I switched to P3D from FSX since almost one year, when I decided to buy a new desktop completely dedicated to flightsim. I was used to run P3D from an HDD (Seagate Barracuda 2TB 64MB Cache 7200rpm SATA3) and I was pretty satisfied with the performances of the sim: I could flight my PMDGs at 35-40 fps average in cloudy weather but…I was tormented by microstutters (really micro, fractions of sec) especially on the ground, in payware airports with GSX services enabled (i.e. when parking distance meter kicked-in), during ASN/AS16 wx updates, sometimes in final before touchdown. I use to live with them since FSX and at the very end, I simply quit the struggle of having the sim 100% fluid.

 

Last week, out of curiosity I decided to make the move: I got myself a new SSD (Samsung 850 Evo 1TB), cloned my HDD on it, changed drive letter and…O-M-G!

 

Not only loading times practically zeroed, but also my nasty microstutters were gone. I was even used to have 1-2 sec black textures on the vehicle demo window in P3D scenario setting…gone for good. There’s also visible speed-up in the way the sim loads UTX terrain textures underneath, during flight at jet’s cruise levels.

 

Not placebo here I’m afraid: completed several long flights without a single stutter, and sim’s smooth like silk, can’t believe it, eventually I made it, at least til next new addon install  .

 

My recommendation is, if you’re “one of the few” like I was, to run P3D from an HDD, before getting crazy with AM tweaks and Process Lasso settings, do yourself a big favor: clone your P3D drive on an SSD and maybe like me, you won’t be disappointed.

 

Maybe everything above is obvious for the most, but I believe’s worth sharing it.

 

Happy flying!

you are right on this. My SSD died and i'm using HDD again until i buy another SSD. I have microstuters and slow loading scenery. I'm 100% sure it wasn't so on SSD

120gb big enough?

120gb big enough?

 

Not for my install: several airports and FreeMesh X in the same image, more than 120GB.

 

Cheers,

Do yourself a favour and go with a 500 GB SSD for P3D. I also outsourced some other Addons to the P3D SSD, like AS 16, ASCA and some other stuff. Keep the Windows SSD as clean as possible.

 

The SSDs aren't too expensive anymore.

Do yourself a favour and go with a 500 GB SSD for P3D. I also outsourced some other Addons to the P3D SSD, like AS 16, ASCA and some other stuff. Keep the Windows SSD as clean as possible.

 

The SSDs aren't too expensive anymore.

 

Yeah, here in CH around 300,00 CHF (305,00 USD) for a Samsung 850 Evo 1TB, definetely a good investment IMO.

 

Cheers,

It's actually placebo effect or your HDD was fragmented. All of the tests I've seen show no difference in performance between HDD and SSD. Only difference is load times. http://m.hardocp.com/article/2013/12/10/hdd_vs_ssd_real_world_gaming_performance/5

It's actually placebo effect or your HDD was fragmented. All of the tests I've seen show no difference in performance between HDD and SSD. Only difference is load times. http://m.hardocp.com/article/2013/12/10/hdd_vs_ssd_real_world_gaming_performance/5

 

Maybe it is, but I definitely like it.  :wink:

 

Happy flying (gaming?) !

 

Cheers,

 

Edit: seriously, my (P3D install) HDD is normally 0% frag, maybe you may say it's not one of the fastest HDD on the maket today, could be this one of the reasons while I see improvements?

Yeah there seems to be no difference.  My P3D has always been on a 256GB SSD.  Load times are slow and occasionally have the microstutters but a new graphics card and tweaks fixed them down to really infrequent now. 

 

Load times are slow because I have a ton of aircraft installed and scenery.  I also think because I have my Orbx and addon scenery junction linked to my HDD. 

There IS a difference but it's not a big one. The simple fact of decreased loading times improves the performance (all else being equal) - you might see a reduction in stutters IF you had stutters caused by bad HDD throughput. Other than that, the sim might appear smoother but not really a measurable difference unless you're counting nanoseconds.

 

 

Vic

It's actually placebo effect or your HDD was fragmented. All of the tests I've seen show no difference in performance between HDD and SSD. Only difference is load times. http://m.hardocp.com/article/2013/12/10/hdd_vs_ssd_real_world_gaming_performance/5

I have my system and entertainment software, all running on W.D.  Velociraptors (10,000 rpm) and can't recommend these drives enough.  No stutters, fast as lightning access and write intervals,  and they are enterprise-rated, so a full 5 year full warranty to boot.

 

Also,  my system always runs a pre-windows-load-in Stealth Mode defrag cycle on all my drives, while still DOS/BIOS controlled, and have always had stellar performance from all my sims.  It has been my experience, that a recently, or DAILY defrag routine is critical to the smooth operation of the system, and when under control of a software installed.  The bottom line with flight sim's..is you need a fast CPU and GPU to bring micro-free, onto the screen.  Fast read access is also in the 'stew'....but the first two mentioned really hold the keys to the castle.

 

Defrag, defrag, and deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeefrag!

 

If you can, set up a Stealth Mode defrag cycle upon every system and or re-start, start up...of all your HD's...(I have four...) and it only takes about three minutes of time, if I have just installed any major ORBX titles, to go through all four drives. After that, it only defrags for about 30 seconds across all four drives, if no new software has just been installed.....and then onto Windows 10 in-load, it goes...

I also have one of the Velociraptors. They are pretty good, and last very long! 

 

But unfortunately the SSDs are much faster. Windows in 15 seconds and 20 seconds to get P3D ready to fly. So in conclution, I can fly within 35 seconds.