09.11.2009, 17:02
Cooling is critical for stability, continued running, and the longevity of your electronics-especially the CPU and GPU. Never disable the stock cooling, such as fans. It is a good idea to add fans and/or a liquid containing cooling system such as available as after-market products.
Watch Your CPU and GPU Core Temperatures!
Liquid Cooling System is generally the best, most effective heat reducer, especially making direct contact with the surface of the CPU and GPU computer chips, as well as RAM cards and Solid State Memory Drives. Sometimes even the back of a Mother Board is covered with a Liquid Cooling pad.
Temporary Solution - such as a small department store fan.
A fan that pushes cooler air onto the motherboard is better than pushing hot air away from it only if the fan is drawing on cooler air, such as through a tube to the outside (It's been done before!). Be careful about liquids and moisture which could be drawn into the fan, thereby blowing harmful drops onto your computer. (Keep all drinks away from the computer!) It is best to use an aftermarket cooling system designed for PCs and follow the directions. If you think that there is a chance that something harmful will be drawn through the fan to your mother board, then set the fan to push air from the mobo. You might have a need for a temporary fix, until you install a cooling system designed for computers.
Years ago I needed more cooling and placed a fan in the foot between an open window and the PC mother board, side panel removed. Freezes stopped every time I did that!
Plugging them into a separate electrical circuit from your computer will ensure no electric drain from your PC. An "outlet" in the same room probably is in the same circuit. Reduce or eliminate the electrical devices plugged and running in your room, such as a bunch of lights. Have you ever seen the interference in a TV when you run a power tool in the same circuit? ...you know what I mean.
Laptop Cooling - special cooling needs for high performance of IL-2
I address these issues because some people blame Windows Vista, other Operating System, or computer in general for some things that they are doing apart from it. This makes these issues to be particularly relevant to this Forum and this Topic. Don't blame your Operating System for poor performance of IL-2 and gliches. You are a captain of your ship, lord of your estate, boss at work, etcetera, when it comes to your computer. Take control and manage it right! You can do it!
Stability of your PC and IL-2 is within the highest priority of the safety and security of your system. Make gradule, step-by-step progress in all you do. Two other crucial enablers are to record important information and maintain copies.
Free Utility for Stability: Microsoft Fix It Center Online - Microsoft Corporation offical website analizes and diagnoses your computer issues - Free !
http://fixitcenter.support.microsoft.com/Portal/
Remember: You can climb a mountain step-by-step. Enjoy the journey along the way, too. Almost anybody can do this.
The Free Tools and Simple Things to Remember In order to see the astonishing improvements that I have, then you will need the following tools which are all free:
(Click on the URL)
http://www.fraps.com Fraps This will give you the ingame-onscreen frames per second (FPS), critical for benchmarking.
ATI owner: Continue reading for many useful techniques and information that can help you. The ATI Enhancements subtopic is what you will eventually reach, but you need the preparation information ahead of that.
NVIDIA users:
http://www.nhancer.com nHancer The Central Control Center for optimization! ( For nVidia )
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Important Preparations to Consider:
#1) Update your graphics card drivers and upgrade to the highest level and latest that is compatible with your graphics card, but don't get drivers for higher level graphics cards unless your updater and manufacturer indicates that it is supported.
For an example, my GeForce 179.91 graphic drivers are precisely matched for my laptop. The system will not support any higher driver number because of system specifications. Some system features will not run with an incorrect driver. Run your graphics card update to see what is available for your system.
#2) ATI CATALYST information is in the ATI Enhancements subtopic - See Table of Contents in the first post. ATI Enhancements subtopic handles the driver troubleshooting issue because it is a bit complicated as far as IL-2 is concerned. Examin the entire ATI post, especially the Troubleshooting information. However, I highly recommend that you examin this whole topic for many things which you can do in the relationship of your computer to IL-2.
#3) NVIDIA enhancements details are found in the NVIDIA Enhancements subtopic. nHancer version could be used which matches your NVIDIA graphics card driver that is found in the nVIDIA Control Panel > Performance > View System Information > Video ( In my case, GeForce Video ) > your driver number.
NVIDIA Driver Updates are available here:
http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index5.aspx?lang=en-us
IMPORTANT EVERYBODY: Generally, installing a graphics driver which is not indicated as being a match for update or upgrade by the manufacturer could do more bad than good. Follow ATI or NVIDIA recommendations. Exception: If your IL-2 still does not perform well after you did everything in this topic which you could, only then should you consider using an older graphics driver. For some people, this fixed a major problem.
Driver compatibility example: My NVIDIA graphics driver is version GeForce Video 179.91 and it is tailored for my particular laptop. Things such as the ability to set computer to sleep, when the lid on my laptop is closed, are directly dependent on my driver. No higher driver number is for me. Every graphics card has a limit to how high you can go. This is especially the case in using IL-2, which might even require a graphics card which is older than the manufacturer recommends!
The nHancer version which you would use with NVIDIA can be found in the compatibility list at the nHancer website. Applying a version which is designed for a higher graphics driver number will have no substantial gain. It could make confusion as you attempt to apply certain settings, meanwhile probably never knowing if it makes any difference or not. Match your system requirements to nHancer.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
http://www.nvidia.com NVIDIA System Monitor Track CPU core(s) temperature, percentage usage-simple.
Get your core temperature limit from your PC or from the manufacturer website.
Windows Task Manager-comes with later MS operating systems. See your IL-2 go from 1 thread to 4, 8, 10, or far more. Other important uses are found with it.
Windows Task Manager Resource Monitor reveals IL-2 being processed by 18 threads, average 41% CPU usage:
![[Image: IL-2_with_nHancer_WindowsTaskManage.jpg]](http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad244/1Fireskull/Tools%20-%20Images%20of%20tools/IL-2_with_nHancer_WindowsTaskManage.jpg)
IL-2 had very smooth frames and very excellent image graphics settings during the Resource Monitor screen capture above this. While using Best Image Quality configuration, I have seen upto 28 threads being used. You can learn how a particular graphics card setting directly effects processing. This can reveal if it needs consideration. I learned much about the effects of things while using Resource Monitor.
Windows Task Manager Performance Monitor shows both my cores at very close to 100% usage at a different time when I had IL-2 and a bunch of programs running. Only if the core temperatures are normal is this safe, which was the situation here:
![[Image: WindowsTaskManagerPerformanceMonito.jpg]](http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad244/1Fireskull/Tools%20-%20Images%20of%20tools/WindowsTaskManagerPerformanceMonito.jpg)
For high demand settings, and for overclocking, watching the CPU percentage of usage and the core temperatures is critical to prevent shortened CPU and GPU life. Destruction of CPU or GPU is possible without taking all the necessary precautions when putting much demand on your system.
Notice that useful data is present in Performance Monitor, such as physical memory and how much is cached. These things can give you a clue as to why you see Frames Per Second drop or stuttering.
These tools are considered by me to be the absolute minimum to control your PC and IL-2 to achieve the best that you can get. Ironically, there are more tools out there, but sticking to these will keep the tasks manageable for the new users.
Another word of encouragement before you take true control of your PC and IL-2: I too went through this. You have more advantage than I had because I had no instructor.
This concludes Section #2. You have this Topic about the PC technical aspects of optimization, All Aircraft Simulations community, and all the basic resources within reach. Did you cover everything this far?
MISSION COMPLETE
Watch Your CPU and GPU Core Temperatures!
Liquid Cooling System is generally the best, most effective heat reducer, especially making direct contact with the surface of the CPU and GPU computer chips, as well as RAM cards and Solid State Memory Drives. Sometimes even the back of a Mother Board is covered with a Liquid Cooling pad.
Temporary Solution - such as a small department store fan.
A fan that pushes cooler air onto the motherboard is better than pushing hot air away from it only if the fan is drawing on cooler air, such as through a tube to the outside (It's been done before!). Be careful about liquids and moisture which could be drawn into the fan, thereby blowing harmful drops onto your computer. (Keep all drinks away from the computer!) It is best to use an aftermarket cooling system designed for PCs and follow the directions. If you think that there is a chance that something harmful will be drawn through the fan to your mother board, then set the fan to push air from the mobo. You might have a need for a temporary fix, until you install a cooling system designed for computers.
Years ago I needed more cooling and placed a fan in the foot between an open window and the PC mother board, side panel removed. Freezes stopped every time I did that!
Plugging them into a separate electrical circuit from your computer will ensure no electric drain from your PC. An "outlet" in the same room probably is in the same circuit. Reduce or eliminate the electrical devices plugged and running in your room, such as a bunch of lights. Have you ever seen the interference in a TV when you run a power tool in the same circuit? ...you know what I mean.
Laptop Cooling - special cooling needs for high performance of IL-2
I address these issues because some people blame Windows Vista, other Operating System, or computer in general for some things that they are doing apart from it. This makes these issues to be particularly relevant to this Forum and this Topic. Don't blame your Operating System for poor performance of IL-2 and gliches. You are a captain of your ship, lord of your estate, boss at work, etcetera, when it comes to your computer. Take control and manage it right! You can do it!
Stability of your PC and IL-2 is within the highest priority of the safety and security of your system. Make gradule, step-by-step progress in all you do. Two other crucial enablers are to record important information and maintain copies.
Free Utility for Stability: Microsoft Fix It Center Online - Microsoft Corporation offical website analizes and diagnoses your computer issues - Free !
http://fixitcenter.support.microsoft.com/Portal/
Remember: You can climb a mountain step-by-step. Enjoy the journey along the way, too. Almost anybody can do this.
The Free Tools and Simple Things to Remember In order to see the astonishing improvements that I have, then you will need the following tools which are all free:
(Click on the URL)
http://www.fraps.com Fraps This will give you the ingame-onscreen frames per second (FPS), critical for benchmarking.
ATI owner: Continue reading for many useful techniques and information that can help you. The ATI Enhancements subtopic is what you will eventually reach, but you need the preparation information ahead of that.
NVIDIA users:
http://www.nhancer.com nHancer The Central Control Center for optimization! ( For nVidia )
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Important Preparations to Consider:
#1) Update your graphics card drivers and upgrade to the highest level and latest that is compatible with your graphics card, but don't get drivers for higher level graphics cards unless your updater and manufacturer indicates that it is supported.
For an example, my GeForce 179.91 graphic drivers are precisely matched for my laptop. The system will not support any higher driver number because of system specifications. Some system features will not run with an incorrect driver. Run your graphics card update to see what is available for your system.
#2) ATI CATALYST information is in the ATI Enhancements subtopic - See Table of Contents in the first post. ATI Enhancements subtopic handles the driver troubleshooting issue because it is a bit complicated as far as IL-2 is concerned. Examin the entire ATI post, especially the Troubleshooting information. However, I highly recommend that you examin this whole topic for many things which you can do in the relationship of your computer to IL-2.
#3) NVIDIA enhancements details are found in the NVIDIA Enhancements subtopic. nHancer version could be used which matches your NVIDIA graphics card driver that is found in the nVIDIA Control Panel > Performance > View System Information > Video ( In my case, GeForce Video ) > your driver number.
NVIDIA Driver Updates are available here:
http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index5.aspx?lang=en-us
IMPORTANT EVERYBODY: Generally, installing a graphics driver which is not indicated as being a match for update or upgrade by the manufacturer could do more bad than good. Follow ATI or NVIDIA recommendations. Exception: If your IL-2 still does not perform well after you did everything in this topic which you could, only then should you consider using an older graphics driver. For some people, this fixed a major problem.
Driver compatibility example: My NVIDIA graphics driver is version GeForce Video 179.91 and it is tailored for my particular laptop. Things such as the ability to set computer to sleep, when the lid on my laptop is closed, are directly dependent on my driver. No higher driver number is for me. Every graphics card has a limit to how high you can go. This is especially the case in using IL-2, which might even require a graphics card which is older than the manufacturer recommends!
The nHancer version which you would use with NVIDIA can be found in the compatibility list at the nHancer website. Applying a version which is designed for a higher graphics driver number will have no substantial gain. It could make confusion as you attempt to apply certain settings, meanwhile probably never knowing if it makes any difference or not. Match your system requirements to nHancer.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
http://www.nvidia.com NVIDIA System Monitor Track CPU core(s) temperature, percentage usage-simple.
Get your core temperature limit from your PC or from the manufacturer website.
Windows Task Manager-comes with later MS operating systems. See your IL-2 go from 1 thread to 4, 8, 10, or far more. Other important uses are found with it.
Windows Task Manager Resource Monitor reveals IL-2 being processed by 18 threads, average 41% CPU usage:
IL-2 had very smooth frames and very excellent image graphics settings during the Resource Monitor screen capture above this. While using Best Image Quality configuration, I have seen upto 28 threads being used. You can learn how a particular graphics card setting directly effects processing. This can reveal if it needs consideration. I learned much about the effects of things while using Resource Monitor.
Windows Task Manager Performance Monitor shows both my cores at very close to 100% usage at a different time when I had IL-2 and a bunch of programs running. Only if the core temperatures are normal is this safe, which was the situation here:
For high demand settings, and for overclocking, watching the CPU percentage of usage and the core temperatures is critical to prevent shortened CPU and GPU life. Destruction of CPU or GPU is possible without taking all the necessary precautions when putting much demand on your system.
Notice that useful data is present in Performance Monitor, such as physical memory and how much is cached. These things can give you a clue as to why you see Frames Per Second drop or stuttering.
These tools are considered by me to be the absolute minimum to control your PC and IL-2 to achieve the best that you can get. Ironically, there are more tools out there, but sticking to these will keep the tasks manageable for the new users.
Another word of encouragement before you take true control of your PC and IL-2: I too went through this. You have more advantage than I had because I had no instructor.
This concludes Section #2. You have this Topic about the PC technical aspects of optimization, All Aircraft Simulations community, and all the basic resources within reach. Did you cover everything this far?
MISSION COMPLETE