FSX windowed mode tip

[DaveG]

Here's a little tip for those of you running FSX in windowed mode: hide the Windows desktop taskbar.

I usually run FSX in windowed mode, as I use my second monitor to display other stuff at the same time, but it wasn't until recently I found that if I hid the taskbar, my frame rates increased dramatically.
Here are some screenshots to illustrate:

First, normal windowed with desktop taskbar showing (not visible in screenshot)


Same view with taskbar hidden


No AI enabled, and no frame rate limit set for these tests.
Screenshots reduced to 800px wide, frame rate display enlarged for clarity.

Tried the same with FS9, but without any noticable difference.

Running Win7, not tried this with Vista or XP.

YMMV

[Paul K]

At the risk of sounding a complete numpty ( again ) how does one hide the taskbar in Win 7 ? And what about the bit along the top with Microsoft Flight Simulator X and the minimise/maximise buttons in it ?

[DaveG]

To hide the taskbar, right click the taskbar & select properties from the pop-up menu. Tick the "auto-hide" box & click OK.

Nothing you can do about the top bar as far as I know (apart from running in full-screen mode, obviously!)

[Paul K]

Thanks very much, Dave. I shall try this out later today; could be a top tip indeed.

[DaveG]

Further to my post, I've narrowed down the issue a bit.

Win7 can have either a wide or narrow taskbar. If you have the narrow one enabled, the start button orb sticks up above the bar. If that is over the FSX window then FPS are cut.

I've found a script on the net which strips the active window of all borders (bar a pixel or two) and maximizes it, effectively giving you full screen mode in windowed mode.

[DarrenL]

I thought you lost AA in windowed mode or is that only with ATi cards that used application settings?

I you have a Nvidia card with AA set on the card settings you don't lose it in windowed mode?

Just something else to remember if so.

[DaveG]

Don't know about ATI, I use an nVidia 460, & AA works fine in both windowed and full screen. AA set to enhance on the card.

[Paul K]

Yep, AA works for me in both modes too. Its an Nvidia GTX-285.

[Paul K]

Just tried it, and no appreciable difference as far as I can tell. With the default flight ( Air Trike over Friday Harbour or whatever its called ) frame rate fluctuates between 80 and 95-ish whether the toolbar is showing or not.

That said, I often get stutters even though my system is fairly beefy, and I wonder whether I'm getting all I should out of it.

[DaveG]

Hi Paul,

That's interesting Did you see my post above about the different size taskbars?

Do you use the standard,


or small


taskbar?

It seems it's the small one that causes the problem where the "orb" overlaps the FSX window.