I finally got a new computer that allows me to push the sliders full right for the first time ever - even with the high end jetliners. I always thought this would be a good thing. This morning I flew the new DF727 from KDET to KORD. First problem - there is an ILS transmitter too close to the taxiway at KDET and didn't realize it until too late! This wouldn't have been a problem with the scenery setting toned down just a tad. Once I restarted and lined-up I realized this wasn't going to be an easy takeoff. The FSGenesis landclass has tall buildings right at the end of the runway - autogen that I would not have seen at a more modest setting. I gunned it and managed to get over them but just barely. As I neared KORD, I was vectored for 27R - a nice straight in approach. By the OM, I was joined by some fast movers who budged ahead of me on the approach. There were four of us in a row, which was cool, but we were only about .25M apart. I continued out of curiosity only to have the tower send the last three of us around at the last second. I ignored the call and tried to wedge myself in behind an Airbus, Oshkosh style, but no luck and I clipped the tail in a last desperate attempt to go around. Victim of an AI setting too high with Ultimate Traffic. Bottom line, I guess, is just because you can set the sliders full right doesn't mean you should!David

Hey just outta curiosity - what are the specs of your computer? I got a new Dell as well and I can have all sliders maxed - except for the cloud density one. I *did* max that once to see what would happen and it bought my PC to its knees! The performance in FS9 was 1 frame every 3 seconds! Hahaha! I shall wait for a used Cray on eBay...

I've got a Dell P4 3.6ghz HT with 1024 Mgb RAM (I forget which type!) and an Radeon 800XT PE. I use replacement cloud textures which might account for why I don't have problems even with multiple layers of thick clouds (FS Skyworld? - can't remember that either!)David

actually it may have more to do with that cannon of an x800 videocard of yours :) - niceregards,Mark

Yeah, it's dangerous all right, but isn't it excitingClay

Nice..u got a powerful system there, FS9 must make for some good eye candy! At first I was afraid that if I maxed my sliders I would get a terrible FPS rate but now I fly with all of them maxed (I should say I locked the FPS at 30) and Im getting smooth performance!Altho I do notice a FPS drop when I fly certain planes. I wonder what the technical reasons are for that? Maybe its cuz the airplane model is more complex..?

Well, i have read this, and i am also getting a new system pretty soon. with the budget, im staying behind a little on the vid card. Af for FPS drops in certain area, it depends from what i know.You can be in any aircraft and be at edwards AFB in the Mohave Desert where there is hardly anything but sand and very little scenery, and run lets say, 28FPS. Then fly west towars KLAX or LA in general, and as you near the city, more scenery is generated. The closer you get, the more scenery and detail FS creates, demanding more power from your system, which does slow down. In my case, i can do 14FPS with clear skys at KEDW (now u know why im getting a new sys) and fly to LAX and by the time i get there, im pushing 6 or 5 FPS. This is all with Medium Low Settings.The system i am getting is custom and isAMD Athlon 64 3200+512MB PC3200 RAM (will upgrade to 1GB when budget gets better)80GB Seagate SATA 7200RPM NVidia FX5900 Ultra 128MB AGP 8X.Everything looks good to me at first glance except for the RAM. That i will upgrade to 1GB within a month or so.As for the vid card, how does it look, and hopefully ill be running sliders full right in most cases at a nice FPS. Hopefully close to 30 is what i want atleast.Does any one know if the 5900 is a good card? There are a few Commercial Aircraft Reviewers that have that card.How do my specs look to you guys and i also hope i answered your question. Also, try turning down scenery just a notch, i dont think it would be that big of reduction in detail but maybe a jump in frames of atleast 5-10.:-wave

>I've got a Dell P4 3.6ghz HT with 1024 Mgb RAM (I forget>which type!) and an Radeon 800XT PE. I use replacement cloud>textures which might account for why I don't have problems>even with multiple layers of thick clouds (FS Skyworld? ->can't remember that either!)>DavidI thought that might be the case David. Which set do you find good to use? I tried one or two sets of Chris Willis' and to me that did not look as natural as the default clouds. Even so, I am going to try them if the performance is better.Noel

Noel,I've just been pressing the "random clouds" button to find one I like (frankly, they all look good to me!). I spent the last two years with a very borderline system and squeezed every last frame per second out of it. I actually see little difference between the hi-res clouds and the 32bit versions. Once I start adding more gadgets in and it starts slowing things down I will probably downgrade the clouds first.David

I set most of my scenery settings full bore, but the traffic I don't..And don't get me wrong, I don't mind the traffic, but with too much, I can't get a word in edgewise with ATC....:/ I don't like waiting and waiting and waiting, to confirm a center handoff, or whatever...So I throttle the traffic back a good bit from 100%...MK

David, you don't live in Chico do you?Noel

No, Colorado

With traffic, those who have slow speeds may find this helps... As I only fly into GA airfields, I unchecked Commercial in traffic. It not only improved framerates, but reduced the amount of conflicts in ATC.... Also, I use GA-Traffic, which gives me lots of trafffic in GA fields. Those who only use Commercial fields, could uncheck GA traffic, as you seldom see any at places like LAX or Ohare, et. al.... This might allow you to fly with 100%, and still have better framerates. Bob