Has anyone done a tutorial on how best to setup (especially optimizing render options)  PoserPro2012 on a Windows 7, 64-bit system? 

(Mine will have an overclocked 4.5 GHz 6-core Intel I7 3930 processor, 32 Gig DDR3 memory and a GeoForce GTX 680 graphics card.) 

Also, are some of the old setup tweaks (like how to stop Poser from trying to automatically connect over the internet to Content Paradise, etc.) still necessary?

You can disable auto-connect in General Preferences.  Select default setting during installation which will place content runtime in your shared document folder away from the Program Files folder.

A tutorial?  Nothing available, and unfortunately, Rendo's Wiki is no longer maintained.

I'm working on a tutorial, you can find the preliminary version here:

Link to file: http://www.artbeeweb.nl/aRtBee_-_Understanding_the_Poser_Program.pdf

although most attention goes to machines having resource problems. Same for render settings, most of them are for (test)rendering on machines with lower specs. But there might be some useful tips in the tut.

I have it and my content installed on a separate partition from Windows, so I can reinstall Windows without losing anything. 

I also have the included PP2012 content installed in a folder with all of my other external runtimes so I can keep them all backed up easily.

Quote - I have it and my content installed on a separate partition from Windows, so I can reinstall Windows without losing anything. 

I also have the included PP2012 content installed in a folder with all of my other external runtimes so I can keep them all backed up easily.

I should probably do that myself I kinda have everything the poser default.

but the other option is do incremental HDD backups to another drive , I use Acronis Home image for it because it works like Nrn ghost in the fact it can restore my copy of  windows and any applications on windows without having to reactivate.

downside unlike ghost though adware can get into the image if it is already on your system so the soultion would be to have a minimum image on a blu-ray / DVD with poser and runtime installed (without key) this way if you lost your recovery disc it would be useless and since each system is different windows would automatically be deactivated , I have a min image on a 25GB BD as my Runtime is about 10GB.

Quote - I'm working on a tutorial, you can find the preliminary version here:

Link to file: http://www.artbeeweb.nl/aRtBee_-_Understanding_the_Poser_Program.pdf

although most attention goes to machines having resource problems. Same for render settings, most of them are for (test)rendering on machines with lower specs. But there might be some useful tips in the tut.

That is a very useful tutorial.

Thanks for sharing.