Windows XP Optimization Tweaks? Good or Bad?

[Captain America]

We have beaucoup posts about tweaking and optimizing FSX/FS9, but what about Windows
XP itself? Do these tweaks make a difference in performance? I've been studying them for
sometime and wonder if they are worth it or just somebody trying to sell me something?

http://home.comcast.net/~SupportCD/OptimizeXP.html
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/personalize/performance.mspx
http://www.blifaloo.com/info/winxp_speed.php

Most are simple changes, but will they make a noticable difference or just screw up my
computer? My computer runs just fine and the old saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
keeps running around inside my head.

[xxmikexx]

Steve/CaptainAmerica,

I never change any of that stuff. I don't know what percentage performance difference the tweaks would make but go over to avsim, and get in touch with Ken Salter. He is the expert on this stuff.

My own attitude is the same as yours -- it ain't broke, I have no plans to fix it.

Loki is also likely to know but probably not as much as Ken. He'll be along at some point but I would still try Ken Salter.

[Paxx]

Basically all those tweaks and tips are for under-powered systems that need to free up resources to run a program or game more effectively. Your system is not under-powered.

For example on my system, Vista with FSX loaded and flying uses about 1.6GB of RAM while one processor core is at 80-100% and the others between zero and 15% (Total Core Usage never exceeds 60%). I 'could' close the anti-virus software I run. That would save me 50-60MB it uses running in the background and 1-2% CPU cycles. I 'could' shutdown a lot of background processes and cumulative save maybe 200MB RAM and 5-6% CPU. But on my system these 'savings' would matter little for FSX because it doesn't exceed the systems capacity in terms of RAM and Processor to begin with.

I'm waiting for the patch that will use multi-core processors more effectively. I suspect I will be waiting until FS11 for that. :)

[xxmikexx]

Paxx,

I should have said that I do shut down my anti-virus software. The reason is that otherwise it will virus-check every FS file scenery file opened and read into the FS scenery cache as the aircraft moves forward through the simulated world. This can cause scenery stutters even though the cpu drain is minimal.

[Paxx]

Aye Mike,
My anti-virus software does not present that problem, so I leave it on /shrug. Everyones mileage will vary. Now if a system IS using most or all of its RAM and maxing out its processor while FSX is loaded then doing all the little system tweaks and closing background processes that are not needed will indeed free up more resources for FSX to run smoothly with. These tweaks all hark back to the days when we were using Memmaker in DOS and creating boot disks so our 486/DX 4MB computers could handle the latest flight sim from Microsoft. The song remains the same :)

The Captains system is similar to mine thats why I said he would see little if any improvement from those O/S tweaks listed. His processor is probably not maxing 100% on all four cores and he most certainly has more free RAM than I do whether he is on a 64bit O/S or not. So... freeing up a few CPU cycles and MB of Ram here and there most likely will have negligible impact on fps in FSX on his system.

[Captain America]

Thanks Guys,

I think I'll pass on those tweaks. FSX is running TOO good!
I'm afraid to touch anything.