Hi all,I'm trying to troubleshoot a specific FSX CTD scenario and was wondering if my current BufferPools setting of 2M could be causing this. The new system is freezing and then CTD as I approach ImagineSim's Atlanta scenery in either the PMDG MD-11 or 744X. I honestly don't think it's a endurance, heat, or OOM issue but does seem to happen in a repeatable fashion near this particular approach, but not always. This is using PMDG, REX-HD clouds, UTX, ST LC, GEX, FSG, ImagineSim KATL on the server and HiFi ASA, RC, and FSFK on the client via both Simconnect and WideFS pipes.I have been using 2M for the Bufferpools both before and after my i7 upgrade but now I wonder if it's not such a good setting to have carried-over and might be the cause of my CTDs in very heavy scenery. I ran ProcMon but did not see any flagrant issues such as missing texture file calls, etc... This system is Prime95, OCCT, LINX, and MemTest stable. My gut feeling tells me the REX HD clouds have something to do with this, perhaps in conjuction with the Bufferpools setting.Is a CTD a possibiliy for an incorrect Bufferpools setting?

Hi Al,Yes, BufferPools can cause CTDs.I don't use it anymore and now have zero CTD.It seems really useless with a config like yours

Hi Al,Yes, BufferPools can cause CTDs.I don't use it anymore and now have zero CTD.It seems really useless with a config like yours

Thanks David,I will then remove the setting all together and retry the flight again tonight to see if I can get through the approach without a CTD. I know it's a subjective setting and produces different results for everyone, but I didn't know if it could actually cause a CTD.

Correction to my OP, the 2M should have been 200MB. I'll blame it on being Monday... :(

Correction to my OP, the 2M should have been 200MB. I'll blame it on being Monday... :(

Al,I've tried many different bufferpool values, but as of today I'm at 350mb. I also have TBM @ 90. I have almost no stuttering (after I removed the 185.85s and went back to the 182.50s, that is) and using FPS Limiter @ 30 and FSX @ Unlimited my frames rarely, if ever, drop below 30.Jay

Thanks for the info Jay. I removed the Bufferpools tweak in its entirety last night and for the first time, I was able to complete this specific KLAS -> KATL scenario. I'm not ready to say it's 'solved' but it's a start. A few more heavy scenery flights should let me know for sure. I too run FPS_Limiter @ 30fps and a TBM @ 80. I have been using the 182. driver as well and my FPS have, for the most part, are rock-solid, locked @ 30; except when at the likes of ImagineSim KATL with every gate populated with good AI. Then I average around 22FPS with the likes of PMDG's MD-11 or 744X.

Bufferpools should be tested over large pine forests flying into airports around them. With high AG slider the user can see the difference flying over large amounts of trees and banking as bufferpools are raised or lowered. If a user sees no difference at all then typically it is a sign the reserve is not needed.Bufferpools when set too high can in fact cause lockups, CTDs and even OOMAssuming the user has ascertained value to using the poolsize, the standard for most on the higher memory cards will be 70-100MB reserveHigher is problematical and its success depends on the system as a whole and how the user is running it,.. not the amount of video memory in useThere are some systems that do not play nice with any reserve however I have yet to see a i7/285 not like at least 70

Bufferpools when set too high can in fact cause lockups, CTDs and even OOM...There are some systems that do not play nice with any reserve however I have yet to see a i7/285 not like at least 70

Over on Orbx a thread is getting popular suggesting a bufferpools entry of 400MB or so.Always curious I tried it, and quickly found a OOM FSX crash on a i7 64 gtx280 6GB system,never seen that before!I find FSX on i7 is a constant quest to find a better solution.Everything from what cores to use, bufferpools, TBM, and drivers.You just think you have a stutter free setup then fly to a new area, or try a different plane and bam they are back.It was much more predictable on core quads in my experience so far.I'm currently using bufferpools at 200MB , TBM at 90 , all cores, 185.85 drivers.Used to use TBM 70 with the 182.50 drivers.I don't think there is a magic solution that will ever make FSX stutter free over a wide variety of areas and planes, short of a 10GHz CPU :)

I don't think there is a magic solution that will ever make FSX stutter free over a wide variety of areas and planes, short of a 10GHz CPU :)

Hey Nick, you wouldn't happen to be 'testing' one of those puppies, would you??? C'mon, you can tell me, I would *never* tell anyone :( Jay

something i am currently testing that looks promising is this.my system = i7920@ 3.4Ghz vista64 gtx 285i have been researching ways of getting smooth FSx without using fps limiter, cause i am an anti addon simmer, the fewer the tools i need for FSX, the easier it is to reinstall if it should come to that. 1 - We know fsx does not use virtual cores, and this is evident when you dont set any affinity, fsx uses only the 4 real cores, and vista uses all 8.2 - So for the first time i removed affinity in fsx.cfg and the performance was smooth locked in FSX at 25fps, but still i had not micro stutters, but occasional stutters.3 - So i set affinity in FSx.cfg to = 84 = 0101 0100, and this was very smooth, though not tested it much yet. This leaves core 0 and all virtual cores to vista, while fsx uses only the last 3 real cores.4 - So my HT is back on, the cpu heat does not rise with HT on so much cause FSx is not the one using virtual cores, but vista and disk5 - I have suspected for a while, and now i am jusy about convinced that i7 with HT on is much smoother, cause 8 cores load textures much faster, 6 - HT on is cool, as long as its vista /Disk using virtual cores, and not fsx., hence the affinity mask of 84.7 - i have left my TBM at the defualt 40, cause i suspect loading textures too fast may add to stuuters, plus i am mainly high flyer so i wount notice slow texture load.8 - Buffer pools = 400 000 000 Conclusion, HT on is good for FSX, as long as vista is using virtual cores and not FSX. But things are much smoother still if FSX does not use core 0 as well as all the virtual cores. affinitymask = 84 = smoother flight.

something i am currently testing that looks promising is this.my system = i7920@ 3.4Ghz vista64 gtx 285i have been researching ways of getting smooth FSx without using fps limiter, cause i am an anti addon simmer, the fewer the tools i need for FSX, the easier it is to reinstall if it should come to that. 1 - We know fsx does not use virtual cores, and this is evident when you dont set any affinity, fsx uses only the 4 real cores, and vista uses all 8.2 - So for the first time i removed affinity in fsx.cfg and the performance was smooth locked in FSX at 25fps, but still i had not micro stutters, but occasional stutters.3 - So i set affinity in FSx.cfg to = 84 = 0101 0100, and this was very smooth, though not tested it much yet. This leaves core 0 and all virtual cores to vista, while fsx uses only the last 3 real cores.4 - So my HT is back on, the cpu heat does not rise with HT on so much cause FSx is not the one using virtual cores, but vista and disk5 - I have suspected for a while, and now i am jusy about convinced that i7 with HT on is much smoother, cause 8 cores load textures much faster, 6 - HT on is cool, as long as its vista /Disk using virtual cores, and not fsx., hence the affinity mask of 84.7 - i have left my TBM at the defualt 40, cause i suspect loading textures too fast may add to stuuters, plus i am mainly high flyer so i wount notice slow texture load.8 - Buffer pools = 400 000 000 Conclusion, HT on is good for FSX, as long as vista is using virtual cores and not FSX. But things are much smoother still if FSX does not use core 0 as well as all the virtual cores. affinitymask = 84 = smoother flight.

OKI have posted it before and I am going to say it again hereI have personally discussed i7 with Phil Taylor 1 on 1FSX in no way shape or form used HT or any virtural core.. NONE, NADA, ZIP, NILAnd as I said in another thread.. there is something wrong with your system because in the 20 or so i7 systems I have personally set up I have never, ever needed to use affinity mask or kill any core on a i7 procand I do not see constant stutters anywhereI saw you complaining about heat and summer in another thread.. something I dont see on my systems ... even the ones in South Florida so it seems to me there is a clue in all this somewhereI have also never seen a 400 (or greater) poolsize work other than when the system (motherboard design problem) has audio crackle issues with high autogen sliders... 200 is about the max on the GTX 285s however that one is problematical based on the motherboard and the drivers involved@ Jack.. yea, I know. They also fall all over Windows7 over there.. a huge mistake and its all hype as I have at this point gotten at least 20 suckers who read that crap on the Orbix forums back to reality on WXP x64 or Vista 64 and running sweet