Page file study.Memory memory memory!!

[davidlee]

In XP is a utility to monitor page file and CPU usage.I decided to monitor this while running FSX.I am convinced that the biggest hit to frames is running out of memory and forcing the system to page out into(slow)virtual memory!I enabled dual processor monitoring and the 2nd CPU is sharing a small part of the workload in I assume background tasks such as texture filling?On my system a Pentium D930 running at 3Ghz the total workload was around 60% showing that the CPU was running fine but the page file was hovering around 600mb.When detail was increased or traffic,etc the page file rose exponentially eventualy exceeding my 1Gb memory and using virtual memory.It was at this approaching point and beyond that the stutters became severe and naturally frames plunged.The CPU rose by a few percent to around 64% showing me that the memory or lack of it is causing the biggest impact on performance.Tomorrow I am going to install extra memory and make comparisons to test this out.Another thing noted is that when the stutters got really bad or changing view abruptly the 2nd CPU seemed to be increasing while CPU1 dropped showing that extra loading was indeed being handled in a secondary mode by CPU2(I assume CPU1 was waiting for memory to catch up while page file was overloaded).This would indeed show the advantage of dual core over single and in the case of the core2 duo with its superior floating point abilities would be a wise investment in the future for those wishing to upgrade!Microsoft has indeed supported this motion but not as a 50/50 work load as most had hoped!Looking at the graph and dividing I would say CPU1 is running 82% of the work load and CPU2 18%.This is obviously a few more fps for dual core!I would appreciate anyone elses studdies of this as well! So to summarise this up memory,memory,memory!You cant have enough of this and I believe makes the biggest contribution to frame rates! kind regards...

[VFR_Steve]

I will be interested in your results as I'm thinkin about getting some extra ram but only if it seems worth it ...

[n4gix]

If you missed it, read this thread.

http://www.flightsim.com/dc/dcboard....2&topic_page=1

Download and run MemStatus and you will rapidly SEE precisely how your main, video and virtual memory are being totally SWAMPED by FSX's massive memory requirements! ;)

As long as you can tweak your system to avoid exceeding your physical main and video ram, you'll see consistently good performance.

However, the moment the bit bucket is full to overflowing...
WHAM! There goes the performance!

[vdmeer2]

http://www.flightsim.com/dc/dcboa...2&topic_page=1 ???? Where? What?

[Solido]

In XP is a utility to monitor page file and CPU usage.I decided to monitor this while running FSX.I am convinced that the biggest hit to frames is running out of memory and forcing the system to page out into(slow)virtual memory!I enabled dual processor monitoring and the 2nd CPU is sharing a small part of the workload in I assume background tasks such as texture filling?On my system a Pentium D930 running at 3Ghz the total workload was around 60% showing that the CPU was running fine but the page file was hovering around 600mb.When detail was increased or traffic,etc the page file rose exponentially eventualy exceeding my 1Gb memory and using virtual memory.It was at this approaching point and beyond that the stutters became severe and naturally frames plunged.The CPU rose by a few percent to around 64% showing me that the memory or lack of it is causing the biggest impact on performance.Tomorrow I am going to install extra memory and make comparisons to test this out.Another thing noted is that when the stutters got really bad or changing view abruptly the 2nd CPU seemed to be increasing while CPU1 dropped showing that extra loading was indeed being handled in a secondary mode by CPU2(I assume CPU1 was waiting for memory to catch up while page file was overloaded).This would indeed show the advantage of dual core over single and in the case of the core2 duo with its superior floating point abilities would be a wise investment in the future for those wishing to upgrade!Microsoft has indeed supported this motion but not as a 50/50 work load as most had hoped!Looking at the graph and dividing I would say CPU1 is running 82% of the work load and CPU2 18%.This is obviously a few more fps for dual core!I would appreciate anyone elses studdies of this as well! So to summarise this up memory,memory,memory!You cant have enough of this and I believe makes the biggest contribution to frame rates! kind regards...

You are probably right, all programs, no matter what they are or do, always run better with more memory. But I have the following experience which I hope will help others which are complaining of low fps´s..........
I have a regular off the shelf Acer, Vista, Double Pentium, 2 GIG Ram, 2-160G disks and a Nvidia 8800GTS and I am presently getting a constant 19-36 fps, which I find suitable for the kind of flying I do, which is bushflying usually below 1000 ft.
Settings are all 85% or above except for air traffic which is 40% at the moment, car traffic 25% and boats about 50%.
I had some kind of memory leak which caused the Sim to start at 25-35 fps then after 20 or so minutes fps´s went down to 8-10 here I would save the flight, close and re-start, very tiresome and really disagreable to say the least.
After I downloaded driver 169.09 for the Nvidia card my fps´s have solidly stayed above
20 except on large cities where they go down to about 10-12, sometimes around 18. I get no whities or black-outs and very little stuttering on turns.....Am I lucky with a rig such as this? It seems so with all the problems so many are having....Oh, yea, I do keep my fingers crossed most of the flights!!!!!!..........FSX is incredible, isn´t guys????? am so glad this whole thing is just a game, can you inmagine aviation in real life with so many "situations"???

[n4gix]

http://www.flightsim.com/dc/dcboa...2&topic_page=1 ???? Where? What?

Unfortunately, due to all the threads being "migrated" to this new forum software, the old link is no longer accessible.

Do a forum search for "MemStatus" though and you'll find it...

Never mind, I did it for you!

http://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showth...ight=MemStatus

In fact, thanks for asking, 'cause I was able to Edit the original post to embed the images in the message again...