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FSX-SE: how long does it take to load you sim?

Featured Replies

Hi guys,

I'd like to face with you about total loading time of FSX-SE, in my case takes very long to get in the cockpit from clicking the fsx.exe icon on desktop.

My scenario:

FSX Steam Edition installed in a normal HDD (500G)

1 only scenery in Addon Scenery folder

No AI traffic (I removed it for trial purpose, and in effect removing it shorten the boot time, about 1.30 min)

Orbx Global, Vector and Landclass Europe

5 payware (PMDG 737 and MD11, Majestic Dash-8, A2A, e Ant's Airplane Sierra)

I clean up dll.xml from any old installed software I don't use anymore.

 

My loading timing:

From click:

0.00 --> 1.16 sec (when EZCA 1.85 icon appears on the tray) then continue loading.....

1.116--> 1.58 sec appears FSX-SE window menu, where you can choose your flight

Make a free flight, choose the aircraft (still 20-25 for aircraft drop down menu, but I don't count it)

From FLY NOW:

1.58-->4.18 to get in the cockpit (I tried NGX, without counting initial 16 sec setup)

Total time: 4 min 18 sec

In your opinion is it normal? If I re-add AI traffic (17 giga) you have to add another 1.30 min, so total amount is about 6 mins.

I also inserted [DISABLE PRELOAD]=1 but seems that nothing change.

I almost got the urge to uninstall FSX:SE and reinstall FSX Boxed (I didn't remember so long time to load up, even if in the forum I find similar result).

Any ideas on how to reduce the loading time?

Thanks in advance,

Ric

Riccardo

OS: Windows 10-64 bit, CPU: i7-7700K @4.20 GHz, GPU: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 G1 8GB GDDR5, RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR4 32GB 3000MHz, MB: MSI Z270

58 minutes ago, riccardo74 said:

In your opinion is it normal?

As an FSX-SE user, I'm looking at roundabout same load times.

Rick Almeida

switch off your AV, which AV do you use?

me from the beginning till start flying is about 1;30sec with AI traffic.

 

From launching FSX:SE to getting into the cockpit, 8 minutes. 

No one can accuse me of lacking patience.

R. Francois Myburgh

 

"I have made a ceaseless effort not to ridicule, not to bewail, not to scorn human actions, but to understand them."

Baruch Spinoza (because to quote Bertrand Russell would have been offensive)

Are you using a HDD for your FSX install?  Load times from a HDD are about 3x slower than from a SSD, at least that has been my experience. For this sole reason, my FSX install has been on an SSD for about 5 years now; by now I probably have saved hours of my life waiting for FSX to load ;-)

CPU: AMD 9800X3D PBO MB +200 CO -25| Motherboard: MSI MAG X870e Tomahawk WiFi | GPU: MSI RTX 5090 Ventus 3X OC | RAM: G.Skill 2x32GB DDR5 6000 cas 30 | M.2 SSDs: Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2T, WD Black SN750  M.2 1T | Hard Drive: WD Black HDD 6T 7200 | Optical Drive: LG Bluray writer, internal | Cooling: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 EVO | Case: Fractal Design Focus G | PSU: NZXT C1200 1200W

Win 11 Pro 64|HP Reverb G2 revised VR HMD|Asus 25" IPS 2K 60Hz monitor|Saitek X52 Pro & Peddles|TIR 5 (now retired)

3 hours ago, riccardo74 said:

I almost got the urge to uninstall FSX:SE and reinstall FSX Boxed (I didn't remember so long time to load up, even if in the forum I find similar result).

Should be no significant difference loading either version. I have FSX:SE on an SSD and my load times are generally about half of yours.

However, so much is down to the number and type of add-ons you have but you'd significantly improve things with an SSD.

i7-14700k | Asus ROG STRIX Z790-F Gaming WIFI | 32GB DDR5 RAM | MSI RTX 4080 Super | WD Black SN850X 1TB & 2TB | Corsair HX1000i ATX3.0 | MSI MAG401QR 40" monitor | Win 11 Pro 64-bit | Meta Quest 3

  • Author

Thanks guys, btw it's a very long time. It's a bit annoying .....

FS2004 doesn't take similar time in the same scenario, instead it's very fast.

Riccardo

OS: Windows 10-64 bit, CPU: i7-7700K @4.20 GHz, GPU: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 G1 8GB GDDR5, RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR4 32GB 3000MHz, MB: MSI Z270

7 hours ago, riccardo74 said:

Hi guys,

I'd like to face with you about total loading time of FSX-SE, in my case takes very long to get in the cockpit from clicking the fsx.exe icon on desktop.

My scenario:

FSX Steam Edition installed in a normal HDD (500G)

1 only scenery in Addon Scenery folder

No AI traffic (I removed it for trial purpose, and in effect removing it shorten the boot time, about 1.30 min)

Orbx Global, Vector and Landclass Europe

5 payware (PMDG 737 and MD11, Majestic Dash-8, A2A, e Ant's Airplane Sierra)

I clean up dll.xml from any old installed software I don't use anymore.

 

My loading timing:

From click:

0.00 --> 1.16 sec (when EZCA 1.85 icon appears on the tray) then continue loading.....

1.116--> 1.58 sec appears FSX-SE window menu, where you can choose your flight

Make a free flight, choose the aircraft (still 20-25 for aircraft drop down menu, but I don't count it)

From FLY NOW:

1.58-->4.18 to get in the cockpit (I tried NGX, without counting initial 16 sec setup)

Total time: 4 min 18 sec

In your opinion is it normal? If I re-add AI traffic (17 giga) you have to add another 1.30 min, so total amount is about 6 mins.

I also inserted [DISABLE PRELOAD]=1 but seems that nothing change.

I almost got the urge to uninstall FSX:SE and reinstall FSX Boxed (I didn't remember so long time to load up, even if in the forum I find similar result).

Any ideas on how to reduce the loading time?

Thanks in advance,

Ric

That used to be my time as well and I am using a SSD.

I got tired of that so I decided to give up the eye candy that you get from ORBX. I no longer use Vector or Landclass and my load time is now 30 seconds to Max 1 minute depending on the airport.

So it comes down to a personal preference - eye candy or better times, I find Global to be good enough along with ORBX Airports.

Regards, Dane

- Windows 11 Home - CPU Intel Core i7-10700KF @3.8GHz
- EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 GPU - 1TB SSD DRIVE - RAM 32GB - MSFS-2020

I also have very long load times but I also have a ridiculous number of add-ons (scenery and aircraft) and also use a lot of AI so I just accept it as one of those annoying facts of life. I usually make sure I have something else to do while it loads. If I had to just sit there and look at the screen I would have gone back to FS9 long ago! LOL

If I had to choose between shorter load times but no Orbx or other scenery enhancements, I'd pick the latter. Anything that makes the simulation more immersive isn't eye-candy to me, as long as I can retain decent performance... It's all a matter of compromising I guess - personally I'll willingly trade some waiting time to have the best possible visual experience...

49 minutes ago, kiwiflyer45 said:

I also have very long load times but I also have a ridiculous number of add-ons (scenery and aircraft) and also use a lot of AI so I just accept it as one of those annoying facts of life. I usually make sure I have something else to do while it loads. If I had to just sit there and look at the screen I would have gone back to FS9 long ago! LOL

Yep, I make myself coffee and check AVSIM, for me, the wait is worth it. My FPS is acceptable, I am happy with the way my sim looks, and I don't want anything other than my A2A, PMDG, and Majestic aircraft, so I won't cut back on those.

I take into consideration how long the sim takes to load when I plan my flights, and work around it, so the nuisance factor is managed.

For me, personally, it's just the way it is in order for me to have my 100+ plane and scenery add ons.

R. Francois Myburgh

 

"I have made a ceaseless effort not to ridicule, not to bewail, not to scorn human actions, but to understand them."

Baruch Spinoza (because to quote Bertrand Russell would have been offensive)

Same as Francois, my click to Fly Now is maybe 10 minutes, I've never timed it, and I don't really care... I have a lot of scenery so a lot of options, its the price I pay. I switch on the PC and FSX loads automatically while I go and make a cup of tea, get out a map, decide where to fly, etc. Its never been a problem. And then I tend to leave it on for a few hours if I'm around so I can fly again if needed. 

39 minutes ago, Mithras said:

Same as Francois, my click to Fly Now is maybe 10 minutes, I've never timed it, and I don't really care... I have a lot of scenery so a lot of options, its the price I pay. I switch on the PC and FSX loads automatically while I go and make a cup of tea, get out a map, decide where to fly, etc. Its never been a problem. And then I tend to leave it on for a few hours if I'm around so I can fly again if needed. 

Same here. I could not care less if it takes 1 minute or 5 minutes. After all,I ain't going to catch a flight that I need a simulation to load within 1 minute. I have numerous aircraft and scenery add-ons, so like you while making a cup of tea, I let the sim take its time., knowing that once it has loaded, I will have an option to select a wide choice of aircraft and airport add-ons, rather than a gutted-down version just for the sake of a 'fast' load-up.

Rick Almeida

It takes my rig a few minutes to load up FSX:SE, in fact I get pauses at the menu screen as I've not disabled preload. Not a problem to me. My "local" is Manchester EGCC for which I use the superb UK2000 version. I also have England covered by VFR Real photoreal scenery. Of course I'll get pauses. I usually load up the weather engine too - FSOpen Clouds. By the time I've selected an aircraft to use other than the default Cessna and messed with its fuel/payload loadout, the black loading bar is usually on its way past about 25%. Further ahead if I've selected another non-UK airport.

Not surprising for a decade old bit of code with real time rendering built in.

Anyone remember the 20 minute loading times on the ZX Spectrum for the Hobbit adventure game, assuming it didn't glitch because you'd not set the volume control on your cassette deck properly? We're getting spoiled these days. :biggrin:

Mark Robinson

Part-time Ferroequinologist

Author of FLIGHT: A near-future short story (ebook available on amazon)

I made the baby cry - A2A Simulations L-049 Constellation

Sky Simulations MD-11 V2.2 Pilot. The best "lite" MD-11 money can buy (well, it's not freeware!)

4 minutes ago, HighBypass said:

My "local" is Manchester EGCC for which I use the superb UK2000 version

Ditto. In fact, IMHO, all of Gary's airports are superbly done.That's why I like supporting him.

Rick Almeida

6 minutes ago, HighBypass said:

Not surprising for a decade old bit of code with real time rendering built in.

Anyone remember the 20 minute loading times on the ZX Spectrum for the Hobbit adventure game, assuming it didn't glitch because you'd not set the volume control on your cassette deck properly? We're getting spoiled these days. :biggrin:

Aptly stated!

Rick Almeida

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