I can offer a few bits of info:

1) Image size is a factor as I assume the issue here is a lack of available bandwidth, the greater the image size/quantity the larger amount of bandwidth required to convey the pages to the end user. So if we were able to link thumbnails and/or a limit was enforced on image size it would help greatly.

2) Thread size will make little difference vs. thread count will likely even out in terms of performance. More then likely PB is using a MySql database, won't have the indexing capabilities of something like an Oracle DB... but the issue is more then likely purely usage related.

3) If PB isn't on a dedicated server and performance is degrading it could either be purely a fact of too many concurrent user for the hardware/software. OR one of the other users of the server may be running greedy code, or have more users now.

Dwight is quite correct that at this point a dedicated server is the way to go.

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