@LadyRubrum Did you try a clean user folder? Please let me know whether it helps or helped. This is particularly important because your dxdiag doesn't provide any definitive explanation for the problems.
The one thing I do notice is that a component of McAfee is throwing errors, so please try disabling it (temporarily) while you play. If this helps, set exceptions for TS4_x64.exe and EADesktop.exe.
Please also let me know whether you're playing with the EA App in offline mode.
Ok update:
Tried all of this didn't work, also I'm not sure how to temporarily disable McAfee from affecting the sims since I can't find the option. However I tried something new that is now living me with more questions.
I download the sims from the EA app directly this time, instead of how I usually play with Steam. The game ran like new, no lagging and running smoothly at a regular frame rate of 100 and above (Instead of the 10 FPS I'm having with the Steam version)
So yeah, I can't play this version because all my packs I've purchased from steam.
@LadyRubrum McAfee has instructions for disabling or uninstalling in its online documentation:
https://www.mcafee.com/support/?articleId=TS103263&page=shell&shell=article-view
https://www.mcafee.com/support/?articleId=TS101331&page=shell&shell=article-view
But if the EA App version runs fine and the Steam version does not, the issue is probably not McAfee. Instead, it's either something about Steam itself, for example the overlay; or it's something related to the packs you own in Steam, which aren't installed when you use the EA App.
Point is, reinstall the game through Steam, start a new save with no mods or custom content present, play in one of the base game worlds, and see how things go. If you still have issues, disable the Steam overlay and close any other apps you use while playing. If the new save is fine, experiment with whatever world you were playing in when you first had this issue. Let me know what you find, and we can go from there.
