS in the LVLD/PMDG Vcockpits with max sliders (nothing will), but it'll be noticeably better than what you have now.

[ferrari308guy 1]

Thanks Sam, I'll look into the processor. Do you think I could achieve 20FPS in the VC with medium sliders? Do I need anything to overclock? Or is there a tool that comes with the processor to do this? I really haven't done this before. My RAM is only 533Mhz I believe, so I'll have to upgrade that as well. I might as well go to 4GB.http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Se...&CatId=1554This is the current CPU fan I have, I think it will have no issue cooling the new processor:http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/se...47&csid=_21Just to confirm, is this the new processor you are talking about:http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Se...&CatId=3406

[Guest D17S]

That's the right CPU. The Q6600 will tell the mobo to set its FSB at 266Mhz. Ram is driven at 2x any FSB. So 266 x 2 = 533. Your current 533 ram is perfect for that CPU at its default speed. Even at 2.4Ghz, that Q will run circles around your current P4-D. For the O/C, both the FSB and the Vcore settings are made in the bios. No tools required and those are the Only 2 settings you will need to change. Boot and run. However you might just drop in the Q6600 and leave everything alone at first. Let's tune it up:For a Q at 2.4, start FSX and pull up the scenery tab. On the left side, everything can go to 100% except Water - Must - go to 2xLow (and stay there). On the right side of the scenery tab, Everything goes OFF. Weather tab to cloud draw/60 mi and Detail-detailed/max. Go to the traffic tab. Again Everything goes OFF. On the Graphics tab, turn off Bloom and DX10. Set Frame rate to unlimited.Now fly the plane (your 767) somewhere below 10K. A metro approach is most demanding. Note your FPS. You are now going to spend those extra Frames. Start bringing up Scenery Complexity and Autogen. Keep 'em coming til you're frames have reduced to ~ 20 FPS. Do not rely on the frame counter. Use it as a reference, but use your eyes. The frame counter and the actual frames can be (and usually are) different. From here, it's a tradeoff. Want some traffic? Trade traffic for SC/AG as you want . . . but you Cannot have it all.Once you're happy, lock your frames at 20. This is the dial-in procedure for any FSX setup with an 8800GT Vcard or above. If you want some more, buy DDR2-800 ram. O/C to a 333 Mhz FSB for a CPU at 3.0. You are now CPU cooler limited. 3.0Ghz is about all the heat that cooler will be able to deal with. The Q6600 CPU will go to 3.6, but you must then take the CPU volts to 1.45 (thus the need for the special cooler) and the FSB to 400Mhz (thus the need for the DDR2-800 ram). Try it first with just the CPU. If you want more, get the 800 ram. If you want the rest, ya gotta have this cooler: http://www.directron.com/u120e.htmlHowever before you try Any of this, do some research about that nvida based mobo. They are Not as friendly to core2 Quads as the Intel P35/45 based boards.Great fun and it's really pretty easy too. Just be careful not too get wrapped up in too much irrelevant technojabber.

[ferrari308guy 1]

Thanks Sam, I'll have a look at all of this :(

[ferrari308guy 1]

Hey Sam, one last question.When I upgrade processors, do I have to do anything? When I upgraded my mobo, I had to reinstall Vista and everything on my computer. Is installing a new processor like installing a new video card? Just open the case and put it in?I think I'm going to get the processor from amazon, this looks identical to the one on Tigerdirect.comhttp://www.amazon.com/Intel-Q6600-Quad-Cor...5042&sr=8-1

[Guest D17S]

That's the one. Just drop it in. Since you're getting the retail version, use the new cooler that will come with that CPU. Your last install got all those pesky mobo drivers installed. With that done, this new Q6600 CPU will tell the mobo to set a FSB of 266Mhz and a proper core voltage (Vcore). Ram will then be driven to 2 x 266 or 533Mhz. It's all automatic. Boot n run. Once you're running, get a trial copy of Everest. Run their stress test for a couple of hours. Watch the CPU temps of Cores 0,1,2,3. They will be split by up to 10C. That's normal. Look for the core voltage too. Now go into the bios and reset the FSB to 333 and the Vcore to 1.35. That will run the CPU at 333 x 9 = 3.0zGhz and the ram at 333 x 2 or 666Mhz (gotta have ram rated to run at least to 666). Boot and start the stress test again. Watch the core temps. The highest should be in the low 80s. Watch carefully. The CPU will protect itself at 95C, but don't rely on this automation. If you want more CPU speed, you will need more Vcore. 1.5 is the Very top limit. I can get the full 3.6Ghz, but I have to run 1.44 Vcore. However that'd generate too much heat for your stock cooler. Now that you know what's happening, go ahead and experiment. Temp is your limiter. Run core speed, and Vcore up together until the highest core is in the low 80s. You're really going to be impressed with the difference this'll make. I'm trying to get that PMDG MD11 into London City airport (EGLC). Now That's a metro approach!

[ferrari308guy 1]

Thanks Sam,So if I wanted to overclock this thing to 3.0Ghz, I would need 667Mhz RAM correct? If I wanted to go higher, I would need more Mhz on the RAM, so like 800? I just ordered the processor, I'll put it in and see how it performs, then I'll look into overclocking.Ferrari