Help me tune FSX

[JordanChin 24]

Hi all, I'm not new to flight sim as I've been using it since the days it was on floppy disks xD and bought every version in the series since then. I finally decided to drop FS9 all together, since it's a dying sim (still good for what it is don't get me wrong) and move to FSX. I've installed it along side FS9 a few times but never got the performance that I deemed was acceptable years back. I'm using my trusty laptop to run it and I still can't seem to get the performance I can be happy with.

 

Here are the specs:

Core i7-940XM (1st gen i7s) which I overclock manually for FSX to 3.73GHz on all 4 cores with HT on (I need HT for apps I use, but I can disable it in bios if I need to)

Nvidia Geforce GTX 280M with 1GB VRAM (which translates to a 9800GT desktop version) - 306.97 drivers installed with NI

6GB DDR3 RAM @ 1333MHz

320GB HDD @ 7200RPM

 

I've added a few tweaks from Word Not Allowed's guide, installed Steve's DX10 fixes and I'm using the enbseries mod. Other than that it's stock. Strangely enough I can't keep a consistent 30fps. Here's my fsx.cfg hopefully you guys can spot where I went wrong.

 

 

[bUFFERPOOLS]

Usepools=0

[JOBSCHEDULER]

AffinityMask=14

[sOUND]

AmbientUIMusicVolume=-6.000000

SOUND=1

SOUND_QUALITY=2

SOUND_LOD=0

UISound=1

AmbientUI=0

PrimaryDevice={DEF00000-9C6D-47ED-AAF1-4DDA8F2B5C03}

VoiceDevice={DEF00002-9C6D-47ED-AAF1-4DDA8F2B5C03}

[Display]

ChangeTime=4.000000

TransitionTime=4.000000

ActiveWindowTitleTextColor=255,255,255

ActiveWindowTitleBackGroundColor=0,28,140,64

NonActiveWindowTitleTextColor=255,255,255

NonActiveWindowTitleBackGroundColor=24,33,87,64

InfoUpperRightTextColor=255,0,0

InfoUpperRightBackGroundColor=0,0,0,0

InfoLowerLeftTextColor=255,255,255

InfoLowerLeftBackGroundColor=255,0,0,128

InfoLowerRightTextColor=255,255,255

InfoLowerRightBackGroundColor=255,0,0,128

InfoBrakesEnable=True

InfoParkingBrakesEnable=True

InfoPauseEnable=True

InfoSlewEnable=True

InfoStallEnable=True

InfoOverspeedEnable=True

BLOOM_EFFECTS=0

SKINNED_ANIMATIONS=1

TEXTURE_BANDWIDTH_MULT=40

UPPER_FRAMERATE_LIMIT=30

WideViewAspect=True

[Main]

FIBER_FRAME_TIME_FRACTION=0.15

User Objects=Airplane, Helicopter

SimObjectPaths.0=SimObjects\Airplanes

SimObjectPaths.1=SimObjects\Rotorcraft

SimObjectPaths.2=SimObjects\GroundVehicles

SimObjectPaths.3=SimObjects\Boats

SimObjectPaths.4=SimObjects\Animals

SimObjectPaths.5=SimObjects\Misc

Maximized=1

Location=432,129,1472,907,\\.\DISPLAY1

HideMenuNormal=0

HideMenuFullscreen=1

ProcSpeed=6533

PerfBucket=7

DisablePreload=1

[PANELS]

IMAGE_QUALITY=1

QUICKTIPS=0

PANEL_OPACITY=100

PANEL_MASKING=1

PANEL_STRETCHING=1

UNITS_OF_MEASURE=1

DEFAULT_VIEW=0

[Weather]

WindshieldPrecipitationEffects=1

MinGustTime=10

MaxGustTime=500

MinGustRampSpeed=1

MaxGustRampSpeed=200

MinVarTime=5

MaxVarTime=50

MinVarRampSpeed=10

MaxVarRampSpeed=75

TurbulenceScale=1.000000

WeatherServerAddress=fs2k.zone.com

WeatherServerPort=80

WeatherGraphDataInDialog=0

AdjustForMagVarInDialog=1

DynamicWeather=0

DownloadWindsAloft=0

DisableTurbulence=1

CLOUD_DRAW_DISTANCE=5

DETAILED_CLOUDS=1

CLOUD_COVERAGE_DENSITY=8

THERMAL_VISUALS=0

[DISPLAY.Device.NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280M .0]

Mode=1280x720x32

Anisotropic=1

[CONTROLS]

Controls_Default=Standard

Controls_Current=Standard

KBDAIL=64

KBDELEV=64

KBDRUD=64

force_master_gain=10000

force_stick_force_enabled=1

force_stick_shaker_enabled=1

force_gear_bump_enabled=1

force_crash_enabled=1

force_ground_bumps_enabled=1

[TextInfo.1]

Latitude=1,1

Longitude=1,2

Altitude=1,3

Heading=1,4

AirSpeed=1,5

WindDirectionAndSpeed=1,6

[TextInfo.2]

FrameRate=1,1

LockedFrameRate=1,2

GForce=1,3

FuelPercentage=1,4

[TextInfo.3]

Latitude=1,1

Longitude=1,2

Altitude=1,3

Heading=1,4

AirSpeed=1,5

WindDirectionAndSpeed=1,6

FrameRate=2,1

LockedFrameRate=2,2

GForce=2,3

FuelPercentage=2,4

[slewTextInfo.1]

Latitude=1,1

Longitude=1,2

Altitude=1,3

Heading=1,4

AirSpeed=1,5

[slewTextInfo.2]

FrameRate=1,1

LockedFrameRate=1,2

[slewTextInfo.3]

Latitude=1,1

Longitude=1,2

Altitude=1,3

Heading=1,4

AirSpeed=1,5

FrameRate=2,1

LockedFrameRate=2,2

[DynamicHeadMovement]

LonAccelOnHeadLon=-0.020000

LonAccelOnHeadPitch=-0.010000

RollAccelOnHeadLat=0.010000

YawAccelOnHeadLat=-0.100000

RollAccelOnHeadRoll=0.100000

MaxHeadAngle=5.000000

MaxHeadOffset=0.300000

HeadMoveTimeConstant=1.000000

[VirtualCopilot]

VirtualCopilotActive=0

[GRAPHICS]

STALE_BUFFER_THRESHOLD=2147483647

ForceWindowedVSync=1

ForceFullScreenVSync=1

HIGHMEMFIX=1

TEXTURE_MAX_LOAD=1024

NUM_LIGHTS=8

AIRCRAFT_SHADOWS=1

AIRCRAFT_REFLECTIONS=1

COCKPIT_HIGH_LOD=1

LANDING_LIGHTS=1

AC_SELF_SHADOW=1

EFFECTS_QUALITY=2

GROUND_SHADOWS=0

TEXTURE_QUALITY=3

IMAGE_QUALITY=0

See_Self=1

Text_Scroll=1

D3D10=0

SHADER_CACHE_PRIMED_10=1693500672

SHADER_CACHE_PRIMED=1693500672

[uSERINTERFACE]

PageID=1

OpenATCOnCreate=0

SHOW_MISSION_CAPTIONS=1

PAUSE_ON_LOST_FOCUS=0

PROMPT_ON_EXIT=1

SITUATION=FLIGHTS\OTHER\FLTSIM

Map_Orientation=2

ShowAllACPaintSchemes=1

SelectAircraftManufacturer=All

SelectAircraftPublisher=All

SelectAircraftType=All

[ATC]

ShowATCText=1

COMM_MSG_NONE_COLOR=FFFFFFFF

COMM_MSG_ATC_USER_COLOR=FFB6FFB6

COMM_MSG_USER_ATC_COLOR=FFFFD21B

COMM_MSG_ATC_AI_COLOR=FF00FF00

COMM_MSG_AI_ATC_COLOR=FFFF7840

AutoOpenAirTrafficWindow=1

UsePilotVoice=1

PilotVoice=0

[PointOfInterestSystem]

CycleSetting=0

[sCENERY]

SmallPartRejectRadius=3

LENSFLARE=1

DAWN_DUSK_SMOOTHING=1

IMAGE_COMPLEXITY=5

[TrafficManager]

AirlineDensity=10

GADensity=10

FreewayDensity=5

ShipsAndFerriesDensity=5

LeisureBoatsDensity=15

IFROnly=0

AIRPORT_SCENERY_DENSITY=1

[TERRAIN]

LOD_RADIUS=4.500000

MESH_COMPLEXITY=100

MESH_RESOLUTION=25

TEXTURE_RESOLUTION=29

AUTOGEN_DENSITY=4

DETAIL_TEXTURE=1

WATER_EFFECTS=6

[AContain]

ShowLabels=0

ShowUserLabel=0

ShowLabelManufacturer=1

ShowLabelModel=1

ShowLabelTailNumber=0

ShowLabelDistance=1

ShowLabelAltitude=1

ShowLabelAirline=0

ShowLabelAirlineAndFlightNumber=0

ShowLabelFlightPlan=0

ShowLabelContainerId=0

ShowLabelAirspeed=0

ShowLabelHeading=0

LabelDelay=1000

LabelColor=FFFF0000

[iNTERNATIONAL]

ASLAT=2

ASLON=1

MEASURE=1

[REALISM]

PFactor=1.000000

Torque=1.000000

GyroEffect=1.000000

CrashTolerance=1.000000

General=1.000000

UnlimitedFuel=False

TrueAirspeed=False

AutoCoord=False

RealMixture=True

StressDamage=False

GEffect=False

ManualLights=True

GyroDrift=True

CrashWithDyn=True

CrashDetection=True

AutoTrim=False

AllowEngineDamage=True

[sIM]

SYSCLOCK=1

[sTARTUP]

DEMO=0

SHOW_OPENING_SCREEN=1

STARTUP_DEMO=

LoadWindow=1

[FACILITIES]

COUNTRY=

STATE=

CITY=

GTL_BUTTON=1349

[Misc]

Com_Rate=7

[AccelerationPack]

ControlsFirstRun=0

HomePageFirstRun=0

[MULTIPLAYER]

condAccoutPassword=0

[OldMaintChief 7]

Lens Flare should be off. The human eye does not see that.

Try Water Effects 4.

The correct AffinityMask, with HT on, is 84.

Turn off all shadows.

 

See how that works

Dave

[Kaly 22]

ShipsAndFerriesDensity=5

LeisureBoatsDensity=15

 

If you don't mind not seeing any watercraft,you could set these to 0, for added performance.

[JordanChin 24]

I tried what you guys said and I got a little more performance. AffinityMask 84 is actually worse for me for some reason. Using default planes I can get a solid 30fps, using anything else between 15-24. The perfectionist inside me can't live with that xD. Any other suggestions?

[Kaly 22]

Any other suggestions?

 

Could you post your NI settings?

[JordanChin 24]

Sure thing.

 

 

Edited December 20, 2012 by firehawk44
Image removed. Exceeds 400KB limit.

[OldMaintChief 7]

AffinityMask 84 is actually worse for me for some reason

 

What do mean by worse, exactly?

 

The external frane limiter gave me 5 fps. Some don't like it. At 20 fps is the video smooth or jerky?

 

Dave

[JordanChin 24]

@OldMaintChief I've tried an external limiter in the past, didn't work too well for me. And it's stuttery at 20 fps. I disbaled HT just now, so I'm gonna give it another try and report back.

[Fielder 3,645]

You probably already have Core Temp utility, it gives you a readout of what your overclocking is actually running at during the game in realtime as well as how may cores are running and at what usage % each core is using in realtime. I found this to be valuable for instant feedback of what was better or worse with each change I make. Somehow other utilities were giving different and not very accurate reports.

 

I have a simple i5 sandybridge overclocked and get 75 (windowed) - 90 (full screen) f.p.s. with all sliders maxed except for modest AI traffic and water. Using Orbx regional scenery (not their detailed apirports). It is only OC'd to 4.2 Ghz.. With other sets of tweaks maybe only around 35-70 f.p.s. Trying various combinations, suddenly somehow the performance was just there at a sweet spot, and I don't touch settings any more.

[PieEater 10]

An Affinity Mask of 14 on an i7 processor with Hyperthreading enabled is forcing your CPU to use 2 virtual cores and one physical which is not ideal. A mask of 84 on an i7 CPU effectively disables Hyperthreading and forces FSX to use 3 physical cores leaving one free for background processing which you'd assume to be the best scenario. I did some testing on my own i7 setup and found that FSX doesn't really make use of any more than 2 cores and in fact setting an affinity mask of 80 (no HT & 2 physical cores only) produced slightly better frame rates than the 84 mask. I posted the results and my comments here - http://www.flightsim...hyperthreading/ the last post on the thread explains a bit more about calculating the affinity mask and what a mask of 14 is doing on an i7 CPU. If you have the time and inclination it would be worthwhile testing 14, 84 & 80 and checking the results with FSXMark11 (run 3 tests on each and ignore the results from test 1).

[JordanChin 24]

@ PieEater I'm currently using AM=14 with HT. That seems to work the best.

@Fielder I use ThrottleStop to OC, watch temp and to see how the processor is being used. When FSX is running, the multipliers are at 27-28. My baseclock is 133Mhz, so 28 x 133 = 3724MHz. I have my tdp at 75W so my CPU can maintain 3.7GHz without throttling.

@Word Not Allowed My GPU give the same performance of a 9800GT desktop card, that still isn't enough? I'm planning on upgrading it to a GTX 470M sometime next year which translates to the performance of a GTS 450 desktop card.

 

Here's a screen shot in windowed mode.

 

 

Edited December 20, 2012 by firehawk44
Image removed. Exceeds 1600W and 400KB limits.

[JordanChin 24]

@Word Not Allowed Well that's disappointing. Seems I should invest in a desktop then if I want the same performance I had with FS9. Thanks guys, I'll just lowering things to suffice til then.