Electronic Arts UK Community - View Single Post - Welcome to The Sims 3 forum! -FAQs, Technical Advice, Media Links and more!

EAUK_Aurora · 04-06-2009, 10:52 PM

Are you finding that things are not working as you had hoped? Take a look at the information and suggestions below and see if they help:

System Requirements

First off, be sure that your computer meets the minimum requirements:

Windows XP

* Windows XP (Service Pack 2)
* 2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent
* 1 GB RAM
* At least 6.5 GB of hard drive space with at least 1 GB additional space for custom content
* 128 MB video card with support for Pixel Shader 2.0

Windows Vista

* Windows Vista (Service Pack 1)
* 2.4 GHz P4 processor or equivalent
* 1.5 GB RAM
* At least 6.5 GB of hard drive space with at least 1 GB additional space for custom content
* 128 MB video card with support for Pixel Shader 2.0

For computers using built-in graphics chipsets, the game requires at least:

* Intel Integrated Chipset, GMA X3000 or above
* 2.6 GHz Pentium D CPU, or 1.8 GHz Core 2 Duo, or equivalent
* 0.5 GB additional RAM

Mac System Requirements

* Mac OS 10.5.7 Leopard or higher
* Intel Core Duo Processor
* 2 GB of RAM
* At least 6.5 free hard drive space, with at least 1GB additional space for custom content
* ATI X1600 or Nvidia 7300 GT with 128 MB of Video RAM, or Intel Integrated GMA X3100
* Supported video cards: ATI Radeon™ series X1600, X1900, HD 2400, HD 2600, HD 3870, HD 4850, HD 4870; NVIDIA GeForce series 7300, 7600, 8600, 8800, 9400M, 9600M GT, GT 120, GT 130; Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) GMA 3-Series. This game will not run on PowerPC (G3/G4/G5) based Mac systems, or the GMA 950 class of integrated video cards. Laptop version of these chipsets may work but are not supported.

Supported Video Cards

NVIDIA GeForce series
FX 5900, FX 5950
6200, 6500, 6600, 6800,
7200, 7300, 7600, 7800, 7900, 7950
8400, 8500, 8600, 8800
9600, 9800, GTX 260, GTX 280

ATI Radeon™ series
9500, 9600, 9800
X300, X600, X700, X800, X850
X1300, X1600, X1800, X1900, X1950
2400, 2600, 2900
3450, 3650, 3850, 3870,
4850, 4870

Intel® Extreme Graphics
GMA X3x00 series

Laptop versions of these chipsets may work, but may run comparatively slower. Standalone cards that are installed in vanilla PCI slots (not PCIe or PCIx or AGP), such as some GeForce FX variants, will perform poorly. Intel integrated chipsets featuring underclocked parts will not perform adequately.

Integrated chipsets such as the ATI Xpress and the NVIDIA TurboCache variants will have low settings selected, but should run satisfactorily.

The NVIDIA GeForce FX series is unsupported under Vista.

Note: Attempting to play the game using video hardware that isn't listed above may result in reduced performance, graphical issues or cause the game to not run at all.

_________________________________

Windows Vista and Intel (R) G45/G43 Express chipsets or other Mobile graphics cards.

There is a minor graphics card compatibility issue running The Sims 3 on computers with Windows Vista and Intel (R) G45/G43 Express chipsets or other Mobile graphics cards.

Follow the steps below to check if you have this graphics card on your machine:

Note: This issue only affects users with Windows Vista.

* From the Windows Vista start menu, type 'DxDiag' in the search bar
* The DirectX Diagnostics window should appear.
* Click on the 'Display' tab
* Under 'Chip Type,' you should be able to see the type of graphics card you have.

If after checking DxDiag, you confirm that you have the Intel (R) G45/G43 Express chipset, your game is probably running at a lower frame rate than what your graphics card requires. Follow the instructions below to fix the frame rate in your game:

* Open The Sims 3
* Click on the '...' Options button on the lower left-hand corner or press 'F5' on your keyboard
* Click on the 'Options...' menu item
* By default, Sims 3 should load the 'Graphics' tab first
* Under 'Detail Settings,' set all your graphics sliders to 'Low'

_________________________________

There is no visible change in speed settings

If changing your speed settings does not appear to be making any difference it could be down to your hardware limitations. Try the suggestions here. (https://easims.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...?p_faqid=22239)

_________________________________

Frequent game crashes and freezing

If you are experiencing the issues below then try switching to windowed mode and updating your graphics drivers. (http://support.ea.com/cgi-bin/ea.cfg...i=&p_topview=1)

1. Screen freezes
2. Mouse still shows but doesn’t move
3. Screen still froze, music starts looping
4. Music turns into a buzz or beeping noises.

_________________________________

Disk reading errors

Use this link (https://easims.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...?p_faqid=10703) for information on troubleshooting disk issues.

_________________________________

Buying from the EA Store

If your newly purchased game is not showing up in your games list when you log into your EADM tool, it doesn't mean you haven't purchased the rights to download it. It just means that your order is still processing. First verify that your payment has successfully processed. You can do this by going to EA Store Online Store - Welcome (http://eastore.ea.co.uk/) and clicking the Customer Service link at the top of the page. This will take you to the Store Support page. From here click the "View recent order history and purchase details" link under the Order Details header. If you are not logged in already, you will be prompted to do so. Once your payment has processed, your items will be visible here.

After verifying payment, log out of the EADM tool, then refresh the client by logging back in. Your game should now be visible in the EADM.

Troubleshooting tips for using EA Store can be found here. (https://easims.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...?p_faqid=11089)

_________________________________

TheSims3.com Site

Troubleshooting for registering and gaining your free Sim Points can be found here. (https://easims.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...?p_faqid=22219)

How to re-download (https://easims.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...&p_faqid=21657) previously downloaded items from the Store.

Adding a custom avatar (https://easims.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...&p_faqid=21641) for your Sim Page.

_________________________________

I have the Collector's Edition or pre-ordered and can not download my car

GAME Collectors Edition:

To download your EXCLUSIVE European Styled Sports Car:

1. Install The Sims 3 game first and register your game
2. Register with THE Sims 3 Online Community – just go to http://gb.thesims3.com/register or http://ie.thesims3.com/register or click the SIGN UP NOW button on the Game Launcher
3. Go to http://gb.thesims3.com/collectors or http://ie.thesims3.com/collectors and enter your code printed on the leaflet
4. Click Submit and follow the onscreen instructions to download the car to Game Launcher. Select eh car in the “Downloads” tab and install

If the car does not appear in the Downloads tab please visit here for instructions: https://easims.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...?p_faqid=22229

Pre-order car:

To download your EXCLUSIVE Muscle Sports Car:

5. Install The Sims 3 game first and register your game
6. Register with THE Sims 3 Online Community – just go to http://gb.thesims3.com/register or http://ie.thesims3.com/register or click the SIGN UP NOW button on the Game Launcher
7. Go to http://gb.thesims3.com/preorder or http://ie.thesims3.com/preorder and enter your code printed on the leaflet
8. Click Submit and follow the onscreen instructions to download the car to Game Launcher. Select eh car in the “Downloads” tab and install

If the car does not appear in the Downloads tab please visit here for instructions: https://easims.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...?p_faqid=22229

_________________________________

You can also find various technical and gameplay help suggestions here (http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/3714.page) at TheSims3.com. and also in this listing (https://easims.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...=1&temp_head=9) at the Support pages.

____________________________________

NVIDIA card owners- re latest driver update

If none of this information helps you then please contact EA Support (http://support.electronicarts.co.uk/...p_sid=ciPx2yzj) for advice.

____________________________________

Error code 16 and World Adventures installation issues:

You can find answers about Error 16 and installing the update here and here along with other help topics from EA Support.

04-06-2009, 10:52 PM	#3 (permalink)
EAUK_Aurora Community Representative Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: UK Gender: Female Posts: 55,583 Blog Entries: 257	Experiencing Technical Difficulties? Are you finding that things are not working as you had hoped? Take a look at the information and suggestions below and see if they help: System Requirements First off, be sure that your computer meets the minimum requirements: Windows XP * Windows XP (Service Pack 2) * 2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent * 1 GB RAM * At least 6.5 GB of hard drive space with at least 1 GB additional space for custom content * 128 MB video card with support for Pixel Shader 2.0 Windows Vista * Windows Vista (Service Pack 1) * 2.4 GHz P4 processor or equivalent * 1.5 GB RAM * At least 6.5 GB of hard drive space with at least 1 GB additional space for custom content * 128 MB video card with support for Pixel Shader 2.0 For computers using built-in graphics chipsets, the game requires at least: * Intel Integrated Chipset, GMA X3000 or above * 2.6 GHz Pentium D CPU, or 1.8 GHz Core 2 Duo, or equivalent * 0.5 GB additional RAM Mac System Requirements * Mac OS 10.5.7 Leopard or higher * Intel Core Duo Processor * 2 GB of RAM * At least 6.5 free hard drive space, with at least 1GB additional space for custom content * ATI X1600 or Nvidia 7300 GT with 128 MB of Video RAM, or Intel Integrated GMA X3100 * Supported video cards: ATI Radeon™ series X1600, X1900, HD 2400, HD 2600, HD 3870, HD 4850, HD 4870; NVIDIA GeForce series 7300, 7600, 8600, 8800, 9400M, 9600M GT, GT 120, GT 130; Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) GMA 3-Series. This game will not run on PowerPC (G3/G4/G5) based Mac systems, or the GMA 950 class of integrated video cards. Laptop version of these chipsets may work but are not supported. Supported Video Cards NVIDIA GeForce series FX 5900, FX 5950 6200, 6500, 6600, 6800, 7200, 7300, 7600, 7800, 7900, 7950 8400, 8500, 8600, 8800 9600, 9800, GTX 260, GTX 280 ATI Radeon™ series 9500, 9600, 9800 X300, X600, X700, X800, X850 X1300, X1600, X1800, X1900, X1950 2400, 2600, 2900 3450, 3650, 3850, 3870, 4850, 4870 Intel® Extreme Graphics GMA X3x00 series Laptop versions of these chipsets may work, but may run comparatively slower. Standalone cards that are installed in vanilla PCI slots (not PCIe or PCIx or AGP), such as some GeForce FX variants, will perform poorly. Intel integrated chipsets featuring underclocked parts will not perform adequately. Integrated chipsets such as the ATI Xpress and the NVIDIA TurboCache variants will have low settings selected, but should run satisfactorily. The NVIDIA GeForce FX series is unsupported under Vista. Note: Attempting to play the game using video hardware that isn't listed above may result in reduced performance, graphical issues or cause the game to not run at all. _________________________________ Windows Vista and Intel (R) G45/G43 Express chipsets or other Mobile graphics cards. There is a minor graphics card compatibility issue running The Sims 3 on computers with Windows Vista and Intel (R) G45/G43 Express chipsets or other Mobile graphics cards. Follow the steps below to check if you have this graphics card on your machine: Note: This issue only affects users with Windows Vista. * From the Windows Vista start menu, type 'DxDiag' in the search bar * The DirectX Diagnostics window should appear. * Click on the 'Display' tab * Under 'Chip Type,' you should be able to see the type of graphics card you have. If after checking DxDiag, you confirm that you have the Intel (R) G45/G43 Express chipset, your game is probably running at a lower frame rate than what your graphics card requires. Follow the instructions below to fix the frame rate in your game: * Open The Sims 3 * Click on the '...' Options button on the lower left-hand corner or press 'F5' on your keyboard * Click on the 'Options...' menu item * By default, Sims 3 should load the 'Graphics' tab first * Under 'Detail Settings,' set all your graphics sliders to 'Low' _________________________________ There is no visible change in speed settings If changing your speed settings does not appear to be making any difference it could be down to your hardware limitations. Try the suggestions here. (https://easims.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...?p_faqid=22239) _________________________________ Frequent game crashes and freezing If you are experiencing the issues below then try switching to windowed mode and updating your graphics drivers. (http://support.ea.com/cgi-bin/ea.cfg...i=&p_topview=1) 1. Screen freezes 2. Mouse still shows but doesn’t move 3. Screen still froze, music starts looping 4. Music turns into a buzz or beeping noises. _________________________________ Disk reading errors Use this link (https://easims.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...?p_faqid=10703) for information on troubleshooting disk issues. _________________________________ Buying from the EA Store If your newly purchased game is not showing up in your games list when you log into your EADM tool, it doesn't mean you haven't purchased the rights to download it. It just means that your order is still processing. First verify that your payment has successfully processed. You can do this by going to EA Store Online Store - Welcome (http://eastore.ea.co.uk/) and clicking the Customer Service link at the top of the page. This will take you to the Store Support page. From here click the "View recent order history and purchase details" link under the Order Details header. If you are not logged in already, you will be prompted to do so. Once your payment has processed, your items will be visible here. After verifying payment, log out of the EADM tool, then refresh the client by logging back in. Your game should now be visible in the EADM. Troubleshooting tips for using EA Store can be found here. (https://easims.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...?p_faqid=11089) _________________________________ TheSims3.com Site Troubleshooting for registering and gaining your free Sim Points can be found here. (https://easims.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...?p_faqid=22219) How to re-download (https://easims.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...&p_faqid=21657) previously downloaded items from the Store. Adding a custom avatar (https://easims.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...&p_faqid=21641) for your Sim Page. _________________________________ I have the Collector's Edition or pre-ordered and can not download my car GAME Collectors Edition: To download your EXCLUSIVE European Styled Sports Car: 1. Install The Sims 3 game first and register your game 2. Register with THE Sims 3 Online Community – just go to http://gb.thesims3.com/register or http://ie.thesims3.com/register or click the SIGN UP NOW button on the Game Launcher 3. Go to http://gb.thesims3.com/collectors or http://ie.thesims3.com/collectors and enter your code printed on the leaflet 4. Click Submit and follow the onscreen instructions to download the car to Game Launcher. Select eh car in the “Downloads” tab and install If the car does not appear in the Downloads tab please visit here for instructions: https://easims.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...?p_faqid=22229 Pre-order car: To download your EXCLUSIVE Muscle Sports Car: 5. Install The Sims 3 game first and register your game 6. Register with THE Sims 3 Online Community – just go to http://gb.thesims3.com/register or http://ie.thesims3.com/register or click the SIGN UP NOW button on the Game Launcher 7. Go to http://gb.thesims3.com/preorder or http://ie.thesims3.com/preorder and enter your code printed on the leaflet 8. Click Submit and follow the onscreen instructions to download the car to Game Launcher. Select eh car in the “Downloads” tab and install If the car does not appear in the Downloads tab please visit here for instructions: https://easims.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...?p_faqid=22229 _________________________________ You can also find various technical and gameplay help suggestions here (http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/3714.page) at TheSims3.com. and also in this listing (https://easims.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...=1&temp_head=9) at the Support pages. ____________________________________ NVIDIA card owners- re latest driver update If none of this information helps you then please contact EA Support (http://support.electronicarts.co.uk/...p_sid=ciPx2yzj) for advice. ____________________________________ Error code 16 and World Adventures installation issues: You can find answers about Error 16 and installing the update here and here along with other help topics from EA Support. __________________ Aurora Community Representative Electronic Arts View past Signature Showcase entries Currently playing The Sims 3 and Brutal Legend Looking forward to The Sims 3 World Adventures