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 Post subject: FS-X tweaking experience
PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2016 5:51 pm 
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Captain's log...

I decided to change this thread into a log of my experience tweaking a clean FSX install using NickN's guides.

For Intel/nVidia users only. If you're using AMD/ATI, sorry, the guru says they are inadequate to maximize your experience in FS-X. He's not saying they won't work, just that you will not get the best performance possible, same with laptops.

First, follow this to adjust your graphics settings (as Gary has already posted in General forum):
http://www.simforums.com/forums/drivers ... 36586.html

Second, read the bible:
http://www.simforums.com/forums/the-fsx ... 46211.html

1. I have uninstalled all add-ons and scenery as well as FS-X, rebooted and downloading a fresh Steam version.

2. I will make a backup of that install once complete.

3. Reset BIOS to default CPU and memory settings. ADDED

4. I have unplugged the Matrox TH2G and connected a single monitor in the primary video port.

5. Second video card is removed to use PCI-E 3x16. ADDED

6. I will proceed with Nick's recommendations and report back (going outside to do a few chores, download is estimated at several hours).

The general idea is to start with a solid base setup, get some frame rate sampling that can be used for comparison as tweaking proceeds. It will be easier to see to what degree a change affects FPS (software, hardware, add-on, etc), and then determine if the cost is acceptable. ADDED

Robert


EDIT: This is the final tweaked FSX.CFG file for triple screens that I ended up with after all these tests.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/sq4m2stx15uc7 ... s.CFG?dl=0

This is the flight I used in my final tests (Bombardier CRJ700 at 2000ft in a thunderstorm with all panels sized properly in 2D cockpit).
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wzqld2fxoelu8 ... t.zip?dl=0

These 3 files go in My Documents / Flight Simulator X Files.


Last edited by CVA0014 on Wed Nov 16, 2016 9:48 pm, edited 4 times in total.


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 Post subject: Re: FS-X installation guide
PostPosted: Thu Nov 10, 2016 7:49 pm 
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Darn, didn't take a screen shot before doing the nVidia tweaks. I wanted to see just how bad default nVidia settings were.

BIOS:
All settings turned down to default or AUTO.
i7-6700K @ 4.0GHz
G SKILL 3200GHz OC ram @ 2133GHz
ASUS GTX 950 @ stock speed
ACER x223w 22" @ 1680x1050 (native resolution)

BASE CONFIG:
Cessna C172SP active runway at CYUL
140fps while still loading
200fps once finished

Image

Image


Last edited by CVA0014 on Thu Nov 10, 2016 9:16 pm, edited 5 times in total.


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 Post subject: Re: FS-X installation guide
PostPosted: Thu Nov 10, 2016 8:33 pm 
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Flying the Cessna C172SP at 2000ft over Montreal at base settings, different views have a range of 50 frames.

2D cockpit, 120-140 FPS:
Image

Virtual cockpit, 110-130 FPS:
Image

No panels, 100-120 FPS:
Image

Surprisingly, flying without any panels costs more in terms of performance. It seems mapping ground textures is more intensive than updating instruments.


EDIT:

On that note, I thought of checking the cost in FPS from an unobstructed view to a complete panel.

Full 2D panel, 200-230 FPS:
Image


Wow, from a low of 100 fps in unobstructed outside view, all the way up to a maximum of 230 fps with a complete 2D instrument panel.



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 Post subject: Re: FS-X tweaking experience
PostPosted: Thu Nov 10, 2016 9:13 pm 
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Here's my FSX settings used in the base tests:

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image



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 Post subject: Re: FS-X tweaking experience
PostPosted: Thu Nov 10, 2016 10:01 pm 
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A single card in the primary slot runs at a speed of PCI-E 3 x 16. But the PCI-E bus is shared on both slots on my motherboard, I've added an identical second GTX 950 and the bus speed has dropped to x8.

Image

So what's the real world impact on this single monitor setup? None of any serious consequence.

Full panel, 200-230 fps:
Image

2D panel, 100-130 fps:
Image

Virtual cockpit, 90-120 fps:
Image

No panels, 90-120 fps:
Image

Now, when I'll add the Matrox TripleHead2Go for three monitors of 1680x1050, I'll check again the difference between PCI-E x 16 and x8.



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 Post subject: Re: FS-X tweaking experience
PostPosted: Thu Nov 10, 2016 10:47 pm 
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So what are the effects of AI? Took the second card out to go back to PCI-E x 16 and gave it a whirl flying the Cessna over a major highway intersection in downtown Montreal at only 600 feet with AI maxxed out.

Image

I did not try the full 2D panel since it's not really important.

2D, 40-70 fps:
Image

Virtual cockpit, 50-70 fps:
Image

No panels, 50-80 fps:
Image

Surprisingly, the fps were inverted from previous scenarios; the less panels used, the more AI were in range, the faster the performance.



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 Post subject: Re: FS-X tweaking experience
PostPosted: Thu Nov 10, 2016 11:40 pm 
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I doubt I'll play with all AI turned on. The thing that will most likely interest me is planes, so I maxxed out AI planes, move the Cessna to NYC at 2000 feet. Also, I tested the impact of using the zoom in virtual cockpit and full view.

Image

2D panels, 20-30 fps:
Image

Virtual cockpit @ 60% zoom, 20-33 fps:
Image

Virtual cockpit @ 70% zoom, 18-32 fps:
Image

Full view @ 1.00% zoom, 18-34 fps:
Image

Full view @ 0.30% zoom, 19-33 fps:
Image

Major fps drop compared to Montreal, but all views yield similar results. This location will be better for benchmarking the tweaks.



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 Post subject: Re: FS-X tweaking experience
PostPosted: Thu Nov 10, 2016 11:59 pm 
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Since many of us will be playing online, I removed the AI planes from the equation and used only full view.

Image

Full view, 1.00% zoom, 45-85 fps:
Image

Full view, 0.30% zoom, 45-75 fps:
Image

So even with graphics maxxed out over a large city like NYC, it looks like it's still an excellent fps for online play (using a single monitor).

Full view appears to be the best benchmark at this altitude, but the zoom setting seems to have negligible effect on performance. That makes future tests even simpler.



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 Post subject: Re: FS-X tweaking experience
PostPosted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 12:12 am 
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Another point, we must not detect collisions with other aircraft when we play online.

Image

45-65 fps:
Image

This has a negligible effect on performance as well. Understand that the fps meter jumps VERY FAST and there's a margin of error.



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 Post subject: Re: FS-X tweaking experience
PostPosted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 1:41 am 
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I wanted to get some day/night, clear/thunderstorm and low/high altitude benchmarks but the Cessna isn't a good candidate, so switched to the CRJ700.

I also noticed that the 2D cockpit view with all gauges turned on had the lowest framerate with the CRJ.

Buzzing NYC at 2000 feet.

Day, clear, 35-55 fps:
Image

Night, clear, 55-60 fps:
Image

Day, thunderstorms, 25-45 fps:
Image

Night, thunderstorms, 39-55 fps:
Image


High above NYC at 15000 feet.

Day, clear, 90-125 fps:
Image

Night, clear, 90-125 fps:
Image

Day, thunderstorms, 55-110 fps:
Image

Night, thunderstorms, 45-110 fps:
Image

Daytime thunderstorms at low altitude seemed to take the most juice; most ground textures and clouds I suppose.



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 Post subject: Re: FS-X tweaking experience
PostPosted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 2:04 am 
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Note to self: if you remove any hardware, such as a video card, FS-X will rebuild the FSX.CFG file, erasing any tweaks you might have added BEFORE you've done a ton of baseline benchmarks.

ARGH...


EDIT: So I re-edit FSX.CFG as instructed in Nick's nVidia Inspector thread and I get 28-43 fps in the CRJ in a thunderstorm over NYC at 2000 feet during the day; practically identical to the baseline benchmark I did earlier with the default config.

Phew.

I changed one of his tweaks though:

HideInfoText=1 this displays the first line of the framerate counter BEHIND the menu line when you've pressed ALT.

I used HideInfoText=0 and SHIFT-Z lines display below the menu line, much cleaner.



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 Post subject: Re: FS-X tweaking experience
PostPosted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 3:39 am 
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I did one change to my settings, I set the framerate to 30 in FSX. It seems to smoothen out the game a bit (but it could be my eyes).

Image



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 Post subject: Re: FS-X tweaking experience
PostPosted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 3:33 pm 
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Was thunderstruck by an idea this morning. Decided to test the impact of using the Turbo App feature in the ASUS AI Suite BIOS tweaking software.

Image

Then I returned to NYC in the CRJ at 2000 feet in a daytime thunderstorm with the 2D panel with all instruments overlayed.

Image

No effect.

Turbo app off: 25-45 fps
Turbo app on: 27-45 fps

Remember that these fps ranges are taken visually on the framerate counter which updates at an insane rate of speed.



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 Post subject: Re: FS-X tweaking experience
PostPosted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 3:43 pm 
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Tried one last tweak, set Turbo app slider to maximum for FSX setting.

Image

Image

26-47 fps, not worth enabling the feature without noticeable gains.

It might be worth a revisit later on with triple monitors enabled, and FSX supporting software running: FSUIPC, Navigraph, WX radar, Flight Sim Commander, REX Essential Plus, FSinn, etc.

With this base installation, I think FSX is only running against itself; not a true test of a prioritizing feature.



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 Post subject: Re: FS-X tweaking experience
PostPosted: Sat Nov 12, 2016 3:58 am 
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After reading Nick's guide, I've settled on these settings as a starting point:

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Same test is now at 45-70 fps:
Image


I've removed from the SSDs the pagefile, user/windows temp files and user documents/pictures/music/downloads/videos onto a hard disk drive. Hopefully it will increase the life of these puppies.

I haven't bothered YET with the boot prefetch tweaks. I have problems concentrating and don't want to mess up my system.



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