On my new i5 [email protected] GTX580 1600 CL8 computer FSX runs very smooth with a lot of sliders full right, but... all this is spoiled a bit by microstutters. It seems as if for instance autogen frequently pauses for a split millisecond: you see it's not being updated a frame or it skips a frame. Now I've been fooling around with all kinds of settings and tweaks but nothing solved the problem. However, at one time I had vsync disabled and I suddenly noticed the tearing I saw had the same frequency/rhythm/timing as the microstutters...! Could it be that forcing vsync gets rid of the tear but now somehow skips an entire frame in order to prevent that tear...? Or something like that...? Anybody else ever thought about this? Microstutters seem to be related to vsync. Now if this is so, I wonder... what can be done about it...? I tried various things (lmiting fps to specific numbers with the ingame limiter and external limiters) but nothing helped... Maybe someone can come up with a logical solution...? (BTW If this 'discovery' of mine is old news, I apologize...

Vsync is known to lower the performance, so yes, more stutters will be seen. However I'm sure there is a v-sync fix somewhere. I think in bojote's shader 3.0 mod there is a v-sync fix. Not sure if this fixes this issue. Try it i guess.

It´s MS Flight Simulator X, it´s born with a disease called Microstutters! Any cure? Not really IMO... If you know everything about setting it up properly - NickN, Bojote etc. - and with 2.059 posts I guess you do, then I really don´t know what to say... Java / Google update running? Antivirus and other programs doing the same? Try limit FPS to 30 inside FSX.

I've done a lot of non scientific personal testing. The best is no vsync with external frame rate limiter. Yeah you get a little tearing but I hardly notice it.

I've done a lot of non scientific personal testing. The best is no vsync with external frame rate limiter. Yeah you get a little tearing but I hardly notice it.

Hah, and I wanted to say that to my personal experience the best is internal limiter (mine at 30, been testing 60) + vsync on in nvidia profile. But not in fsx.cfg. For windowed basically off, for full screen on.

Oops I forgot about that - I only run windowed mode. I've always had better performance even throughout the FS titles.

J Van EYou could try enabling 'Triple Buffering' which may help with vsync stutters if due to vsync (and if Triple Buffering works in FSX some disagreement there with some saying yes some saying No) but still worth a try. I now use a "true" 120 Hz monitor and that has reduced vsync noticeably and some have used 200/300Hz HD TVs with similar results.Just an opinion.RegardsPeterH

Well, as usual the slogan is 'YMMV'! I already tried every option and setting (so also triple buffering) but I haven't played around with windowed mode yet. I'll give it a try.. who knows, just maybe... nah, probably not... I'll try in anyway. You haven't lived if you haven't tried every availabel FSX-tweak!

Let´s see what NickN has to say about it: Driver Setting, Vertical Sync in FSX:MYTH: Turning Vsync OFF will increase frame ratesFALSETurning Vsync off creates image tears and microstutters in FSX and DOES NOT increase performance. If you are correctly set up in your drivers with Vsync enabled your frame rate will never go over the refresh rate of the monitor. With LCD that refresh rate is typically 60 (meaning 60FPS is the highest FSX will run) and that is the correct way to run FSX, with Vsync always ENABLED. Vsync locks the image and keeps it from jittering and tearing in FSX.The only time Vsync OFF may present an advantage is with SLi. Because of how Sli works running with Vsync disabled may help as Phil Taylor pointed out quite clearly in SLi FSX is throttling you with Vsync enabled and frames locked.Also, I dont care if the frame counter says 145FPS.. with a 60Hz LCD monitor you are only 'visually' seeing 60FPS with Vsync disabled... The frame counter number is not what is being shown on the screen above the refresh rate of your LCD http://www.simforums.com/forums/setting-up-fsx-and-how-to-tune-it_topic29041.html - and Phil Taylor: http://blogs.msdn.co...-week-or-2.aspx

I have somewhat the same computer as you have and I'm seeing microstutters as well. Can you try to set the FPS limiter in FSX to 60 and Vsync on? When I do this and the FPS are at 60 fps then my flight is super smooth. But when it drops below 60 fps, I.E. 45 FPS, the autogen and ground is stuttering. Also when I set the frame limiter to 30, the stutters are still there, they are only gone when the limiter is set to 60 and the FPS are at 60 fps. Does anybody encounter the same experience?

I have somewhat the same computer as you have and I'm seeing microstutters as well. Can you try to set the FPS limiter in FSX to 60 and Vsync on? When I do this and the FPS are at 60 fps then my flight is super smooth. But when it drops below 60 fps, I.E. 45 FPS, the autogen and ground is stuttering. Also when I set the frame limiter to 30, the stutters are still there, they are only gone when the limiter is set to 60 and the FPS are at 60 fps. Does anybody encounter the same experience?

I did try that, I think... it didn't work, but that's probably because I never reach an fps of 60... ;) But if this is true, than it would prove the relation between stutters and vsync. (No matter what NickN says...)

Non Vsync tearing and microstutters are different things. I got rid of the regular small stutter of the kind the OP described by doing the following (folks like Nick think this is just covering up the problem, but it fixed it for me): With FSX running press ctr alt del and bring up the task manager. Under the processes tab find FSX.exe. Right click and set priority to one notch higher than normal, but not the highest, which could crash the sim. You will find toggling the FSX map will be a little slower but this is the only trade off and it's acceptable. I do this every time I run FSX, and I have never had a single, pulsing, regular stutter of the kind you describe since doing so. Before doing this I've had this stutter on every system I have run. It might not work for you, so apologies if this is the case. It is worth a try though. Rob - RealAir

Hey Rob, Yea, this is my answer too. I thought at first that it would affect my addon controllers and possibly TrackIR, but that was hot the case. I wish I could say I dont get stutters but they are much improved. Bob

I have somewhat the same computer as you have and I'm seeing microstutters as well. Can you try to set the FPS limiter in FSX to 60 and Vsync on? When I do this and the FPS are at 60 fps then my flight is super smooth. But when it drops below 60 fps, I.E. 45 FPS, the autogen and ground is stuttering. Also when I set the frame limiter to 30, the stutters are still there, they are only gone when the limiter is set to 60 and the FPS are at 60 fps. Does anybody encounter the same experience?

I've seen the same thing in FSX and FSX9 as well...anything besides 60 FPS (my monitor refresh rate) set in FS seems stutter-y for me. Then it falls below 60 and does indeed still stutter.

Non Vsync tearing and microstutters are different things. I got rid of the regular small stutter of the kind the OP described by doing the following (folks like Nick think this is just covering up the problem, but it fixed it for me): With FSX running press ctr alt del and bring up the task manager. Under the processes tab find FSX.exe. Right click and set priority to one notch higher than normal, but not the highest, which could crash the sim. You will find toggling the FSX map will be a little slower but this is the only trade off and it's acceptable. I do this every time I run FSX, and I have never had a single, pulsing, regular stutter of the kind you describe since doing so. Before doing this I've had this stutter on every system I have run. It might not work for you, so apologies if this is the case. It is worth a try though. Rob - RealAir

Rob - Do you use an Affinity Mask setting in your cfg in conjunction with this or not?