Will this CPU and graphics card handle TS3?
I recently got a new computer with i7-2600 processor (3.4ghz) and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 650 card. The computer was a replacement for one that got damaged in transit, so I couldn't choose the specs. I ...
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The only real way to tell, especially with older PSUs, is to look at the unit. It should have its essential specs printed on the side, including wattage. Some models might not show an overall figure but instead list volts and amps on each rail, but you can figure it out from that: watts = volts x amps, and the important figure is the wattage on the 12V rail, which supplies the graphics card.
If this is an older power supply, you'd also want to give it more of a buffer in terms of what your computer demands of it, and it's unfortunately not an exact science. One way to make things easier is to play with the GTX 650 in place for a while and make sure the system is stable overall, then get a new card (if and when you want one) that doesn't draw any more power than the 650. That's not too difficult—newer mid-tier GPUs have become a lot faster without really using more power; even a 1050 ti is rated to draw only 5W more than a 650, which is a trivial amount for a PSU to provide.
I'm glad the system is performing well now, but adding even mid-tier expansion packs will significantly increase Sims 3's demands. So it's still a good idea to add one or two at a time and see how things go.
It will also be helpful to manually cap in-game framerates, which you can do through the built-in Nvidia Control Panel. This limits the graphics card's workload and can also smooth out some graphical issues that can show up at higher fps. Right-click on the desktop, select the CP, then Manage 3D Settings > Program Settings, then ts3.exe (Origin install) or ts3w.exe (with the W, disc or Steam install). If you play in fullscreen mode all the time, set Vertical sync to Adaptive, which will cap fps to your monitor's refresh rate, probably 60 Hz, without further lowering fps when it's below that level. And enable Triple Buffering. If you ever play in windowed mode, set Max Frame Rate to your monitor's refresh rate as well; this setting will apply in both fullscreen and windowed modes but won't give the other benefits of v-sync.
You can see in-game framerates by bringing up the cheats console and entering "fps on" without quotes. The number will appear in the upper right corner of the screen. To find your monitor's refresh rate, right-click on the desktop and select Display Settings > Advanced Display Settings; the value will be listed in Hz and is probably 60, but it could be higher if your monitor is relatively new. If it happens to be 120 or 144, it would be better for your graphics card to set vertical sync to "Adaptive: half refresh rate" to cap it to 60 of 72, and/or to set the max frame rate to the same.
If this is an older power supply, you'd also want to give it more of a buffer in terms of what your computer demands of it, and it's unfortunately not an exact science. One way to make things easier is to play with the GTX 650 in place for a while and make sure the system is stable overall, then get a new card (if and when you want one) that doesn't draw any more power than the 650. That's not too difficult—newer mid-tier GPUs have become a lot faster without really using more power; even a 1050 ti is rated to draw only 5W more than a 650, which is a trivial amount for a PSU to provide.
I'm glad the system is performing well now, but adding even mid-tier expansion packs will significantly increase Sims 3's demands. So it's still a good idea to add one or two at a time and see how things go.
It will also be helpful to manually cap in-game framerates, which you can do through the built-in Nvidia Control Panel. This limits the graphics card's workload and can also smooth out some graphical issues that can show up at higher fps. Right-click on the desktop, select the CP, then Manage 3D Settings > Program Settings, then ts3.exe (Origin install) or ts3w.exe (with the W, disc or Steam install). If you play in fullscreen mode all the time, set Vertical sync to Adaptive, which will cap fps to your monitor's refresh rate, probably 60 Hz, without further lowering fps when it's below that level. And enable Triple Buffering. If you ever play in windowed mode, set Max Frame Rate to your monitor's refresh rate as well; this setting will apply in both fullscreen and windowed modes but won't give the other benefits of v-sync.
You can see in-game framerates by bringing up the cheats console and entering "fps on" without quotes. The number will appear in the upper right corner of the screen. To find your monitor's refresh rate, right-click on the desktop and select Display Settings > Advanced Display Settings; the value will be listed in Hz and is probably 60, but it could be higher if your monitor is relatively new. If it happens to be 120 or 144, it would be better for your graphics card to set vertical sync to "Adaptive: half refresh rate" to cap it to 60 of 72, and/or to set the max frame rate to the same.
