Hopefully someone can help me?I desperately NEED to lower the fps when I play sims 3. It hits about 170fps max. and maybe 60 fps min.I have tried pretty much everything. My laptop has a NVIDIA GeForce MX130 graphics card and an integrated graphics card. - I've changed the vertical sync setting for the integrated GC and my NVIDIA GC and enabled triple buffering ( I don't know how that's supposed to help but I kept reading that it should be on with vertical sync). - I've gone into every setting possible to tell sims 3 to use the Nvidia GC instead of the integrated one.- I've installed nvidia inspector and capped the fps, tried 60 fps/ 40 fps got desperate and tried 20 fps and nothing helped.- I've made sure to have my refresh rate on my monitor and in the sims 3 setting match or be close to the fps cap number. - I made sure GeForce Experience wasn't forcing my graphics card to run optimal (high) settings for sims 3- I added the little GeForce icon to my icons to check sims 3 is actually using the nvidia GCThey're just the things I can remember doing but I spent hours trying to fix it so have problem done more things I can't recall.No matter what I do I cant get the fps to stay between 30-60 (which is what I'd like). My laptop overheats like crazy within minutes of playing, I was able to play for 30-60 mins previously before it got too hot and too loud to play but now it's almost instant. Also the fps is constantly going up and down between 50-170 really quickly, not sure if that's also a problem?PLEASE help :( I don't know what else to do.Here's the info I imagine I'll be asked to post - === Application info ===Name: Sims3Version: Build: Release=== Rating info ===GPU: 5 GPU Memory: 1 CPU: 1 RAM: 4 CPU Speed: 1992 Threading: 3Adjusted CPU: 2256 RAM: 8108 Adjusted RAM: 7596 Cores: 4=== Machine info ===OS version: Windows 8 6.2.9200 OS prod type: 0OS major ver: 6OS minor ver: 2OS SP major ver: 0OS SP minor ver: 0OS is 64Bit: 1CPU: GenuineIntelBrand: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-8550U CPU @ 1.80GHzFamily: 6Model: 14Cores: 4HT: 1x64: 0Memory: 8108MBFree memory: 4873MBUser: -Computer: LAPTOP-=== Graphics device info ===Number: 0Name (driver): NVIDIA GeForce MX130Name (database): NVIDIA GeForce MX130 Vendor: NVIDIAChipset: Vendor: 10de, Device: 174d, Board: 83ce103c, Chipset: 00a2Driver: nvldumd.dll, Version: 23.21.13.8912, GUID: D7B71E3E-540D-11CF-5C51-C3A318C2DA35Driver version: 8912Monitor: \\.\DISPLAY1Texture memory: 32MB <>Vertex program: 3.0Pixel program: 3.0Hardware TnL: 1

The game is using your Nvidia card according to this DeviceConfig log, even if it's not recognizing the exact model. I'd like to preface this by pointing out that, although very new, the MX130 is a low-end card and is not suitable for heavy graphics intensive games. It is essentially equivalent to an Nvidia 940MX from the prior series and just doesn't have the required throughput in its architecture that a more mid-range card has, thus potentially leading to all kinds of issues and limitations within gameplay even when it is working as it should. I would expect the heavy hitting EPs, being Pets and Seasons, possibly along with IP and ITF to be too much for it. So would playing on too high a resolution and with graphics options more than low or medium in most cases.The processor on this laptop is also not meant for gaming. Although an i7, the U-series processors are weak and bottlenecking can happen. Think of that as being a sort of data/graphics data traffic jam with too many entrances on the highway but only one exit.With all of that said, and not yet knowing how many or which EPs you have in play, yes you do need to get those frame rates capped somehow so you are indeed approaching one of the relevant problems. If you have ever used GeForce Experience to "optimize" the game, you will want to undo that. It has a tendency to make a mess of TS3 and get in its way. Afraid I cannot provide a screenshot because my card is AMD, not Nvidia.Win 10 and its successive Creators Updates can also be getting in the way of the fps capping. There are ways to mitigate its effects.http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/15902876/#Comment_15902876If still no better, you might want to try RTSS which takes a different approach to fps capping. Note that unlike Inspector, RTSS needs to be running alongside of the game in order to be effective. It can be configured to start up with Windows automatically, just be sure not to quit it entirely (minimize instead) after changing any of its settings.http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/rtss-rivatuner-statistics-server-download.html(note that the real downloads are 2/3 of the way down the screen, not any that might appear in the upper right corner if one does not have ad blocker, as those would be rogue advertising)If all of that still produces no results, we can help you get that card formally recognized by the game so it uses a suitable default profile instead of the generic one. But that's not as likely to fix a stubborn uncapped fps issue.

Thank you , that all seems a bit confusing but I'll try give it a go and get back to you. I've not used Geforce to optimise the settings and made sure it isn't attempting to. So are you saying I haven't got the right laptop for sims? if so I'm so devastated. I spent ages researching which laptop to get for sims and after reading many many posts from people on here and other forums I gathered that i7 and Nvidia Geforce was the way to go and spent £750 :( Should I still be facing these issues with sims 4? because I'm now facing the issue where sims 4 overheats the laptop immediately too even though the fps isn't going higher than 70. This wasn't an issue until today, I've only had this laptop a few months.

"igazor;c-16486173" wrote:With all of that said, and not yet knowing how many or which EPs you have in play, yes you do need to get those frame rates capped somehow so you are indeed approaching one of the relevant problems..I have pets,seasons,ambitions,late night, and showtime. I was planning to get supernatural and maybe university. Would this not be the best idea then?

I wouldn't play TS3 on that laptop myself, at least not with the EPs listed. It's just not strong enough. SN and Uni probably aren't going to stress it out completely, but Pets and Seasons are killers on performance on weaker hardware. Laptops require stronger components than desktops to deliver the same or similar power and performance. While i7s are pretty strong, the U-series ones are not. Nvidia is a brand name, they make weak cards (for lighter games and office type tasks), mid-range, and very strong ones at all different price points.The MX130 is equivalent to an Nvidia 940MX. On a laptop, we would recommend at least a GTX 960 within that series, or at least a 1050 mobile on the newer one. Older series cards are fine too, though they don't make them anymore, provided the cards are strong enough within their own series. It's the "middle" digit within each generation of cards that dictates strength (the 3, 4, 5, or 6 in these cases).TS4 is programmed differently and is more processor than graphics intensive, but again it depends on the TS4 EPs you have in play. But unlike TS3, the newer game has its own built-in fps limiter. I'll have to let others here comment further as to how far you can take TS4 on that one and if anything can be done to make it perform better without so much heating up as I have no practical experience with it.@phoebebebe13

@igazor i can't answer for that laptop and TS4. The game is not complete but has the same requirements as TS3 when complete. TS4 does not do well on the GT 940MX. The 130 card is new and may have the same issues as the 940mx

How to lower fps? | EA Forums

igazor
7 years ago
The game is using your Nvidia card according to this DeviceConfig log, even if it's not recognizing the exact model. I'd like to preface this by pointing out that, although very new, the MX130 is a low-end card and is not suitable for heavy graphics intensive games. It is essentially equivalent to an Nvidia 940MX from the prior series and just doesn't have the required throughput in its architecture that a more mid-range card has, thus potentially leading to all kinds of issues and limitations within gameplay even when it is working as it should. I would expect the heavy hitting EPs, being Pets and Seasons, possibly along with IP and ITF to be too much for it. So would playing on too high a resolution and with graphics options more than low or medium in most cases.

The processor on this laptop is also not meant for gaming. Although an i7, the U-series processors are weak and bottlenecking can happen. Think of that as being a sort of data/graphics data traffic jam with too many entrances on the highway but only one exit.

With all of that said, and not yet knowing how many or which EPs you have in play, yes you do need to get those frame rates capped somehow so you are indeed approaching one of the relevant problems. If you have ever used GeForce Experience to "optimize" the game, you will want to undo that. It has a tendency to make a mess of TS3 and get in its way. Afraid I cannot provide a screenshot because my card is AMD, not Nvidia.

Win 10 and its successive Creators Updates can also be getting in the way of the fps capping. There are ways to mitigate its effects.
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/15902876/#Comment_15902876

If still no better, you might want to try RTSS which takes a different approach to fps capping. Note that unlike Inspector, RTSS needs to be running alongside of the game in order to be effective. It can be configured to start up with Windows automatically, just be sure not to quit it entirely (minimize instead) after changing any of its settings.
http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/rtss-rivatuner-statistics-server-download.html
(note that the real downloads are 2/3 of the way down the screen, not any that might appear in the upper right corner if one does not have ad blocker, as those would be rogue advertising)

If all of that still produces no results, we can help you get that card formally recognized by the game so it uses a suitable default profile instead of the generic one. But that's not as likely to fix a stubborn uncapped fps issue.
RaisinsGirlELou
7 years ago
Thank you , that all seems a bit confusing but I'll try give it a go and get back to you. I've not used Geforce to optimise the settings and made sure it isn't attempting to. So are you saying I haven't got the right laptop for sims? if so I'm so devastated. I spent ages researching which laptop to get for sims and after reading many many posts from people on here and other forums I gathered that i7 and Nvidia Geforce was the way to go and spent £750 :(
Should I still be facing these issues with sims 4? because I'm now facing the issue where sims 4 overheats the laptop immediately too even though the fps isn't going higher than 70.
This wasn't an issue until today, I've only had this laptop a few months.
RaisinsGirlELou
7 years ago
"igazor;c-16486173" wrote:

With all of that said, and not yet knowing how many or which EPs you have in play, yes you do need to get those frame rates capped somehow so you are indeed approaching one of the relevant problems.
.

I have pets,seasons,ambitions,late night, and showtime. I was planning to get supernatural and maybe university.
Would this not be the best idea then?
igazor
7 years ago
I wouldn't play TS3 on that laptop myself, at least not with the EPs listed. It's just not strong enough. SN and Uni probably aren't going to stress it out completely, but Pets and Seasons are killers on performance on weaker hardware. Laptops require stronger components than desktops to deliver the same or similar power and performance. While i7s are pretty strong, the U-series ones are not. Nvidia is a brand name, they make weak cards (for lighter games and office type tasks), mid-range, and very strong ones at all different price points.

The MX130 is equivalent to an Nvidia 940MX. On a laptop, we would recommend at least a GTX 960 within that series, or at least a 1050 mobile on the newer one. Older series cards are fine too, though they don't make them anymore, provided the cards are strong enough within their own series. It's the "middle" digit within each generation of cards that dictates strength (the 3, 4, 5, or 6 in these cases).

TS4 is programmed differently and is more processor than graphics intensive, but again it depends on the TS4 EPs you have in play. But unlike TS3, the newer game has its own built-in fps limiter. I'll have to let others here comment further as to how far you can take TS4 on that one and if anything can be done to make it perform better without so much heating up as I have no practical experience with it.
@phoebebebe13
BGH22
7 years ago
@igazor i can't answer for that laptop and TS4. The game is not complete but has the same requirements as TS3 when complete. TS4 does not do well on the GT 940MX. The 130 card is new and may have the same issues as the 940mx
igazor
7 years ago
"Cororon;c-16486217" wrote:
@igazor But if she gets a framrate of 60-170 fps in Sims 3, shouldn't it mean that the laptop can handle the TS3 graphics more than well on the quality settings she uses?

I used RTSS Rivatuner for a while when I had my old graphics card, and it worked fine. I have Windows 7, though, and Ella has Windows 8, but it should work. :smile:

No, afraid not. Uncapped wildly fluctuating frame rates are the equivalent of digital noise that monitors are unable to interpret. By themselves, they are not evidence of suitable power even once they are tamed, so to speak. These lower end cards have more narrow bit buses than their mid-range counterparts, that's a source of bottlenecking (sort of, maybe that's not the best word to use in this case), limited throughput might be better to say, and instability when pushed too hard.

@iEllaLouise - Reaching out to others on the TS4 tech discussion board is a great idea, as is investing in a laptop cooling pad regardless. I would say that 70c is at least 10 degrees too hot, generally. Bit too late to be helpful now, sorry you didn't see this and come to us prior, but both the TS3 and TS4 boards have ongoing threads for New Members who cannot start their own so they have places to ask questions like this.
semavilady
7 years ago
Information is critical. I feel really sorry that anyone ends up with situation like above. :heartbreak:

It's not really hard to understand the codes used in Intel CPUs-

Here is information from Intel about the codes in the CPU name.
MOBILE means Laptop in the chart. And the Green color coded rectangle refers to 'eco-friendly' models because the CPU uses less power to operate.
https://i.imgur.com/QvRqMU3.png

And where do you find the CPU code? Look here in the CPU name, where U is Ultra-low power and the Y is Extremely low power:
https://i.imgur.com/z3ZmXiG.png

Unfortunately, people that want to play the sims are getting these U and Y machines because the laptops are cheaper and the sales help may even simply say, yes this can play your game. In my opinion this is such a super bad thing and it happens to the nicest people. I know know many who got into this rut.

The CPUs are made to be "Greener" and are built to be UNDERPowered so there is not enough power in the CPU to do the things that need to be done in TS3.

The link to the Intel site that explains this is here-
https://www.intel.in/content/www/in/en/processors/processor-numbers.html
BGH22
7 years ago
@iEllaLouise You did not mention your hard drive space but 256 gb ssd is too small to game on if you have no other hard drive. The sims 3 takes advantage of an ssd but the sims 4 does not. These games"Require" gaming computer hardware. You need a gaming laptop or desktop. You have to game plugged in even if you have a laptop. If your gaming on battery will make the game even worse than just having low end specs. The battery is for light computer tasks or streaming a movie only. Not for gaming. you need extra power to game.

Desktop to build yourself with all modern hardware will not be cheaper, you will just have better hardware than buying something mass produced off the shelf. If you want an ssd you need one large enough to game on. You want at least 500 gb ssd. These are not cheap.

SSD is faster than HDD however only the sims 3 loads quicker on SSD. The sims 4 does not. SSD is good for booting windows and other programs quicker. Your SSD at the moment is too small to game on. Your video card is lower end and your laptop has no cooling. If you have a low end budget it's better to have hardware inside the computer that can run the game. SSD would be last on the list. Video card, processor , and ram are more important than the SSD. The more features you want in a computer, the more it will cost you.
BGH22
7 years ago
The web gives you explanations for those words and what they mean no different than I would explain them to you. The people who help in tech volunteer their personal time to help other players get their game running but this is not a forum for discussing every piece of hardware in a laptop your interested in buying. I spent several hours of my own time trying to help you and it was time for me to leave the conversation to do RL things. . We will tell you if a computer meets requirements or not but it's up to you to research all the features in a specific laptop you want. A few of us have said this over and over. There are people who can assist you on tom's Hardware, Notebook review, and or the company web of the specific laptops you are looking to purchase. HP, Dell, Asus, MSI etc all have their own webs
RaisinsGirlELou
7 years ago
:( I don't know what to do.. I spent so much money on this laptop. I'm in shock right now. I wish I'd been able to ask for advice on these forums before, I wasn't aware of the reasons why new members couldn't post and how to fix it and so wasn't able to post and ask for advice...
I literally only bought it so I can play sims 2/3/4 and all the expansions..