You format your PC, you load FS2004 and then the patch ... what will be the tweaks you would recommend in the various *.cfg files?There are as many tweaks, ideas, speculation as there are people on this forum - what will be the step-by-step shortcut for a brand new installation?Kind regardsTerblanche

You didn't indicate in your short, "You format your PC, you load FS2004 and then the patch...", anything about installing the Windows operating system and drivers, i.e., motherboard controller chips, lan, sound, video, modem, etc.In my mind, the motherboard controller chip drivers are the most important for successful gaming experience.W. Sieffert

You can have a look in the hardware section there is some tips to optimize your cfg files.

Yes - that goes without saying ...latest video, motherboard, sound and other drivers are NB!There are so many tips on this forum and many of them are conflicting. I am aware of the fact that not two PCs are the same BUT what are the things that should be changed regarding:1. FS9.cfg2. Display.cfg3. Terrain.cfg........ with the new patch4. What about Autogen?5. Any tweaks regarding hardware properties for the videocard?I was just wondering what the guru's do when they install FS9, what will be the sequence for them to tweak FS before flying?Thanx in advanceTerblanche

But have you looked in the hardware section? You aren

So much will depend on your individual hardware/software setup.The advice given above re drivers etc .and the hardware section is good advice.The only things I will add are...........Install FS9 (+update) . See how it runs under various conditions/settings etc.Then - and only then- start making any alterations to the .cfg files if you feel that in some way or another things could be better.Also - whatever you alter - make backups of the originals.FS9 is IMHO just about the most individual piece of software there is.Two people with apparently identical hardware/software setups can get widely differing results when making adjustments to things. Also one user's perception of what is "good" will inevitably be different for that of another user.Good luck - for you this is probably the start of a long, interesting and possibly sometimes frustrating learning curve!Dave

Also change one thing at a time if you are uncertain of the effects otherwise it will be harder to go back :)But do look into Ontetinsoldiers guide. It

Hi Terblanche,There is much well intentioned advice out there and believe you me I have, in common with most here in these forums, tried much of what is on offer.In the end, I have come full circle and offer you the following guidelines to get you started:1. fs9.cfg:http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...ing_type=search2. display.cfg:Leave this file alone.3. terrain.cfg:Leave this file alone4. Autogen:With the FS 9.1 Update installed it is no longer necessary to meddle with this aspect of the sim.5. This will depend on your graphics card and its capabilities. I can recommend Omega's drivers (either the nVidia or ATI variants) which come ready tweaked for either quality or performance. All you need do is experiment to find your own preferred settings for Anti-Aliasing and Anisotropic Filtering and set these up in your driver's control panel. Remember to uncheck anti-aliasing in the sim and set the Mip Mapping Quality slider to 4 or 5.My specs are below and I manage fluid performance with superb visuals in most situations with AA=6x and AF=16x. Certain 3rd party addons (not all by any means), whether scenery or aircraft, impose sim engine performance penalties and this necessitates some slider compromises - something I find increasingly hard to accept ;) You learn by experience and, as another poster implied, it can be at times an intensely frustrating experience, but enjoyable nonetheless.MikeP4 2.4GHz (400FSB), 1Gig PC2100 DDR Crucial, ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB (Omega 2.5.90), SB Audigy (5.12.0001.0443), Hyundai ImageQuest Q17 17" TFT LCD 20ms Monitor (1280x1024x32), Gigabyte GA-8IRXP MoBo, Ultra-Quiet PSU 400W, WinXP Home (SP2), DirectX 9.0c, AGP Aperture = 128MB

Ironically after the 9.1 patch, I am still using the popular CTD fix and bitmaps published for the seasonal CTD. Why? For me, the airports simply look more like airports vs. runways etched into common landclass. I notice this especially when coming into airports surrounded by forest or city. So in my case, after a fresh install I would follow the steps for the seasonal CTD fix to get this "look"...But tastes vary...-John

Whao ... thank you so much Mike!That is what I was hoping to get from someone - just one or two more questions:1. I have a brand new MSi GF5900FX and do not get the option for AA=6x and AF=16x under my Display Prop. It only goes to 4 and 8 respectively ..... what card / driver gives you that options?2. Would you suggest FSStart (I think that is what it is called) - the program that kills everything accept FS ...?Nevertheless - I thank you for the sharing of your experience.Kind regards from Cape TownTerblanche

Your video card don

>2. Would you suggest FSStart (I think that is what it is>called) - the program that kills everything accept FS ...?Personally - no - but some people get improved results with it.I already keep most unneccessary process off anyway - and find that there is no further need for the application. However - much will depend on the resources available on your system ( CPU speed/RAM/GPU etc).Dave