Monitoring Your PC
Estimated Lesson Time: 35–45 Minutes
Lesson Overview
Welcome to Lesson 9 of Module 2.
So far we’ve optimised Windows, power plans, drivers, storage and background applications.
Now we’re going to learn one of the most valuable skills in PC optimisation.
Monitoring.
Many people make optimisation decisions based purely on how the simulator “feels.”
Professional optimisers don’t guess.
They collect data.
They monitor the computer.
They identify the bottleneck.
Then they make informed decisions.
By the end of this lesson, you’ll know how to monitor your PC like a professional and understand exactly what your hardware is doing during a flight.
Lesson Objectives
By the end of this lesson you will understand:
How to use Task Manager.
How to use Resource Monitor.
How to use HWiNFO.
How to use MSI Afterburner.
How to monitor CPU temperatures.
How to monitor GPU temperatures.
How to monitor clock speeds.
How to monitor RAM usage.
How to monitor GPU utilisation.
How to identify performance bottlenecks.
Why Monitoring Is Important
Imagine taking your car to a mechanic.
You say:
“My engine doesn’t feel right.”
The mechanic doesn’t guess.
They connect diagnostic equipment.
They measure:
Engine temperature.
Fuel pressure.
Oil pressure.
Air flow.
Engine speed.
Only then do they identify the problem.
PC optimisation works exactly the same way.
Without monitoring…
You’re simply guessing.
Monitoring Before Optimising
One of the biggest mistakes people make is changing settings before understanding what the computer is actually doing.
For example:
“My FPS is low.”
Why?
Could be:
CPU.
GPU.
RAM.
Storage.
Drivers.
Temperatures.
Background software.
Without monitoring…
You don’t know.
1. Task Manager
Task Manager is one of the most useful built-in tools in Windows.
Open it by pressing:
Ctrl + Shift + Esc
or
Right-click the Taskbar.
Select:
Task Manager.
What Task Manager Shows
Task Manager lets you monitor:
CPU usage
RAM usage
GPU usage
Disk usage
Network usage
Running applications
Startup applications
Background processes
For many users…
Task Manager is the first place to begin troubleshooting.
CPU Usage
Select:
Performance
↓
CPU
Here you’ll see:
Current usage.
Clock speed.
Number of cores.
Number of threads.
Uptime.
What CPU Usage Means
CPU usage shows how much of your processor is currently being used.
High CPU usage isn’t automatically bad.
During Microsoft Flight Simulator it’s completely normal for the CPU to be working hard.
The important question is:
Why is it busy?
If the simulator is using it…
That’s expected.
If ten background applications are using it…
That may be a problem.
RAM Usage
Click:
Memory.
You’ll see:
Installed RAM.
Currently used RAM.
Available RAM.
Memory speed.
Memory slots.
If RAM usage becomes very high, Windows may begin using the page file, which is much slower than physical RAM.
This can contribute to stutters.
Disk Usage
Select:
Disk.
Monitor:
Read speed.
Write speed.
Percentage usage.
High disk activity during scenery loading is normal.
Constantly high usage after everything has loaded may indicate another application is heavily accessing the drive.
GPU Usage
Task Manager also displays:
GPU utilisation.
Dedicated GPU memory.
Shared GPU memory.
GPU engine.
This provides a quick overview, although more specialised monitoring tools offer additional detail.
Network Usage
This shows:
Download speed.
Upload speed.
Current network activity.
During online flights you should expect network activity from:
Live Weather.
Live Traffic.
Photogrammetry.
Multiplayer.
Marketplace downloads.
2. Resource Monitor
Resource Monitor provides a more detailed view than Task Manager.
To open it:
Press Windows.
Search:
Resource Monitor
Open it.
What Resource Monitor Shows
CPU activity.
Memory activity.
Disk activity.
Network activity.
Individual processes.
Unlike Task Manager…
Resource Monitor allows you to see exactly which applications are using specific system resources.
This makes troubleshooting much easier.
CPU Tab
The CPU tab shows:
Running processes.
Average CPU usage.
Services.
Associated handles.
If one background application suddenly uses large amounts of CPU, Resource Monitor makes it much easier to identify.
Memory Tab
Here you can monitor:
Used memory.
Standby memory.
Free memory.
Hard faults.
Hard faults are worth watching.
Occasional hard faults are normal.
Large numbers may indicate memory pressure and heavy page file usage.
Disk Tab
This section shows:
Which programs are reading files.
Which programs are writing files.
Disk response times.
If another application is constantly writing to the disk while MSFS is running, you’ll usually see it here.
Network Tab
Here you can monitor:
Internet activity.
Connection speed.
Programs using the internet.
This is particularly useful if scenery suddenly stops loading or photogrammetry appears blurry.
3. HWiNFO
HWiNFO is one of the most comprehensive hardware monitoring tools available.
Unlike Task Manager…
It shows detailed hardware sensors.
Examples include:
CPU temperatures.
GPU temperatures.
CPU power.
GPU power.
Fan speeds.
Clock speeds.
Motherboard temperatures.
SSD temperatures.
Voltages.
Memory timings.
For advanced optimisation, HWiNFO is an invaluable tool.
CPU Temperatures
Your CPU becomes warm while flying.
This is completely normal.
Modern processors are designed to operate safely at relatively high temperatures under heavy load.
However…
If temperatures become excessively high, the CPU may begin reducing its clock speed to protect itself.
This is known as:
Thermal Throttling.
Thermal throttling can reduce performance and cause inconsistent frame times.
Good cooling helps maintain consistent performance.
GPU Temperatures
Your graphics card also generates heat.
Like the CPU…
Warm temperatures are expected during demanding flights.
Modern GPUs automatically manage fan speed and performance to stay within safe operating limits.
If the GPU becomes excessively hot, it may reduce clock speed to protect itself.
Again…
This is thermal throttling.
Clock Speeds
Clock speed tells you how fast your processor or graphics card is operating.
Higher clock speeds generally allow more work to be completed.
However…
Clock speed constantly changes.
Modern CPUs and GPUs automatically increase and decrease their speed depending on workload, power limits and temperature.
This is completely normal.
A fluctuating clock speed does not automatically indicate a problem.
The important thing is that your hardware can maintain appropriate performance under load.
RAM Usage
HWiNFO can also display:
Memory usage.
Memory frequency.
Memory timings.
This provides more detail than Task Manager.
Large memory usage during MSFS is completely expected.
The goal is simply to ensure you are not running out of available RAM.
GPU Utilisation
GPU utilisation shows how busy your graphics card is.
If your GPU is consistently near full utilisation during demanding scenes, that often indicates it is the limiting component.
If GPU usage is much lower than expected while performance is poor, the system may instead be limited elsewhere, such as by the CPU.
GPU utilisation should always be interpreted alongside your other monitoring data rather than in isolation.
4. MSI Afterburner
MSI Afterburner is one of the most popular performance monitoring tools among PC enthusiasts.
It can display an on-screen overlay while you fly.
Typical information includes:
FPS.
Frame times.
CPU usage.
GPU usage.
GPU temperature.
CPU temperature.
Clock speeds.
VRAM usage.
RAM usage.
GPU power.
For troubleshooting and optimisation, this live information is extremely useful because you can observe how your PC behaves during take-off, cruise and landing.
Why Multiple Monitoring Tools Matter
Each tool has a different purpose.
Task Manager:
Quick overview.
Resource Monitor:
Detailed Windows resource activity.
HWiNFO:
Hardware sensors.
MSI Afterburner:
Real-time in-game overlay.
Together they provide a complete picture of your PC’s behaviour.
How To Monitor During A Flight
Use your Module 1 benchmark flight.
Monitor:
CPU usage.
GPU usage.
CPU temperature.
GPU temperature.
Clock speeds.
RAM usage.
VRAM usage.
Main Thread or GPU limitation using the MSFS Developer Mode FPS Counter.
Observe how these values change during:
Taxi.
Take-off.
Climb.
Cruise.
Approach.
Landing.
Busy airports will naturally place different demands on your hardware than high-altitude cruise.
Interpreting Your Results
Ask yourself:
Is the CPU working harder than the GPU?
Is the GPU consistently near full utilisation?
Are temperatures stable?
Is RAM nearly full?
Is disk activity unusually high?
Are clock speeds behaving normally?
Do frame time spikes occur at specific moments?
The answers will help guide future optimisation decisions throughout the rest of the course.
Student Exercise
Today you’re going to monitor your PC during a complete benchmark flight.
Step 1
Open:
Task Manager.
Confirm CPU, RAM, GPU, Disk and Network usage.
Step 2
Launch HWiNFO.
Enable the sensor window.
Monitor:
- CPU Temperature
- GPU Temperature
- CPU Clock Speed
- GPU Clock Speed
- RAM Usage
- GPU Utilisation
Step 3
(Optional)
Launch MSI Afterburner with the on-screen display enabled.
Display:
- FPS
- Frame Time
- CPU Usage
- GPU Usage
- CPU Temperature
- GPU Temperature
Step 4
Fly your Module 1 benchmark route.
Record observations during:
- Taxi
- Take-off
- Climb
- Cruise
- Approach
- Landing
Step 5
Complete your Monitoring Report.
Record:
- Maximum CPU temperature
- Maximum GPU temperature
- Average CPU usage
- Average GPU usage
- Peak RAM usage
- Peak VRAM usage
- Average clock speeds
- Any stutters or unusual behaviour
Compare these results against your Performance Baseline from Module 1.
Student Checklist
Task Manager reviewed.
Resource Monitor explored.
HWiNFO sensors monitored.
MSI Afterburner overlay configured (optional but recommended).
CPU temperatures recorded.
GPU temperatures recorded.
Clock speeds observed.
RAM usage monitored.
GPU utilisation monitored.
Benchmark flight completed.
Lesson Summary
Congratulations.
You now know how to monitor your PC like a professional optimiser.
Remember:
- Monitoring replaces guesswork with evidence.
- Task Manager provides a quick overview of system activity.
- Resource Monitor helps identify exactly which applications are using CPU, RAM, Disk and Network resources.
- HWiNFO offers detailed hardware sensor information.
- MSI Afterburner provides a powerful in-game performance overlay.
- CPU and GPU temperatures should be monitored to ensure your hardware is operating comfortably.
- Clock speeds naturally change depending on workload.
- GPU utilisation helps identify graphics bottlenecks, while CPU behaviour and the MSFS Developer Mode FPS Counter help identify processor limitations.
- Every optimisation should be verified by measuring its effect rather than relying on perception alone.
Knowledge Check
- Why is monitoring your PC important before making optimisation changes?
- What information can Task Manager provide?
- When would you use Resource Monitor instead of Task Manager?
- What additional hardware information does HWiNFO provide?
- What is thermal throttling, and why can it affect performance?
- Why do CPU and GPU clock speeds change during a flight?
- What does high GPU utilisation often indicate?
- Why is it important to compare monitoring results with the Performance Baseline from Module 1?