I tried with and without AffinityMask a couple of times on my 4 core rig with W7 ... and I sense a slightly better overall result without it.

just reading the AVSIM forums shows a high proportion of Intel users complaining (just like this thread) about poor performance, stutters, and CTDs when using FSX.

 

Well that's easy to be explained really, just a fact of numbers and statistics.  If more FSX users have an Intel CPU; witch they do.  I don't know the numbers, but its very high % over AMD I'd be wiling to guess.  That its a gimme that you'd hear more problems coming from a Intel users.  Doesn't mean its the CPUs fault when like a cake there is a lot of ingredients at play between FSX now-a-days between everything that gets thrown into its use.  As for tweaks.  I ran my sim rig since April 2010 with no tweaks, things weren't always as smooth or the highest FPS I felt I could achieve. Using the tweaks now, the three or four I use make a big difference in flying anything anywhere near or at 30fps without cutting things out like autogen.  Speaking of cakes, sounds like your cake without icing on it.  No autogen! Would hate to fly the Canarsie into JFK on your rig no matter how nicely you say it runs it likely looks the opposite.

 

To each there own I guess, but no autogen may make things run nicely like a Ferrari with a primer paint job. I'd take it, but I wouldn't settle for keeping it as is.  I want to to look and run well.

As funny as this may sound, you might want to run the FSDT JFKv2. On my rig which is a 2700K (not clocked yet), 8GB RAM 2133mhz, and a GTX670FTW, I get a LOT better performance out of the FSDT JFK vs. the default version which isn't really optimized to todays standards.

 

Also, I am setup per NIcks instructions, however as he notes somewhere in those instructions, sometimes when running a plane like the NGX with complex addon airports, you may need to unlock the frames and run unlimited.

When I run the T7 or NGX I go from locked at 30 to unlimited and set the Vsync in Inspector to Force On, not 1/2. With a lot of testing I have found that works best for me in these type of situations and is still smooth and stutter free. Although it might not work for you, its worth a shot.

 

Below is a quick grab into 13L in the T7 with FSDT JFK, MegaScenery NY, and UTX night lights. FPS remained in the 50's most of the time and was smooth as silk. Plus I was able to run 70% UT2 traffic, but had the car and boat traffic turned off and that photoscenery doesn't include a bunch of autogen, so that might help as well.

 

Click to full size to confirm the FPS

 

2013-10-22_20-3-35-817.jpg

 

Sean Campbell

Holy cow! My system is pretty much the same as yours and I am getting 40 FPS max in such a situation. I am not using photoscenery so that might make the difference, but my system is very optimized (PoolSize=0, HMF=1, AM=14). Would you mind trying that without photoscenery and regular autogen having all scenery sliders to max? I can remember photoscenery being easier on FPS but it's been too long to remember.

Disagree all you like Tabs - just reading the AVSIM forums shows a high proportion of Intel users complaining (just like this thread) about poor performance, stutters, and CTDs when using FSX.

 

I built an Intel rig a few years ago to really see if it was better than AMD, and despite building the then highest spec system possible, considering the cost, it was a disappointment.

 

You could argue that I'm biased in my opinion, being an AMD user, but I'm not the one tweaking FSX to death, then posting about how I'm getting CTDs, stutters, etc....

 

I'm not kidding when I say that FSX runs very nicely. The glitch of the diagonal line through 2D panels is not a deal breaker, and to be honest I don't even notice it. Maybe my tolerance to small issues like that is higher than most, but then again I understand the problem. As for the skeleton - sure, for the 2 seconds it takes to resolve itself it would be nice if it didn't occur, but really..... it *does* correct itself, and it doesn't appear to be a long-term problem (e.g. causing CTDs).

 

I think people need to be a bit more realistic about FSX and accept that it has problems. I really do think some people are in denial about that.

 

Right now in the PMDG 777 forum, are 4 threads on the first page about CTD/OOME! People really need to get used to the idea that loading the sim with a dozen memory-intensive add-ons is not conducive to a stable platform.

 

I'm going to state right here and now that when I bought the 777 I was fully expecting it to be CTD nightmare (me and FSX have historically never got on) but I'm very pleased to say you guys did a great job with it, and so far I have not had any major issues with it. I even did a 21 hour long-haul without problems (an awesome flight by all accounts).

 

Best regards,

Robin.

Hi Robin.

I am no specialist, but I have read many things from people who think they are.

And people like that confuse the community.

Now I am not looking for a fight here, and I am not saying Intell is better than AMD cause I lack the knowledge.

What I can say is that my Intell seems to be doing way better than your AMD.

And I am not bragging here, but I do feel like I have to support Ryan and others in order to get the complete story on the table.

If tomorrow AMD starts supporting FSX again (I know now from two sources that they dont test there drivers etc on FSX) and if they do better than Intell I would be the first in line to buy it. I could care less what name is on the boxes!

 

But I think we need to be comparing apples with apples here.

 

First you say you are getting 40fps on a three year old AMD PC implying that intell is no better and that buying the best/most exspensive intell components is a mistake.

 

Then you add to that; that you add a dose of reality, implying that the OP is not doing so.

While clearly we have a person here with a high performance PC who invested a lot of time in an FSX dedicated platform and who did not add a crazy amount of addons (unless ORBX world is consideres crazy. I dont know cause I dont have it)

 

Then later you add the small print:

Quote

As for my FSX settings, I disabled completely: 

* AI

* AutoGen (who needs that at FL390?)

Unquote

 

Any you add that basically fly over virgin FSX scenery ( hardly any scenery addons).

 

Now who flies like that?

Besides you I dont know anybody who flies without AI and without autogen and without addon scenery and likes it that way!

 

You know what I get over default FSX, no AI, no Autogen?

+100fps....I am not kidding!

But I would turn the thing of after five minutes cause it is too ugly to look at!

 

Then you answere to someone who asks what happens if you turn autogen and AI on:

quote:

Assuming FSX doesn't crash, it will be a very stuttery 15 if I'm lucky. If I max everything I get a paltry 5 FPS, depending on where I'm looking.

unquote.

 

I appriciate you being honest here, really.

But cant you see how ridiculous it looks if you tell Rayn:

quote:

Disagree all you like Tabs - just reading the AVSIM forums shows a high proportion of Intel users complaining (just like this thread) about poor performance, stutters, and CTDs when using FSX.

unquote

Those people are trying to make FSX work WITH addons!

Not like you with nothing.

Thats what I mean with apples to apples

 

I get 18-30fps (it fluctuates but is very flyable) when taking of from KJFK towards Manhattan X with GEX + UTX + REX (fair weather) clouds + FSGenesis + sliders at Dense/Very Dense + Mytraffic AI at 30% (which is more than default FSX AI at 30%) + the PMDG777!

 

No CTDs but quite close to the 4GB VAS limit (which is to be expected).

 

And the OP should be getting better performance than that.

 

That is way better than you are getting with your PC.

 

Again, I would be happy to see your performance is better than mine cause I would buy your stuff tomorrow.

The fact is however, it does not seem to be better at all.

And advising people to not buy Intell, based on 40fps with an AMD running default FSX, no autogen, no AI, no addons is misleading in my opinion.

 

I tried with and without AffinityMask a couple of times on my 4 core rig with W7 ... and I sense a slightly better overall result without it.

Thx for confirming that.

If tomorrow AMD starts supporting FSX again

 

Really... what has that got to do with anything? OK so there is a graphical glitch. It is not affecting stability, which is a major issue people seem to be suffering. FSX runs very nicely on my not-top-end 6750.

 

Don't confuse cosmetics issues with structural problems. So the paint on the wall may be the wrong shade of white, but at least the wall is solid.

 

 

Now I am not looking for a fight here, and I am not saying Intell is better than AMD cause I lack the knowledge.

 

I'm not saying one platform is better than another. Performance is too subjective without scientific test conditions, and don't get me started on how benchmarks are biased, whether intentional or not. In fact, under any particular set of test conditions, software will always run better overall on one architecture vs. another. It's a case of picking whichever paints your favorite hardware in the best light.

 

In the end: could you fire up FSX right now, and fly for 21 hours between any pair of airports with reasonable expectations of making it all the way without a CTD, and with a smooth enjoyable experience? I can. That is all that matters.

 

Why do I even reply to these threads? Because there is a lot of BS out there about how to "fix" FSX, and every time I see the acronyms "CTD" or "OOME" it grinds my gears.

 

"Tweaking" FSX is a very poor way to trouble shooting, and it is made worse when people will not do the most rudimentary troubleshooting: DISABLE EVERYTHING, STRIP IT BACK TO THE BASICS, AND SEE IF IT STILL WORKS. That means GET RID OF ALL ADD-ONS (except FSUIPC - that actually prevents certain CTDs), disable AI (known to leak memory) and AutoGen (I highly suspect this leaks memory - I always get a CTD eventually with this enabled - I stopped using it completely and FSX has been CTD free ever since).

 

No amount of tweaking the FSX.cfg file will prevent memory leaks, unless you prevent the cause from running in the first place.

 

This is my last post here, as I always swim in circles. I'm CTD free. If you want to live in the mistaken belief that editing FSX.cfg can prevent memory leaks you go ahead, but the next time you encounter an OOME/CTD, think of me.

 

Best regards,

Robin.

could you fire up FSX right now, and fly for 21 hours between any pair of airports with reasonable expectations of making it all the way without a CTD, and with a smooth enjoyable experience?

 

Yes, I've flown from KLAS to PHNL then down to NTAA, turning around flying back to PHNL, then on to KDFW and landing at KFLL. Over 20 hours no problems.  You say, 'reasonable expectations'.  I do so with a higher then reasonable expectation, I do so with 100% certainly I'll make it from A to B.  My typical flight is 14-16 hours for the 777 (DXB-LAX SFO-DXB etc) and there is no way I'd waste my time (as I'd expect most) to plan then execute a flight if I had any doubts if I was going to make it or not. While sure some people here have had or do have stability issues I would say most don't worry about OOM errors, CTD, or the stability of their FSX machine in flight. Surely those that have been around MSFS for some time and have a reasonable amount of PC knowledge.  If that were the case many of the well known community member would have their own post about these problems about not being able to complete a typical 777 flight.

 

Has there been some OOM error posted.  Yes, but 10 times outta 10 it looked to me they were being overzealous with their settings.  They only had to dial things back a bit to fix the issue,  not go the route as you and with complete absence of entire settings to achieve their goal of OOM error free/CTD flights.

 

For the OP,

 

I know I flew into JFK from HGK this afternoon on the Canarsie approach for 13L at no lower then 25fps without shutters with an Intel/Nvidia setup so the OP is not a global one.  

Really... what has that got to do with anything? OK so there is a graphical glitch. It is not affecting stability, which is a major issue people seem to be suffering. FSX runs very nicely on my not-top-end 6750.

 

Don't confuse cosmetics issues with structural problems. So the paint on the wall may be the wrong shade of white, but at least the wall is solid.

 

 

If you want to ignore the part where I said we get a bunch of tickets with really bizarre graphics issues in the sim on AMD cards then go ahead. Trust me, I have a way larger sample size than your sample of one...

Really... what has that got to do with anything? OK so there is a graphical glitch. It is not affecting stability, which is a major issue people seem to be suffering. FSX runs very nicely on my not-top-end 6750.

 

 

In the end: could you fire up FSX right now, and fly for 21 hours between any pair of airports with reasonable expectations of making it all the way without a CTD, and with a smooth enjoyable experience? I can. That is all that matters.

 

 

Best regards,

Robin.

I dont know about your graphical glitch...that is not what I meant.

What I meant for example is this:

I got most of my sim know how from one specialist. And he said he has been in direct contact with both Nvidia and AMD. AMD said they dont test new drivers and hardware on FSX cause it is too old. Nvidia said they do still. But they did tested for the longest time on

FSX without any SP installed. Untill they were made aware of this and so, now they test on FSX SP2. That does make a difference. I can imagine it is also the reason why 1/2Vsync works so nicely on FSX these days....because they tested it.

 

And yes, I can ofcourse start a 15hr flt and not CTD. And I am sure so can most others. It is silly to imply only AMD users or only users without addon scenery, AI traffic and autogen can do so.

Please ... I am a part of this ... I beg of all of you ... DO NOT ... turn this into a host of flames that will result in a poor outcome ... I'm still flying ... finally ... I've committed a great deal of resources (and I mean thousands of dollars of time) to bring a new machine ... from inception ... to fruition ... to install and ... final tuning ... I would prefer this ... if you have a certain penchant for a particular platform ... or an implementation that employs the use of a different video card/cpu/memory ... take that discussion to NickN.  I came to this game late ... I studied ... I planned ... I asked ... I implemented ... I've flown ... I'm now tuning ... honestly ... I'm putting the icing on the cake so to speak. 

 

If you have not spent countless hours working through Nick's hardware build ... and followed his recommendations for software configuration ... please ... do not embarrass yourself by proclaiming you have found a tried and true hardware/software solution to FSX tuning. 

 

My GOD ... I'm almost DONE ... just huddle around the campfire boys ...

 

 

Holy cow! My system is pretty much the same as yours and I am getting 40 FPS max in such a situation. I am not using photoscenery so that might make the difference, but my system is very optimized (PoolSize=0, HMF=1, AM=14). Would you mind trying that without photoscenery and regular autogen having all scenery sliders to max? I can remember photoscenery being easier on FPS but it's been too long to remember.

 

Yeah, I'll give it a try and see if it makes a difference. I think the biggest difference in that area besides photoscenery is that FSDT's KJFK is easier on FPS than the default, at least it is for me. I've found their big airports like DFW, LAX, and JFK all perform better than the default equivalents.

 

I'm not using PoolSize=0 or any AM value. I just use a RejectThreshold value and AM. All other .cfg settings are pretty much untouched, however I have tried a lot of different tweaks thru the years including limiting FPS, 1/2 refresh VSync and stuff like that. Luckly for me the minimum .,cfg tweaks work best as far as smoothness and plenty of FPS. The only time locked 30 with 1/2 refresh VSync works well is if I am flying less demanding aircraft and minimal scenery and AI. Once I load the sim up with the NGX/T7 and through in a lot of AI and a mega airport those other settings dont work as well for me on this system or my older rig.

 

Sean Campbell

I think Ryan nailed it ... I sat at my computer ... looking at the T7 rotating ... and watched my screens ... my right monitor flickered ... it blanked out ... for a full second ... and it did it again ... and I listened to another song ... and it did it again ... I killed Flight Simulator ... and guess what ... there is no glitch with the video ... and then I heard that song. ...

 

And I realized ... I lost over 300 hours of my time to ... well ... "THIS" ... I have one piece of advice to give all of you ... if you know for a fact ... that you will not die tomorrow ....dive into tweaking an old piece of software ... to stop a shimmer here ... or fly a new plane there ...

 

Please realize ... that a life exists outside of this hobby ... frankly ... it has already stole from me more time than I should have committed to my daughter.

 

I will not be back ... thank all of you very much ... and remember ... that addictions are not necessarily chemical in nature.

 

Love ya ...

You sure do write lots of dots!

Before dismissing the whole FSX, you should definitely try the UsePools=0 route, as setting it up requires very little time, merely couple of entries into fsx.cfg and maybe one or another Nvidia Inspector setting. There are enough guides out there, there is not only NickN's guide, ya know? Ryan said it too...

You sure do write lots of dots!

Before dismissing the whole FSX, you should definitely try the UsePools=0 route, as setting it up requires very little time, merely couple of entries into fsx.cfg and maybe one or another Nvidia Inspector setting. There are enough guides out there, there is not only NickN's guide, ya know? Ryan said it too...

 

I have to say that I've recently experimented with the 'UsePools=0' tweak and found that it did help with performance but there were negative consequences which I think everyone should be well aware of if they decide to try it.

 

Firstly, I noticed that there were weird flickers happening in scenery that looked a bit like graphical artifacts appearing momentarily. It was particularly noticeable when panning around in the VC or outside views.

 

Secondly, I would eventually get CTD's at random while flying the NGX and 777. I thought this might be isolated only to high-end PMDG aircraft so I took out one of my Carenado GA planes, flew it around Brisbane city near YBBN and got a CTD there as well.

 

I decided this wasn't worth it so disabled it and had much more luck with setting unlimited FPS instead of locked to 30, however I recently started getting low-res, blurry terrain particularly at high altitude and even when descending on approach it seemed like scenery loading was taking time to 'catch up' so everything looked real blurry. I've been reading Nick's guides past couple of days and they seem to be really good compared to a lot of other ones I've seen and he is correct, one size DEFINITELY doesn't fit all when it comes to tweaking FSX and seems to me like people always push whatever works best for them. You end up having this confusing mess of tweaks where one person says to do one thing, then another says to do something else and all end up contradicting each other.

 

 

The only time locked 30 with 1/2 refresh VSync works well is if I am flying less demanding aircraft and minimal scenery and AI.

How come they don't work as well for you? All you need is a minimum of 30 FPS and looking at that performance (56 FPS) that should be no problem at all! Or is that 56 FPS just a big exception, and do you get much lower FPS in the majority of other situations? I am not getting 56 FPS flying over NY but a minimum of 30 FPS is easily achieved for me in 95% of the time even in demanding situations. The only time I am dropping below 30 is when taxiing in a PMDG plane at an Aerosoft/ORBX/FSDT Mega Airport. However, I run no FPS limiter at all. VSync 1/2 will make things smooth with no FPS limiter at all in PMDG planes (just set DU refresh rate to unlimited). I recommend you try it. Also, why not running PoolSize=0? I would never EVER fly without it. There's absolutely no reason not do set this on modern systems. It will give you 30% better FPS.

I think Ryan nailed it ... I sat at my computer ... looking at the T7 rotating ... and watched my screens ... my right monitor flickered ... it blanked out ... for a full second ... and it did it again ... and I listened to another song ... and it did it again ... I killed Flight Simulator ... and guess what ... there is no glitch with the video ... and then I heard that song. ...

 

And I realized ... I lost over 300 hours of my time to ... well ... "THIS" ... I have one piece of advice to give all of you ... if you know for a fact ... that you will not die tomorrow ....dive into tweaking an old piece of software ... to stop a shimmer here ... or fly a new plane there ...

 

Please realize ... that a life exists outside of this hobby ... frankly ... it has already stole from me more time than I should have committed to my daughter.

 

I will not be back ... thank all of you very much ... and remember ... that addictions are not necessarily chemical in nature.

 

Love ya ...

I feel your pain, I've nearly taken this decision a few times, glad I did not though! So do not give up just yet! Don't listen to these people saying "There must be something wrong with your system!". No, that's just utter ######, if you system runs stable in every game but FSX, then your FSX settings are the culprit. Modern day PCs are more than reliable so it shouldn't really matter what kind of system you have as long as it's Sandy Bridge or above with a good NVIDIA videocard. What is also important is that your system is BALANCED. I've used my current system in combo with a GT 320 and had constant CTDs. Bought a GTX 670 and problems were gone. Turns out, I was starving my GPU by running PoolSize=0.

In your case, I first recommend you set PoolSize=0. It will make your frames 30% better and it's a tweak I would never fly without, and there's no reason not to set it on modern day balanced systems. Apart from that use HIGHMEMFIX=1 and AffinityMask=14, FIBER_FRAME_TIME_FRACTION=0.15 and TEXTURE_MAX_LOAD=1024 (no need at all to use any higher). These are my fsx.CFG settings and they've proven to be very stable. No inexplicable FPS drops, no CTDs. 

However, your FSX settings internally also matter a lot. I for one do not use AI traffic, because it's a common source of all kinds of problems. I have personally experienced these FPS drops you describe just by using AI traffic. I have EVERY kind of AI traffic disabled and I am not missing it. Just fly online! 

For the rest, disable lightbloom. Set water to HIGH 2X and nothing else than that. you can set all your scenery sliders to max (except water as I said) but DISABLE ground scenery shadows. For weather, cloud draw distance should be around 80 nm and cloud coverage density MAXIMUM.

Please make sure to try ALL of these settings before you judge and give up. If it works for me, then it will work for you as long as you system is stable. Simple as that.

Also, why not running PoolSize=0? I would never EVER fly without it. There's absolutely no reason not do set this on modern systems. It will give you 30% better FPS. 

 

Well might be the truth to Nvidia users but its not the case with High-end ATI/AMD cards 

 

Usepools=0 actually gives me 2-3 fps more than Usepools=1 and alot of corruption even with default settings  (HD7970 3GB GHZ Edition)

 

read this

 

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/422802-serious-issue-with-ati-and-steves-dx10-fix-tears-and-spikes-everywhere/

 

 

Michael Moe