Hi all,

 

Since a couple of days I have a problem which virtually makes my FSX unusable.

 

When starting up a flight at the gate in a default aircraft at a default airport, I usually have between 20 - 30 fps (fps internally limited to 30). After +- 30 seconds at the gate, my fps drops to about 2 or 3 fps for about 5 to 10 seconds after which it gets back to normal. I first noticed this after installing MegasceneryX california.

 

So what have I tried to solve this?

 

-external fps limiter

-lowering settings (scenery, weather, traffic etc.)

-rebuilding a new fsx.cfg file (I had the fsx.cfg tweaked by the Bojote tool, and this used to work great)

-install new GPU drivers + check GPU te;ps with NVidia inspector (temps remain normal)

-reinstall fsx + service packs, but even without add-ons the issue reoccurs

-clean install of Windows 7 last weekend

 

all without resolving the problem.

 

Now, tonight I noticed something weird. I ran Windows 7 performance monitor together with FSX. During periods of normal FPS, my max cpu frequency is about 117% (probably due to built in Turbo Boost). When the fps drop, max cpu frequency shrinks to 33%. What could be the cause of this? A quick google search ordered me to check my laptops power mgmt settings, but they are put to max performance. My laptop is always plugged in when playing FSX.

 

To be complete, I give you my laptop settings:

 

i7 2760QM CPU @ 2.4Ghz

8GB of RAM

Geforce GTX 570M 1GB

 

 

Thanks for any advice,

 

Kind Regards,

 

Nico Stroobants

 

My FSX.cfg:

 

 

[RWW_WEATHER_MAP]

SHOW_AIRPORTS=0

SHOW_AIRSPACE=0

SHOW_APPROACHES=0

SHOW_DATATAGS=1

SHOW_FLIGHTPLAN=1

SHOW_INTERSECTIONS=0

SHOW_JET=0

SHOW_NDBS=0

SHOW_TERRAIN=1

SHOW_VICTOR=0

SHOW_VORS=0

SHOW_WEATHERSTATIONS=1

SHOW_WEATHERSYSTEMS=1

[bufferPools]

RejectThreshold=131072

[VirtualCopilot]

VirtualCopilotActive=0

[sOUND]

AmbientUI=1

AmbientUIMusicVolume=-6.000000

PrimaryDevice={00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}

SOUND=1

SOUND_LOD=1

SOUND_QUALITY=2

UISound=1

VoiceDevice={00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}

[slewTextInfo.1]

AirSpeed=1,5

Altitude=1,3

Heading=1,4

Latitude=1,1

Longitude=1,2

[AContain]

LabelColor=FFFF0000

LabelDelay=1000

ShowLabelAirline=0

ShowLabelAirlineAndFlightNumber=0

ShowLabelAirspeed=0

ShowLabelAltitude=1

ShowLabelContainerId=0

ShowLabelDistance=1

ShowLabelFlightPlan=0

ShowLabelHeading=0

ShowLabelManufacturer=1

ShowLabelModel=1

ShowLabelTailNumber=0

ShowLabels=0

ShowUserLabel=0

[ATC]

AutoOpenAirTrafficWindow=1

COMM_MSG_AI_ATC_COLOR=FFFF7840

COMM_MSG_ATC_AI_COLOR=FF00FF00

COMM_MSG_ATC_USER_COLOR=FFB6FFB6

COMM_MSG_NONE_COLOR=FFFFFFFF

COMM_MSG_USER_ATC_COLOR=FFFFD21B

PilotVoice=0

ShowATCText=1

UsePilotVoice=1

[TextInfo.1]

AirSpeed=1,5

Altitude=1,3

Heading=1,4

Latitude=1,1

Longitude=1,2

WindDirectionAndSpeed=1,6

[iNTERNATIONAL]

ASLAT=3

ASLON=0

MEASURE=0

[CONTROLS]

Controls_Current=Standard

Controls_Default=Standard

KBDAIL=64

KBDELEV=64

KBDRUD=64

[FACILITIES]

CITY=Brisbane

COUNTRY=Australia

GTL_BUTTON=1442

STATE=Queensland

[DISPLAY.Device.NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570M.0]

Mode=1920x1080x32

TriLinear=1

[TextInfo.3]

AirSpeed=1,5

Altitude=1,3

FrameRate=2,1

FuelPercentage=2,4

GForce=2,3

Heading=1,4

Latitude=1,1

LockedFrameRate=2,2

Longitude=1,2

WindDirectionAndSpeed=1,6

[PointOfInterestSystem]

CycleSetting=0

[GRAPHICS]

AC_SELF_SHADOW=0

AIRCRAFT_REFLECTIONS=1

AIRCRAFT_SHADOWS=0

ALLOW_SHADER_30=1

COCKPIT_HIGH_LOD=1

D3D10=0

EFFECTS_QUALITY=2

ForceFullScreenVSync=1

ForceWindowedVSync=1

GROUND_SHADOWS=0

HIGHMEMFIX=1

IMAGE_QUALITY=0

LANDING_LIGHTS=1

NUM_LIGHTS=8

See_Self=1

TEXTURE_MAX_LOAD=1024

TEXTURE_QUALITY=3

Text_Scroll=1

SHADER_CACHE_PRIMED_10=1693458432

SHADER_CACHE_PRIMED=1693458432

[TrafficManager]

AIRPORT_SCENERY_DENSITY=1

AirlineDensity=30

FreewayDensity=0

GADensity=5

IFROnly=0

LeisureBoatsDensity=15

ShipsAndFerriesDensity=10

[DynamicHeadMovement]

HeadMoveTimeConstant=1.000000

LonAccelOnHeadLon=-0.020000

LonAccelOnHeadPitch=-0.010000

MaxHeadAngle=5.000000

MaxHeadOffset=0.300000

RollAccelOnHeadLat=0.010000

RollAccelOnHeadRoll=0.100000

YawAccelOnHeadLat=-0.100000

[REALISM]

AutoCoord=True

AutoTrim=False

CrashDetection=True

CrashTolerance=1.000000

CrashWithDyn=True

GEffect=True

General=0.000000

GyroDrift=True

GyroEffect=0.000000

ManualLights=True

PFactor=0.000000

RealMixture=True

StressDamage=True

Torque=0.000000

TrueAirspeed=False

UnlimitedFuel=False

[Weather]

AdjustForMagVarInDialog=1

CLOUD_COVERAGE_DENSITY=7

CLOUD_DRAW_DISTANCE=3

DETAILED_CLOUDS=1

DisableTurbulence=0

DownloadWindsAloft=0

DynamicWeather=2

MaxGustRampSpeed=200

MaxGustTime=500

MaxVarRampSpeed=75

MaxVarTime=50

MinGustRampSpeed=1

MinGustTime=10

MinVarRampSpeed=10

MinVarTime=5

THERMAL_VISUALS=0

TurbulenceScale=1.000000

WeatherGraphDataInDialog=0

WeatherServerAddress=fs2k.zone.com

WeatherServerPort=80

WindshieldPrecipitationEffects=1

[Misc]

Com_Rate=7

[Main]

HideMenuFullscreen=1

HideMenuNormal=0

Location=440,130,1480,908,\\.\DISPLAY1

Maximized=2

SimObjectPaths.0=SimObjects\Airplanes

SimObjectPaths.1=SimObjects\Rotorcraft

SimObjectPaths.2=SimObjects\GroundVehicles

SimObjectPaths.3=SimObjects\Boats

SimObjectPaths.4=SimObjects\Animals

SimObjectPaths.5=SimObjects\Misc

User Objects=Airplane, Helicopter

ProcSpeed=7778

PerfBucket=7

[Trusted]

D:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\GAUGES\QWBae146.GAU.tntknhwotzcalokqbqnnoeatnkerriaikatrblbt=2

D:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\GAUGES\QwBAe146_TCAS.GAU.kuqhhccricehucbrltuwtorkbnkornworieqiwat=2

[TextInfo.2]

FrameRate=1,1

FuelPercentage=1,4

GForce=1,3

LockedFrameRate=1,2

[uSERINTERFACE]

Map_Orientation=2

OpenATCOnCreate=0

PAUSE_ON_LOST_FOCUS=0

PROMPT_ON_EXIT=1

PageID=1

SHOW_MISSION_CAPTIONS=0

SITUATION=FLIGHTS\OTHER\FLTSIM

SelectAircraftManufacturer=All

SelectAircraftPublisher=All

SelectAircraftType=All

ShowAllACPaintSchemes=1

[sIM]

SYSCLOCK=1

[Display]

ActiveWindowTitleBackGroundColor=0,28,140,64

ActiveWindowTitleTextColor=255,255,255

BLOOM_EFFECTS=0

ChangeTime=4.000000

InfoBrakesEnable=True

InfoLowerLeftBackGroundColor=255,0,0,128

InfoLowerLeftTextColor=255,255,255

InfoLowerRightBackGroundColor=255,0,0,128

InfoLowerRightTextColor=255,255,255

InfoOverspeedEnable=True

InfoParkingBrakesEnable=True

InfoPauseEnable=True

InfoSlewEnable=True

InfoStallEnable=True

InfoUpperRightBackGroundColor=0,0,0,0

InfoUpperRightTextColor=255,0,0

NonActiveWindowTitleBackGroundColor=24,33,87,64

NonActiveWindowTitleTextColor=255,255,255

SKINNED_ANIMATIONS=1

TEXTURE_BANDWIDTH_MULT=30

TextureMaxLoad=12

TransitionTime=4.000000

UPPER_FRAMERATE_LIMIT=0

WideViewAspect=False

[JOBSCHEDULER]

AffinityMask=84

[slewTextInfo.3]

AirSpeed=1,5

Altitude=1,3

FrameRate=2,1

Heading=1,4

Latitude=1,1

LockedFrameRate=2,2

Longitude=1,2

[PANELS]

DEFAULT_VIEW=0

IMAGE_QUALITY=1

PANEL_MASKING=1

PANEL_OPACITY=100

PANEL_STRETCHING=1

QUICKTIPS=0

UNITS_OF_MEASURE=0

[sTARTUP]

DEMO=0

LoadWindow=1

SHOW_OPENING_SCREEN=1

STARTUP_DEMO=0

[slewTextInfo.2]

FrameRate=1,1

LockedFrameRate=1,2

[TERRAIN]

AUTOGEN_DENSITY=2

DETAIL_TEXTURE=1

LOD_RADIUS=4.500000

MESH_COMPLEXITY=86

MESH_RESOLUTION=24

SWAP_WAIT_TIMEOUT=2

TEXTURE_RESOLUTION=29

WATER_EFFECTS=5

[sCENERY]

DAWN_DUSK_SMOOTHING=1

IMAGE_COMPLEXITY=4

LENSFLARE=0

MAX_ASYNC_BATCHING_JOBS=3

SmallPartRejectRadius=4.0

[MULTIPLAYER]

condAccoutPassword=0

It might be your laptop getting too warm and automaticaly going into a cooldown mode

SmallPartRejectRadius=4.0

 

This tweak informs FSX to only draw Autogen scenery that is larger than 3 pixels. FSX default setting is to draw objects that are 2 pixels and larger in the Autogen. This tweak will raise the minimum size of Autogen to be displayed. So you are 'shifting' the balance in FSX making it more video card bound. I would REM this setting out of your config. This is done by putting two slashes // in front of the setting (i.e., //SmallPartRejectRadius=4).

 

MAX_ASYNC_BATCHING_JOBS=3

 

This definition is from Bojote's thread - "MAX_ASYNC_BATCHING_JOBS tells the FSX engine what is the MAX number of threads that can be used for autogen batching. I set this based on your Affinity. So that ALL of your TEXTURE manager threads do batching. Default is 1, Max is 4.It's a setting that will prove beneficial ONLY when you are flying into dense autogen scenery or flying too fast." I would REM it out and let it run at default.

 

TextureMaxLoad=12

 

The default is 6. I think for your system, 12 is way, way too high. I would REM this setting out of your config.

 

TEXTURE_BANDWIDTH_MULT=30

 

This setting should be 40, 80 or 120. For your system, I would set it no higher than 40.

 

ForceFullScreenVSync=1

ForceWindowedVSync=1

 

I doubt these settings would work for your laptop. I would REM them out. I would recommend reading more about these two settings by following this link to Word Not Allowed's guide - http://#####.wordpress.com/fsx-software-and-hardware-guide/. For instance, you have your FPS set to unlimited and these settings, as I understand them, only work with FPS limited to around 30 FPS.

 

You have so many tweaks in your FSX.cfg and I would simply rename it, restart FSX, and let the config rebuild itself.

 

ran Windows 7 performance monitor together with FSX. During periods of normal FPS, my max cpu frequency is about 117% (probably due to built in Turbo Boost). When the fps drop, max cpu frequency shrinks to 33%. What could be the cause of this?

 

Most likely Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology kicking in - http://www.intel.com/support/processors/sb/CS-028855.htm.

 

To be honest, you really do not have a very powerful system and your FSX settings will have to be lowered. I realize you stated you had lowered your fsx settings. A 2.4GHz CPU is great for a lot of other daily tasks but I don't think it is for FSX. You're going to have to run fsx with modest settings.

 

Best regards,

Jim

Hi guys,

 

Thanks for the help.

Definately looks like my CPU is running too hot and Speedstep kicking in. I opened the laptop and cleaned out the dust. Didn't know that in 6 months time the interior of my laptop could look like the Adam's family mansion :-)

Anyway, temps are a bit lower now, and with Throttlestop tool I can keep my frames at 25 - 30. Will still have to look for a decent laptop cooling stand of some sort.

Oh, and thanks for the advice regarding my fsx.cfg. I'll certainly try your tips Jim. As for my system being to weak for FSX I tend to disagree. Before this heating problem it ran just fine using orbx add-on scenery and airports in the PMDG 737 NGX. Because 25 - 30 fps gives me a smooth experience.

 

Kind regards,

 

Nico

As for my system being to weak for FSX I tend to disagree

 

Hi Nico,

 

LOL! You're most likely right. To explain my rationale though, I go on the fact that many here on AVSIM have systems running almost 2 times faster than your 2.4GHz system (they still have many of the same problems as you were encountering). My "old" computer was a Dell XPS 720 with two 8800GTX graphic cards and 2.93 factory overclocked CPU. I was able to overclock that further to 3.73GHz. You do have an i7 chip and that helps and definitely a step up. I apologize for the comment as you are happy and that's all that counts. That's great you are able to run FSX between 25-30fps though especially with the the 737NGX and MegaScenery SoCal scenery. That's really all you need. Glad you found the problem with the dust and subsequent heating problems. I'll have to look at my laptop and see what has collected too. I don't use it for FSX though. Hopefully it will continue to provide enjoyment.

 

Best regards,

Jim

Turning off HyperThreading in BIOS (FSX can't use it) and changing AffinityMask to 14 was worth 8C on my system. External frame limiter gave me 5 more fps.

 

Dave