Flying over Victoria Plus scenery at a full steady 20 FPS!

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

Besides all my tweak posts right up until the last one...If you can:1. Take the time to use Nick's XP tune-up.2. Go out and buy a hardware-based FIRE WALL (not CPU-draining software) like Alpha Shield. I am behind a hardware based firewall, that lets me unload all resident programs from memory. The O.S. and the CPU only now have to handle FSX and the addons. If you can get rid of Nortons, AVG, any of them WHILE you are in a session with FSX, then you will scream along, believe me. My Pent. 4 3.4Ghz is giving me an awesome performance.BTW, Nick...my old haunts of L.A. are being handled at about 12-20 (locked) and are for the most part almost fluid. I'll now really keep close watch on the next full generation of hardware, and when it happens at a good price, will jump on in. But..for now, I can say with complete honesty and authority---that anybody with a system comparable to mine, running an ATI X1950Pro 256 card, can enjoy FSX with addon's and not feel like a poor second cousin to the current hardware crowd. I know, for I am presently over Victoria immersed in scenery so life-like, that I feel I am there, and NOT running a computer simulation, ----only peering out the cockpit windscreen. This is now so real and life-like, UTX's ocean hues, the mountains, the islands, so real to the eyes...wow........ The sun is sparkling down there in a cove...and I'm going to fly lower to enjoy it to the fullest measure. I'm now sipping from the full cup....!Cheers! This hobby is supreme!Mitch R.

[Guest jshyluk]

I have had an Alpha Shield since they first came out, what five years ago now? The head office for the company was a few blocks away from where I used to live. It's worth every penny, no doubt about that, a tremendous firewall device that I completely and wholeheartedly reccomend. Newer games like World In Conflict and Unreal Tournanemt III do seem to cause Alpha Shield some head-aches, as these games require crazy Internet connections to maintain stat leaderboards. As I am never one of the handful of people who end up on a leaderboard, I do not care for having this feature in my games. Sill, it's nothing a few seconds of firewall re-configuration won't fix.Other games, like Supreme Commander and SC Forged Alliance have absolutely no issues with Alpha Shield, and FSX run with Alpha Shield like a charm. I run a router behind Alpha Shield, so the firewall can protect an entire network, if need be. It's a thing of beauty, no doubt about it.Jeff ShylukAssistant Managing EditorSenior Staff ReviewerAVSIM

[Guest Nick_N]

Most routers such as Linksys and Netgear, etc, have a NAT hardware firewall build into them. You should still have an AV product installed as your last line of defense and that would be NOD32. As long as some type of hardware firewall is in place, the WinXp SP2 firewall is running and NOD32 is running, the internet boogie man is not going to get you.:)As for the looks and performance around the BC sceneries.. the thanks for that should go to Jon Patch and Holger Sandman.. two of the best MSFS developers around. There is more to it than just designing the looks.. the developer must also take into serious consideration how the addon is designed so performance is maintained. You cant go wrong with anything designed by those two.

[Guest jshyluk]

Funny that you should mention that, Nick: my Microsoft (!) router is so old it doesn't have NAT. It's useful in that it's the easiest router I've ever seen to set up, and that it's very easy for other members of my family network to hook up into. But it's not sophisticated, nor is it the fastest or the best-protected, not by a long shot. I'm not surprised that Microsoft got out of the hardware-building business. I did have a Linksys router for a short time to try it out, but I only have limited time and patience with working on my computer system, and setting up the Linksys exceeded that by a wide margin.Jeff ShylukAssistant Managing EditorSenior Staff ReviewerAVSIM

[Guest Nick_N]

Ahhh yea, Linksys can be a pain... I have had one or two of their models give me headaches, especially when trying to set up both security and ports... but most of the units I worked with were easy. I did have one that kept dropping connections that really ticked me off. LOL! I had to flash 3rd party software into it in order to get it to work, which also had the virtue of boosting the range and ability.So I know what you mean :)

[fbass 1]

I have just the opposite experience with hardware-implemented protection. I've had a Linksys router for many years (upgraded several times) and had no problem what-so-ever. I have a high-speed router connected to my cable modem and it works flawlessly, without any connection or configuration headaches.I would tell you what else I've turned off but that might invite intrusion attempts and I don't need that. Suffice to say, the router's firmware/software protection works very well.fb

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

Hi Jeff,I have had one for about the same time as you. The newer ones have a port that can be fine tuned for games. I have never had one single issue with it, it does its job year after year, and I have no CPU-constipated bloatware protecting me. It is so invisible, you simply forget it's there. I have my router behind it as well. It sure doesn't slow things down. Perhaps that's why I can peel off 20 FPS with real weather in FSX where some others can not with comparable systems. They have CPU-constipated Nortons etc... Who knows?I certainly recommend it as well. If it dies...I'll purchase another one ASAP.

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

Oh yeah..you need an AV. I'm just talking about the firewall. :)A good AV is a given!

[Geofa 108]

Mitch-Jeff-thanks for the info on the hardware firewall-I just ran out and purchased one!http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/1b5baf...b9f427f694g.jpgMy blog:http://geofageofa.spaces.live.com/

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

Geofa...you are going to LOVE IT! Read all that it can do, and in real-time nonetheless.It will free up your system, big time. Look with what having it allows me to do with my 'older' (wink, wink) system. :) It has had many great reviews since having come out, and never has there been one that says, it does not do its job as designed. They are very reliable in service.Glad to pass on a good tip. :)Mitch

[Guest jshyluk]

You can set up an Aplha Shield in about the same time it takes to say, "You can set up an Alpha Shield". That, and it's very portable, too. You can protect your laptop as you travel (as long as you can plug it in). It's just that remarkable! Jeff ShylukAssistant Manging EditorSenior Staff ReviewerAVSIM

[jwenham 1]

Mitch R. after reading your posts on Nick's XP Tune-up I have to admit thought you were over exagerating. They were almost sickening reading your new found or re-found joy in FSX. I then went and read all of your posts you made about the tune-up and thought "this guy must have one screwed up computer to have seen such a difference. Well Mitch, you aint kiddin! After many many countless hours of tweeking to the point it would have killed a lesser man I had found what was a as good as its going to get setup. Buying GEX nhanced has really changed my FSX experience. I then did the famous Nick's XP tune-up (almost going out of my mind with that defrag part) and WOW! I really cant say the FPS are any higher, but man is it smooth. My textures are sharper that I have ever seen on my setup. One other thing that helped was Nicks post about the nHancer settings. I would think everyone should do the tuneup even if they have a top of the line system. Mitch, I have read that UTX can slow things down, are you happy with UTX and do you have any info I can read about how you went about setting it up. I think that might be my next move. Also you said you dont want to fly big iron anymore but you might want to look at the Super80 by Coolsky and Flight1. It has take a bit to learn it but I tell you the performance is as good as if you were flying the default 172 Cesna. Well thats all, thanks for all the info you all have provided. This forum is great!Here are my specs FYI:Pentium D 805 2.6 overclocked to 3.4 (great CPU to overclock)6600 GT 256mb2 gigs kingston ramWin XP sp2 (tuned up thanks to Nick)Saitek 290 Pro JoystickFSX sp2Ultimate Traffic set to 50% airline, 10% GA w/AI SmoothFlight Deck Companion Live Cockpit by AeroSoftGEX enhanced 1.05 with default FSX LandclassAdd-on aircraft Super 80 by Coolsky/Flight1Thanks Again All.:-wave

[Mace 1,902]

>>1. Take the time to use Nick's XP tune-up.What is "Nick's XP tune-up". You mean Nick Needham? Or someone else came up with something? Where is it and what is it?RhettAMD 3700+ (@2585 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2gb Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8 (1T), WD 150 gig 10000rpm Raptor, WD 250gig 7200rpm SATA2, Seagate 120gb 5400 rpm external HD, CoolerMaster Praetorian

[jwenham 1]

It is hearhttp://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...id=436619&page=It did not increase my FPS but made the sim run much smoother. Actually alot smoother!