My game is so slow! Nothing helps!

[seese1]

So I have the Sims 3, Latenight ep, University ep, and high end loft sp
My game has been going extremely slow lately
i cleaned up my sims 3 folder like i read in another post on here, and at first my game worked really fast, but after 15 minutes or so, it started to lag like crazy
Clearing the folder defiantly helped the loading times, my game usually took 30 min. to save but now it takes 10 minutes.
As for cc and mods, i have 1 mod (Jonhas Sliders) and not THAT much cc, but quite a bit, mostly hair and some clothes
I uninstalled alot of the cc, but the game still goes very slow
In the sims 3 folder there are some files that i was wondering about, like what they do and if i can delete them, here they are:
DiscFailure.log
DeviceConfig.log
xcpt(my name)-PC 12-11-10-17-37-46.mdmp
for the last one, there are a lot of those, but with different numbers at the end. and half of them have .txt at the end instead of .mdmp
Can i delete any of those? Or will it ruin my game?
Could my game be going slow because of cc?
DO you have any other suggestions that would make my game run faster and smoother?
Thanks

[RaiaDraconis]

The .mdmp files are safe to delete. Those are memory dump files that are created when a game crashes.

What happens if you start a new file? Do things run smoothly, or does the game still run slowly. If the slowness is just on a save where you have been playing for a while, it may be that there are errors/stuck sims/etc. that are lagging your game. That being the case, try downloading Twallan's ErrorTrap and Overwatch mods, which should help remove the errors and clean up stuck sims/stuck elevators/stuck cars and the like.

[seese1]

The .mdmp files are safe to delete. Those are memory dump files that are created when a game crashes.

What happens if you start a new file? Do things run smoothly, or does the game still run slowly. If the slowness is just on a save where you have been playing for a while, it may be that there are errors/stuck sims/etc. that are lagging your game. That being the case, try downloading Twallan's ErrorTrap and Overwatch mods, which should help remove the errors and clean up stuck sims/stuck elevators/stuck cars and the like.

Thanks! Ill delete the mdmp files
and what do you mean by start a new file? Start a new game?
I just started a new game and its already way to slow to play with. AT first its fast but as i said before, after 15 min. its starts to lag. I'll get the mods and see how they work!

[RaiaDraconis]

and what do you mean by start a new file? Start a new game?

Yes--that is what I mean.

The other question I have would be what sort of graphics settings are you running? Higher settings can slow things to a crawl, especially with an older graphics card.

You could always attempt a factory reset if all else fails, the method of which is detailed in this thread: http://www.carls-sims-3-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,7507.0.html

Beyond that, though...someone with a wee bit more computer expertise would have to step in. This is about as far as I can go.

[seese1]

Thanks! Ill hope someone else steps in who could help me more But you were a great help

The other question I have would be what sort of graphics settings are you running? Higher settings can slow things to a crawl, especially with an older graphics card.
[/quote]
I set graphics lower a while ago, but it didn't seem to help at all
Im downloading overwatch though, and im hoping that will help

[LivvieLove]

How much do you know about your computer specs? (That being the ram, graphics card, processor...)
Could you list them for me here?

Also, tell me what system you're on (Mac, Windows... if Windows if it's an XP, Vista, 7, 8,... and what bit it runs at - 32/64). If you're running a Mac I'll be useless to you, but if you're on a windows I can give you a few tips to help your game run smoothly.

 **If you're on a Windows and you don't know where to find your computer specifications, hit the start button, RIGHT click on My Computer, on the dropdown menu click "Properties." And that's where you should find your processor/graphics... the works.

Also, please give us a general idea of where you keep your graphics at when playing the Sims (Low, medium, high). And do you have Advanced Rendering on? Do you have Edge Smoothing on?

[seese1]

How much do you know about your computer specs? (That being the ram, graphics card, processor...)
Could you list them for me here?

Also, tell me what system you're on (Mac, Windows... if Windows if it's an XP, Vista, 7, 8,... and what bit it runs at - 32/64). If you're running a Mac I'll be useless to you, but if you're on a windows I can give you a few tips to help your game run smoothly.

 **If you're on a Windows and you don't know where to find your computer specifications, hit the start button, RIGHT click on My Computer, on the dropdown menu click "Properties." And that's where you should find your processor/graphics... the works.

Also, please give us a general idea of where you keep your graphics at when playing the Sims (Low, medium, high). And do you have Advanced Rendering on? Do you have Edge Smoothing on?

I have a windows 7 computer
 the Processor is AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core
The RAM is 1.00 GB
The SYstem type is 32-bit operating System

As for the graphics they are on medium, i turned off reflection in mirrors and water, and I do have edge smoothing on

[LivvieLove]

Are you sure it's 1 gig? That's an incredibly small amount, not nearly enough to run Windows, let alone the Sims.

The specs you gave me don't meet the qualifications for the Sims. To get the best chance at running them on THAT computer you should:
1. Use Overwatch and Errortrap by NRaas Industries. They are very good at protecting your game from getting clogged up with in-game pathing issues/stuck sims/problems.
2. Avoid overly stuffing your game with Store-Stuff and CC. Your game has a lot to chug through and not enough "force" (ram) to really do it.
3. Clean your Caches before you play, every time you play.
4. Make sure all background programs are closed when playing the Sims. Having less things to focus on will help your computer to run the Sims smoother. If you're unsure or nervous about turning off programs yourself there is a safe, effective launcher named GameBooster which will start your game up and close unnecessary programs for optimal gaming. I use it myself so I can  claim it does what it says.
5. Lower your graphics settings as far as they'll go. Having them on Medium can easily slow down your game with your specs the way they are. I know this sucks... and if you're really against it try doing it slowly so the change isn't so drastic.
6. Try using DiskCleanup and Defragmenting your computer for general cleanup.

Overall, I don't want to just say "go buy a new computer" and be done with it... however there's not much one can do when you're struggling to meet requirements for the game. Try these things and let me know if you need clarification or instruction for some of the list points. Please let me know if you notice improvement. Best of luck!

[seese1]

Overall, I don't want to just say "go buy a new computer" and be done with it... however there's not much one can do when you're struggling to meet requirements for the game. Try these things and let me know if you need clarification or instruction for some of the list points. Please let me know if you notice improvement. Best of luck!

Thank you so much!! I guess that is the ram gb thing... it says
Installed memory(RAM):1.00 GB

I never would have thought my computer doesn't meet the requirements. I have had the sims before on this computer and it ran perfectly, but then the cd broke

Well anyways! I really appreciate all your help! I got overwatch and my game has been going really fast now!

 

[Angélique]

Seese1, if you can run both Windows 7 and Sims 3 at the same time, "really fast" with only 1 GB RAM, then that's nothing short of a miracle!

It would be very interesting to know more about your computer specs. Can you please run dxdiag and post the top part of the report here? Cut it off right below Driver Strong Name. The rest is not important. It's just a lot of gibberish that doesn't mean anything to normal people.

[seese1]

Seese1, if you can run both Windows 7 and Sims 3 at the same time, "really fast" with only 1 GB RAM, then that's nothing short of a miracle!

It would be very interesting to know more about your computer specs. Can you please run dxdiag and post the top part of the report here? Cut it off right below Driver Strong Name. The rest is not important. It's just a lot of gibberish that doesn't mean anything to normal people.

Well it might not be going "really" fast, just for me it seems really fast because im used to it going so slow
How do i run a dxdiag?

[seese1]

Seese1, if you can run both Windows 7 and Sims 3 at the same time, "really fast" with only 1 GB RAM, then that's nothing short of a miracle!

It would be very interesting to know more about your computer specs. Can you please run dxdiag and post the top part of the report here? Cut it off right below Driver Strong Name. The rest is not important. It's just a lot of gibberish that doesn't mean anything to normal people.

Alright so i actually figured it out, but i dont know where the Driver Strong Name is, so heres what shows up

Current Date/Time-Saturday, August 10, 2013, 12:12:31 PM
Computer Name: (My name)
Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit (6.1, Build 7600)
Language: English
System manufacturer: System manufacturer
System Model: System Product Name
BIOS: BIOS Date: 07/01/08 Ver: 08.00.14
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4400+ (2 CPUs), ~2.3GHz
Memory: 1024MB RAM
Page file: 2342MB used, 944MB available
DirectX Version: DirectX 11

So thats it, im kinda confused though when it comes to memory, it first says that i have 1024mb but then it says i used 2342mb? How does that work?

[Angélique]

Hi seese1, I think it was very clever of you to figure out how to run dxdiag, if you weren't familiar with the procedure beforehand. I don't recognize the look of the report, though, so I assume that you didn't copy and paste it to your post, but wrote it down yourself instead, am I right?

The Driver Strong Name I was talking about is around 4 inches below the heading Display Devices, when you look at the screen. Just above all those long rows of letters and figures that are impossible to decipher for most people anyway.

Do you know how to copy and paste things from one location to another on a computer? It's considered basic file and folder management, so if you don't, it would be a good idea to learn how to do it. You know the old saying, don't you, "practice makes perfect"?

If you don't want your name to show up when you're posting your dxdiag report, (Machine name: Your name) which is completely understandable, then it's easy to edit and delete just the name before you copy it over.

The question you had, about the "2342MB used, 944MB available", what it means is that Windows has a built in feature called page file, and that is a small part of the hard drive that's working as a sort of help memory when the installed system memory, also known as RAM, isn't big enough for the task that's being performed.

I hope I've been able to make things a little bit clearer to you, if not, feel free to ask more questions, and I or some of the other forum members will be more than happy to answer them. Remember, no one is born with computer knowledge, instead it's a lifelong learning process for most people.

[seese1]

Hi seese1, I think it was very clever of you to figure out how to run dxdiag, if you weren't familiar with the procedure beforehand. I don't recognize the look of the report, though, so I assume that you didn't copy and paste it to your post, but wrote it down yourself instead, am I right?

The Driver Strong Name I was talking about is around 4 inches below the heading Display Devices, when you look at the screen. Just above all those long rows of letters and figures that are impossible to decipher for most people anyway.

Do you know how to copy and paste things from one location to another on a computer? It's considered basic file and folder management, so if you don't, it would be a good idea to learn how to do it. You know the old saying, don't you, "practice makes perfect"?

If you don't want your name to show up when you're posting your dxdiag report, (Machine name: Your name) which is completely understandable, then it's easy to edit and delete just the name before you copy it over.

The question you had, about the "2342MB used, 944MB available", what it means is that Windows has a built in feature called page file, and that is a small part of the hard drive that's working as a sort of help memory when the installed system memory, also known as RAM, isn't big enough for the task that's being performed.

I hope I've been able to make things a little bit clearer to you, if not, feel free to ask more questions, and I or some of the other forum members will be more than happy to answer them. Remember, no one is born with computer knowledge, instead it's a lifelong learning process for most people.

Thank You so much! You have helped me a lot!! I did figure out how to copy and paste it so here it is, if you still need it


System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 8/10/2013, 19:21:34
       Machine name: ________
   Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit (6.1, Build 7600) (7600.win7_gdr.120830-0334)
           Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: System manufacturer
       System Model: System Product Name
               BIOS: BIOS Date: 07/01/08 Ver: 08.00.14
          Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4400+ (2 CPUs), ~2.3GHz
             Memory: 1024MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 1024MB RAM
          Page File: 1372MB used, 1914MB available
        Windows Dir: C:\Windows
    DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
   User DPI Setting: 120 DPI (125 percent)
 System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
    DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
     DxDiag Version: 6.01.7600.16385 32bit Unicode

------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
      Display Tab 1: No problems found.
        Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
        Sound Tab 2: No problems found.
          Input Tab: No problems found.

--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
--------------------
Direct3D:    0/4 (retail)
DirectDraw:  0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (retail)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (retail)
DirectPlay:  0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow:  0/6 (retail)

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
          Card name: ATI Radeon HD 3850 (Microsoft Corporation WDDM 1.1)
       Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
          Chip type:
           DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
         Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_9505&SUBSYS_02281043&REV_00
     Display Memory: 509 MB
   Dedicated Memory: 254 MB
      Shared Memory: 255 MB
       Current Mode: 1600 x 900 (32 bit) (60Hz)
       Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
      Monitor Model: 2036
         Monitor Id: AOC2036
        Native Mode: 1600 x 900(p) (60.000Hz)
        Output Type: HD15
        Driver Name: atidxx32.dll,atidxx64,atiumdag.dll,atiumdva.cap,atiumd64,atiumd6a,atitmm64
Driver File Version: 8.15.0010.0163 (English)
     Driver Version: 8.56.1.15
        DDI Version: 10.1
       Driver Model: WDDM 1.1
  Driver Attributes: Final Retail
   Driver Date/Size: 7/13/2009 20:14:55, 2342400 bytes
        WHQL Logo'd: Yes
    WHQL Date Stamp:
  Device Identifier: {D7B71EE2-D645-11CF-8571-2222A1C2C535}
          Vendor ID: 0x1002
          Device ID: 0x9505
          SubSys ID: 0x02281043
        Revision ID: 0x0000
 Driver Strong Name: atiilhag.inf:ATI.Mfg.NTx86...1:ati2mtag_RV630:8.56.1.15:pci\ven_1002&dev_9505


Wow, your able to understand that! Thats talent
It looks so confusing!

[Angélique]

Your dxdiag report looks a bit different from mine, the brand and model of your computer is missing, so I can't search the Internet for information and reviews etc. about it, but you can do that if you want to find out more.

Your graphics card has 254 (or 256?) MB dedicated memory, and it's recognized by the game, and that's a relief for you, because it means you don't have to do anything to accomplish that. If you open this file, GraphicsCards.sgr, you can find your card there, the Device ID is 0x9505. This file is in C:/Program, or Program files/Electronic Arts/Game/Bin, and you open it with Notepad. Don't delete or change anything in there.

If you open DeviceConfig.log you could see how the game is rating your computer. Look at the top under the heading Rating info. GPU is short for Graphics Processing Unit, also known as graphics card. GPU Memory is the rating of the amount and possibly speed of the memory on your GPU. CPU means processor, and RAM is the system memory, that I already explained in my previous post. The best rating you can get is 5 4 4 4. CPU speed is exactly what it sounds like. My laptop is at 2095, and my desktop computer 3392. If you, or those who are reading this, wants to check out the DeviceConfig.log file, it's found here: My documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3.

And finally, I still think it's a miracle that you can run both Windows 7 and Sims 3 on a computer with only 1 GB RAM. When I go to task manager to check the memory usage while the game is running, it's sometimes close to 3 GB, for the game alone.