Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Hello. Today, I'm making an updated version of my
FSX settings. I'll also include my
computer specs and Fraps settings.
Basically, this is an update of my last settings video,
which I posted about a year ago, because since then,
I've bought some new add-on scenery and things like that, so
I've had to mess around with my settings quite a lot, and
now, I've finally found a configuration which works quite well
with my PC.
It might not be the best combination of settings, but it works for me,
so I thought I'd share it with you.
And also, on my latest DirectX 10 test video,
'Needy58' commented, asking what my PC specs are, and
the settings that I have because I was running FSX almost lag-free.
So, first off, my graphics card is the GeForce 9800 GT.
This was the card that came with the computer when I bought it.
It's quite decent and runs DirectX 10 ok.
Next is target frame rate. I limit this to 40 fps,
instead of unlimited, like a lot of other people do, because
I think that limiting the amount your PC is trying to load helps
improve your frames overall, as it doesn't try to out-do itself, basically.
Full-screen resolution. When I'm recording, as I have been recently, I
use 1280x720x32. When I'm just
playing normally, because I don't have a widescreen monitor,
I set it to 1280x1024x32.
For filtering, I use Anisotropic, the last one,
and I do use anti-aliasing, because it
basically smooths the edges and makes it look a lot better really.
Global texture resolution, I have on high because very high is a bit
too much, and you don't really notice the difference. Or at least, I don't really.
Also, having it lower will help to increase frames. At least, it does for me.
I have all of these checked. I preview DirectX 10, but I've only been
doing this recently, and I've noticed that it actually increases your frames, compared
to using DirectX 9. Lens flare and light bloom
aren't necessary, however, they do make the simulation
a bit more realistic. Advanced aniations, things like wingflex, are
good to have enabled. Next, we have the aircraft tab.
Basically, it's on the medium-high setting on the drop-down. I use the 3D
virtual cockpit. I don't have cockpit tool tips because they're annoying.
I use the 3D virtual cockpit in high-resolution.
Out of these three, I don't have aircraft casts shadow on itself checked
because it kinda eats your frames a bit. Scenery is the screen which most
people get worked up about and are constanly messing about with.
I have been messing about with it recently as well, and I have finally got a configuration
which works quite well. So, level of detail radius is medium, mesh complexity is
at 75, mesh resolution is 5m, texture resolution is at 30cm,
and water effects are at mid 2.x. If I'm at an airport
which has quite a lot of water around, I might increase this to the next one,
high 2.x, but in general, its at mid 2.x because
it helps with the frames. I have land detail textures enabled.
Scenery complexity and autogen density are both on dense.
It doesn't really make a difference if you have them higher, because they only
extend the distance to which the scenery is loaded.
I don't have ground scenery shadows because some of the add-on scenery I have
just conflicts with the stock shadows in FSX.
I have special effects detail on high.
Weather: I have cloud draw distance on 80 miles because
that's a realistic visibility distance in real-life.
No thermal visualisation. I don't use real-life weather
a lot, so I have these off really. Cloud detail: I use detailed clouds and have the
density on maximum to make it more realistic.
Traffic: I have this quite low because the FSX traffic
isn't too great, but at the same time, you need to have SOME, otherwise
you're the only vehicle around, which can be a bit dull, so I have everything on 10%,
except general aviation traffic, which I have on 0, and
airport vehicles, which is on minimum. So, those are my in-game FSX settings,
and now I'm going to go into a little more detail with my computer specs and Fraps settings.
The basic summary of my computer specs, under Control Panel\System is:
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1,
System: manufacturer - Alienware, Processor: AMD Athlon Dual-core
processor, 2.70 GHz, RAM: 2 GB,
System Type: 32 bit OS. So, that's the basic outline.
Also, when you first get your computer, Alienware put a report
on your desktop which outlines your specs and the tests they performed during manufacture.
I won't go through all of it, but just to outline;
Processor, I've already done, RAM: 2 GB, Graphics: GeForce 9800 GT,
Audio: SoundMAX Integrated Digital HD Audio card, and
that's about it really. And finally, my Fraps settings. Under the movies tab,
like with the FSX settings, the Fraps
frame rate is limited to 40fps to make it match, and so it doesn't try to
out-do itself. I record to an external hard drive, which is up there on my tower,
so that, basically, the computer doesn't use up its recources, and it means that the computer
can concentrate its power into running the game, rather than recording.
And that's about it. I hope you found this video useful, and I will see you
next time.
*End titles play*
Captions by Tom Chittock 2011