I have this game coming next week. Reading this thread has filled me with horror!
I have a Windows 7 Laptop (Home Premium) with an Ati HD4670 video card.
I tend to run the Laptop at 1280 X 720. What display settings within the Silent Hunter 3 settings menu is likely to offer the best results? I guess I could always set my screen resolution to 1024 X 768 before running the game if need be.