The Sims 3 and Intel 12th Gen CPU's - Workaround inside «123...Next Go

DarkLady2788

Well the sims 3 and i9 12th gen don’t get on 😂 apparently the sims team are on it to make it work. The only way I know is I tried playing it today. The launcher loaded up pressed play and nothing no sims 3 intro or anything so had a look on EA and someone had the same problem and the EA bot said they knew of the problem and they were trying to sort it out.

Astro

Not sure how likely they are to try and fix that... but for your sake I hope they do.

igazor

This gets a bit technical, but there are workarounds being shared for the 12th gen processor issue that are enabling many to get back to playing their game again.

https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/Sims-3-won-t-open-Alder-Lake-Intel-12th-gen-CPU/m-p/11144265#M249006

https://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=663324
(discussed and then ultimately points back to the same AHQ thread as the first link)

DarkLady2788

@igazor it makes the game very slow and jumpy so I’m just gonna wait and see if EA fix it if not then I guess that’s the end of the sims 3 😞

igazor

@DarkLady2788 - Afraid I can't reproduce any of this on my end as I don't have access to a 12th gen processor. But maybe there is a solution for slow and jumpy that others may be able to help with if you post on the AHQ thread?

DarkLady2788

@igazor have looked at the thread plenty and none of the work arounds work so I’m happy to just wait and see if EA do fix it. I suppose I’m lucky as I have an old gaming laptop that can run the sims 3 😊

Alore

DarkLady2788 wrote: »

@igazor have looked at the thread plenty and none of the work arounds work so I’m happy to just wait and see if EA do fix it. I suppose I’m lucky as I have an old gaming laptop that can run the sims 3 😊

I'm getting my computer upgraded and the guy at the computer store told me the processor to go with is the i7 12700k graphics card. I was concerned about compatibility with Sims 3 and Sims 4, but he couldn't find anything online that showed there being any issues with this processor and both games.

I'm going to miss being able to play my Sims 3 as I don't have an older computer to run it. I even told him I found many people having issues with Sims 3 and this generation of processor, yet he didn't seem concerned. He told me to bring the disc in with me so we can test it out. I just don't want to be stuck with a processor that won't run the Sims 3 or Sims 4 especially after bringing the issue to his attention.

Did the Sims 4 at least work with it?

DarkLady2788

@Alore it runs the sims 4 great. I think it is just the 12th gen CPU’s. Mine has 9 cores instead of 1 like older Generations so I think the computer guy you are talking to will have trouble with the i7 12th gen unlocked I have the i9 unlocked 12th gen and my Graphics card is a 2080 RTX XC my boyfriend made my PC and he is the only person I would trust since he has made many builds and water cooled them all including mine. It’s clearly not a big problem as the launcher still loads up it’s just when you press play nothing happens 😂 I don’t mind playing on my old gaming machine. Means more room for the sims 4 😂 hope your build goes well and the i7 unlocked works 😊

Nikkei_Simmer

Considering the trouble I'm seeing with the Alder Lake processors or I'll just get a Ryzen 5000 processor, I'm tempted to build my next computer as a Tiger Lake (11th Gen) and leave it at that. I hope they figure this problem out in a way that doesn't require a complicated work-around.

DarkLady2788

@Nikkei_Simmer none of the work arounds work with the i9 12th gen but like I have said I’m lucky I have an old gaming machine so can still play all the sims franchise. I needed to upgrade my CPU as I was still using a 9th gen i5 unlocked and we know how quick processor go out of date in the gaming world.

Felicity

Nikkei_Simmer wrote: »

Considering the trouble I'm seeing with the Alder Lake processors or I'll just get a Ryzen 5000 processor, I'm tempted to build my next computer as a Tiger Lake (11th Gen) and leave it at that. I hope they figure this problem out in a way that doesn't require a complicated work-around.

I have a Ryzen 7 5800x and it runs Sims 3 like a dream. And everything else I throw at it.

Nikkei_Simmer

@Felicity - if it will run Microsoft FS2020, then I'm in like Flynn.

Can you believe the screenshots one can get from THAT game? Yes, this is a screenshot from MS FS2020.

Felicity

Nikkei_Simmer wrote: »

@Felicity - if it will run Microsoft FS2020, then I'm in like Flynn.

Can you believe the screenshots one can get from THAT game? Yes, this is a screenshot from MS FS2020.

Gorgeous. Absolutely stunning. I don't play MS FS2020 (or any flight sims), but I do play Sims 3. The Ryzan 7 ended up being far better than I expected for gaming in general (it runs rings around my old 9th generation i7), but flight sims are probably a different story.

Edit: I keep looking at that screenie and it looks so lifelike. It's just incredible.

igazor

Nikkei_Simmer wrote: »

Can you believe the screenshots one can get from THAT game? Yes, this is a screenshot from MS FS2020.

It somehow just doesn't seem right without a dog sitting in the pilot seat and the plane flying in tiny little circles with a script error log complaining that the intended airfield is on terrain that is not routable.

elleskyheart

Hey guys, has this been solved at all or a work around? Or does the work around with the script dosn't work?

Nikkei_Simmer

igazor wrote: »

Nikkei_Simmer wrote: »

Can you believe the screenshots one can get from THAT game? Yes, this is a screenshot from MS FS2020.

It somehow just doesn't seem right without a dog sitting in the pilot seat and the plane flying in tiny little circles with a script error log complaining that the intended airfield is on terrain that is not routable.

Well, that’s what happens when you let your dog do the flying. 😝

I’d say my cat does a better job however he has to resist the urge to aim for the ground at full power.

@elleskyheart -nothing out of the team at Intel yet. They probably aren’t even aware of Sims 3 being unable to be played on i912 systems. Perhaps we simmers instead of quietly waiting need to bombard Intel with complaints till they actually do something about it. According to EA, because it has something to do with how the hardware (chip) reads the startup coding it hangs up the system and your game doesn’t start - so it has to be solved on Intel’s end so unless Intel is made aware of the problem with its i912 chip, Intel won’t do anything about it.

Saw an article in PC Gamer about a list Intel compiled of games that do not work with i912. Note the conspicuous absence of Sims 3. That means no one has complained and unless you complain Intel isn’t going to acknowledge there’s a problem.
https://www.pcgamer.com/intel-alder-lake-drm-game-list-workaround/ Or bother fixing it.

Gothangel

ea need fix sims 3

DarkLady2788

@Nikkei_Simmer and @Gothicangle The Sims Three is classed as an old game now so EA and Intel won't be bothered with doing any fixes to it now. EA are only thinking about the sims 4 & the sims 5 if they are in the process of making it. I'm lucky i have an old gaming machine that can run the sims 3,2and The sims 2000

puzzlezaddict

EA did fix this same issue for Star Wars: The Old Republic, so there's still a good chance it'll get fixed for Sims 3 as well. If anyone's curious what that fix looks like:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/General-Discussion-Technical/Alder-Lake-and-Ryzen-CPU-Client-Repair-Fix/td-p/11269948

Sims 3 does still sell a lot of copies, judging from the flurry of posts when something breaks. So it's not like EA would see no benefit at all from putting in the work. But it also may not be a high priority.

elleskyheart

puzzlezaddict wrote: »

EA did fix this same issue for Star Wars: The Old Republic, so there's still a good chance it'll get fixed for Sims 3 as well. If anyone's curious what that fix looks like:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/General-Discussion-Technical/Alder-Lake-and-Ryzen-CPU-Client-Repair-Fix/td-p/11269948

Sims 3 does still sell a lot of copies, judging from the flurry of posts when something breaks. So it's not like EA would see no benefit at all from putting in the work. But it also may not be a high priority.

I'm gonna be honest, I think the best way to get this fixed is for many Sims 3 fans to get the attention of EA, even those who aren't having this problem. I wish I could say I believe they will fix it, but honestly if they would it would've been done likely by now since they've just done an update for Star Wars. It really seems that, for now at least, EA isn't paying attention to the forum post at all either....

I find it a tad cruel that they would do this for Star Wars, but so far have ignored that Sims 3 community. People still buy and want to play this game, even if it's smaller compared to sims 4. Not to mention, this fix doesn't seem to be something too difficult. I honestly think that talking to them through twitter would also help.

I don't know, it just feels like this is going to be ignored, unless enough people say something about it.

Gothangel

i hope update for sims 3 64bit

Nikkei_Simmer

@elleskyheart

As I said in my post previously.

According to EA, because it has something to do with how the hardware (chip) reads the startup coding it hangs up the system and your game doesn’t start - so it has to be solved on Intel’s end so unless Intel is made aware of the problem with its i912 chip, Intel won’t do anything about it.

EA can’t do anything about it; the ball is in Intel’s court and it’s Intel that Sims 3 players have to bug.

elleskyheart

Nikkei_Simmer wrote: »

@elleskyheart

As I said in my post previously.

According to EA, because it has something to do with how the hardware (chip) reads the startup coding it hangs up the system and your game doesn’t start - so it has to be solved on Intel’s end so unless Intel is made aware of the problem with its i912 chip, Intel won’t do anything about it.

EA can’t do anything about it; the ball is in Intel’s court and it’s Intel that Sims 3 players have to bug.

I may be reading puzzlezaddict's comments wrong, but it seems that Star Wars was going through the same thing. If so and if I'm reading things correctly, then it's not true that they can't fix if. If it's something else, then I am sorry for the confusion.

Also though, if it is true that it would be a good idea to let users know on the EA help forum that this isn't something that they can fix and they need to go to the right people.

EricasFreePlay

Did the OP ever get this to work? I have a Dell laptop with a Intel i5 EVO (powered by Core) that has only been able to run the Sims 2 UC since I purchased it almost 3 years ago. Everything is on Origin for me so I had no discs to test it with at Best Buy when I bought it.

ScottDemon

puzzlezaddict wrote: »

EA did fix this same issue for Star Wars: The Old Republic, so there's still a good chance it'll get fixed for Sims 3 as well. If anyone's curious what that fix looks like:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/General-Discussion-Technical/Alder-Lake-and-Ryzen-CPU-Client-Repair-Fix/td-p/11269948

Sims 3 does still sell a lot of copies, judging from the flurry of posts when something breaks. So it's not like EA would see no benefit at all from putting in the work. But it also may not be a high priority.

There is a big difference between SWTOR and the Sims 3.
SWTOR is a MMO with a large active subscription base that brings in money on a monthly basis.
Whereas the Sims 3 is a single player game that doesn't cause once people buy it they don't have to invest anymore money on it.

Nikkei_Simmer

Folks. again, I reiterate that this is nothing to do with EA. And this is a problem that EA cannot fix. This is entirely a matter that can only be rectified if players contact Intel about solving the problem and having them develop an update to the CPU that takes into account how the game starts up. Since it involves Intel proprietary information, coding and hardware it has to be done on Intel's end. This has something to do with the CPU's code for disabling the cores during start-up of games and then re-enabling the cores once the startup process is complete. Since the Intel's CPU interactions with the motherboard are proprietary, the ball on whether that gets fixed is in Intel's court, it has nothing to do with EA's being able to do anything. Evidently certain games just do not mesh well with Intel's new CPU/motherboard structure...thus we are unable to play it without a complicated work-around another player has developed which "sometimes works; sometimes doesn't".

Unless Intel's cage is rattled, they won't know to fix the problem and get a reliable update that takes into account the startup on Sims 3...and that's where we stand at this point. Unless Sims 3 players notify Intel (EA can't do anything about this) - this matter will not get fixed. And considering EA's stance towards Sims 3 at this point, they will do nothing about informing Intel since their focus is on Sims 4.

They would rather that all Sims 3 players switch to Sims 4 which will be a cold day in hell before I do.