Game not using my graphics card

You must have vsync enabled with a 960 or your fps will run too high and heat up your video card

You have to be in full screen for it to work

add the sims 3 game to your Nvidia control panel. Under 3d settings/program setings click browse to find the TS3.exe file

in your Nvidia control panel under 3d settings click add then browse. Then you will be clicking on a bunch of files to get to the TS3.exe file which runs the game. computer C, to program files X 86 file, to origin games file, to the sims 3 file, to the game file, to the bin file. In the bin file you will find the TS3,exe file. Add that to control panel and put vsync on adaptive. This game must have vsync on or it will run your fps way to high. Also remind yourself every time you have an nvidia card update make sure it does not reset your vsync before playing. Nvidia card updates will also reset your game launcher settings every time.

With the 960 card you can play the game on ultra, however due to a patch keeping lot details on high will cause more game stutter.Keep lot details on low ( 3 or under)

I have a 960 and have never changed my sgr files. I only add the game to nvidia control panel, make sure vsync is working. Notices of your card not being recognized should go away after adding the game to nvidia control panel.

If your still having problems after doing above I can page someone to help you with changing the sgr files. Its hit or miss if this will help your game

This is just an example. Is for the sims 4 but you add the sims 3 to Nvidia control panel in the same way

@jheyjuneice - Just wanted to point out, although of course @phoebebebe13 gave you the correct instructions, that the illustration you provided in the very beginning used TS3W.exe (with the "W"). For Patch 1.69, you need to be sure that you are using TS3.exe (without the "W").

You will notice after turning on vsync that the deviceconfig will read the same. Your card won't be recognized but it's important to cap FPS which is what vsync does. Getting the card recognized is optional. Some people don't need it for the game to function properly and some have said it helped. Here is the guide on how to get the card recognized:
http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Getting_new_graphics_cards_recognized_by_the_game

First try vsync and while in game, type in the cheat fps on. You will see small numbers in the corner reading your current FPS. Assuming your monitors refresh rate is 60Hz then that it what you should see (60 FPS). Let us know if it is not capping.

If it does work and everything runs fine then I would say skip the trouble of getting your card recognized. However if you still experience problems with vsync, you can try getting the card recognized. Read the guide I linked above in this post and follow it step by step. If you're getting Texture memory: 32MB <>, follow this link (post #12): http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?p=4782510&posted=1#post4782510
I can help you through a PM if you can't figure the guide(s) out.

Hi all thanks for the responses. I edited v sync and everything seems to be running much better and smoother.

what patch are you on 1.67 or 1.69?

Hi :) I'm on 1.69

Thanks for your reply, I will try that out later and let you know :)

I found that v-sync didn't work through my Nvidia control panel. I think it's because I'm on 1.69. Anyway, I had to download Nvidia Inspector and limit my fps that way.

Here's a link to a video that helped.

I am on 1.69 and vsync through the control panel works. Why it may or may not work for others is beyond me but Nvidia Inspector is another option.

The Sims 3 doesn't recognize newer video cards due to the newer cards not being included in the GraphicsCards.sgr and GraphicsRules.sgr files. This thread I linked explains a reason.\

Now I suppose you could add the video card to the two files but I don't know how to modify those two files.