The Sims 3 FPS starts out normally and smoothly, but then declines to half!

By all means please bring your computer to a qualified/trusted service shop to have its interior cleaned properly. While there I would recommend asking if its cooling system can be checked.

However, all 11 EPs on a GT 730 is a tall order to fill. I'm afraid you will never get high-end or even medium performance out of a low-end graphics card. That doesn't mean the game can't be played, but the heaviest of the EPs (Pets, Seasons, IP, ITF) will likely be too much for it That card will never run the game at a consistently high fps; vertical sync isn't going to change that, it's going to prevent the card from running away with frame rates which this one isn't really strong enough to do.

The minimum for higher end performance for all EPs within that series of cards on a desktop would be the GTX 750. There's a world of difference between the 730 and the 750 even if by series number they don't sound all that far apart. For higher Graphics Options settings and better performance, then at least a GTX 760.

You cannot compare TS3 to TSM (which has at most one expansion) or TS2 (which was designed in 2003-04 when consumer hardware offerings were very different than five years later) in this regard. TS3 with its open world simulator is miles away more demanding on its hardware, by 2009 standards.

"igazor;c-17865702" wrote:
By all means please bring your computer to a qualified/trusted service shop to have its interior cleaned properly. While there I would recommend asking if its cooling system can be checked.

A quick Google search has shown me that Best Buy does PC cleanings, so I may book an appointment someday to clean my PC and to ask about the cooling system.

However, all 11 EPs on a GT 730 is a tall order to fill. I'm afraid you will never get high-end or even medium performance out of a low-end graphics card. That doesn't mean the game can't be played, but the heaviest of the EPs (Pets, Seasons, IP, ITF) will likely be too much for it That card will never run the game at a consistently high fps; vertical sync isn't going to change that, it's going to prevent the card from running away with frame rates which this one isn't really strong enough to do.

Well, I once unchecked all the packs that I owned, and the same thing occurred. That tells me that I might have to really uninstall the packs and remove from the entire computer system, not just uncheck/disable the packs. If you uncheck/disable checks, the game would probably just run without the pack's elements.

I might have to downgrade to just the base game for the time being, until I save up enough funds for a computer upgrade (superior graphics card + PC cleaning + cooling system checking).

In the re-install of The Sims 3 base game, I think I am going to install through my disc instead downloading directly through Origin, because it gets a bit annoying that I always have to log into Origin in order to play The Sims 3.

And if the graphics is still choppy, then I might just have to downgrade to The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection . . . until I collect enough funds for a computer upgrade. The Sims 4 also runs pretty smoothly, most likely because of the fact that it has no open worlds, and I only own relatively few packs (Seasons, Get To Work, Laundry Day stuff, Perfect Patio stuff, Luxury Party stuff, that free Holiday stuff pack and the Bust the Dust kit). Though, because I only own relatively few packs for the Sims 4, there is not as much gameplay value. So, I might just downgrade to The Sims 2 UC and play that.

I might as well invest in some money for a computer upgrade so that I can play The Sims 3 in all its glory rather than investing in more The Sims 4 packs. If I were to invest in more Sims 4 packs, then I might still have to buy a computer upgrade somewhere down the line, and doing that for the Sims 4 doesn't seem to be worth it because the Sims 4 packs seem to be smaller in scope and more numerous than Sims 3 packs.

The minimum for higher end performance for all EPs within that series of cards on a desktop would be the GTX 750. There's a world of difference between the 730 and the 750 even if by series number they don't sound all that far apart. For higher Graphics Options settings and better performance, then at least a GTX 760.

I tried to search for GTX 750 or GTX 760 on the Best Buy website, but apparently, no such luck. Are these graphic cards still on the market, or do I have to buy used ones because the manufacturer doesn't produce these anymore?

Even the cheapest graphic cards on Best Buy seems to be about the price point of a gaming laptop.

Link: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-pavillion-16-1-gaming-laptop-intel-core-i5-8gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1660-ti-512gb-ssd-32gb-optane-shadow-black/6409145.p?skuId=6409145

HP
Pavillion 16.1" Gaming Laptop
Intel Core i5
8GB Memory
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
512GB SSD + 32GB Optane - Shadow Black
$900 upfront cost

I might as well just buy a dedicated gaming laptop like that one instead of a graphics card for my general-purpose desktop computer.

You cannot compare TS3 to TSM (which has at most one expansion) or TS2 (which was designed in 2003-04 when consumer hardware offerings were very different than five years later) in this regard. TS3 with its open world simulator is miles away more demanding on its hardware, by 2009 standards.

Yep, I got The Sims Medieval Deluxe edition, which included the Pirates & Noble expansion pack and bonus content. After purchase, the Sims Medieval and the expansion pack were starting to download, and once downloaded and installed to the computer, I opened the application and unlocked the bonus content, which included some kind of princess throne.

During the Sims 2 heyday, I pretty much played the Sims 2 on a subpar laptop. It did have a dedicated graphics card, but it was on the lower end of the spectrum. The base game was fine, but somehow I still managed to play The Sims 2 Best of Business collection and later, The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection, on it. LOL. Now, with this desktop computer, the graphics card may be on the lower end of the spectrum, but man, it runs the Sims 2 UC perfectly well on maxed-out settings. I can rotate and move the camera so incredibly fast too!

Your experiences with TS2 and TSM are to be expected. They don't have anywhere near the impact on hardware that TS3 does.

They haven't manufactured GT(X) 700 series cards in ages, these cards are from at least 7-8 years ago. I was just using those model numbers as points of reference. Since then the 800 series (laptops only), the 900s, and the 1000s have come and gone. Although there may still be 1050s and higher on the market if the older stock is there, I feel like I still occasionally see new systems with 1060s and 1070s in them although that could be my imagination playing tricks on me.

The more modern series cards such as the 1600s and 2000s (yeah, these model series numbers are for the birds) are in very short supply and obnoxiously expensive as standalone components right now. I believe that has to do with increased demand and manufacturing difficulties during the worldwide pandemic. This too shall pass, but it doesn't make shopping for them very easy right now, at least from what I've heard. It looks to me like NewEgg, for example, still has 1060s in stock though not at what I would call bargain basement prices either.

"igazor;c-17865801" wrote:
Your experiences with TS2 and TSM are to be expected. They don't have anywhere near the impact on hardware that TS3 does.

Yeah... I think the best solution for me currently is to play with just the base game of the Sims 3 on low settings. No additional packs or Store content or custom content or mods. Just the base game and see how it turns out.

@igazor I have read that many people seem to have issues with The Sims 2 running on Windows 10. Well, I have The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection on Origin, and I am running on Windows 10. I have never encountered much issue with installation or running. Installation was fairly automatic; running the program was straightforward. Performance was superior.

I think that this issue results when people install The Sims 2 with the disc version? I have never really installed my discs on this desktop. I just downloaded the Sims 2 UC straight from Origin, because it's bigger and has more packs attached.

I am aware that The Sims 2 is not available for download anymore, but I think that only applies to people who do not own the Sims 2 in their libraries. For people who do own the Sims 2 in their libraries, they can just redownload the Sims 2 UC if they have uninstalled the game and want to re-install the game, or if they have purchased a brand-new computer. Correct?

You are correct on all counts. The problem with the disc version of TS2 is that it relies on DRM methods that are no longer supported. The Origin based UC, now available only to those who already have in on their accounts, was remastered to work on modern operating systems. It's still there for download and install for those who have it, but those who do not cannot obtain it.

The Mac version of TS2 I believe is being kept up to date for the modern macOS and is still available for purchase from the company that was licensed to convert it by way of the App Store. But that doesn't really do any good for a Windows user.

"igazor;c-17866035" wrote:
You are correct on all counts. The problem with the disc version of TS2 is that it relies on DRM methods that are no longer supported. The Origin based UC, now available only to those who already have in on their accounts, was remastered to work on modern operating systems. It's still there for download and install for those who have it, but those who do not cannot obtain it.

Most of my childhood games don't seem to be supported on my current modern desktop computer either. I have managed to find some of my childhood favorites on the App Store, and apparently the same company, Humongous Entertainment, has made app versions of the original PC games.

I also downloaded the digital versions of Roller Coaster Tycoon and SimCity4 on Amazon; perhaps, they were remastered as well into digital copies. I can also find Roller Coaster Tycoon on the App Store, but I already own the PC version. So, it's not worth it.

The Mac version of TS2 I believe is being kept up to date for the modern macOS and is still available for purchase from the company that was licensed to convert it by way of the App Store. But that doesn't really do any good for a Windows user.

The Mac version of TS2 seems to be just the Super Collection, and the Super Collection is missing FreeTime and Apartment Life expansion packs, and probably a bunch of stuff packs. But, the Super Collection can definitely be one's The Sims 2 starter kit.

On a different subject, I have already uninstalled The Sims 3 directly through Origin. But then, when I checked my C: folder, I discovered that The Sims 3 folder was still left in there. The uninstallation also didn't remove The Sims 3 folder from the Documents folder. Plus, I went into the Registry Editor and saw the Sims 3 registry keys in there. So, in order to make a complete uninstallation, I have to manually delete/remove those files. Afterwards, I may begin re-installing The Sims 3.

I am hoping that The Sims 3 base game installation would allow me to play with decent frame rates (aka smooth gameplay) with medium settings, but if I have to be stuck with low settings, then I might as well put The Sims 3 on hold... until I manage to get a computer upgrade or a brand-new gaming computer.

@igazor

UPDATE: I decided to keep the remaining Sims 3 files wherever they were. Then, I went to Start > Settings > Apps and uninstalled the Sims 3 packs that I previously installed through a disc. From there, I noticed that I didn't have The Sims 3 on my computer anymore. Afterwards, I inserted my Sims 3 base game disc in and tried to re-install the base game, but apparently, it just forced me to go through Origin. In Origin, it said that the files were "copying", so it was probably installing from a disc instead of a direct download through Origin. When the base game installation was done, Origin wanted me to install all the packs I owned but I cancelled everything except the "Update". I am not entirely sure what the "Update" is, but I think it is a second Sims 3 .exe file?

Anyway, that was done, and I could open up The Sims 3 again. Upon reaching the Main Menu, I went into Options and noticed that all my options were already preset, probably because I chose not to delete The Sims 3 folder inside the Documents folder. I just tweaked the settings a bit, saved the settings and quit. Outside the game, I used this guide (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1131162350) to boost game performance. I remember owning just Pets and Seasons, and the fps was ridiculously high, maybe swinging at about 120 fps. So, I capped it but that didn't work. I later found out that I had to play in fullscreen mode to get the v-sync to work properly. I completely ignore the sections regarding more RAM, CPU and Vram consumption, because I don't think my PC can handle it. I skip most of the optional sections, except maybe the bloom part. I think bloom refers to the fact that the Sims 3 objects can glow? Well, I did that part of the tutorial, and I think the counters are looking much nicer! I also restricted the Store-generated Jpgs; that's just in-game advertisement. I am going to leave my DCBackup folder the way it is, because I may want to upload to the Exchange someday. I have never really played a save file for too long, so I don't think I need the save game cleaner. Deleting the cache files after a gameplay session is a nice tip. The EA-built worlds are tolerable enough, so I am going to pass on the world fixes. After all that, I relaunched The Sims 3 and entered Sunset Valley, created a new Sim and whoa, my game is loading up so much FASTER!!!

Haha...... I guess I learned my lesson. Don't overload too many Sims 3 packs on this PC!

But then, I paid for those packs and Store content, so I might as well use it. Just not all at once!

I think I am just going to play with one pack at a time.

- World Adventures.
- Ambitions.
- Late Night + High-End Loft Stuff + Movie Stuff.
- Generations.
- Pets + Movie Stuff.
- ShowTime.
- Supernatural + Movie Stuff.
- Seasons.
- University Life.
- Island Paradise.
- Into The Future.

I think I may be able to re-install all my Store worlds and Store items and some Custom Content and Mods folder and my own Lots w/o any problems. Most of my Mods are really player-created patches/fixes for rerouting and detecting trapped Sims. I also use just the EA Story Progression, because it is less taxing on the computer than NRaas Story Progression.

Ah, with just the base game installed, everything is smooth and enjoyable again! Hope I can play Late Night EP with High-End Loft stuff and Movie stuff. The film career in Late Night can definitely make use of the items in Movie stuff.