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How to Improve Framerates in Microsoft Flight Simulator

Each version of Microsoft Flight Simulator has more features and better-looking graphics. While this is great, it also makes the program more and more demanding of your computer's resources. Not everyone can afford to simply throw money at the problem by buying a new computer. However, there are many things that you can do to squeeze more from the computer you have, and there are also some useful strategies that can help you get more bang for your buck when you do decide to spend some money on new components. Here's a list of operations you can perform to get the best frame rates out of Flight Simulator.

Things You'll Need

End it All
Anti-spyware software
Possible harware upgrades (as discussed below)

Instructions

- 1
  Hit Shift+Z in Flight Simulator to display the frame rates. This will give you an idea of what you're working with.
- 2
  Update the drivers of your video and sound cards.
- 3
  Shut down all background programs before running Flight Simulator. Either shut them down manually or use a program like End It All. Background programs use up valuable computer resources that could be devoted to Flight Simulator.
- 4
  Get rid of any spyware on your system. Use Spybot or a similar program to help get rid of parasitic spyware programs that could be sucking up your resources. Run these programs regularly for best protection, and be sure to keep you anti-spyware programs up to date.
- 5
  Keep your computer cool. Make sure that all of its fans are running, Clean out dust from the inside of the unit. Ensure that the computer's case is well ventilated. Adjust your air conditioning to keep the temperature room in the cool.
- 6
  Run Flight Simulator in Full Screen mode instead of Window mode.
- 7
  Adjust the graphics settings in flight simulator. Gradually reduce different settings one by one, and notice which one has the greatest effect on your frame rates. Be patient; this process involves a lot of trial and error.
- 8
  Reduce the anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering settings on your video card.
- 9
  Consider adding more memory to your computer. Use only one type of memory at a time. Remember that the speed of the memory you buy is just as important as the quantity.
- 10
  Consider replacing your computer's video card. Do some research to learn what type of cards currently offer the most bang for the buck.
- 11
  Consider upgrading your CPU. Flight Simulator is very processor-intensive. This is typically the single most effective hardware change you can make for this purpose. Make sure you understand what types of CPU your motherboard can accept.

Aviation