Module Review & Pre-Flight PC Health Check
Estimated Lesson Time: 25–35 Minutes
Welcome To The Final Lesson
Congratulations.
You’ve reached the end of Module 2 of the Performance Academy.
Throughout this module, you’ve learnt how to prepare your computer before making any Microsoft Flight Simulator graphics adjustments.
This is an important milestone.
Many people jump straight into changing graphics settings or downloading “FPS Boost Packs” without first preparing their operating system.
Professional optimisation doesn’t work that way.
Before we optimise Microsoft Flight Simulator…
We optimise the computer that runs it.
Everything you’ve learnt throughout this module has created a solid foundation for the optimisation work that follows.
Now it’s time to review everything you’ve learnt and complete your first PC Health Check.
Why Module 2 Matters
Think of your PC like an aircraft.
Before every flight…
Pilots complete a pre-flight inspection.
They don’t simply start the engines and hope everything works.
They inspect:
Fuel.
Flight controls.
Navigation systems.
Weather.
Engine systems.
Electrical systems.
Only when everything has been checked…
Do they depart.
Professional PC optimisation follows exactly the same philosophy.
Before optimising Microsoft Flight Simulator…
We inspect the health of the computer.
Only then do we move forward.
Module Review
Let’s review everything you’ve learnt throughout Module 2.
Review 1 – Windows Optimisation
Windows is the operating system that controls your entire computer.
Throughout this module you’ve learnt how Windows manages:
CPU scheduling.
RAM.
Storage.
Background applications.
Drivers.
Security.
Power management.
Updates.
You also learnt that Windows maintenance isn’t about disabling every feature.
Instead…
It’s about keeping Windows organised, efficient and stable.
Key Takeaway
A healthy operating system creates a healthy simulator.
Review 2 – Graphics Drivers
Drivers allow Windows to communicate correctly with your graphics hardware.
You’ve learnt:
How to identify your graphics driver.
When updating drivers makes sense.
When it may be better to wait.
How to perform a clean installation.
When to roll back.
How to choose between NVIDIA Game Ready and Studio Drivers.
How to interpret driver release notes.
Key Takeaway
Never install a new driver simply because it’s newer.
Install drivers for a reason.
Review 3 – Chipset & Motherboard Drivers
You now understand that your motherboard is the communication centre of your PC.
You learnt:
How chipset drivers improve communication.
How Intel and AMD differ.
How motherboard support pages work.
What BIOS updates do.
When BIOS updates should be considered.
The purpose of LAN and Audio drivers.
Key Takeaway
Good system stability starts with good communication between your hardware.
Review 4 – Power Plans
Power Plans determine how Windows manages your hardware.
You learnt about:
Balanced.
High Performance.
Ultimate Performance.
CPU processor states.
USB power saving.
PCI Express Link State Power Management.
Desktop versus laptop optimisation.
Most importantly…
You learnt there is no single “best” power plan.
The best configuration is the one that gives your system the best balance between:
Performance.
Temperatures.
Noise.
Stability.
Key Takeaway
Optimisation should always be tested—not assumed.
Review 5 – Background Applications
Every application running on your PC competes for system resources.
Throughout this lesson you learnt how applications such as:
Discord.
Chrome.
Steam.
OneDrive.
Windows Update.
RGB software.
Antivirus.
Monitoring software.
can affect:
CPU usage.
RAM usage.
Disk activity.
Network bandwidth.
You also learnt how to identify unnecessary background activity using Task Manager.
Key Takeaway
A clean system before launching Microsoft Flight Simulator creates the best environment for smooth performance.
Review 6 – Windows Security
Security is just as important as performance.
You learnt:
How Microsoft Defender works.
What Real-Time Protection does.
How antivirus scans affect storage activity.
When folder exclusions may be appropriate.
How Ransomware Protection helps protect your files.
Key Takeaway
Optimisation should never come at the cost of good security.
Review 7 – Storage Optimisation
Storage is much more than loading times.
You learnt:
The differences between HDD, SSD and NVMe SSD.
Why free storage space matters.
How TRIM works.
How Disk Cleanup helps maintain Windows.
How to monitor storage health.
Where the Community Folder should be stored.
Why Microsoft Flight Simulator should ideally be installed on the fastest available drive.
Key Takeaway
Fast storage creates a more responsive simulator.
Review 8 – Monitoring Your PC
Perhaps the most valuable skill you’ve learnt is how to monitor your computer.
You now understand how to use:
Task Manager.
Resource Monitor.
HWiNFO.
MSI Afterburner.
You also know how to monitor:
CPU temperatures.
GPU temperatures.
Clock speeds.
RAM usage.
GPU utilisation.
Most importantly…
You’ve learnt how to identify problems using data instead of guesswork.
Key Takeaway
Professional optimisation begins with observation.
Your PC Health Checklist
Before moving into Module 3, complete the following checklist.
Windows
☐ Windows fully updated.
☐ Restart completed after updates.
☐ Temporary files cleaned.
☐ Storage Sense reviewed.
Graphics Drivers
☐ Driver version checked.
☐ Release notes reviewed if updating.
☐ Driver stable.
☐ Clean installation performed if required.
Motherboard
☐ Chipset drivers verified.
☐ LAN driver checked.
☐ Audio driver checked.
☐ BIOS version recorded.
Power Plan
☐ Correct power plan selected.
☐ Sleep settings configured.
☐ USB power saving reviewed.
☐ PCI Express settings reviewed.
Background Applications
☐ Startup applications reviewed.
☐ Chrome tabs reduced.
☐ Discord reviewed.
☐ Steam downloads paused.
☐ OneDrive checked.
☐ Windows Update inactive during flight.
Security
☐ Microsoft Defender updated.
☐ Real-Time Protection enabled.
☐ Trusted folder exclusions reviewed (if used).
☐ No full security scan running.
Storage
☐ MSFS installed on the fastest available drive.
☐ Community Folder location checked.
☐ Sufficient free space available.
☐ Storage health reviewed.
Monitoring
☐ Task Manager checked.
☐ HWiNFO configured.
☐ MSI Afterburner configured (optional).
☐ Baseline monitoring completed.
Re-Running Your Performance Baseline
Now it’s time to repeat the benchmark you created in Module 1.
This is one of the most important exercises in the entire Performance Academy.
Do not change any in-simulator graphics settings.
Instead, keep the test conditions exactly the same.
Use the same:
Airport.
Aircraft.
Weather preset.
Resolution.
Graphics preset.
Camera view.
Flight route.
The only difference should be that your PC has now been prepared using everything you’ve learnt in Module 2.
This allows you to measure the effect of your Windows and system optimisations alone.
Compare Your Results
Compare your new benchmark with the original Performance Baseline from Module 1.
Record:
Average FPS.
Lowest FPS.
Highest FPS.
Frame pacing.
CPU usage.
GPU usage.
RAM usage.
MainThread or GPU limitation.
Loading times.
Overall smoothness.
Ask yourself:
- Has Windows become more responsive?
- Has simulator loading improved?
- Are stutters less frequent?
- Has frame pacing become more consistent?
- Is the system running cooler?
- Are background processes under better control?
- Is the simulator behaving more predictably?
Even if your average FPS hasn’t increased significantly, improvements in smoothness, responsiveness, or stability are still valuable outcomes.
Student Assignment
Complete your Module 2 PC Health Report.
Include:
System Information
- CPU
- GPU
- RAM
- Storage type
- Windows version
- Graphics driver version
- Chipset version (if known)
Benchmark Results
- Airport
- Aircraft
- Weather
- Graphics preset
- Resolution
- Average FPS
- Lowest FPS
- Highest FPS
- MainThread or GPU limited
Performance Notes
- Loading time improvements
- Stutter improvements
- Temperature observations
- CPU behaviour
- GPU behaviour
- Remaining issues to investigate
Save this report.
You’ll compare it again after completing Module 3.
Looking Ahead To Module 3
Congratulations.
You have successfully prepared your PC for optimisation.
Your operating system is cleaner.
Your drivers are verified.
Your power settings have been reviewed.
Background activity has been reduced.
Your storage has been checked.
Your system is being monitored correctly.
Now we can finally begin optimising Microsoft Flight Simulator itself.
In Module 3, we’ll examine every major graphics setting in the simulator, explaining what it does, how it affects image quality and performance, and how to tune it for different types of hardware.
By the end of Module 3, you’ll no longer rely on random settings guides—you’ll understand exactly how each setting influences your simulator and how to choose the right balance for your own PC.
Module 2 Knowledge Check
Before progressing to Module 3, answer the following questions:
- Why should Windows be optimised before changing Microsoft Flight Simulator graphics settings?
- When is it appropriate to update a graphics driver, and when might it be better to wait?
- What is the purpose of chipset drivers?
- Why isn’t there a single “best” Windows power plan for every PC?
- Name three background applications that can consume system resources during a flight.
- Why should Microsoft Defender generally remain enabled?
- What are the main differences between an HDD, SSD and NVMe SSD?
- Which monitoring tools did you learn to use, and what information does each provide?
- Why is comparing results against your original Performance Baseline so important?
- What is the overall goal of preparing your PC before optimising in-simulator graphics settings?
Final Instructor’s Message
Congratulations on completing Module 2.
You now have something many Flight Simulator users never develop: a methodical approach to optimisation.
Instead of chasing every new tweak or copying settings from the internet, you’ve learnt how to prepare your PC, understand your hardware, monitor performance and measure improvements with confidence.
This foundation will make every lesson in the rest of the Performance Academy more meaningful, because from this point onwards, every change you make inside Microsoft Flight Simulator will be backed by a stable, well-prepared system and a clear benchmark to measure against.