Sims 3 crashes after about 20 min of playing
Sims 3 has always kind of lagged on my computer when I play through Origin but lately it's gotten pretty bad. The last 3-4 times I've played, I create a family of two sims and after about 5 minutes o...
Forum Discussion
@Klwiese12 It looks like your post originally landed somewhere else, so I moved it to the dedicated Sims/mac forum.
There could be any number of issues, but the most likely one is that the game runs out of memory (RAM). Unlike the Windows version, TS3 in mac OS can only use 2 GB RAM before crashing. This is due to the way the game was ported into mac OS, and it can't be changed. CAS and Build/Buy take more memory to run than regular gameplay, so it's not surprising that you'd hit the RAM limit quickly when you're creating a new family and building a house.
You can monitor the game's memory use while you play to try to avoid the crashes. Purging RAM helps a bit, but when you get too close to the 2 GB limit, the only thing to do is quit to desktop and reload.
https://bluebellflora.com/resetting-ram-during-gameplay/
There are a number of things you can do to lower TS3's memory use:
- Don't use Origin to launch the game—just double-click on the Sims 3 icon in Applications.
- Don't sign in at either the launcher or Main Menu. In fact, it would be best if you played while your computer is completely offline, as in, turn off wifi or disconnect the ethernet cable.
- Empty out the contents of FeaturedItems inside your game folder (the one in Documents\EA). Those thumbnails are leftover ads for store stuff.
- Regularly delete the five cache files in your game folder (CASPartCache, compositorCache, scriptCache, simCompositorCache, socialCache), and especially after you start a new save.
- Turn off memories, the in-game shopping experience, and the hidden object interactive loading screens. All these settings are in Options.
- In graphics settings, turn down water and high-detail lots—these require the most resources. I keep mine at "mirrors only" and 2, respectively.
- Keep CAS and Build/Buy options short. It might help to build or create sims in a fresh save, then save your work to the bin so that you can place it in an existing save when you're ready. A new save won't use as much memory as one that you've been playing for a while.
- You can also save a sim while in CAS, and that sim (minus the traits) will be available alongside the premade templates the next time you load CAS.
- Always quit to desktop instead of switching saves via the Main Menu.
- If you want to play in Bridgeport or Isla Paradiso, download a fixed version of the world, or fix it yourself.
If you still get crashes despite TS3's RAM use being nowhere near 2 GB, please list your mac's specs, as described in the post linked below, as well as which packs you have installed.
