Sims 3 graphics card/framerates
@MyCatsNameIsMax In theory, the built-in controls in the Radeon software that comes with your card might be able to cap fps. I don't have the software in front of me right now, so I can't describt all the available options or where to find them. But enabling v-sync in fullscreen mode would be the first option, and then manually limiting fps to the refresh rate of your monitor if v-sync doesn't help or if you prefer to play in windowed mode.
In practice, the built-in tool often doesn't effectively limit fps, although enabling v-sync can still help with screen tearing if you get it. For AMD cards, the easiest third-party software to use is RivaTuner Statistics Server (free download), which works in fullscreen or windowed mode. It's easy enough to use, set up a profile for TS3.exe (Origin install), or TS3W.exe (with the W, for a Steam or disc install), and manually set the fps limit to your monitor's refresh rate. Most monitors still run at 60 Hz, but some run at 120 or 144. Keep in mind that RTSS does need to be running in the background to work, unlike most other tools. Don't X it out, just minimize it to the tray.
In any case, you'll be able to see the current framerates by bringing up the cheats console (ctrl-shift-C) and entering "fps on" without quotes. Whatever your monitor's refresh rate, fps should never be above that.
If you need screenshots or more information on this, please feel free to ask.
As for getting your card recognized, that's not too difficult. You'll need to edit two files within TS3's program files: graphicscards.sgr and graphicsrules.sgr. By default in an Origin install, they'll be located here:
Program files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 3\Game\Bin
Other types of installs will place the files elsewhere, but they'll always be in \The Sims 3\Game\Bin
For anyone else reading, these instructions are specific to the original poster's card. If you'd like help getting your own card recognized, please create your own thread and post the first 40 lines of your deviceconfig, found in Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3.
SpoilerFirst, open graphicscards.sgr, and right at the top is the list of AMD cards, starting with this:
vendor "ATI" 0x1002
card 0x6798 "AMD Radeon HD 7900 Series"
card 0x6799 "AMD Radeon HD 7900 Series"
card 0x679a "AMD Radeon HD 7900 Series"under the vendor "ATI" line, create a new line and add this:
card 0x7340 "AMD Radeon RX 5500 Series"
Save, quit, and open graphicsrules.sgr. Hit crtl-F and search for 29?0, which will take you to these lines:
elseif (match("${cardVendor}", "ATI"))
if (match("${cardName}", "*HD 29?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 36?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 38?0*") or match("${cardName}"[etc.]
Change the HD 29?0 to RX 5500 , but don't touch anything else, not even the asterisks. This will classify your card as uber. Depending on performance, you may need to turn down some of the in-game settings to high; it's impossible to say without knowing your specific model of GPU.
Still within graphicsrules.sgr, go back to the top, and look for this, 8-10 lines down:
if ($textureMemory == 0)
seti textureMemory 32
setb textureMemorySizeOK falseChange the 32 to a 1024, and put a # and a space in front of setb, so that the lines look like this:
if ($textureMemory == 0)
seti textureMemory 1024
# setb textureMemorySizeOK false(While your card may have more than 1 GB of VRAM, the game can only use 800 MB.) Save, quit, launch the game, and check deviceconfig again. You should now see a [Found: 1, Matched: 1] value next to your card's name.
Let me know if any of this doesn't work.
