Capping FPS

HappySimmer3

I have an Asus i7 notebook PC with a 960m video card. When I run it on battery, the FPS is really low but when plugged in the FPS gets into the 200 range. I have already made the appropriate settings in NVIDIA control panel and have set up a profile with NVIDIA Experience. Is there something that I need to do to link these to the game? Do I have to start the game in Exoerience for example for those settings to work?

This morning I downloaded NVIDIA Inspector but the FPS is running around 100 range. So again, is there something I need to do to link that program with the game, or is just having it installed sufficient? And if it is, is my FPS normal running in the 100-110 range?

TreyNutz

I don't install or use Nvidia Experience, but if there's a vsync setting there you need to enable that or set it to adaptive. Those should be your vsync settings in the Nvidia Control Panel too, for the Sims 3 profile. Make sure the profile is linked to the appropriate executable file (ts3w.exe or ts3.exe, or both) for your patch level. You need to play in full screen for vsync to work.

For Nvidia Inspector, you need to unzip that download and run the Nvidia Profile Inspector executable. (This is for the newer versions of Nvidia Inspector, for the older version just run the Nvidia Inspector program and look for the profile button on the main window). Choose the TS3 profile in the drop down box. Then scroll down to Frame Rate Limiter and set it to whatever you want. I have mine set to 65. I forget why I chose that number. It's higher than my refresh rate but still low enough not to overrun my graphics card.

The difference in FPS between battery and plugged in may have to do with your power settings in Windows. There's also a power management setting in the game profiles in the Nvidia Control Panel, but I don't really know what that does. I play on a desktop and I think that's set to maximum performance by default for me.

HappySimmer3

I did set vsync on in both Experience and the Control Panel but it's not capping my FPS. I was reading a thread that suggested Inspector so I downloaded that but the FPS is still high, so I was wondering if there was some step that I'm missing that would link the settings to the program. And yes I selected TS3W.exe for all those programs.

napoleonwrasse

Are you on patch 1.69 or 1.67? For 1.69 you need to use the ts3.exe not the ts3w.exe.

TreyNutz

HappySimmer3 wrote: »

I did set vsync on in both Experience and the Control Panel but it's not capping my FPS. I was reading a thread that suggested Inspector so I downloaded that but the FPS is still high, so I was wondering if there was some step that I'm missing that would link the settings to the program. And yes I selected TS3W.exe for all those programs.

What did you do with Nvidia Inspector?

SimplyJen

Are you launching the game from Nvidia GeForce Experience and have you optimized the game through it? If so, that could be your problem... I only say this because I saw someone say vsync stopped working once they optimized the game through Nvidia GeForce Experience.

HappySimmer3

Sorry for not replying earlier but I've been on the road all afternoon. I'm on patch 1.67.

Yes, I optimized the game through NVIDIA Experience. No I do not start the game there, I use a desktop shortcut of TS3W.exe.

I just downloaded NVIDIA Inspecter this morning. I opened up the profiles and looked at the one for TS3. I didn't do anything else with it because I don't understand what I'm supposed to do to get any of these programs to actually affect my game.

baturhulya

@HappySimmer3 i just saw your thread and don't know if you have found a solution for your problem yet, just wanted to say i had the same problem,downloaded the fps. Limiter and the 3Booter exe from MATY, problem solved. You extract the 3Booter exe and the fps limiter in your main directory,i mean in the sims3 folder in program files where your TS3W.exe is, and make a shortcut of the 3Booter on your desktop,from which you start your game.Happy simming!

HappySimmer3

Thanks @baturhulya. I just read about something else to try first. I am familiar with that program. I don't use it for my desktop because I have a free frame rate limiter program that I use to start the game, but that program will not work in Win 10. Do you know if the 3Booter works with Win 10?

TreyNutz

HappySimmer3 wrote: »

I just downloaded NVIDIA Inspecter this morning. I opened up the profiles and looked at the one for TS3. I didn't do anything else with it because I don't understand what I'm supposed to do to get any of these programs to actually affect my game.

For the newest version of Nvidia Inpsector, launch the Nvidia Profile Inspector executable. At the top, in the Profiles drop down box, find the entry for "Sims 3". In the settings below look for section 2 "Sync and Refresh" and the first line (for me, at least) is "Frame Rate Limiter". I have a regular LCD monitor and set the Frame Rate Limiter to 60.7, the closest to 60 the default offered. I'm not sure if that's the best value however. I think the setting is a cap on frame rate, so for a while I had it capped at 65.0 hz. Once you've chosen a value, click Apply Changes at the top and close the program.

HappySimmer3

Thanks, @TreyNutz but there's a thread called 'vsync not working' and I tried what was suggested there by @Nikoa and now my FPS is under control. what a relief!

Just to clarify what I did: I have as Asus GL552VW with an i7 6700HQ, 16GB RAM, and the 960m video card.

I right clicked on the desktop and selected Graphics Properties > 3D. At least on my laptop, on the right side of the screen, where it says General Settings, I had to change this to Custom Settings. When I did this an option for Vertical Sync appeared and I selected Driver Settings and saved this profile.

On the NVIDIA control panel (also available by right clicking on the desktop) I had already made my 'high performance NVIDIA processor' the preferred graphics for TS3 and set Vertical Sync to ON. But I still had high FPS until I made the above changes to the on-board integrated video processor.

baturhulya

@HappySimmer3 Yes it works on win.10 game 1.67 ,doesn't work for 1.69. I'm on win 10 and use it without any problems.

HappySimmer3

Well I tried the suggestion I described above your post and now FPS is working for me. But thanks for trying to help!

baturhulya

Awesome, glad that you've got it working,happy simming!