The Sims 2 & Expansions - Minimum Specifications

[The Star Hermit]

The Sims 2 & Expansions - Minimum Specifications

Contents

• General Information - Checking Your Specs
• The Sims 2 Base Game
  
  Expansions
  
• The Sims 2 University
• The Sims 2 Nightlife
• The Sims 2 Open For Business
• The Sims 2 Pets
• The Sims 2 Seasons
• The Sims 2 Bon Voyage
• The Sims 2 FreeTime
• The Sims 2 Apartment Life
  
  Stuff Packs
  
• The Sims 2 Family Fun Stuff
• The Sims 2 Glamour Life Stuff
• The Sims 2 Celebration Stuff
• The Sims 2 H&M Fashion Stuff
• The Sims 2 Teen Style Stuff
• The Sims 2 Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff Stuff
• The Sims 2 Ikea Home Stuff

General Information - Checking Your Specs

It is important that you check that your computer meets the minimum specifications for the game or expansion that you want to install, in order to get the best possible playing experience. Obviously the higher the specifications of your computer the better able it is to handle all the different processes in the game, however as long as your computer does meet at least the minimum specifications, then you should be able to play the game on the lowest settings at least, providing that there are no problems such as out of date drivers for instance.

There is also a handy tool now being provided by EA, for use in checking if your computer can run the game or expansion. See System Requirements Lab tool.

Running DxDiagnostic

To check that your computer meets the minimum specifications, you can run the DxDiagnostic program on your pc. It's simple and quick and will present you with all the information that you will need. To run the tool go to your start menu and select the Run option. In the box that appears, type in dxdiag and press enter. Let the program run its course. When it's finished running You will have a large box on the screen with 8 tabs across the top. Pay particular attention to:

The System Tab

• Operating System
• Processor
• Memory(RAM)
• DirectX Version (although this is supplied on the install disks)

The Display Tab

• Card Name
• Card Manufacturer

Note: For more information on running this tool and some visual examples, see the Running DxDiagnostic section of the graphics drivers page.

Hard Drive Space

As well as the general information supplied by the DxDiag program, you can check how much Hard Disk space you have free on your computer by following the steps below.

1. Click on your computers START button.
2. Click on the My Computer Icon.
3. Right-click on the icon of the Hard Drive where you want to install the game, then select the 'Properties' option.
4. Examine how much free space you have available on that drive.

Note: The sims 2 requires an additional 500MB of free hard drive space over and above what is usually listed in the minimum specifications. This is used for saving your games and you may not be able to if you don't have at least another 500MB free drive space after installing your game or expansion.

Unsupported Graphics Cards

If you find that you have a video card or integrated chip that is not supported by EA for The Sims 2 or it's expansions, this does not necessarily mean that it can't or won't run the game at all, it means that it is unlikely to and it cannot be guaranteed. It may be possible to get the game running in these circumstances by updating the drivers to the latest versions available, for more information on how to do this see Graphics Card Issues. I would point out though that I wouldn't advise buying any software if you know beforehand that your computer wouldn't meet the minimum specifications.

[The Star Hermit]

The Sims 2 Base Game

The minimum specifications for The Sims 2 are listed below:

General Hardware Requirements

• 800 MHz processor
• 256 MB RAM
• Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Operating System
• At least 3.5 GB of hard drive space
• DirextX 9.0 compatible Sound Card
• DirectX 9.0c (available on the install disk)
• A T&L-capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM

Note: See Windows Vista FAQ if using that operating system.

Supported Video Cards

• ATI Radeon 7000, 7200, 7500
• ATI Radeon 8500, All-In-Wonder 8500
• ATI Radeon 9000, 9200, 9500, 9600, 9700, 9800
• ATI Radeon X300, X600, X800
• NVIDIA Quadro, Quadro2, Quadro4
• NVIDIA GeForce 2
• NVIDIA GeForce 3, 3 Ti
• NVIDIA GeForce 4, 4 Ti, MX 420, 440
• NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200, 5600, 5700, 5800, 5900, 5950
• NVIDIA GeForce 6600, 6800

Non T&L Capable Cards/Chips

If you have a 2.0 GHz or faster processor, the game may run with the following video cards:

• ATI Radeon VE series
• Intel Extreme Graphics 82845, 82865, 82915

Note: If you are using a non T&L card you may find some of the display options are disabled.

[The Star Hermit]

The Sims 2 University

In order to install and play The Sims 2 University, you must have The Sims 2 installed and meet the hardware requirements listed below:

General Hardware Requirements

• 800 MHz processor
• 256 MB RAM
• Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Operating System
• At least 1 GB of additional hard drive space
• DirextX 9.0 compatible Sound Card
• DirectX 9.0c
• A T&L-capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM

Note: See Windows Vista FAQ if using that operating system.

Supported Video Cards

• ATI Radeon 7000, 7200, 7500
• ATI Radeon 8500, All-In-Wonder 8500
• ATI Radeon 9000, 9200, 9500, 9600, 9700, 9800
• ATI Radeon X300, X600, X800
• NVIDIA Quadro, Quadro2, Quadro4
• NVIDIA GeForce 2
• NVIDIA GeForce 3, 3 Ti
• NVIDIA GeForce 4, 4 Ti, MX 420, 440
• NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200, 5600, 5700, 5800, 5900, 5950
• NVIDIA GeForce 6600, 6800

Non T&L Capable Cards/Chips

If you have a 2.4 GHz or faster processor, the game may run with the following video cards:

• ATI Radeon VE series
• Intel Extreme Graphics, 82865, 82915 and above

Note: If you are using a non T&L card you may find some of the display options are disabled.

[The Star Hermit]

The Sims 2 Nightlife

In order to install and play Nightlife you must have The Sims 2 installed and meet the hardware requirements listed below:

General Hardware Requirements

• 1 GHz processor
• 256 MB RAM
• Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Operating System
• At least 1.5 GB of additional hard drive space
• DirextX 9.0 compatible Sound Card
• DirectX 9.0c
• A T&L-capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM

Note: See Windows Vista FAQ if using that operating system.

Supported Video Cards

• ATI Radeon 8500, All-In-Wonder 8500
• ATI Radeon 9000, 9200, 9500, 9600, 9700, 9800
• ATI Radeon X300, X600, X700, X800, X850
• NVIDIA Quadro, Quadro2, Quadro4
• NVIDIA GeForce 2, 2 GTS
• NVIDIA GeForce 3, 3 Ti
• NVIDIA GeForce 4, 4 Ti, 4200, 4600, 4800
• NVIDIA GeForce MX 420, 440, and 460
• NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200, 5600, 5700, 5800, 5900, 5950
• NVIDIA GeForce PCX 5300, 5900
• NVIDIA GeForce 6200, 6600, 6800

Non T&L Capable Cards/Chips

If you have a 2.4 GHz or faster processor, the game may run with the following video cards:

• Intel Extreme Graphics, 82865, 82915 and above

Note: If you are using a non T&L card you may find some of the display options are disabled. Video card chipsets in laptop systems may work with this expansion, however they are not officially supported by EA.

[The Star Hermit]

The Sims 2 Open For Business

In order to install and play Open For Business you must have The Sims 2 installed and meet the hardware requirements listed below:

General Hardware Requirements

• 1 GHz processor
• 256 MB RAM
• Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Operating System
• At least 1.5 GB of additional hard drive space
• DirextX 9.0 compatible Sound Card
• DirectX 9.0c
• A T&L-capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM

Note: See Windows Vista FAQ if using that operating system.

Supported Video Cards

• ATI Radeon 8500, All-In-Wonder 8500
• ATI Radeon 9000, 9200, 9500, 9600, 9700, 9800
• ATI Radeon X300, X600, X700, X800, X850
• NVIDIA Quadro, Quadro2, Quadro4
• NVIDIA GeForce 2, 2 GTS
• NVIDIA GeForce 3, 3 Ti
• NVIDIA GeForce 4, 4 Ti, 4200, 4600, 4800
• NVIDIA GeForce MX 420, 440, and 460
• NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200, 5600, 5700, 5800, 5900, 5950
• NVIDIA GeForce PCX 5300, 5900
• NVIDIA GeForce 6200, 6600, 6800

Non T&L Capable Cards/Chips

If you have a 2.4 GHz or faster processor, the game may run with the following video cards:

• Intel Extreme Graphics, 82865, 82915 and above

Note: If you are using a non T&L card you may find some of the display options are disabled. Video card chipsets in laptop systems may work with this expansion, however they are not officially supported by EA.

[The Star Hermit]

The Sims 2 Pets

In order to install and play The Sims 2 Pets, you must have The Sims 2 installed and meet the hardware requirements listed below:

General Hardware Requirements

• 1.3 GHz processor
• 256 MB RAM (512 MB RAM if a few expansions are installed)
• Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Operating System
• At least 1.5 GB of additional hard drive space
• DirextX 9.0 compatible Sound Card
• DirectX 9.0c
• A T&L-capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM

Note: See Windows Vista FAQ if using that operating system.

Supported Video Cards

• ATI Radeon 8500 or better
• NVIDIA(R) Quadro(TM) series - Quadro, Quadro2, Quadro4
• NVIDIA GeForce 2 GTS or better

Non T&L Capable Cards/Chips

If you have a 2.4 GHz or faster processor, the game may run with the following video cards:

• S3 GammaChrome
  • S18 Pro
  • S18 Ultra
• Intel Extreme Graphics 82865, 82915 and above

Note: If you are using a non T&L card you may find some of the display options are disabled. Video card chipsets in laptop systems may work with this expansion, however they are not officially supported by EA.

[The Star Hermit]

The Sims 2 Seasons

In order to install and play The Sims 2 Seasons, you must have The Sims 2 installed and meet the hardware requirements listed below:

General Hardware Requirements

• 1.3 GHz processor
• 256 MB RAM (512 MB RAM if a few expansions are installed)
• Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Operating System
• At least 1.5 GB of additional hard drive space
• DirextX 9.0 compatible Sound Card
• DirectX 9.0c
• A T&L-capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM

Note: See Windows Vista FAQ if using that operating system.

Supported Video Cards

• ATI Radeon 8500 or better
• NVIDIA(R) Quadro(TM) series - Quadro, Quadro2, Quadro4
• NVIDIA GeForce 2 GTS or better

Non T&L Capable Cards/Chips

If you have a 2.4 GHz or faster processor, the game may run with the following video cards:

• S3 GammaChrome
  • S18 Pro
  • S18 Ultra
• Intel Extreme Graphics 82865, 82915 and above

Note: If you are using a non T&L card you may find some of the display options are disabled. Video card chipsets in laptop systems may work with this expansion, however they are not officially supported by EA.

[The Star Hermit]

The Sims 2 Bon Voyage

In order to install and play The Sims 2 Bon Voyage, you must have The Sims 2 installed and meet the hardware requirements listed below:

General Hardware Requirements

• 1.3 GHz processor (2.0 for Vista)
• 512 MB RAM (1GB for Vista)
• Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Operating System
• 8x or faster CD/DVD drive
• At least 1.5 GB of additional hard drive space (5.0 GB total is required if installing both The Sims 2 and The Sims 2 Bon Voyage Expansion Pack at the same time)
• DirextX 9.0 compatible Sound Card
• DirectX 9.0c
• A T&L-capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM

Note: See Windows Vista FAQ if using that operating system.

Supported Video Cards

• ATI Radeon 8500 or better (9600 or greater required for Vista)
• NVIDIA(R) Quadro(TM) series - Quadro, Quadro2, Quadro4
• NVIDIA GeForce 2 GTS or better (GeForce 6200 or greater required for Vista)

Non T&L Capable Cards/Chips

If you have a non T&L capable card or integrated chip in your computer, you will need at least a 2.4 GHz processor; you may use the cards listed below:

• S3 GammaChrome
  • S18 Pro
  • S18 Ultra
• Intel Extreme Graphics 82865, 82915 and above

Note: If you are using a non T&L card you may find some of the display options are disabled. Video card chipsets in laptop systems may work with this expansion, however they are not officially supported by EA.

[The Star Hermit]

The Sims 2 Family Fun Stuff

As The Sims 2 Family Fun Stuff is an add on stuff pack, you must have The Sims 2 installed first. The minimum specifications for Family Fun Stuff are listed below:

General Hardware Requirements

• 1 GHz processor
• 256 MB RAM
• Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Operating System
• At least 350 MB of additional hard drive space
• DirextX 9.0 compatible Sound Card
• DirectX 9.0c
• A T&L-capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM

Note: See Windows Vista FAQ if using that operating system.

Supported Video Cards

• ATI Radeon 8500 and above
• NVIDIA GeForce 2 GTS and above

Non T&L Capable Cards/Chips

• There is no support listed by Maxis for integrated chips or non T&L cards for use with Family Fun Stuff

Note: Video card chipsets in laptop systems may work with this stuff pack, however they are not officially supported by EA.

[The Star Hermit]

The Sims 2 Glamour Life Stuff

As The Sims 2 Glamour Life Stuff is an add on stuff pack, you must have The Sims 2 installed first. The minimum specifications for Glamour Life Stuff are listed below:

General Hardware Requirements

• 1 GHz processor
• 256 MB RAM
• Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Operating System
• At least 350 MB of additional hard drive space
• DirextX 9.0 compatible Sound Card
• DirectX 9.0c
• A T&L-capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM

Note: See Windows Vista FAQ if using that operating system.

Supported Video Cards

• ATI Radeon 8500 and above
• NVIDIA GeForce 2 GTS and above

Non T&L Capable Cards/Chips

• There is no support listed by Maxis for integrated chips or non T&L cards for use with Glamour Life Stuff

Note: Video card chipsets in laptop systems may work with this expansion, however they are not officially supported by EA.

[The Star Hermit]

The Sims 2 Celebration Stuff

As The Sims 2 Celebration Stuff is an add on stuff pack, you must have The Sims 2 installed first. The minimum specifications for Celebration Stuff are listed below:

General Hardware Requirements

• 1 GHz processor
• 256 MB RAM
• Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Operating System
• At least 350 MB of additional hard drive space
• DirextX 9.0 compatible Sound Card
• DirectX 9.0c
• A T&L-capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM

Note: See Windows Vista FAQ if using that operating system.

Supported Video Cards

• ATI Radeon 8500 and above
• NVIDIA GeForce 2 GTS and above

Non T&L Capable Cards/Chips

• There is no support listed by Maxis for integrated chips or non T&L cards for use with Celebration Stuff

Note: Video card chipsets in laptop systems may work with this expansion, however they are not officially supported by EA.

[The Star Hermit]

The Sims 2 H&M Fashion Stuff

As The Sims 2 H&M Fashion Stuff is an add on stuff pack, you must have The Sims 2 installed first. The minimum specifications for H&M Fashion Stuff are listed below:

General Hardware Requirements

• 1 GHz processor
• 256 MB RAM
• Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Operating System
• At least 350 MB of additional hard drive space
• DirextX 9.0 compatible Sound Card
• DirectX 9.0c
• A T&L-capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM

Note: See Windows Vista FAQ if using that operating system.

Supported Video Cards

• ATI Radeon 8500 and above
• NVIDIA GeForce 2 GTS and above

Non T&L Capable Cards/Chips

• There is no support listed by Maxis for integrated chips or non T&L cards for use with H&M Fashion Stuff

Note: Video card chipsets in laptop systems may work with this expansion, however they are not officially supported by EA.

[The Star Hermit]

The Sims 2 Teen Style Stuff

As The Sims 2 Teen Style Stuff is an add on stuff pack, you must have The Sims 2 installed first. The minimum specifications for Teen Style Stuff are listed below:

General Hardware Requirements

• 1 GHz processor
• 256 MB RAM
• Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Operating System
• At least 350 MB of additional hard drive space
• DirextX 9.0 compatible Sound Card
• DirectX 9.0c
• A T&L-capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM

Note: See Windows Vista FAQ if using that operating system.

Supported Video Cards

• ATI Radeon 8500 and above
• NVIDIA GeForce 2 GTS and above

Non T&L Capable Cards/Chips

• There is no support listed by Maxis for integrated chips or non T&L cards for use with Teen Style Stuff

Note: Video card chipsets in laptop systems may work with this expansion, however they are not officially supported by EA.

[The Star Hermit]

The Sims 2 FreeTime

In order to install and play The Sims 2 FreeTime, you must have The Sims 2 installed and meet the hardware requirements listed below:

General Hardware Requirements

• 1.3 GHz processor (2.0 for Vista)
• 512 MB RAM (1GB for Vista)
• Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Operating System
• 8x or faster CD/DVD drive
• At least 1.5 GB of additional hard drive space (5.0 GB total is required if installing both The Sims 2 and The Sims 2 FreeTime Expansion Pack at the same time)
• DirextX 9.0 compatible Sound Card
• DirectX 9.0c
• A T&L-capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM

Note: See Windows Vista FAQ if using that operating system.

Supported Video Cards

• ATI Radeon 8500 or better (9600 or greater required for Vista)
• NVIDIA(R) Quadro(TM) series - Quadro, Quadro2, Quadro4
• NVIDIA GeForce 2 GTS or better (GeForce 6200 or greater required for Vista)

Non T&L Capable Cards/Chips

If you have a non T&L capable card or integrated chip in your computer, you will need at least a 2.4 GHz processor; you may use the cards listed below:

• S3 GammaChrome
  • S18 Pro
  • S18 Ultra
• Intel Extreme Graphics 82865, 82915 and above

Note: If you are using a non T&L card you may find some of the display options are disabled. Video card chipsets in laptop systems may work with this expansion, however they are not officially supported by EA.

[The Star Hermit]

The Sims 2 Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff

As The Sims 2 Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff is an add on stuff pack, you must have The Sims 2 installed first. The minimum specifications for Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff are listed below:

General Hardware Requirements

• 1 GHz processor
• 256 MB RAM
• Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Operating System
• At least 350 MB of additional hard drive space
• DirextX 9.0 compatible Sound Card
• A T&L-capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM

Note: See Windows Vista FAQ if using that operating system.

Supported Video Cards

• ATI Radeon 8500 and above
• NVIDIA GeForce 2 GTS and above

Non T&L Capable Cards/Chips

• There is no support listed by Maxis for integrated chips or non T&L cards for use with Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff.

Note: Video card chipsets in laptop systems may work with this expansion, however they are not officially supported by EA.

[EAUK_Aurora]

The Sims 2 Ikea Home Stuff

As The Sims 2 Ikea Home Stuff is an add on stuff pack, you must have The Sims 2 base game or one of the special editions including the base game installed first. The minimum specifications for Ikea Home Stuff are listed below:

General Hardware Requirements

• 1 GHz processor or faster
• 256 MB RAM or more
• Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Operating System
• At least 350 MB of additional hard drive space
• DirectX 9.0 compatible Sound Card
• A T&L-capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM

Note: See Windows Vista FAQ if using that operating system.

Supported Video Cards

• ATI Radeon 8500 and above
• NVIDIA GeForce 2 GTS and above

Non T&L Capable Cards/Chips

• There is no support listed by Maxis for integrated chips or non T&L cards for use with Ikea Home Stuff.

Note: Video card chipsets in laptop systems may work with this expansion, however they are not officially supported by EA.

[EAUK_Aurora]

The Sims 2 Apartment Life

As The Sims 2 Apartment Life is an add on expansion pack, you must have The Sims 2 base game or one of the special editions including the base game installed first. The minimum specifications for Apartment Life are listed below:

General Hardware Requirements

• 1.3 GHz processor or faster (2.0 for Vista)
• 512 MB RAM or more (1GB for Vista)
• Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Operating System
• At least 1.5 GB of additional hard drive space (5.0 GB total is required if installing both The Sims 2 and The Sims 2 Bon Voyage Expansion Pack at the same time.)
• A T&L-capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM

Note: See Windows Vista FAQ if using that operating system.

Supported Video Cards

Supported video cards:

• ATI Radeon(TM) series 8500 or better (9600 or greater required for Vista)
• 8500, All-In-Wonder 8500
• 9000, 9200, 9500, 9600, 9700, 9800
• X300, X600, x700, X800, x850
• X1300, X1600, X1800, X1900, X1950

NVIDIA(R) Quadro(TM) series
Quadro, Quadro2, Quadro4

NVIDIA GeForce series GeForce2 GTS and better (GeForce 6200 or greater required for Vista)
GeForce 2, 2 GTS
GeForce 3, 3 Ti
GeForce 4, 4 Ti, 4200, 4600, 4800, MX 420, 440, 460
GeForce FX 5200, 5500, 5600, 5700, 5800, 5900, 5950
GeForce PCX 5300, 5900
GeForce 6200, 6600, 6800
GeForce 7300, 7600, 7800, 7900, 7950
S3 GammaChrome
S18 Pro
S18 Ultra Intel(R) Extreme Graphics (see note below)
82865, 82915 and above

NOTE: If you have a non-T&L capable video card, such as Intel Extreme Graphics, then you need at least a 2.4 GHz processor.

The Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3000 card experiences known performance issues on High Settings. When graphic detail settings are set to Medium or lower, perforce is greatly improved.

ME and 98 Microsoft OS have known issues supporting more than 1GB of RAM.