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puzzlezaddict's avatar
puzzlezaddict
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12 months ago

Re: How to allocate more ram to sims 4?

@Fernix93  Do you own Eco Lifestyle, and if so, was the eco footprint on the large lot set to green?  Does it make a difference if you play on a lot set to neutral?  Do you see lag on a large lot in one of the base game worlds, with no lot traits?  Please test with a smaller house on a larger lot—you can place one meant for a 30x30 or so lot on a much larger one.  The problem could be less the size of the lot than the number of objects in the house.  Let me know what you find.

Please also make sure that Sims 4 is using your 1660 ti.  Open Windows Settings > System > Display > Graphics settings, click Browser, find TS4_DX9_x64, and select the high-performance option.  Do the same for TS4_x64, which is for the DirectX 11 version of the game, in case you want to switch to it as a test (or I ask you to).  And the laptop needs to be plugged in and charging while you play, or its power saving options may override your manually-imposed settings.

13 Replies

  • Fernix93's avatar
    Fernix93
    12 months ago

    Yes, I've got eco lifestyle but the footprint was neutral. Playing in a plot with clean footprint made no difference. I loaded a smaller, less detailed house in the same plot and the lag disappeared. Idk if it has to do with the amount of objects that need to be loaded. I always make sure my games use the GTX 1660 Ti with the windows configuration you told me and with the NVIDIA Panel, so I'm sure my game is using it.

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
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    12 months ago

    @Fernix93  It's very possible that the problem is the number of objects.  The limiting factor here may be the game engine as well, not your computer's hardware.  I've seen lag on my gaming system where the CPU and GPU were nowhere near maxed out on any metric; it was just a matter of Sims 4 tripping all over itself trying to resolve something.

    One intervention that might help, depending on the source of the lag, is Simp4Sims's Graphics Rules Overhaul.  It's important to use the most recent version because the files have changed somewhat in the three years since the original was released.  Please see this for more information:

    https://www.patreon.com/posts/overhaul-01-57965057

    The short version is, the game can lag when switching excessively between the high and low LOD models of objects, and the more objects on a lot, the more switching is required, at least on default settings.  On systems that can handle it, forcing the use of the high LOD model at somewhat greater distances reduces switching and lowers the overall workload.

    I don't know for sure that this will help because I'm only guessing at the source of the lag.  But the good thing is, if you don't like the results, pull the file and you're back to default.

  • Fernix93's avatar
    Fernix93
    12 months ago

    Simp4sims reduced the lag significantly, thanks for your help!

  • Fernix93's avatar
    Fernix93
    12 months ago

    For some reason, idk why, the lag came back. What would it be? Here's footage of how I experience it.

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
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    12 months ago

    @Fernix93  Does the lag only show up some of the time, or always?  I'm asking because I see rain in your video, and rain and snow definitely cause fps drops and other graphics-related performance issues.  As an example, I tested the RoM world a while ago and when it was raining rather than sunny, I saw around a 20% reduction in fps just looking around outside the easily-accessible community lot.  There was no other change: brand-new save, single sim, no other sims on-screen, no mods or custom content.

  • Fernix93's avatar
    Fernix93
    12 months ago

    I tested changing the weather to rainy, snowy and then sunny, there was a slight difference, but nothing big. The lag seemed to disappear, but sometimes it comes back again.

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    12 months ago

    @Fernix93  Does hitting ESC help, or going to Manage Worlds?  Do you notice any patterns to when the lag shows up?  For example, you might be zoomed out, or one of your sims might be wearing a particular outfit.  Sometimes these issues are difficult to track down, unfortunately.

  • Fernix93's avatar
    Fernix93
    12 months ago

    Going to manage world helps, since the lag only occurs when I'm playing with a household. 

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    12 months ago

    @Fernix93  Right, I meant does it help to exit to Manage Worlds and then go back to your household, as in, does that function as some sort of reset?  It does for some people, as does clicking ESC.

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    12 months ago

    @Fernix93  I don't know either, and I'm not sure there's much else you can do.  The game itself is cranky and not optimized for high-end systems, unfortunately.  If you haven't tried switching to DirectX 11, it's worth doing so now.  It helps performance for some users, makes it worse for others, and appears to make no difference for many.  To switch, add the -dx11 command line argument in the EA App, under Sims 4 > Manage > View properties.

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