I placed my FSX folder on the 2nd partition of a 3-partitions drive. Using Ultimate Defrag, I chose the option of placing my FSX folder on the outside area of the drive for FAST ACCESS. It does show that it was placed in that area. But, this being the 2nd partition, how could it possibly physically be placed in that area. Kind of confusing. Any help or explanation would be appreciated.Thanks.Abe

I placed my FSX folder on the 2nd partition of a 3-partitions drive. Using Ultimate Defrag, I chose the option of placing my FSX folder on the outside area of the drive for FAST ACCESS. It does show that it was placed in that area. But, this being the 2nd partition, how could it possibly physically be placed in that area. Kind of confusing. Any help or explanation would be appreciated.Thanks.Abe

It could be that your first partition doesn't use all the space in the outer area!

Abe,If your running your OS and FSX on a single drive. FSX will run much smoother if the drive is unpartitioned or FSX and the OS reside in the first partition.

Abe,If your running your OS and FSX on a single drive. FSX will run much smoother if the drive is unpartitioned or FSX and the OS reside in the first partition.

With an SSD - I don't think about drive configs much anymore.jja

Partitions are created sequentially inward on a drive physically. If you make say a 250GB primary partition or something like that on a 500GB drive, that partition will extend roughly until the middle of the drive. The effect of this is that partitions get successively slower as you go up in drive letters. (exact amount depends on the size of the partitions)If you want FS to be as fast as it can on the disk, it needs to be at the front of the first partition.

With an SSD - I don't think about drive configs much anymore.jja

SSD's are nice and I have one myself. However, my suspicions were confirmed in the latest FSX benchmarking article in Computer Pilot magazine by Doug Horton. Using FSXMark07, Doug ran extensive tests on FSX as it relates to Framerates and SSD and found there was zero performance benefit as far as framerates. They did note the extremely quite noise level (which I really like myself) of the SSD and also the faster Initial FSX load time. Surprsingly, subsequent FSX starts without a reboot also showed zero load time benefit because of Windows Cache process.Unless your greatly desire the quiet overall noise level, I would not recommend an SSD if your main objective is an FSX performance benefit. There are, of course, lots of general windows benefits but do not buy one hoping to get better FSX performance.

Thanks for the info reference SSD's. Although not faster, are they more reliable seeing as there are no moving parts? This would help me consider buying an SSD if that was indeed the case.

Thank you guys for the responses - very much appreciated.Just to bring a point of PUZZLEMENT. Ultimate defrag displays a disk image with the FSX FOLDER occupying the OUTER circles of the drive.What I should ask is: How is a drive partitioned PHYSICALLY? The only physical thing that comes to mind is OUTER, MIDDLE and INNER partitions. Maybe I am missing something. I would appreciate any explanation. Or maybe Ultimate Defrag is LYING (Rolleyes) to me.Thanks again.Abe

SSD's are nice and I have one myself. However, my suspicions were confirmed in the latest FSX benchmarking article in Computer Pilot magazine by Doug Horton. Using FSXMark07, Doug ran extensive tests on FSX as it relates to Framerates and SSD and found there was zero performance benefit as far as framerates. They did note the extremely quite noise level (which I really like myself) of the SSD and also the faster Initial FSX load time. Surprsingly, subsequent FSX starts without a reboot also showed zero load time benefit because of Windows Cache process.Unless your greatly desire the quiet overall noise level, I would not recommend an SSD if your main objective is an FSX performance benefit. There are, of course, lots of general windows benefits but do not buy one hoping to get better FSX performance.

With an SSD you don't get higher FPS rates, but the sim may run smoother and also the scenery files are loaded faster. Hence you can avoid blurries even in extreme situations.

Or maybe Ultimate Defrag is LYING (Rolleyes) to me.

That could be so. I think it simply shows you if the files are placed at the start or end of a partition and it shows this in a form of a circle with outer and inner circles, while in fact there aren't any inner and outer circles at all due to the way the disc is partitioned. It's just a way of showing you were things are which doesn't relate to the reality or the physical divison of the drive. Like Tabs said: imagine a second partition being on the middle of the drive: it wouldn't surprise me if Ultimate defrag would show that partiotion as if it is a complete drive, with inner and outer circles and all. Mind you, I'm just guessing... I do know though I never trusted defrag software... ^_^I have an SSD and the main advantage is it is as fast as it was the day I bought it and I never ever have to defrag. Love it. (No higher fps in FSX indeed, but loading times (for the OS and FSX) are always spot on.)

I have an SSD and the main advantage is it is as fast as it was the day I bought it and I never ever have to defrag. Love it. (No higher fps in FSX indeed, but loading times (for the OS and FSX) are always spot on.)

No doubt about it the best feature of an SSD is eliminating the need to defrag any partitions on it. Leaves more time to do other more desirable uses of a PC, Flightsimming for example. :(

Thanks guys, you have been a GREAT HELP.Now, I am going to EXTEND my cry for help.I would like very much to SHUFFLE my partitions to do the MOST for FSX. Fortunately, I have a complete mirror image backup of my drive. Partition ONE, has WINDOWS 7 (64) boots up as 'C' and uses, believe it or not, the very same FSX folder that XP64 uses, Location 'F'.Partition TWO, has XP 64, boots up as 'F', the same FSX folder that WINDOWS 7 uses. Trust me guys, IT REALLY WORKS.....Partition THREE, E M P T YNow, hopefully I did not lose your undevided attention, how do I go about shuffling the partitions, INTACT, WITHOUT losing my accomplishments (sorry about that!!)? Again, I ask for your help. Thanks.Abe

With an SSD you don't get higher FPS rates, but the sim may run smoother and also the scenery files are loaded faster. Hence you can avoid blurries even in extreme situations.

Only in extreme situations will the HD cause blurries. the SSD has no effect at all for normal installs in regards to blurries. Faster load times initially are their main plus - and they are quiet.However the cost/benefit as far as FSX goes is negligible. Someday whyen the $$ comes down, it would be a good move mainly because using an SSD doesn't hurt in any way.

Only in extreme situations will the HD cause blurries. the SSD has no effect at all for normal installs in regards to blurries. Faster load times initially are their main plus - and they are quiet.However the cost/benefit as far as FSX goes is negligible. Someday whyen the $ comes down, it would be a good move mainly because using an SSD doesn't hurt in any way.

That is exactly correct as I understand it, and I have to say it is what I have noticed myself.

hi,The logic behind having files located at the outer section of the hard disk in order to reduce access time is convincing. I read angelique 's review of ultimate defrag and she says that it does not improve the in game performance, only the initial loading time.Is it true and why? I would have thought that it improves FPS and reduces blurries.I have ulimate defrag and have the feeling that it has improved the way my poor old computer handles FSX (I have not made any test to check that because I prefer flying to benchmarking :() I also would like to fnow if other files should be placed on high performance ( windows files for example). The Ultimate defrag documentation is outstanding but I would have liked to have a dedicated FS tutorial. Thanks