Ok, I'll never get great performance on my old system, but I do like to turn the visuals up. Over the last 24 hours I've made three changes which have made FSX like a new sim.Patched DirectX -- http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...&displaylang=enWhatever was broken in DirectX, sure is fixed now.Defragged -- and plan to do so often.Reduced resolution to 1024x768.These are on top of a couple of autogen fixes, but that's all I've done.I don't know whether the directX fix relates to AGP systems only, but I don't think you can lose here.My specs: Athlon XP2600, Nvidia 5900 128MB, 1MB RAM-Robin Corn, Godzone Virtual Flightthe home of Real New Zealand scenery www.windowlight.co.nz

aha!! now thats my kinda post! I've got an AMD 2400, 1 gig RAM and a Leadtek GeForce 6600GT 128mb vid card so I'm not holding my hopes up with FSX when I finally get it (this thursday hopefully). However if you can work it well, then there's hope for me. What sort of frame rates do you get and how do you have your sliders?

I didn't really wanna get into the FPS issue, the point was that I was getting a huge improvement, but I guess I can cover it briefly, if only to give the super-computer owners a laugh.If you've seen the FSX settings, then you'll know that there is a general setting for each tab, or you can customise the settings further. My uncustomised settings are:Aircraft: Medium HighWeather: Medium HighTraffic: Medium LowCustomised settings:GRAPHICS:Resolution: 1024x768Global texture resolution: very highFiltering: bilinearBloom turned offSCENERY:Level of detail radius: LargeMesh complexity: 100Mesh resolution: 19 m (I use a NZ-wide 19 metre mesh)Texture resolution: 2 mWater effects: high 1xScenery complexity: very denseAutogen density: very dense-- this is with the autogen tweaked to twice the FS9 maximum.I have frame rates locked at 15, and get 15 most of the time.Exceptions are still large cities, and the high definition Auckland Airport. However, I can now at least taxi around Auckland at these settings without performance dropping to frames per minute.

Robin,Great post. Thanks for the DirectX update link.Although---on a side note, Microsoft makes one JUMP THROUGH HOOPS to do the simplest things. Not your fault Robin, but I have to rant!To bloody update the DirectX, I had to download a stinking verification application to prove that I am using a genuine copy of Windows. Fine, but I've already had to do this several times already in the past. Once the customer's Windows installation is initially verified, why doesn't Microsoft simply set a cookie on the computer which says 'Windows is Genuine' rather than make the customer go through this process time after time after time...Then I downloaded an installer. Ran the installer which downloaded the update. Installed the update.Then I saw a link to sign up for email alerts whenever future updates became available. Well that sounded like a good idea, so I clicked the link.They could have simply asked for my email address, but NOOOOO, not our pals at Microsoft. They made me login in using my Windows Live login. Well I don't remember what the stupid password is, so they email me a link to reset the bloody password. Now to reset the blasted password I have to type in the cryptic 6 letter code found in a little security window. Code is unreadable, so I ask them to display another one. Finally they display a legible one and I type it in.Now they ask me to give the blanking answer to a stupid security question in case I forgot my password. (Like, 'What is your mother's maiden name?'). Okay, done.NOW I have to go back and sign in using my new password. THEN they ask me for my name again (like they don't already have it in their records from my Windows Stinking Live login data). ARRRGH!!They now ask do I want the update email sent as HTML or plain text? Unfortunately there's no button that says 'I don't care what stupid format it's in as long as it's in English!'Finally they ask if I would like additionally to receive updates from time-to-time from their partners? No I do NOT want to hear from a SINGLE ONE of your stupid #### partners, thank you very much!At last they confirm that I am on the update list, and they close with 'Thank you for using Microsoft.' LIKE I HAVE ANY CHOICE IN THE MATTER, YOU CHOWDERHEADS!!!I'm done. Rant off. I think I'll go have a drink now.-Rick

Thanks Robin for the tips. I'm running a similar system - XP2400+, 1gb ram, fx600gt, - haven't got FSX yet, but gatting set for it.

Or you could just have d/l'd the downloadable redistributable from any of the myriad techie sites that has it. :)Allcott

Robin, thanks for the post. My specs are nearly identical to yours, so it's encouraging that you are getting decent frame rates without having to turn everything down.I don't have the full game yet, but I have had a lot of fun with the demo. My settings in the demo are fairly similar to yours, except I cannot have autogen beyond sparse (but I haven't tried the autogen tweaks).I find that I can sometimes turn on light bloom. You might want to try this sometime, as it makes a great difference to sunsets. But you may have to turn something else down when you do (e.g. if you are up higher than, say, 3,000 feet, try turning off the autogen and turning on the bloom, just to see what it does).Happy flyingMartin

Alternate Link for the above mentioned DX9c (October 2006 Update)This is the redistributable version, not the "web install" version. It weighs in at 55 MB because it is the entire DX9c package updated to the 10/10/2006 version. You do not have to uninstall any previous versions (I don't think you can anyway)The benefit to this one? No silly Windows Genuine Advantage checks...http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=56511&clcid=0x409(Run the program, extract files to a location of your choosing, then run DXSETUP from the resultant uncompressed files. Remove the temporary install files when complete!)

Hi All:Allcott was correct that one could simply apply the updated DX9.0c "redistributable" update to one's computer to bring DirectX up to the currently avilable version for Windows XP (and Win98... although FSX doesn't run on Win98, FS9 and many other programs still do!).The link lower on the same Microsoft page referenced above for the needed DX9.0c 'redistributable' is:http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...&displaylang=enSimply click the "Download" button on this page and you'll get what you need without the maddening "MS-BS" validation 'do-**':-bigangel .Then just decompress the executable downloaded directx_oct2006_redist.exe file to a folder (ex: "directx_oct2006_redist") and then run DXSETUP.exe from that folder; it should install without a hitch and without a reboot.Hope this helps!:-) GaryGB

>Alternate Link for the above mentioned DX9c (October 2006>Update)>>This is the redistributable version, not the "web>install" version. It weighs in at 55 MB because it is the>entire DX9c package updated to the 10/10/2006 version. >>You do not have to uninstall any previous versions (I don't>think you can anyway)>>The benefit to this one? >>No silly Windows Genuine Advantage checks...>>http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=56511&clcid=0x409>>(Run the program, extract files to a location of your>choosing, then run DXSETUP from the resultant uncompressed>files. Remove the temporary install files when complete!)>>Some of us probably think of it as the "Windows Genuine Dis-Advantage" on occasion!:-outta GaryGB

Hey RickI'm at work now and just read your rant. Hey mate, you made my day. I hadnt read anything that funny in months! Not to cut you short on your pain as I know you truly must have been frustrated. I laughed so hard 3 people came over with a smile wanting to know what was so funny.Thanks. You made my dayBob

Hi I may be confused but I believe I have had this 9.0c installed here for well over 2 months. I have 9.0c but I certainly did not download it in October. Does anyone have an explanation? RegardsBob

windows live login!???? never used it before... hope I can do this...

Looks like components of DirectX are updated "bi-monthly". Twice a month or every two months--I have no idea.

>Looks like components of DirectX are updated "bi-monthly". >Twice a month or every two months--I have no idea.>>That would be once every two months. I know because I get paid "bi-weekly". I really wish it was twice a week as you wondered. :)