• This to is the first thing I will do, but System Restore kinda freaks me out simply because I don't understand it. There have been a lot of changes to my system in the two weeks, some voluntary like the installation of ActiveSky2012, and involuntary ones like Microsoft updates, Java, Divx updates etc. I'm never sure how system restore acknowledges those. Necessary changes that may or may not be a culprit.
  

 

Don't be too concerned with system restore it will not delete programs, but it will roll back changes that you may have made to those programs. So, settings in Windows, and driver installation or driver settings etc etc. So any changes you have made to things like these since the date you are going to choose for a system restore, will return to the date before the system restore date. I used to run system restore whenever I had a problem and it works a treat. However, there is nothing quite like knowing that no matter what happens to your entire Windows and/or FSX installation, whether it be a complete deletion or whatever, that a backup with something like Acronis is always by your side. Do yourself a favour and get a copy, I promise, you'll sleep better at night and it will be an investment you will not regret!

• 
   
  

Do yourself a favour and get a copy, I promise, you'll sleep better at night and it will be an investment you will not regret!

Couldn't agree more Howard!

Howard and Andrew ... once I get this monster tamed ... Acronis or something similar will be very much considered!

Howard and Andrew ... once I get this monster tamed ... Acronis or something similar will be very much considered!

 

NO! Say after me... " I will not consider a backup, I WILL buy a backup utility for my FSX setup." Now, don't you feel better? :wink:

When you replaced your memory, did you replace all 3 (3x8GB) stickks?

Try X.M.P. setting in your BIOS and see if it improves performance.

 

Dave

I replaced the one faulty (of 3) 4 GB sticks when it failed. XMP? I'll check it out.

The last time that one of my sticks failed, it was only reported when during startup. Once inside Windows, nothing reported it and all system properties looked normal, cpu-z, Everest.... I replaced all three with a new triple channel set.

Hi folks,

 

I am pleased to finally share that things, with preliminary testing, have been returned to normal (maybe even better). The culprit ...

 

- not a corrupt Windows 7 ... in fact, I have discovered that when using the Nvidia driver to span across three monitors, the taskbar will NOT hide if you confine it to the centre monitor as th default option. You must choose to stretch the taskbar across all monitors. I have that now, and can run FSX in windowed mode without the frame gobbling presence of the taskbar.

- not virus or other malware related. All scans were negative for malicious content. Yay! AVG continues to be enabled in the background

- not the current driver ... I uninstalled the residing driver and re-installed. Nvidia drivers 301.42, other than the taskbar, does not have a noticeable detrimental effect on FSX. I'm not saying it doesn't in the grand scheme of things ... but for the sake of isolating the problem, it seems to not be an issue.

- RAM modules appear to be healthy and not the cause

- a system restore did not resolve the issue. In fact, I was unable to use it. At one point during Windows 7 optimization, it was disabled. When enabled, system restore couldn't find any restore points.

 

So the award goes to ... Noel!

 

Second, after a CTD, FSX can write a second scenery.cfg file to the folder where FSX.cfg is located. If this file exists, it can cause FSX to run very slowly and has to be deleted to regain performance. But be careful not to delete the file with same name in the FSX root directory, as this is critical to operation of the sim.

 

One of these suckers was there. Once deleted, a very noticeable improvement. A newly created and uneditted fsx.cfg, with no ActiveSky netted me FPS in the mid to high 50s on average. I applied Bojote's online fsx.cfg tweaks (on quick glance I didn't see much more difference in tweaks between Bojote's and Word Not Allowed's), customized the settings in FSX, and applied advanced settings through Nvidia inspector.

 

As a result, with ActiveSky enabled, I am flying with relatively complex scenery, with frame rates in mid to high 20s. I'm satisfied with that!. I'm sure if I play around some with the FSX customizable settings, I can improve on that.

 

Wth that I say once again, thank you, to all those that shared their experiences and knowledge to help me through this crisis. Your efforts are very much appreciated!

Still reporting, I think unsatisfactory performance. This is the first time I've flown a planned flight between Tampa and Grantly Adams.

In cockpit view, over water, minimal cloud presence .... anywhere between 2.0 and 6.8. Take away the cockpit by looking out the front window, frame rates up to 7.0 - 11.0.

 

Outside spot view, over open water, 2.0 - 3.5 FPS.

 

When the flight began, and in previous short bursts of testing ... I was looking at a maximum, and somewhat disappointing 15 FPS with a set target of 30. I'm beginning to become suspicious that performance is breaking down over the period of the flight.

 

GPU temps, GPU1 74C, GPU2 88C and GPU3 68C

 

My Intel Core i7 960 temps ...

Core 1 176F avg a load of less than 7%

Core 2 174F avg a load of 45%

Core 3 185F avg a load of 100%

Core 4 185F avg a load of 100%

4.8 GB of the 12GB RAM is being used

 

When I use task monitor to monitor the processes, FSX indicates on average 51% of the CPU usage, and system idle and a combination PlanG NT Kenal and System balancing the remainder.

 

Not impressed.

Excessive memory usage may be your problem. FSX is a 32 bit program and can not use more than 4 GB. My system uses between 3.0 and never more than 3.5 GB. The OS should use 1.2 GB or so. I had some stutters when my memory timing was not set correctly in BIOS.

 

Dave

Thank you Dave. I don't quite understand though what you mean, nor how to resolve the issue related to your suggestion. I realize I have more RAM than what FSX requires, and as such I respect that an increase in RAM won't improve things. I would think that FSX and Windows would optimize what they need and ignoring the balance. I've always had 12GB RAM in this FSX system only, and only recently started to develop this low framerate problem.

I get my best performance with Nvidia Inspector locked at 30fps and setting FSX to unlimited.

 

It is better to use the fsx internal frame rate limiter, than to use an external one

I was under the impression you had this problem after you replaced a memory stick and not a matched set. I see you don't overclock so disreguard my X.M.P. comment.

 

My point on memory usage is not about how much memory you have installed, but the usage. A normal memory usage for just FSX running is ~3.5 GB or less. You said yours was over 4 GB. It appears some other program is running in the background causing the excess usage and reducing FSX performance.

 

Dave

Hi Dave ... I'm not sure how much memory is being used by FSX, just that the system is using roughly more than 4 collectively. Not sure how I can check memory allocation of applications. I know 51% of CPU power on avergae is being used by FSX, and 40% give or take for system idle. I've ran FSX with all supporting apps disabled that I would normally fly with (Active Sky, Plan-G) with no resolution. Stopped as many processes as I was able to, with no change. The only other app that I know for certian is running in the background is AVG virus ... but I don't know how to disable it from a flying session. I've done several virus and other malicious software scans with negative results, so I'm struggling to determine which apps may be hidden and consuming valuable RAM resources.

Sitting here reading this post, press CNTL+SHIFT+ESC, Task Manager comes up. The Performance tab shows 4 cores with 0% usage and 1.27 GB of memory usage. The Applications tab shows thhis one app running.

 

Start FSX, default flight, pause, ALT+TAB. Core 0=0%, Core 1=46%, Core 2&3=0%. Memory goes to 2.93 GB. App tab shows this app, External Limiter, and FSX running. I have AM=14 set in my config and HT=off in BIOS.

 

What does your's show when doing this?

 

Dave