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after I installed it (FSX) and did some tweaks in the game (display terrain, aircraft, etc) I still can't get the runway,taxi way identifiers (R28-10,etc) to work. All I get is a white area where they are supposed to be .
Any ideas??
Also when I don't have any clouds it runs pretty smooth, but when I have some clouds it stutters real bad. I have to set it to simple clouds(yuck) to get it to smooth up.

BTW it also does this on FS9, but I can set it to med on the clouds setting. and it does a lot better.

Dude - when you say you did "all the tweaks" there is one that has to do with shader stuff - and the side effect a lot of people report sounds just like what you are saying (runway signs are blank or white). Reverse that tweak!

I would also set your display to 1024x768x16, not 32, to save some texture effort (I fly a notch higher at 1152x864x16 and the textures look just fine).

And I would turn that AI Traffic (planes, boats, cars) waaayyy down.

Also I run scenery complexity and autogen density at "normal".


Hate to say it but FSX really really wants a LOT of RAM. I was at 1MB and threw in another to get to 2MB and saw a big difference. Running on a 3.2Ghz P4 with a 512MB vid card, and your settings are more aggresive than mine so I think you can buy some FPS by bringing those down some. I'll post screenies of my settings as soon as I can.

Here y'go bud......keep in mind this is on a similar but still somewhat faster machine with more RAM and a fancy new vid card.

It's still too much for certain areas, as I found out while trying to land the helicopter on top of the building in Tokyo in the 'Tokyo Transit" mission. So, the quick solution there was to save my settings, then crank AI traffic all the way off, as well as the water, and a lot of the scenery settings to low, and save those as a "City-Missions" config set.....then swap between the two as needed, even in the middle of a flight or mission. Works pretty well and I think FSX looks just as good as FS9 when it's at low settings. PLus you get the benefit of all the other features, missions, etc.

Anyways, here's what I run for normal VFR bush flying, works well except in major cities.......

Thanks Pard..I'll get back to ya in a bit.

No sweat, bud. Maybe some others can chime in here but my impression is, with 512MB of system RAM, well, FSX is gonna definitely stuggle a bit and you'll be somewhat limited.

I have a coupla 512MB sticks of DDR RAM in a baggie but I don't know it's the right type for your system. According to Dell you want PC800 or PC1066, and mine is PC3200 (400Mhz RAM).

support.dell.com/suppo...tm#1084976

But, adding another 512MB would definitely help and also will usually "wake it up" a bit as far as Windows XP performance in general goes.

Your video card is a 256MB card if I looked up the right one and while FSX also likes larger memory on that too (becuase man it loves loading up all kinds of large textures) it could actually get ya by for a good while. This sim seems to really want all the CPU speed and system RAM you can give it.

Go Figure 2 years and I'm out of my league LOL
already looking for the new puter
Thats what makes the world go around!!!!!

Well, bud, if it makes you feel better, there aren't many new computers out there that can run FSX really really well anyway (like, with all the sliders turned up). Those that can, are no small investment.

And getting a new PC for FSX is tricky anyway, because, since development started 3 years ago, it was designed for single-core CPU's which were the norm back then, except they stuffed a lot of features into it thinking that today we might have 4 or 5 Ghz CPU's. So, a fairly fast single-core 3.0+Ghz Pentium seems to run it OK (with sliders still turned down some).

Unfortunately, the hardware maufacturers switched tactics a year or two ago, after signioficant development in FSX had already been done, and now offer dual-core CPU's that actualy have somewhat slower clock rates unless you get the more expensive ones. Kind of like thinking, two 250HP engines are better than one 350HP engine. Unfortunately, FSX only uses one of those engines, and on a dual-core system, the second core remains idle. Which is why I think my older 3.2Ghz Pentium 4 seems to get away with running FSX fairly OK.

So getting a new computer is tricky, and right now, we're almost on the verge of the release of Vista to replace Windows XP, which will also bring with it the new DirectX10 graphcs subsystem, and there are no true DX10-compatible video cards out there yet. So hardware is going to go through a major change in the next 12-18 months, I think.

Adding RAM would be a cheaper and less messier way to go, if you can swing it. I'm doing everything I can to stay away from a new PC until Vista and DX10-capable hardware settles down, and in that time, the faster 3+ Ghz Duo-Core Pentiums will edge down in price as well.

And last but not least, Microsoft is aware of certain performance issues with FSX and has committed to releasing a "performance patch" sometime in February. They claim to have found "a few things" that can be improved but of course are staying fairly tight-lipped just so they don't get anyone's hopes up before they completely investigate and test any potential fixes.

With that in mind, it's another reason to wait patiently...but, again, I'd really expect that even with a performance patch, you'll still need some more RAM since 512MB is minimal. Of course the drawback there is, you don't get to re-use that RAM on a new system if and when you get one. It's never been uncommon to have to upgrade your PC (or get a completely new one) with any past major-different release of FS or CFS anyway so don't feel bad....you're right, it's what makes the world go 'round!

Oh... a quick P.S., (not to talk your ear off).....

Thought you'd find this interesting: An FSX user who had a Pentium 2.4Ghz (like you) and upgraded to a new PC. Although the poor fella bought an HP (ick!). (IMHO if you're gonna buy an off-the-shelf unit, Gateway's aren't bad at all!)

Anyway, the processor type is mentioned at least (6400) and you can maybe get some iteresting food for thought out of his observations....

http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=197&topic_id=22219

Well and new rig will be way down the road Christmas, property taxes, Income taxes. wifes BD all come first you know.
Anyway heres my system as of now


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Summary
System


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Model Dimension 8250
Service Tag:
Express Service Code:


Processor


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Processor , Current Processor Speed Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.40GHz, 2.4 GHz


Memory


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Memory 512 MB


Network Card

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Model Intel(R) PRO/100 M Network Connection - Packet Scheduler Miniport


Modem

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Model Conexant HSF V92 56K RTAD Speakerphone PCI Modem



CD / CD-RW / DVD / DVD+RW

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Model LITEON DVD-ROM LTD163
Model TSSTcorp CDW/DVD SH-M522C


Operating System


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Operating System, Install Date Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, 12-20-2002
OS Version 5.1.2600
OS Service Pack Service Pack 2


Hardware
BIOS


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BIOS Manufacturer Dell Computer Corporation
BIOS Version A01
BIOS Date 10-22-2002


Processor


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Processor Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.40GHz
Current Processor Speed 2.4 GHz


Memory


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RIMM1 128 MB
RIMM2 128 MB
RIMM3 128 MB
RIMM4 128 MB
Total Slots 4
Slots free 0

Total Memory 512 MB
% Free Physical Memory 19.60 %

Total Page Space 1537 MB
% Free Page File Space 74.12 %

Total Virtual Memory 2048 MB
% Free Virtual Memory 97.93 %


Network Card

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Model Intel(R) PRO/100 M Network Connection - Packet Scheduler Miniport
Mac Address 00:07:E9:C0:CE:A0



Modem

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Model Conexant HSF V92 56K RTAD Speakerphone PCI Modem



CD / CD-RW / DVD / DVD+RW

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Model LITEON DVD-ROM LTD163
Model TSSTcorp CDW/DVD SH-M522C


Storage


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IDE Controller Intel(r) 82801BA Bus Master IDE Controller

Floppy disk drive (Standard floppy disk drives)

Drive WDC WD1200JB-75CRA0
Size 111.76 GB

Local Disk C:
Size 111.73 GB
File System NTFS
Used Space 90.56 GB
Free Space 21.17 GB



Display Adapter


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Model NVIDIA GeForce FX 5500
RAM 256 MB
Driver nv4_disp.dll


Monitor

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Model Plug and Play Monitor - (Standard monitor types)


Sound Card

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Model Unimodem Half-Duplex Audio Device
Model Creative SB Live! Series (WDM)


Printer

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Model Lexmark Z22-Z32 Color Jetprinter

Model Lexmark X1100 Series



Keyboard

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Model HID Keyboard Device
Model Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard


Pointing Device

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Model HID-compliant Wheel Mouse


Hot-Plug Devices

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USB Controller VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Companion Controller
USB Controller VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Companion Controller
USB Controller VIA USB Enhanced Host Controller
USB Controller VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Companion Controller
USB Controller VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Companion Controller
USB Controller VIA USB Enhanced Host Controller


Software
Installed Software

Two things I see right away Bullet that need updating (assuming you can fit it into 'yur' budget..:D) and those are:

1) Ram-512 won't cut it and like Stoopy suggested earlier, 1gb min and 2gb preferred.

2) Video Card- My suggestion here would to get at least into the 6600 series or more if you can.

With the processor being 2.4, it needs all the help it can get and improving those 2 items would help your computer not only run FSX better, but computing in general and your computers speed and performance will improve.