Intel HD 530

[StinkyKo]

Good Day, can I play The Sims 3 on the Intel HD 530 integrated graphics card?

The game started with low graphics. I have an Intel Core i3 6100 CPU.

[puzzlezaddict]

@StinkyKo  That processor and graphics chip combination should run the base game on low or medium settings.  Stuff packs and early expansion packs are probably also fine.  But the most demanding packs (Pets, Seasons, then Isla Paradiso and Into the Future) would probably be more than your laptop could handle.  Even the packs in the middle might be too much, depending on the settings you want to use, your playstyle, and other factors, including an element of randomness.

The reason your graphics settings were all on low by default is that your graphics card isn't in the Sims 3's database.  I can help you add it, if you want.  Go into Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3, open the file called deviceconfig.log, copy the information between "Graphics device info" (about 25 lines down) and "Options" (about 40 lines down), and paste it here.  Or, if you prefer, you can just tweak the graphics settings yourself—it's not really a problem if your card isn't recognized.

[StinkyKo]

Thank you for your reply. Here is:

=== Graphics device info ===
Number: 0
Name (driver): Intel(R) HD Graphics 530
Name (database): Intel(R) HD Graphics 530 [Found: 0, Matched: 1]
Vendor: Intel
Chipset: Vendor: 8086, Device: 1912, Board: 06bb1028, Chipset: 0006
Driver: igdumdim32.dll, Version: 26.20.100.7262, GUID: D7B78E66-5A52-11CF-C66F-DF26BDC2D735
Driver version: 7262
Monitor: \\.\DISPLAY1
Texture memory: 2120MB
Vertex program: 3.0
Pixel program: 3.0
Hardware TnL: 1
=== Options ===

[StinkyKo]

@puzzlezaddict 

Thank you for your reply. Here is:

=== Graphics device info ===
Number: 0
Name (driver): Intel(R) HD Graphics 530
Name (database): Intel(R) HD Graphics 530 [Found: 0, Matched: 1]
Vendor: Intel
Chipset: Vendor: 8086, Device: 1912, Board: 06bb1028, Chipset: 0006
Driver: igdumdim32.dll, Version: 26.20.100.7262, GUID: D7B78E66-5A52-11CF-C66F-DF26BDC2D735
Driver version: 7262
Monitor: \\.\DISPLAY1
Texture memory: 2120MB
Vertex program: 3.0
Pixel program: 3.0
Hardware TnL: 1
=== Options ===

[puzzlezaddict]

@StinkyKo  Okay, you're looking for a couple of files called graphicscards.sgr and graphicsrules.sgr, which are both located in the Sims 3 program files.  For an Origin install, the default file path is:

Program files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 3\Game\Bin

Other types of installs will put the files in other locations, but you're still looking for Program files (x86)\...\The Sims 3\Game\Bin.  Both .sgr files will be there.

Note:  These instructions only apply to and will only work for the original poster's graphics card.  If you'd like help getting your own card recognized, please post the same information from deviceconfig and ask for help.

Spoiler

Open graphicscards.sgr (Notepad works fine), and crtl-F to search for 8086.  That will take you to these lines:

vendor "Intel" 0x8086
card 0x0042 "Havendale"
card 0x0046 "Havendale"

Create a new line under the "Intel" 0x8086 line, copy this text, and paste it in the new line:

    card 0x1912 "Intel HD Graphics 530"

So you should now see this:

vendor "Intel" 0x8086

card 0x1912 "Intel HD Graphics 530"
card 0x0042 "Havendale"
card 0x0046 "Havendale"

(with indents from spaces that this site isn't displaying properly).  Save, quit, and open graphicsrules.sgr.  Crtl-F and search for Havendale, which will take you here:

if (match("${cardName}", "*Havendale*"))
seti cardLevel $cardLevelMedium
seti isCardMatched true
elseif (match("${cardName}", "*4?00*"))

Create a new line under the "true" in the third line above, and add this:

    elseif (match("${cardName}", "*HD Graphics 530*"))
seti cardLevel $cardLevelMedium
seti isCardMatched true

Add a tab before each seti, to match the formatting with the other entries.  Save, quit, launch the game, quit, and check deviceconfig for your graphics card.  You should now see a [Found: 1, Matched: 1] next to the name.

Let me know if it doesn't work, and we can tweak the edits a bit.  To get the benefit of higher settings, you'll either need to change the in-game settings yourself, or delete options.ini from Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3, which will reset the options to their (new) defaults.

[StinkyKo]

@puzzlezaddict 

Thank you it worked. The game goes to medium details. Thank you very much.