Can’t Play The SIMS 3 on Your Computer?
FYI, Sims 3 is 100% compatible with Windows 7 32 and 64-bit. It has the same system requirements as Windows Vista which are posted below. (Sims 2 is also compatible with Windows 7.)
I have seen a lot of computer problem complaints the past couple of days on Twitter that were due to people not being able to play the new SIMS 3 game on their Windows computer. The #1 reason The Sims 3 will not work on your computer is due to a lack of Graphics Processing Power. Before I get into this issue I want to make sure you have all your other bases covered. The following are the MINIMUM system requirements for SIMS 3 (courtesy of TheSims3.com).
If you are unsure of any particular computer specification you may have that is not a problem. Just follow this tutorial and it will show you how to find your important computer system specs.
Windows XP users (all versions of 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 7 and Vista users (all versions of 7 and Vista)
• Windows 7 (all flavors) or 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
Some of you may have paused at the above spec “128 MB Video Card with support for Pixel Shader 2.0” and thought, “WTF is a Pixel Shader 2.0?” Don’t worry, I’ve been an avid PC Gamer since the 90s and know a lot about computers but I am a little embarrassed to admit I was glossy-eyed while reading that spec, lol. Below are a list of video cards that are compatible with The Sims 3.
For nVidia video card owners: FX 5900, FX 5950, 2400, 2600, 2900, 3450, 3650, 3850, 3870, 4850, 4870 and all GeForce 6 series and above are compatible with The Sims 3
For ATI video card owners: 2400, 2600, 2900, 3450, 3650, 3850, 3870, 4850, 4870, Any 9500 and above card and any X300 and above cards are compatible with The Sims 3.
IMPORTANT! If your desktop or laptop has an integrated/on-board video card your MINIMUM System Requirements are higher:
• 2.6 GHz Pentium D CPU, or 1.8 GHz Core 2 Duo, or equivalent
• 1.5 GB RAM in Windows XP, 2 GB RAM in Windows 7 and Vista
Intel, nVidia and ATI integrated/built-in video cards: Intel Extreme GMA X3x00/X300, ATI Xpress and higher, nVidia TurboCache and higher
Mac Minimum System Requirements
• Mac OS X 10.5.7 Leopard or higher
• Intel Core Duo processor or equivalent
• 1 GB RAM
• 7.1GB of hard drive space
• ATI X1600 or Nvidia 7300 GT with 128 MB of video RAM or Intel Integrated GMA X3100
Supported nVidia Video Cards for the Mac: 7300, 7600, 8600, 8800, 9400M, 9600M GT, GT 120, GT 130
Supported ATI Video Cards for the Mac: X1600, X1900, 2400, 2600, 3870, 4850, 4870
Supported Intel Video Cards for the Mac: GMA X3×00 series, GMA 3-Series
Mac Owners Please Note! If you own a G3, G4 or G5 PowerPC AND/OR an integrated INtel GMA 950 series video card, The Sims 3 will NOT work with your system. You need to purchase a new Mac if you want to play The Sims 3.
| If we helped you or if you found this article useful :-) |
re: Sims 3 problem fixed?
I assume you are the person with the HP Pavilion G6 1229? If so, I am glad my solution fixed your problem. Happy gaming :-)
You are awesome! :D Thank
You are awesome! :D Thank you!
re: Sims 3 problems, HP Pavilion G6 1229 [Guest]
Hello. Try the following to fix your problem…
#1 –Fully update Windows 7. (Some games will not run properly if Windows is not fully updated.) Make sure all of the updates are installed then restart your PC. Check for new updates that popped up after the restart.
If you need it I created a tutorial on this subject: http://www.cleartechinfo.com/How-To-Update-Windows-7-Microsoft-Windows-U...
#2 – Download/Install the latest Mobility Radeon HD 4250 graphic drivers for your laptop directly from the ATI/AMD website. Here is the download page for your laptop: http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/windows/Pages/radeonmob_win7-64.as...
#3 – Restart your PC after the drivers are installed
#4 – Download and Install the Free version of “Game Booster”: http://www.iobit.com/gamebooster.html
In case you need it I just finished creating a video tutorial on how to install and optimize Game Booster. The video is at the end of the article: http://www.cleartechinfo.com/How-To-Get-Less-Lag-Higher-Frame-Rates-runn...
#5 – Make sure the laptop is plugged into the A/C power adapter. If it is unplugged the CPU and Graphics card might power down to save battery life. This is bad for gaming and will decrease frame rates (it sometimes makes a compatible laptop fall into the non-compatible category).
#6 – Place the laptop on a flat surface like a table or desk before and during gameplay; preferably in a cool area. The last thing you want to do is play with the laptop on your lap. Laptop overheating can cause a laptop to crash while playing the latest games.
#7 – Run Game Booster
#8 –Play The Sims 3
Hi! I am having problems
Hi! I am having problems playing the sims 3, everything seems good when I installed it but when I am trying to make my simsfamily with the faces I want and all the graphic is all over the place, the colours blend in to echother and its not possible to see what it is supposed to be.. I have a laptop, HP Pavilion G6 1229.ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 Is there anything I can do about this?
re: Radeon HD 6730M Sims 3 compatibility [Guest88]
Hi Guest88. The Radeon HD 6730M graphics card is actually a really good one to use with The Sims 3 and all of the latest expansion packs. You did not post your other laptop specs but I will assume the following… You have a PC laptop, your CPU and RAM are compatible with The Sims 3, you are running Windows 7 64-bit and you have a second graphics card installed on your laptop that is from Intel.
Do all of the following to solve your problem…
#1 –Fully update Windows 7. (Some games will not run properly if Windows is not fully updated.) Make sure all of the updates are installed then restart your PC. Check for new updates that popped up after the restart.
If you need it I created a tutorial on this subject: http://www.cleartechinfo.com/How-To-Update-Windows-7-Microsoft-Windows-U...
#2 – Download/Install the latest Radeon HD 6730m graphic driver for your laptop directly from the ATI/AMD website located here: http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/index.aspx
#3 – Restart your PC after the drivers are installed
#4 –Play The Sims 3
My video card is Radeon hd
My video card is Radeon hd 6730m 2GB. And sims 3 doesn't seem to work. Does that mean that the game is incompatible with the video card?
Thanks!
Thank you for the feedback. I shall wait for updates from the thread you gave me.
:)
re: Please let me know if my MBPro specs will work with Sims3
Hi Zhai. There have been problems in general with running Sims 3 on Mac OS X Lion. Sims 3 runs well on OS X Snow Leopard but when people upgrade to Lion sometime Sims 3 stops running or other problems occur.
btw, you have nice laptop specs for Sims 3 gaming. So it's not that your PC doesn't have enough power to run Sims 3, it's just that Sims 3 may have trouble running on the new OS X Lion.
Here is a huge thread where a ton of Mac OS X Lion users post their complaints about Sims 3: http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/413974.page
From reading that thread I would not buy Sims 3 if I had a Macbook with OS X Lion installed.
Please let me know if my MBPro specs will work with Sims3
Hi. Would you know if there's an update on Sims3 that will now allow it to work with my laptop specs?
Processor 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5
Memory 4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3
Graphics Intel HD Graphics 3000 384 MB
Software Mac OS X Lion 10.7.2 (11C74)
Appreciate your help! :)
re: nVidia 7200 running Sims 3 [Penny]
Hi Penny.
You might need to install the updated software driver for your nVidia GeForce7200. The original driver that came with the 7200 is probably too old and not compatible.
Go to this site for the correct driver: http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us
It is listed under, GeForce > GeForce 7 Series...
I have nvidea 7200 gt and
I have nvidea 7200 gt and sims3 still says graphics card not suported???
re: Checking PC specs for The Sims 3 [Anna]
Hi Anna. The specs that you posted are the general Sims 3 requirements. It has not scanned your computer yet.
- Go to this site: http://www.yougamers.com/gameometer/10302/
- Then click the Green "Click Here" button
- It will bring up a "Java" or "Sun Java" message asking if you want to use Java. Choose to do so
- It might take 45 seconds to scan your PC
- At the end of the scan there will be another row added that is colored in green. It will say, "Your System Specifications"
Tell me what is says in there
SystemGraphics
SystemGraphics CardProcessorMemory
Optimized
Specifications
NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT 512MB
AMD Athlon64 X2 4200+
2048 MB
Minimum
Specifications
ATI Radeon 9500 128MB
AMD Athlon XP 2000+
1024 MB
Your System
Specifications
copy and pasted off that site.... is it ok?!
A much appreciated,
Anna
re: Sims 3 [Anna]
Hi Anna. Here is an easy way of testing your PC for Sims 3 compatibility and at the same time finding out your important PC specs.
- Go to this Sims 3 PC test page: http://www.yougamers.com/gameometer/10302/
- Click the Green button
- You might get a “Sun Java” or “Java” popup. That is normal. Allow it to access/scan your computer specs
- The results will show you what Processor, Graphics card and how much RAM (aka “Memory”) you have
You can post those specs here.
Sims 3
how do i find out what all these specs are??? just bought sims3 and i havent a clue where to look for anything...... help???? all i know is that this is windows 7
Sims 3 question. [Becky]
Hi Becky. No bother. Very nice computer to play Sims 3 and Sims Medieval on :-)
Definitely stay with Windows 7 64-bit. Win 7 64-bit allows you to use the full 8 GB of RAM. If you install Windows 7 32-bit your computer will only see and use 3.2-3.4 GB of RAM. It will ignore the rest.
You gave me an idea for a new tutorial to make for this site. How to run older games in Windows 7 using “Windows XP Compatibility Mode”. It will not be soon, so I checked YouTube for you. Follow this video to try to get the older Sims 2 working on your new Win 7 64-bit computer. In the video the guy uses Vista, but it works the same in Windows 7: http://youtu.be/DH5otksUNyI
(That is not my video; credit goes to “ozzy8031” on YouTube.)
Sims 3 question.
Hey, i just wanted to comment on sims 3 only because i am confident to know it will work on my new pc i am ordering due to it being:
intel i5 quad core (3.30ghz)
windows 7 64-bit
1GB Nvidia geforce GT 520 graphics card
8GB ram etc etc
I know that is way high for sims 3 and i know that it will run, but what i am confused with, is that sims 2 and older sims may not work on newer windows now a days, and i dont know whether to pick windows 7 64 or 32 bit, only because i may want to play old games too? But i always wanna play new sims these days now, not old sims, so if that is so, should i keep windows 7 64-bit? Because 34 will be great for both old and new games but 64 does play sims 3 too..i just dont know what to pick, but i do want 64. . .Only because i only play sims 3 now. sorry for the bother, but i would appreciate your opinion.
re: My game works really slow :( [lauren1996]
Hi Lauren. There may be a problem with your processor. Can you tell me the exact model of your processor? Two examples of processor names are, “Intel Pentium D” and “AMD 64 X2 3800+”.
To quickly find out your processor model look on your Windows desktop for the “Computer” icon.
RIGHT-click the Computer icon, then select, “Properties”.
Tell me everything it says under the “Processor” category.
re: Sims 3 overheating computer [Guest]
Processor: 2.8 GHz
RAM: 2 GB
Graphics Card: ATI Radeon HD 4600
Thanks for clearing that up. We have a lot of people that just post as “Guest” on here so I get confused. When you post again can you put a number by your name like, “Guest2468” so I will know it is you? :-)
You did not post what model of processor you have that is important since some CPU models will not run the Sims 3 without errors. 2 examples of CPUs that will not run The Sims 3 are "Intel Atom" and "AMD Sempron".
I will assume you have a newer, faster Intel or AMD CPU that is compatible...
To make sure this isn’t a Windows or driver problem do the following…
#1 – Fully update Windows. Make sure all of the updates are installed then restart your PC. Check for new updates that popped up after the restart. (There are some Sims 3 problems that have been fixed by fully updating Windows)
You did not say what version of Windows you have. I will assume you have Windows 7. I created a tutorial on how to fully update Windows 7, in case you need it: http://www.cleartechinfo.com/How-To-Update-Windows-7-Microsoft-Windows-U...
#2 – Update to the latest ATI HD 4600 drivers for your desktop PC. Get them from this site: http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/index.aspx
There will be multiple files available to download. Download the 80-110 MB file.
#3 – After updating to the latest graphics drivers, Restart your PC
#4 – Run the Sims 3 game again. If there is a new Sims update download and install it.
#5 – Play Sims 3
If the above does not work then you have to open up your computer case. Then turn the computer on. See if there is any fan inside that is not working. Is there a non-working fan? If yes, then you need to buy a replacement.
If all fans are working fine the PC is heating up because it is probably too dusty. Dust causes your computer to heat up more than normal. When the computer heats up more than normal and you throw a heavy process at it (like playing Sims 3) the computer will overheat and turn off or freeze up with the blue screen of death.
Buy a can of compressed air (aka “air duster”) from a computer store or Wal-Mart. Then open up your computer case and take it outside. Dust all areas off with the can of air. Be sure to concentrate especially on the fans, CPU and graphics card area.
My game works really slow :(
Hey, I have the sims 3 for computer, and it runs for the first 5 (or so) minutes completely fine, but after that it's really slow, the buttons click but the game and characters don't move, it's really fustrating.
I have windows 7, a 1.67 GHz processor, and 4.00GB ram it says (3.25 useable). ALso it says a 32-but operating system, i don't know what any of this means, and i dont know why it wont work because the sims 2 use to run fine on my laptop, hopefully you can help,
many thanks,
lauren
It's not Sean :) I have a
It's not Sean :) I have a desktop, PC, and my RAM memory is 2 gb, 2.80 GHz
re: ATI Radeon HD 4600, Sims 3 shuts down [Guest]
Are you Sean? Or is this someone else? I am confused a bit since I asked Sean what his video card was and then this post appeared.
If this is NOT Sean and someone new...
It seems like your problem is caused by the computer overheating.
Do you have a laptop or desktop? Mac or PC? Also what CPU do you have and how much RAM does your computer have?
re: ATI Radeon HD 4600, Sims 3 shuts down [Guest]
Are you Sean? Or is this someone else? I am confused a bit since I asked Sean what his video card was and then this post appeared.
If this is NOT Sean and someone new...
It seems like your problem is caused by the computer overheating.
Do you have a laptop or desktop? Mac or PC? Also what CPU do you have and how much RAM does your computer have?
I have a video card ATI
I have a video card ATI Radeon HD 4600 is that compatible for sims 3, my computer keeps shuting down when i play sims 3, i play for about half an our and than he just shut's down, is the problem my video card or not?
re: Unsupported video card [Sean]
Hi Sean. I need to know the exact make and model number of the video card you have (Example: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250). Then I research your video card.
To find you exact video card specs you can use the free version of the app “Speccy”. You can find Speccy here: http://www.piriform.com/speccy/download
Here is a great a simple way of sharing your PC specs with me: http://i.minus.com/i78MbUj4QaOm9.png
When it gives you a link to your PC specs post them on here as a comment.
Unsupported
The first thing I checked was that the drivers were updated and I believe they are, I'm not sure what's wrong, the game works on smaller screens connected by dvi, just not on my sanyo 42' HD connected by an HDMI cord, I've tried everything i know how to do, I keep getting the Video Card Unsupported Message.
re: Sims 3 Crashing
Try manually updating the Intel graphics card driver that you have on your system. To do this go to the Intel site I link below. Then lookup your specific graphics card and download the ZIP version. There will be instructions in there on how to install it.
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/
You are right about the Intel graphics cards. They can’t run games at high graphics settings without problems. You must always set the graphics quality to low, in some cases medium is okay.
Sims 3 Crashing
The Intel Core i3 processor 540, as I have found out the same way you did, (crashing, black screen, then the nasty blue error screen), is terrible for Sims 3 and some other games as well. Intels site even states that it isn't a great gaming PC. I wish I had checked before I bought mine.
re: Game fixed [Scout]
Good to hear Scout! Have fun with The Sims :-)
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re: Dell Inspiron n4010 [Radley]
- Dell Inspiron n4010 -
Processor: Intel Core i3-370M 2.40 MHz
RAM: 4 GB
Graphics Card: Intel HD
OS: Windows 7 64-bit
Hello Radely, thanks for posting all of your info.
One of the site moderators on here named Anne had a similar issue. Whenever she played the game Rift it would work for a while but never fail to crash. She never played a game as graphical as Rift so her laptop CPU and graphics card were working extra hard, which caused the laptop to overheat, then crash. Anne fixed the problem by buying a “laptop” cooler from Amazon. It solved the issue, she can play Rift without crashing now.
Your issue is slightly different. You said it worked good before you sent it in for repairs. I cannot tell you with any type of accuracy how they repaired the issue but I will take a guess...
They might have replaced the fan you had with another one that does not cool as well. (Again I might be totally off on this since I was not there, this is just a guess.)
Your PC should be able to play The Sims 3 at the full 1366x768 resolution with low to medium graphics settings.
Here is what I recommend…
1 – Always plug in the laptop’s A/C adapter right before and keep it that way during Sims 3 gameplay (Actually for any graphical game like Sims 3, Rift, Star Wars, etc.). When the power adapter is unplugged the processor and sometimes graphics card are powered down, almost making your laptop incompatible with The Sims 3
2 – Never play Sims 3 or similar games with the laptop on your lap. This will cause the laptop to heat up a bit more than usual and there is a chance you are preventing one of the vents from breathing properly. You already know what overheating does to a laptop so I will not go into that. Rest the laptop on a flat surface like a table or desk, preferably in a cool area.
3 – It is important for your Intel Core i3 processor to burst into Turbo mode when running Sims 3 to decrease lag and smooth out gameplay. There are 2 reasons why it will not burst into Turbo mode, they are listed above (another reason to follow #1 and #2 above).
4 – Install the free app Game Booster. It can reduce lag even more. I created a tutorial on Game Booster recently. You can check out my tutorial on it if you want: http://www.cleartechinfo.com/How-To-Get-Less-Lag-Higher-Frame-Rates-runn...
OPTIONAL: Buy a laptop cooler. They have them at your local computer store. But I prefer buying at Amazon or NewEgg since I can scan the reviews and see which ones actually work.