1.14 Why do I get low frame rates with 3rd party scenery?

From FlightSim

Q:

USING 3RD PARTY ADD-ON SCENERY AND ACTIVATING IT MY FRAME RATE DIES; I AM TALKING LIKE 4-5 FPS!!! THIS IS ON A 200MMX WITH A 3D CARD NORMALLY WITH THE DEFAULT SCENERY I GET MUCH BETTER FRAME RATES...15+ CAN ANYONE HELP?

A:

This is probably due the author using a lot of exclude files in the scenery. What is an exclude file, you ask? Well, and exclude file is kind of what it's name says.... it is a file that erases from view the default MS scenery (or, in some cases other add-on scenery). ALTHOUGH you can't see the excluded scenery, the computer still does, AND it is "drawing" this scenery like it is still there...you just can't see it. So now you've got 3RD party scenery (which is usually very detailed) and you've got the MS default scenery being run through your CPU. You can probably answer your own question now as to why your frame rates dropped, huh? :-) Anyway, I see you've got a 200 MMX? You can improve your situation a little bit by 1) making sure you have plenty of RAM and 2) having a really good graphics card. If you don't want to use 3D (and sorry if you already do have a good graphics card...it just doesn't sound as though you do by your frame rate), I'd suggest the Matrox Mystique 220 (the card I have). I've gotten excellent frame rates out of the card, and have been very pleased. Otherwise there are many 3D cards out there to choose from...you'll just have to shop around if you want to upgrade your card.

Aaron