This would seem more appropriate here then in the Tech Support forum, and it may help.
I’m going to become very familiar with the Graphic buttons at this rate.
When I first load into Coralsea in the SEA, the message buffer reports Disabling advanced graphic settings ‘Detailed Terrain’. The frame rates report as 59, but take a look at the terrain in the first screen shot. As a terrain builder, I’m never going to use those settings. In fact, I use 1024 textures and I’m willing to suffer the fps hits.
In the second screen shot, you see what happens when I recheck ‘Detailed Terrain’. The frame rates fall to half, 30, stabilizing at 40 fps. This won’t be very playable along the coastlines or over a base but look what happens in screen shot 3 when I simply toggle ‘Detailed Water’. First on, then back off. I wait about 30 seconds at each setting to see results, but after turning it off again, I’m up to 51 fps and Cnt=0 with the clipboard hidden. This is similar to the rates I was seeing before this last patch, patch 3.
(Screen shots taken in CM eye. Dxdiag included)
Screen Shot 1 - the terrain looks terrible.

Screen Shot 2 - good looking terrain but fps are ~30.

Screen Shot 3 - after toggling 'Detailed Water', the frame rates are back up to 51 with the clipboard hidden.

Fresh dxdiag run
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System Information
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Time of this report: 7/31/2009, 16:43:58
Machine name: BIGGAME
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.090206-1233)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: INTELR
System Model: AWRDACPI
BIOS: Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.60GHz (2 CPUs)
Memory: 1536MB RAM
Page File: 161MB used, 3273MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.2180 32bit Unicode
---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: RADEON 9800 PRO
Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
Chip type: Radeon 9800 AGP (0x4E48)
DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_4E48&SUBSYS_00021002&REV_00
Display Memory: 128.0 MB
Current Mode: 1280 x 1024 (16 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor: SONY SDM-S95AR/ER
Monitor Max Res: 1280,1024
Driver Name: ati2dvag.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.6343 (English)
DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 4/28/2003 19:39:48, 291584 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: n/a
WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
VDD: n/a
Mini VDD: ati2mtag.sys
Mini VDD Date: 4/28/2003 19:39:23, 625920 bytes
Device Identifier: {D7B71EE2-0D08-11CF-756B-0820A1C2CB35}
Vendor ID: 0x1002
Device ID: 0x4E48
SubSys ID: 0x00021002
Revision ID: 0x0000
Revision ID: 0x0000
Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_C ModeMPEG2_D
Deinterlace Caps: {6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,UYVY) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,UYVY) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
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{6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC1,0x31434d49) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC1,0x31434d49) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC2,0x32434d49) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
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{6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC3,0x33434d49) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
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{6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC4,0x34434d49) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC4,0x34434d49) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(S340,0x30343353) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(S340,0x30343353) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(S342,0x32343353) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(S342,0x32343353) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
Registry: OK
DDraw Status: Enabled
D3D Status: Enabled
AGP Status: Enabled
DDraw Test Result: Not run
D3D7 Test Result: Not run
D3D8 Test Result: Not run
D3D9 Test Result: Not run