hi,
I got a new laptop last week and I managed to get it to recognise the graphics card (NVIDIA MX350). However the resolution changed when I logged on yesterday so I checked the DeviceConfig file and it said Found 0, Matched 1. It said intel UHD graphics but I don't even know if I have integrated graphics as well as the dedicated card. I have tried changing the card in NVIDIA control panel but nothing is working and all the tutorials online already have the right graphics card on the file but it says found 0 matched 0. Should I uninstall my game and start over? idk what happened
((
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If this doesn't help, please post a screenshot of your Control Panel settings for Sims 3. Please also run a dxdiag, upload it to a third-party filesharing site (e.g. the free version of pastebin.com), and link it here. Click Windows key-R, enter "dxdiag" without quotes in the box, wait for the scan to finish, click "Save all information," and save the file to your desktop.
https://imgur.com/a/NUkraZu
DxDiag:
https://pastebin.com/4JQuY1vZ
as you can see on the control panel I changed it to the nvidia card but it still doesnt show up on the deviceconfig
https://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5035
It's always good to restart your computer after changing a setting like this, just in case.
Your dxdiag does list a couple of errors with the Nvidia graphics driver. So if the above doesn't help, or you see other issues with Sims 3, you'll need to reinstall the driver. If there's a newer one available from HP, you can install that, but if you already have the newest one, you'd need to do a clean uninstall and reinstall. Here's a useful guide:
https://crinrict.com/blog/2019/02/clean-re-install-of-graphics-drivers-with-display-driver-uninstaller-ddu.html
You do need to use the newest driver from HP, not from Nvidia. To find it, go here:
https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/laptops
Enter your laptop's serial number, select your OS if necessary, and you'll land on the driver download page. Expand the "Driver - Graphics" section and look for the newest Nvidia driver. Your driver version is 27.21.14.5241, and its date is September 23, although the date on the driver download page may differ by a few days.
The point is, if there's a newer driver version available, just download and install that one. If you already have the newest driver, use the clean uninstall and reinstall guide linked above. If you're not sure what you're looking at, link the driver download page here. That page doesn't have any info about your own computer, just the overall model.
Edit: I just went back on the deviceconfig thing and it STILL said intel. What am I doing wrong
https://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5035
This is a bit more detailed, if it helps:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/103965-set-preferred-gpu-apps-windows-10-a.html
If neither of those is the issue, try instructing Windows to run Sims3Launcher.exe with the high-performance card as well. It shouldn't be necessary, but it's a simple enough experiment. (As before, it's Sims3Launcher for an Origin-controlled install, and Sims3LauncherW for a disc or Steam install.)
Out of curiosity, was it enough to launch the game and refresh the deviceconfig, or did you need to take any other steps to get your laptop to start using the Nvidia card again?
edit; actually one more question. I usually just put sim detail up but do you think I can put the resolution to 1080xwhatever? I am worried that I will break the graphics card.
Writing MX3?? just means "any entry that has MX3 and then any two characters after the 3," as in, it would also recognize an MX330, or an MX312 if one existed. Since you're only trying to get your own card recognized, you can just write "*MX350*" and not worry about the rest.
I think you should see how the game runs on a lower resolution, not 1024x768 but something else with a 16:9 aspect ratio, for example 1280x720 or 1440x810. If the game runs fine, then try the higher resolution and see what happens. It's also a good idea to manually cap your in-game framerates, if you haven't already. There's no point in letting your card max itself out producing more frames per second than your screen can display. Let me know if you'd like help with this process, and if so, whether you play exclusively in fullscreen mode or want to use windowed mode as well.
Among the places to check your VRAM is in a dxdiag: it's listed a few lines below the name of the card. You'd want the dedicated memory value, not shared. This is from your dxdiag:
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce MX350
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: GeForce MX350
DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
Device Type: Render-Only Device
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1C96&SUBSYS_8756103C&REV_A1
Device Status: 0180200A [DN_DRIVER_LOADED|DN_STARTED|DN_DISABLEABLE|DN_NT_ENUMERATOR|DN_NT_DRIVER]
Device Problem Code: No Problem
Driver Problem Code: Unknown
Display Memory: 5961 MB
Dedicated Memory: 1979 MB
Shared Memory: 3981 MB
I think you should be able to find it in Display Settings as well, but maybe your laptop only displays the specs for the card it's currently using. I don't have a dual-card setup, so I can't check myself.