Sims 3 crashing to desktop
Hi, Sims 3 crashes back down to the desktop after about 5-10 minutes of gameplay with no error message. Help? Thanks!
Forum Discussion
I'm not sure how to limit the in-game framerates, though I lowered all of the graphics to the lowest setting. I tested it in-game, and it looks like the number hovers in the 600s (!). How would I fix that?
I'll also do the uninstalling and reinstalling of the runtime as you suggest asap! I, unfortunately, don't have time today, but probably tomorrow.
@sfhwchqcpki2 Lowering the graphics settings actually increases fps most of the time: the graphics card doesn't need to work as hard to render each frame, so it can and will keep its workload high and produce more frames per second. Regardless, you should be able to play on ultra graphics settings. The only two you'll want to turn down are water and high-detail lots, which are especially demanding on the game engine; I keep these at "mirrors only" and 2, respectively, most of the time.
There are several ways to limit fps, the first of which is setting a limit in the Nvidia Control Panel. This doesn't always work on laptops, in fact it doesn't work most of the time, but since you don't need to install anything and can test with a few clicks, it's the first step to try. Right-click on the desktop, select the Control Panel, click Manage 3D Settings > Program settings, select ts3.exe (since you have an Origin or EA App install), scroll down to Max Frame Rate, set it to 60, and save the change. If you play in fullscreen mode, you can also set vertical syng to On; this helps with issues like screen tearing.
If this doesn't help, you'll need to download an outside tool. RivaTuner Statistics Server is lightweight and highly effective (and free), and it allows you to set a max frame rate for any .exe. It does need to be running while you play, but you can set it to start with Windows, and it won't affect any game for which you haven't applied settings.
My screenshot shows TS3W.exe (highlighted in blue) because I have a Steam install, but for you, select TS3.exe, set the framerate limit (red box) to 60, and choose whether to start the app with Windows. Then restart your computer before testing.
If you're always going to play in fullscreen mode, you can try D3DOverrider (also free) instead. It's a tool built on RTSS and forces vertical sync, which syncs the framerates to the refresh rate of your screen.
https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/84-d3doverrider/?changelog=32
Vertical sync doesn't apply in windowed mode, so if you're ever going to use windowed mode, it's best to use RTSS, whether alongside D3DOverrider or separately.
The other option is to use Lazy Duchess's Smooth Patch: the current version has a built-in fps limiter. The Smooth Patch is helpful for game performance overall, and I've been using it for over a year (as have many others) without any problems. The CAS changes can be a bit glitchy at times, so if you don't want those extra features, look for version 1.2.1.
