FSX freezes NOT the fault of FSX...was my O/C

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

Time to eat Crow...and I will gladly admit it...Now for the rest of the story....,-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I,... like a lot of other FSX users,(not all of course, but enough to fill the CTD forum!!!) was having CTD's and animation freeze-ups anytime from (for some) 1 minute into a flight, or as in my case, about 45 minutes to one hour into a flight. The freeze up consisted of sound still playing in the background, but total ceasing of animation upon the screen. If I waited...and did not use the Task Manager to end the FSX session, I could resume the animation all on its own between 10-15 minutes. It might happen again, or it might not. CTD's are self explanatory and result in a fatal loss of FSX.Ok...so what is the purpose of this post? The following.....I went back to the drawing board on my i7-975/nvidia GTX285/1066 MHz Triple Channel Memory/ Dell XPS 730x system. I went into the BIOS and went completely back to factory default settings.I then set up a test-bed flight from Tuscon, Arizona , to Chicago O'Hare at FL210. I used this same saved flight for all further instances of testing.So..what happened? ----------> I had a great and uneventful flight from take-off to touchdown at O'hare in the default 737. I have not been able to achieve this with FSX for months on end. So...not FSX's fault or coding. It was my overclock of my system that (in other words, my fault completely) was giving me FSX animation freezes and/or CTD's. Here's what I did, if you care to read further:...1. I went back to total system default of CPU and MEMORY as per the system being shipped by Dell.2. Took that first complete flight with only a little forward animation chunk and stutter (everybody knows what I am describing here...)3 ("Hmm...Okeedokey!")4. Went back to my overclock of my 1066 MHz memory and bumped it upto 1366 MHz. Took the same 'baseline' flight from Tuscon to O'Hare. No problems. No freezes, no CTD's from take-off to touchdown. (HUGE SMILE!!!!!)5("Hmmm...Okeedokey!")6. Started ramping up my CPU by one multiplier,--- and then took my Tuscon to O'Hare baseline flight and kept doing this until I had the freeze-up once more. The results were that it could be my/your O/C of your CPU that is giving you FSX-heartburn. In my case, my system with the i7-975 CPU comes shipped at Cores 1-4 at: 26,25,25,25. With each successful baseline flight, I merely upped the multi across all the cores to the same reading-ie; 26,26,26,26, then good flight...back to BIOS,...27,27,27,27, etc...until I had my first freeze up.That occured at 29,29,29,29. Now..what this leads me to believe, that on a multi-core CPU...you can have a situation whereby the system itself does not crash (as in the days of a single core CPU) whereby you would have to totally reboot the system again. So what is happening with FSX in this animation freeze-up that allows you to use the Task Manager to end FSX as being reported 'not responding', without a total crash or your system and/or Desktop? I believe that with a multi-core CPU...only ONE OF THE CORES that is responsible for the freeze-up for whatever reason: overheating/thread collision,...whatever... causes this anomaly. Simply, it could be a task of one core that is overheating/over-driven/over whatever that is the culprit as a result of your CPU being over driven beyond stock (manufacturer tested and certified) parameters. The bottom line...and the reason for this post, if you DO, with your system, have any CTD's or animation freeze-ups yourself, I recommend that you do what I did. It takes hours (many flights as you over-clock up from default settings) until you re-create the animation scenario and/or a CTD for any reason. When that occurs (and you only know that by using the EXACT same baseline flight with all other programs running in the background each time!) merely back off one parameter change on either your CPU or your Memory Module) and THAT will be your highest and 100 stable O/C for your particular system. When you can start FSX and end FSX with great flights between those events...THAT is your system sweet-spot--- and forget what other users are cranking their systems to if that in any way influences you. Better a few FPS lower, but 100 percent usage of FSX with no further head-aches. In my case I dropped all cores back from 4.03 GHz to 3.7 GHz and that has done it for my system. Now FSX is totally stable until I end the session. I hope this will help anybody else that has overclocked their system and didn't think it was affecting FSX, since the system was rock stable with anything else you did, or was stable running FS9, etc. Whatever way that FSX runs its threading over a multi-core CPU...is the issue. If even ONE CORE becomes unstable, you risk the CTD's or animation freeze-ups and 'FSX not responding' as reported when calling up the Task Manager. One final thing...from my findings and success to end the freeze up on my system, I recommend that you merely drop a multiplier from whatever you have the CPU BIOS setting at..set up your base flight and keep using it...and at the FIRST reduction whereby you can take-off...climb to cruise, descend, and land..right until the gate----that is your system sweet spot for FSX. Good luck!Mitch'er

[Paul J 349]

Don't you run 20 x IBT or LinX, followed by 8 hours of Prime when you're overclocking, Mitch?

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

Don't you run 20 x IBT or LinX, followed by 8 hours of Prime when you're overclocking, Mitch?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I so test, but that would not show the one-core 'problem' in just using one program such as FSX. Remember...only THIS one program showed any problem across my system....backing down multi did the trick for FSX stability.After thought edit: Paul, one further thing.... you wouldn't necessarily see this problem or even IDENTIFY it...by merely stress testing your system after an overclock in general. Only by doing the long-hour detuning of my CPU multiplier setting did I find EXACTLY what was causing the CTD's and freeze-ups..and then on my own system what highest overclock I could run all all separate cores where I finally had total FSX stability. That was the eye opener for sure!Mitch

[briansommers 74]

thank you for sharing this!!this is where I'm at, EVERY FREAKIN' FLIGHT either hangs or ctd or both or bluescreens.I have the following specsi7-930 o/c 4.3GhzASUS P6TD Deluxe mobo6 gigs DDR3 ramEVGA GTX 470640 Gig HD at 7200 rpm150 Gig HD at 10,000 rpmcreative Xfi soundblaster cardFSX w/sp2Win 7 64bit home premiumand I have a 21 multiplier or 22 I have to check now... I will drop it back to 4 ish... and see then step it up again....I thought it was because I was o/c my graphics card but took that down and still hangs... so I will try this..hopefully I can get it.. I too rather loose some frames then not be able to fly at all. I only do bush type of flights anyways, so I'm always smooth at 30fps with everything cranked on...

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

thank you for sharing this!!this is where I'm at, EVERY FREAKIN' FLIGHT either hangs or ctd or both or bluescreens.I have the following specsi7-930 o/c 4.3GhzASUS P6TD Deluxe mobo6 gigs DDR3 ramEVGA GTX 470640 Gig HD at 7200 rpm150 Gig HD at 10,000 rpmcreative Xfi soundblaster cardFSX w/sp2Win 7 64bit home premiumand I have a 21 multiplier or 22 I have to check now... I will drop it back to 4 ish... and see then step it up again....I thought it was because I was o/c my graphics card but took that down and still hangs... so I will try this..hopefully I can get it.. I too rather loose some frames then not be able to fly at all. I only do bush type of flights anyways, so I'm always smooth at 30fps with everything cranked on...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Brian, no problem! I was FED UP with thie CTD's and the freeze-up scourge!!! Like I recommend, just keep dropping your multiplier on each core and then run a TEST BED flight of your making, until like me...you have a full and happy take-off to touchdown. I used Tuscon because I like the scenery during cruise..and then used O'Hare because of the demand upon the system to the gate. :) I wish you similar success!Brian, if this helps...on my air-cooled i7-975 ...the highest 100 percent FSX running stable (don't confuse this with being able to run your system without it crashing for reboot or freeze-up of the Desktop etc...) was at dropping the 4 cores multi settings from 30, down to 28 which on the i7975 produces a running 3.7 GHz. I have 30 plus FPS using the FPS Limiter and FSX is running like a doll! THIS is what it's all about....and not merely pumping out the GHz to max before a system crash!Mitch'er

[ryanbatc 12,855]

thank you for sharing this!!this is where I'm at, EVERY FREAKIN' FLIGHT either hangs or ctd or both or bluescreens.

At first I too, thought it wasn't my OC, because it "appeared" stable for about 1.5 weeksBut I've turned mine back to stock and no G3D errors, no CTD's (normally G3D.dll related), and no BSOD.Can't wait to turn it back up to 4.5 GHz though - I really miss the fps with my Mustang VC, 8.5 lod, and very dense autogen lol

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

Ok...I would like to offer an apology to 'FSX' as if it were a person...."I blamed you for being unstable, with a tendency (on my system at least...) to CTD or freeze-up in the animation. As a result, I was very frustrated, as I could not truly say that I had a good flight experience from start to finish even though with add-ons of 3rd party planes and scenery packages...you were a beautiful flight environment.......and very life-like in real-world depiction. Like others, to max out my FPS performance I O/C'd my system which had NOTHING to do with you, lol! Well..today I figured it out...it was my my fault entirely in choosing my O/C settings and then asking you to run under them...""....so now that I have found out what was causing you to crash and burn...and have since corrected those settings...""...you are smoooooooooooooooooooooooooth as silk, FSX! You run until we get to the gate HOURS away across the continent.""so...before the entire FSX community on AVSIM, please except my apology...and I will look forward to opening my FSX bound wallet once more while enjoying that STABLE flight simulation environment, that you now are!"--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------All kidding aside, folks...this has been a really great day for this simmer, because I really loved the FSX (custom scenery/airframe) experience, and FINALLY tracked down what (at least on my system) was causing the CTD's and animation freezes with FSX in use. It's almost like Christmas yet again....LOL! Now that FSX is rock-stable...I can put wanting FLIGHT to be out like yesterday, to rest........and enjoy my FSX financial investment to the fullest. Hey...FLIGHT might be a real knock-out, but the pressure is off me, as FSX (when running fine on a system) really is quite fantastic to behold. You just need to get it to RUN without issues. Rolling back my overclock did just that. Funny, that I only lost about 3 FPS in doing so. That is not even noticed in the action. :)Cheers, and if you do CTD or freeze up at this moment....it's totally easy to rid yourself of those P.I.T.A.'s..... roll back the GHz...and roll in stability for the trade-off....

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

Final notation of encouragement to others that experience CTD's and the animation freeze-up...--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------For the first time EVER since having purchased the Flight 1 Citation...did I take off and complete a full flight without so much as a burp!I flew from ORCAS, Washington, to Malibu, California having just landed in the Citation and am happy to report along the lines of this original post, that not once did I ever encounter a CTD or an animation freeze. I used the 2D pop-ups tens of times during the flight and no O.O.M. or anything but superb 30 FPS+ performance.In fact, I have been flying non-stop with FSX running for over 4 hours with no CTD's or animation freezes of any kind. Perfectly behaved, she is....accessing menus, changing up planes, changing up locations, during this time mentioned.The final core multi for my i7975 Extreme CPU is 1-4 cores: 28,28,28,28 ---which gives me 3.74 Ghz. on the CPU. I had been running at 30,30,30,30 at 4.03 Ghz. That was in play with all my FSX CTD's and animation freeze-ups. No other program was affected other than with running FSX.I have Turbo engaged as well as HyperThreading.O/C'ing your system can invite FSX corrupted performance if you push too hard on the values.I hope this O.P. can be helpful and encouraging to anyone that also experienced these issues. You can achieve an error-free FSX, by going back to BIOS Default...OR...backing off on perhaps your aggressive O/C values. That's what I did, and FSX is superb!NOTAM ended....Cheers!

[B747400F 0]

Did you rebuild your fsx.cfg file after changing the oc back to normal?

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

Did you rebuild your fsx.cfg file after changing the oc back to normal?

-------------------------------------------------------------------No, nothing other than going into my BIOS set-up, ....making the detune changes closer to DEFAULT rather than the aggressive side of things.... and then re-booting up the system. After that...FSX was a GO!I can't believe that I didn't think to do this sooner. It sure would have prevented such angst and user frustration in the past months. I just didn't suppose that the O/C was the issue since the system was rock stable for any other use, other than FSX it appears.Mitch

[Pete Dowson 558]

I have Turbo engaged as well as HyperThreading.

Turn hyperthreading off. It does no good for FSX in any case, and only makes your CPUs run hotter. Turn it off and try a one notch higher multiplier -- you may be surprised!RegardsPete

[cmpbellsjc 2,960]

Ok...I would like to offer an apology to 'FSX' as if it were a person....

Funny you should say that because I would imagine that 99% of the problems people have in FSX becoming unstable or having other issues is due to their system, OC, or any number of things associated with that, and not FSX itself. The reason I say that is from reading a post like yours or others who have had similar problems then corrected them by making some type of adjustment to their OC or starting from scratch. Personally, I have been running FSX for 3 years now, on the original version of Windows that was installed when my rig was built, and believe it or not, I am still on my original install of FSX from over 3 years ago and have never had any of the problems with FSX that I read about daily on Avsim.Anyways, glad to hear you got it sort out and I hope you dont come back a few months from now saying that the problems have return with pauses or anything like that :-)

I used Tuscon because I like the scenery during cruise..and then used O'Hare because of the demand upon the system to the gate.

I must ask. I am from Tucson and wondered if you are using any special scenery for that area? I like to fly into there as well but aside from a nice AFCAD I downloaded here by Ray Smith, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of scenery enhancements for the area besides GEX and MegaSceneryEarth.

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

Turn hyperthreading off. It does no good for FSX in any case, and only makes your CPUs run hotter. Turn it off and try a one notch higher multiplier -- you may be surprised!RegardsPete

-------------------------------------------------------------------Hi Pete,On my version of BIOS...there is no option to turn off HyperThreading. So...all my FPS figures stated in past posts, and whatever since having purchased this system, has been with H.T. engaged.Regards,Mitch

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

Funny you should say that because I would imagine that 99% of the problems people have in FSX becoming unstable or having other issues is due to their system, OC, or any number of things associated with that, and not FSX itself. The reason I say that is from reading a post like yours or others who have had similar problems then corrected them by making some type of adjustment to their OC or starting from scratch. Personally, I have been running FSX for 3 years now, on the original version of Windows that was installed when my rig was built, and believe it or not, I am still on my original install of FSX from over 3 years ago and have never had any of the problems with FSX that I read about daily on Avsim.Anyways, glad to hear you got it sort out and I hope you dont come back a few months from now saying that the problems have return with pauses or anything like that :-)Hopefully not, but I don't anticipate that happening. It clearly was my O/C values and NOT FSX in any way. :)I must ask. I am from Tucson and wondered if you are using any special scenery for that area? I like to fly into there as well but aside from a nice AFCAD I downloaded here by Ray Smith, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of scenery enhancements for the area besides GEX and MegaSceneryEarth.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------Nope, nothing special. I am originally from Phoenix, so have a great fondness for Phoenix, Tucson, Nogales, etc. When I meant scenery at cruise, it was to the view of the Sonoran mountain ranges between Tuscon enroute to Chicago. I flew out of Tuscon Int by the way. :)

[Pete Dowson 558]

On my version of BIOS...there is no option to turn off HyperThreading.

Really? Sorry, then. I've not come across one like that.RegardsPete