Is this common?
 

First my system specs:
Win 7 64
Phenom 2 x4 @ 3.4Ghz
GTX470 1280Mb
8Gb DDR 2 RAM

Now the issue:
Framerate is stuck at 1FPS no matter what I try with detail and config and this is with DX10 option, after a while I decided to try DX9 with startling results like frames between 100 down to 20 (over built up areas) however I can't get the Nvidia control panel to change anything in game (AA etc..) any help or advice would be appreciated.

thats what i hate so much at steam, no way to change the options for any game launched by steam with the nVidia control panel

Can you not just edit the config file, in your cod Directory?

tried config hence dx9 and using win7 but its the bloody nvidia control panel that wont allow AA and aniso which would make the game look sooo much better.

This game uses shaders in a way where use of default build hardware AA is not possible. So nVidia panel configuration does nothing. it is not because steam. Use AA from game settings instead.

so basically I'm lumbered with an ugly game until a future patch?

It can be anything you want... (slow for example) but not ugly. This game has the better lighting and shadow details I have ever seen in any game. Wait for a patch. They will fix all this for sure. We are again like when il2 or FB come out. And il2 become 1946.

How do you get DX 9 by using conf file? I ask because my nVidia 7950GT is incompatable with DX 10 I was wondering if I could at least get things to launch and be able to maybe play with the menus while I ponder what system to upgrade to when the the dust clears a bit.

That's not true.

I can apply NVidia control panel settings in most games whether they're launched by Steam or not.

The fact that we can't do this with CloD has nothing to do with Steam.