TS3 Card Not Recognized, RAM Usage, and FPS Capping [solved] «12...Next Go

Goodywood

My game is laggy right now. It wasn't before, but I've recently added all of my Store content (about 6GB worth) plus about 2k worth of packages in the Mods folder. The game doesn't seem to be laggy and it loads faster when I remove the Mods folder but this wasn't a problem before.

My game recently crashed during gameplay and I'm guessing it's because it was using too much memory on my PC. I'll test it again and see how much memory is used when and if it crashes.

I saw this post: http://cloudwalkersims.tumblr.com/post/63397207980/if-you-have-more-than-4-gb-of-ram-you-can-give

Is it true? Will increasing the memory help the game render faster?

If I was to get more memory which would you guys suggest I get? I would like to get around 16GB, but not sure which brand to get? (I live in the US)

igazor

Sorry, but the Cloudwalker method you are linking to is utter nonsense. Always has been, that "trick" became sort of an urban legend over time. What is showing there is a not easy to find setting for the game's theoretical script heap limit that by default is set to 20 GB (not 2 GB, count the zeros). Changing that is not recommended and will not affect the amount of RAM that the game can use.

The original 2009 release of TS3 was indeed limited to 2 GB of RAM usage, the Mac version still is. But on Windows, TS3 has been Large Address Aware (LAA) all by itself ever since Patch 1.17. On 64-bit versions of Windows it will reach for and use up to 4 GB (actually it's about 3.7 GB due to some overhead) whenever it needs to, if the RAM is available. That is all, it can do no better than that. If it ever reaches for more, even for a microsecond, the game will crash or Error 12 upon trying to save. Such is the nature of a 32-bit application even when running in a 64-bit environment. For most of us, the danger point is somewhere around 3.5 GB because split-microsecond demands for more than that can be impossible to detect just by watching Task Manager.

The game's demand for RAM increases if you do not have a dedicated graphics card.

With 6 GB total to work with, it's going to depend on how much RAM your game is typically using. Check Task Manager after your game loads up and again occasionally as you play it. That total should be fine for the game itself, but it's also going to depend on what else you have your computer doing. Windows itself will use 1.5 GB or more and then other processes like anti-virus will need some. If you constantly open and work with web browser windows and tabs or have any other programs running alongside of the game, that will take more RAM away from what the game can get and it could become less stable if it doesn't have access whenever it needs it to the full almost 4 GB that it can use.

The brand and type of memory to get if you want to upgrade that totally depends on your computer, its slot configuration, and whether you are adding to what you have now or replacing it. It's never a good idea and in fact sometimes impossible to mix and match different RAM types. Perhaps check with your computer's manufacturer or post on the TS3 Tech Discussions board with a fresh dxdiag report? But in the end, 8 GB is a solid recommendation for stability for the game and maybe a web browser running alongside of it. Anything over that is of course fine, but isn't going to help the game itself much.

These things will.
http://nraas.wikispaces.com/Tips+For+Better+Game+Performance

Goodywood

Understood. Thank you so much for explaining @igazor . You are always so helpful.

So I guess I'll be getting the memory so I can have more programs open at once? Prehaps the lag is the CC. I still haven't compressed (or whatever you call it) the packages (hairs, makeup, etc).

phoebebebe13

Do you have windows 7, 8 or 10? Windows 8 and 10 take more to run than 7. This game requires 4gb ram just for the game. You need extra ram to run windows and other programs while running the game. As @igazor mentioned if you have an integrated video card processor that too will also use computer ram. What are your computer specs? We would need to know this before anyone can make recommendations for possibly upgrading your ram

Goodywood

(I meant I haven't merge packages yet.)

I have Win7. My card is: Geforce GTX 1050. @phoebebebe13

I kind of know now which card to get (someone helped me figure it out). However my game lags and I need to fix it. I've used the Process Monitor program to see which packages were hard for the game to read. There were about 6 of them. I removed them and I'm now testing again to see if the lag is still bad. I still haven't merge any packages yet and will if the lag is still bad.

Edit: I'm so sick of the launcher turning off me EP/SPs. lol It's so annoying

Goodywood

I've noticed the game doesn't recognize my new card @igazor @phoebebebe13 . I'm now following this tutorial to get it to recognize the card.

http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Getting_new_graphics_cards_recognized_by_the_game

phoebebebe13

Changing the sgr files is hit or miss. You need to use vsync. @igazor can post those instructions since I can't , I'm on tablet at the moment

The game has stutter. Some get it worse than others. The only thing I can suggest for that is to lower lot details to 2-3.

Goodywood

Oh okay. I'm glad there is another way because this process seems tedious. LOL @phoebebebe13


Edit: So this is a program?

Goodywood

phoebebebe13 wrote: »

Changing the sgr files is hit or miss. You need to use vsync. @igazor can post those instructions since I can't , I'm on tablet at the moment

The game has stutter. Some get it worse than others. The only thing I can suggest for that is to lower lot details to 2-3.

But it wasn't like this before. It ran smooth. Especially with my other card I had before which was a 650 GTX I think. @phoebebebe13


Do you have a link to Vsync?

phoebebebe13

Goodywood wrote: »

phoebebebe13 wrote: »

Changing the sgr files is hit or miss. You need to use vsync. @igazor can post those instructions since I can't , I'm on tablet at the moment

The game has stutter. Some get it worse than others. The only thing I can suggest for that is to lower lot details to 2-3.

But it wasn't like this before. It ran smooth. Especially with my other card I had before which was a 650 GTX I think. @phoebebebe13

It's hit or miss. The game likes some hardware and not others. The game runs fine on my gaming laptop 770m. On my desktop I have a 960. The game stutters on my desktop. I found an nvidia driver that works for me to where the game won't stutter at normal speed but the game will stutter badly at higher speed when I move the camera around. I'm on a 2015 driver which won't work with your card. You can try back dating your driver and see if that helps. If your playing the sims 4 too that game does require current drivers so back dating your driver won't work.

Goodywood

Well I want to try vsync first. @phoebebebe13 Maybe it'll work. Or at least I hope it does.

I hope @igazor is still on.

phoebebebe13

You have to use vsync with your video card. The game has no fps limiter . When you sync your video card to your monitor refresh rate it will cut down stutter and will prevent screen tearing . It also prevents your card from overworking to render the game.

Goodywood

phoebebebe13 wrote: »

You have to use vsync with your video card. The game has no fps limiter . When you sync your video card to your monitor refresh rate it will cut down stutter and will prevent screen tearing . It also prevents your card from overworking to render the game.

okay, but vsync helps the game recognize the card right? @phoebebebe13

phoebebebe13

Goodywood wrote: »

phoebebebe13 wrote: »

You have to use vsync with your video card. The game has no fps limiter . When you sync your video card to your monitor refresh rate it will cut down stutter and will prevent screen tearing . It also prevents your card from overworking to render the game.

okay, but vsync helps the game recognize the card right? @phoebebebe13

The game is already using the card. You have a desktop and only one video card. You have to cap your fps with this game. Again its hit or miss if adding your card to the sgr files will make a difference. Your card is much newer than the game and the game just may not respond well to your card or the driver your on. Capping your fps is a must with this game and the first step to getting your game play better

Goodywood

Okay, I understand. So even though the game says it doesn't recognize the card, the card is still being used.

So vsync is located in NVIDIA Control Panel? @phoebebebe13

(Sorry for the dumb questions. Thank you so much for being patient with me. )

phoebebebe13

Even though the game states it does not recognize the card on the sgr files , yes the game is still using your card.

Vsync is in control panel but you have to add a certain game file to nvidia control panel. You have to click on about five files to get the correct file to add to nvidia control panel. I am on tablet. I can't copy and paste links and off the top of my head I forget which files to click on. @igazor can give you the instructions when he comes on the forum

Goodywood

phoebebebe13 wrote: »

Even though the game states it does not recognize the card on the sgr files , yes the game is still using your card.

Vsync is in control panel but you have to add a certain game file to nvidia control panel. You have to click on about five files to get the correct file to add to nvidia control panel. I am on tablet. I can't copy and paste links and off the top of my head I forget which files to click on. @igazor can give you the instructions when he comes on the forum

Okay. I'll wait for him then. Thank you so much for taking the time to explain this to me @phoebebebe13 . You are so sweet. *hugs*

phoebebebe13

Your very welcome

igazor

I'm sorry, the alarm should have gone off when I saw that you had a GTX 1050. But I thought we went through this already, must have been thinking of a different player.

As @phoebebebe13 said, TS3 does not have a built-in fps limiter like more modern games do and the newer, more powerful cards can run wild on it. The excess frame rates that your monitor cannot possibly interpret can lead to graphics glitches, lag, screen tears, crashes, and over time can burn out your graphics card so of course we don't want any of those things.

Here are illustrated instructions on how to use the Nvidia Control Panel to cap the fps.
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/14991412#Comment_14991412

Note that the Control Panel's vsync only works in full-screen mode. If it doesn't lock things in, or if you require windowed mode, then we move on to a different tool called Nvidia Inspector. Most monitors run a refresh rate of 60 Hz, so the goal is to cap the frame rate to 60 fps. Some monitors can run higher. Checking on frame rates in-game is easy. Ctrl+Shift+C to bring up the cheats console, type fps on (enter). As you play and move the game camera around, the displayed rate should never wander above 60 (or the actual refresh rate of your monitor). To make the rate display go away, cheats console again and fps off (enter).

Goodywood

OMG! It runs much smoother. Such a huuuuge difference. Thank you so much !!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy right now.

*runs, leaps, pauses mid air... like an 80s movie ending.*


@igazor
@phoebebebe13

GraceyManor

phoebebebe13 wrote: »

Goodywood wrote: »

phoebebebe13 wrote: »

You have to use vsync with your video card. The game has no fps limiter . When you sync your video card to your monitor refresh rate it will cut down stutter and will prevent screen tearing . It also prevents your card from overworking to render the game.

okay, but vsync helps the game recognize the card right? @phoebebebe13

The game is already using the card. You have a desktop and only one video card. You have to cap your fps with this game. Again its hit or miss if adding your card to the sgr files will make a difference. Your card is much newer than the game and the game just may not respond well to your card or the driver your on. Capping your fps is a must with this game and the first step to getting your game play better

Totally agree with this @igazor helped me to get my FPS capped and my card recognized.the card alone didn't do much, but capping FPS has made a world of difference for me, and my laptop doesn't get as toasty as it used to.

igazor

Goodywood wrote: »

OMG! It runs much smoother. Such a huuuuge difference. Thank you so much !!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy right now.

*runs, leaps, pauses mid air... like an 80s movie ending.*

Sounds like you still have a slight lag problem there, but I don't think that's the kind we can help you with on this forum.

phoebebebe13

Goodywood wrote: »

OMG! It runs much smoother. Such a huuuuge difference. Thank you so much !!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy right now.

*runs, leaps, pauses mid air... like an 80s movie ending.*


@igazor
@phoebebebe13

Awesome enjoy your game

Goodywood

@igazor I'm about to fix my friends laptop as the game does not recognize their card as well. Does it makes a difference if it is a Laptop? I can tell you their specs.

igazor

Goodywood wrote: »

@igazor I'm about to fix my friends laptop as the game does not recognize their card as well. Does it makes a difference if it is a Laptop? I can tell you their specs.

It doesn't matter if it's a laptop, it does matter if they have an Nvidia vs. AMD graphics card (or neither). So sure, go right ahead on the specs.

We haven't actually covered graphics card recognition here. That's the more complicated procedure with the sgr files and in most cases really isn't necessary to address. An unrecognized card will still be used as was said earlier.

Goodywood

Okay thank you @igazor