New system, and relatively new to FSX. I've followed NickN's tips and tweaked nHancer, but at ALL autogen settings--makes no difference sparse or extreme--I still get these small micro-stutters...even though my FPS is 80 plus. I thought it might be the variation in FPS (50-120+) so I installed the FPS Limiter...started via the .bat executable...got the green 'FPS Limit =30" etc however, it made the stutters even worse (and yes frames were set to unlimited in FSX menu)...the ONLY thing that has worked is using the DX10 Preview Mode and checking Anti-Aliasing/Anthioscopic filtering within FSX--I get smooth visuals and set the frames at 45FPS with all sliders except traffic maxed to the right.I recently purchased Real Air Duke and am getting no degradation of frames using DX10 preview. I also run UTX, GEX, and REX along with ASA...so DX10 works very well--one caveat, today I connected on squawkbox 4 and saw a 20-30% loss of frames--at the default KATL, frames were creeping down to 17-20FPS. I don't use any AI.The question is why? Why am I getting stutters with nHancer in non-DX10 mode? (and I've tried a variety of AA/AF settings not just 8xS Combined and 16xAF etc etc--there's no difference really between AA x4 and x32!). The two changes I made to FSX.cfg were from Nick's guide: Texture_Bandwidth_mult=70, and [bufferpools] poolsize 300000000 (both settings are well within the capes of my system--according to Nick's tips). I get stutters with all default aircraft at small rural airports in all viewing modes. Go figure.I followed recommended install procedures (again from Nick's guide) for FSX to include multiple O/O Defrag and defrag after UTX/GEX/REX were installed etc. Cleaned all old video drivers out with driver sweeper and ran registry defense etc. I'm only running FS9 and FSX on this computer. Both were installed on C:/--not (x86) etc. No AV or anything else running in the background. Both UAC and Defender are disabled. So super clean, super fast system.As a data point--FS9 with every addon known to man (payware airport scenery and complex PMDG, Level D, Wilco etc aircraft) with all sliders maxed right, I lock frames at 60 and am getting a smooth as silk experience--with SB4, AS6.5, and TrackIR running in the background.I can certainly use FSX in DX10 Preview mode only but it seems counterintuitive...I ought to be getting smoother performance with Nhancer vice FSX AA settings. Plus I was wondering why SB 4 seems to impact FSX so much...and this was with no significant weather or complex aircraft.System specs:Intel i7 965 Extreme Edition (oc'd to 3.8Ghz)Nvidia GTX 285 2GB GPU (running 186 beta driver--I had the 182 and 185 drivers before)OCZ 6GB DDR 3 1800Mhz RAMVel Raptor 300GB SATA II HD 10000rpmSB X-Fi ExtremeDell 24 (1920x1200) 60HzVista Ultimate 64-bitAll the CPU and GPU temps are well within standards--artic water cooled--have flown FS9 PMDG 744 12.5 hrs on-line all temps were fine and frames maintained 40-60 throughout.Any ideas?ThanksRich Perry

New system, and relatively new to FSX. I've followed NickN's tips and tweaked nHancer, but at ALL autogen settings--makes no difference sparse or extreme--I still get these small micro-stutters...even though my FPS is 80 plus. I thought it might be the variation in FPS (50-120+) so I installed the FPS Limiter...started via the .bat executable...got the green 'FPS Limit =30" etc however, it made the stutters even worse (and yes frames were set to unlimited in FSX menu)...the ONLY thing that has worked is using the DX10 Preview Mode and checking Anti-Aliasing/Anthioscopic filtering within FSX--I get smooth visuals and set the frames at 45FPS with all sliders except traffic maxed to the right.I recently purchased Real Air Duke and am getting no degradation of frames using DX10 preview. I also run UTX, GEX, and REX along with ASA...so DX10 works very well--one caveat, today I connected on squawkbox 4 and saw a 20-30% loss of frames--at the default KATL, frames were creeping down to 17-20FPS. I don't use any AI.The question is why? Why am I getting stutters with nHancer in non-DX10 mode? (and I've tried a variety of AA/AF settings not just 8xS Combined and 16xAF etc etc--there's no difference really between AA x4 and x32!). The two changes I made to FSX.cfg were from Nick's guide: Texture_Bandwidth_mult=70, and [bufferpools] poolsize 300000000 (both settings are well within the capes of my system--according to Nick's tips). I get stutters with all default aircraft at small rural airports in all viewing modes. Go figure.I followed recommended install procedures (again from Nick's guide) for FSX to include multiple O/O Defrag and defrag after UTX/GEX/REX were installed etc. Cleaned all old video drivers out with driver sweeper and ran registry defense etc. I'm only running FS9 and FSX on this computer. Both were installed on C:/--not (x86) etc. No AV or anything else running in the background. Both UAC and Defender are disabled. So super clean, super fast system.As a data point--FS9 with every addon known to man (payware airport scenery and complex PMDG, Level D, Wilco etc aircraft) with all sliders maxed right, I lock frames at 60 and am getting a smooth as silk experience--with SB4, AS6.5, and TrackIR running in the background.I can certainly use FSX in DX10 Preview mode only but it seems counterintuitive...I ought to be getting smoother performance with Nhancer vice FSX AA settings. Plus I was wondering why SB 4 seems to impact FSX so much...and this was with no significant weather or complex aircraft.System specs:Intel i7 965 Extreme Edition (oc'd to 3.8Ghz)Nvidia GTX 285 2GB GPU (running 186 beta driver--I had the 182 and 185 drivers before)OCZ 6GB DDR 3 1800Mhz RAMVel Raptor 300GB SATA II HD 10000rpmSB X-Fi ExtremeDell 24 (1920x1200) 60HzVista Ultimate 64-bitAll the CPU and GPU temps are well within standards--artic water cooled--have flown FS9 PMDG 744 12.5 hrs on-line all temps were fine and frames maintained 40-60 throughout.Any ideas?ThanksRich Perry

Hi Rich,Do you get a momentary reduction in FPS during those stutters? Does this happen in all areas? I noticed that some type of autogen trees do this to the sim. Some areas that are not dense at all but utilize those type of trees for autogen, give me stutters. My frame rates are over all high, but in these areas I get a quick drop in FPS for a fraction of a second and then it rises again. In fact Nick is working on a replacement autogen trees for the ones that cause stutters (that will be included with GEX Europe). Those trees are not used in all areas and for example rarely affects KDCA (Washington DC) area. So try flying there and see if you still get the stutters. If you get the stutters in all areas, then it might not be the trees and maybe something else.Frank

Rich,Have you found a solution to this problem yet? I have a similar setup and mine is doing the exact same thing....all areas too.Be interested to get this fixed! Graphics are amazing, frame rates are great, but the stutters are driving me crazy...let me know what you find out.Thanks,Carl

Rich,Have you found a solution to this problem yet? I have a similar setup and mine is doing the exact same thing....all areas too.Be interested to get this fixed! Graphics are amazing, frame rates are great, but the stutters are driving me crazy...let me know what you find out.Thanks,Carl

Just a test you might try. Sounds absurd but I too have found really bad stutters and drastic drops in frame rates at various times, and I noticed by accident that by turning the sound off, key "Q" in the sim, that the stutters and fps drops go away completely and fps are steady. I don't know if there is anyway to adjust sound configuration, either in the cfg file or hardware, to avoid sound processing having a drastic effect on fps / stutters. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, I would be most grateful?Cheers,Stuart

Hi Rich, I have a similar outfit to yours and found I had lot of stuttering (both visual and sound) when I tried using the nvidia 185 series drivers. I reverted to 182 and everything is fine. Other users have also had problems with the 185 drivers.

Install an inexpensive sound card to eliminate the on-board sound card's interference with FSX... ;)

Hi Rich - You say you've followed parts of NickN's guides re nhancer and installs, etc. You need to follow his OS setup and FSX install guide TO THE LETTER. If you skip a step, it will not work.The settings for TBM, Bufferpools and FPSLimiter are suggestions - you need to try various combinations until you find the one that works. Obviously TBM of 80 and BP of 300M don't work.try turning OFF sound acceleration in DXdiag or follow the other suggestions about sound. For me, an add on card made things worse.Try no bufferpools, no FPS limiter and a TBM of 70. Set frames at 30 and go from there.Have fun,Vic

Try manually setting the autogen trees lower. I did this and it completely fixed my stutters. NickN seemed to think it had something to do with the pcie bus becoming oversaturated with autogen. Because my X-Fi titanium fatal1ty sound card is also PCIe, it seemed to cause even more trouble.[TERRAIN]TERRAIN_MAX_AUTOGEN_TREES_PER_CELL=###Experiment with whatever number you'd like. IIRC somewhere around 4-500 is what max was in FS9. If I am wrong I'm sure someone will correct me.