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Sunset_Gossip
New Rookie
7 months ago
Solved

Graphics card not recognized

Hello there!

Apologies this isn't my first rodeo with this issue but recently using a new pc and my graphics card isn't recognized. I'd be super grateful if someone could give me a hand!

This is the info I was able to dig from my deviceconfig:

=== Graphics device info ===
Number:          0
Name (driver):   NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Name (database): NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti [Found: 0, Matched: 0]
Vendor:          NVIDIA
Chipset:         Vendor: 10de, Device: 2489, Board: 40771458, Chipset: 00a1

 

  • Sunset_Gossip​  Open the Bin folder inside the game's program files, here by default for an EA App or Origin or Steam install, respectively:

    Program Files\EA Games\The Sims 3\Game\Bin
    Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 3\Game\Bin
    Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\The Sims 3\Game\Bin

    First, open graphicscards.sgr (Notepad is fine).  Click crtl-F and search for 10de , which will bring you to these lines:

    vendor "NVIDIA" 0x10b4 0x12d2 0x10de
    card 0x0fd1 "GeForce GT 650M"
    card 0x0fd2 "GeForce GT 640M"

    Create a new line under the one that says Nvidia and copy and paste this:

    card 0x2489 "GeForce RTX 3060 Ti"

    Make sure this line is indented like the ones below it; the lines in my copy are one Tab in from the left.  Save, close the file, and open graphicsrules.sgr.  Search for 8800 , which will take you here:

    elseif (match("${cardName}", "*8800*") or match("${cardName}", "*9500*") or match("${cardName}", [etc.]

    Change the bolded 8800 to 3060 , but don't change or delete any of the other characters, not even the asterisks.  This will designate your card as uber-level, as it should be.

    Finally, scroll to the top of the file and find this, 8-10 lines down:

    if ($textureMemory == 0)
    seti textureMemory 32
    setb textureMemorySizeOK false

    Change the 32 to a 1024 and put a # and a space in front of setb (and leave the other spaces on the left intact).  This will tell the game your graphics card has 1 GB VRAM instead of none.  It has a lot more than that, but Sims 3 can only use 800 MB anyway.

    Save, close the file, load the game, quit, and check deviceconfig again.  You should see a [Found: 1, Matched: 1] next to your graphics card's name, and a few lines down, the "texture memory" (VRAM) should read 1024 instead of 32.

    If this doesn't work, please post the same section of the deviceconfig as you did this time.

3 Replies

  • Search for acottonsock Sims 3 fix on YouTube and play "EVERY Sims 3 Fix for Smooth Gameplay in 2025!"

    The video card tutorial is only one minute into the video. The instructions are very detailed, and she explains everything thoroughly.

    I believe there is also a mod that does this, but I know nothing about it.

  • Sunset_Gossip​  Open the Bin folder inside the game's program files, here by default for an EA App or Origin or Steam install, respectively:

    Program Files\EA Games\The Sims 3\Game\Bin
    Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 3\Game\Bin
    Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\The Sims 3\Game\Bin

    First, open graphicscards.sgr (Notepad is fine).  Click crtl-F and search for 10de , which will bring you to these lines:

    vendor "NVIDIA" 0x10b4 0x12d2 0x10de
    card 0x0fd1 "GeForce GT 650M"
    card 0x0fd2 "GeForce GT 640M"

    Create a new line under the one that says Nvidia and copy and paste this:

    card 0x2489 "GeForce RTX 3060 Ti"

    Make sure this line is indented like the ones below it; the lines in my copy are one Tab in from the left.  Save, close the file, and open graphicsrules.sgr.  Search for 8800 , which will take you here:

    elseif (match("${cardName}", "*8800*") or match("${cardName}", "*9500*") or match("${cardName}", [etc.]

    Change the bolded 8800 to 3060 , but don't change or delete any of the other characters, not even the asterisks.  This will designate your card as uber-level, as it should be.

    Finally, scroll to the top of the file and find this, 8-10 lines down:

    if ($textureMemory == 0)
    seti textureMemory 32
    setb textureMemorySizeOK false

    Change the 32 to a 1024 and put a # and a space in front of setb (and leave the other spaces on the left intact).  This will tell the game your graphics card has 1 GB VRAM instead of none.  It has a lot more than that, but Sims 3 can only use 800 MB anyway.

    Save, close the file, load the game, quit, and check deviceconfig again.  You should see a [Found: 1, Matched: 1] next to your graphics card's name, and a few lines down, the "texture memory" (VRAM) should read 1024 instead of 32.

    If this doesn't work, please post the same section of the deviceconfig as you did this time.