Sims 3 keeps crashing

by Lu_Elissa
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Sims 3 keeps crashing

★ Novice

I reccently got a new laptop so I can play sims 3 on it as my old laptop had become so slow. Here is the laptop I’m now using https://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-330-15-6-intel-core-i5-lapto...

 

Im playing the sims through Steam. 

 

I cant even get past making a character before an alert comes up saying “the sims has stopped working. A problem caused the program to stop working correctly. Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available.”

 

Then it just closes and that is it. I’ve restarted but the same thing happened.

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Accepted Solution

Re: Sims 3 keeps crashing

@Lu_Elissa  Your computer only has 4 GB RAM, which isn't really enough for TS3 and Windows.  You're likely running out of memory; CAS is especially demanding of resources (all those clothing catalogs).

 

The good news is, your other hardware is capable of running the game on high graphics settings.  So all you have to do is buy more memory.  Most laptops come with two memory slots, but based on Lenovo's less than helpful website, it looks like yours might only have one.   If you're not comfortable opening up your laptop and checking yourself, you can take it to a computer store and ask for help.

 

If the laptop only has one slot, you'd need to buy a single RAM stick of either 8 or 16 GB.  (If it has two slots, you could buy a 2x8 GB kit, or a single 4 GB stick that exactly matches the one already in your computer, by serial number; matching specs isn't enough.)  It's very easy to install RAM, but again, you could go to a store and have someone do that for you.  If you're buying there, they should be willing to do it for free.

 

In the meantime, you'll have a lot of trouble getting through CAS, and probably even playing for very long if you have most packs installed.  Here are some ways to keep RAM use down:

  • Don't run anything else in the background while playing, not even a browser.  It's best to restart your computer immediately before launching the game.
  • Don't run Steam either.  You don't need it to play.  Open Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\The Sims 3\Game\Bin, right-click on TS3W.exe, and create a desktop shortcut.  You can double-click on the shortcut to launch the game.
  • Before playing, take your computer completely offline: pull the ethernet cable and/or disconnect from wifi.
  • Turn off memories, the in-game shopping experience, and the hidden object interactive loading screens.  All these are in game options, once you get to the Main Menu.
  • Turn down your graphics settings, specifically water and high detail lots; these are the most demanding.  I keep them at "mirrors only" and 2, but you may want to reduce them to the minimum.

You can save a sim while in CAS, and resume your work later.  If you're still getting crashes, you may need to quit and reload several times before you finish with a sim.  The Save button is a little folder that appears when you click on the three dots next to the sim's thumbnail, on the user interface at the bottom of the screen.  To load a sim you've saved, click on the six silhouettes of sim heads just to the left of the sim thumbnail, and pick the one you made from the list.

 

The fact is though, depending on which packs you have installed, you may keep running out of memory while playing.  If you want me to look over a dxdiag to check for other problems, I'd be happy to do so, but I think this is most likely a RAM issue, not anything else.

 

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/pc/how-to-gather-dxdiag-information/

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I don't work for EA. I'm just trying to help fellow players with their games.

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Message 2 of 5 (1,177 Views)

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Re: Sims 3 keeps crashing

@Lu_Elissa  Your computer only has 4 GB RAM, which isn't really enough for TS3 and Windows.  You're likely running out of memory; CAS is especially demanding of resources (all those clothing catalogs).

 

The good news is, your other hardware is capable of running the game on high graphics settings.  So all you have to do is buy more memory.  Most laptops come with two memory slots, but based on Lenovo's less than helpful website, it looks like yours might only have one.   If you're not comfortable opening up your laptop and checking yourself, you can take it to a computer store and ask for help.

 

If the laptop only has one slot, you'd need to buy a single RAM stick of either 8 or 16 GB.  (If it has two slots, you could buy a 2x8 GB kit, or a single 4 GB stick that exactly matches the one already in your computer, by serial number; matching specs isn't enough.)  It's very easy to install RAM, but again, you could go to a store and have someone do that for you.  If you're buying there, they should be willing to do it for free.

 

In the meantime, you'll have a lot of trouble getting through CAS, and probably even playing for very long if you have most packs installed.  Here are some ways to keep RAM use down:

  • Don't run anything else in the background while playing, not even a browser.  It's best to restart your computer immediately before launching the game.
  • Don't run Steam either.  You don't need it to play.  Open Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\The Sims 3\Game\Bin, right-click on TS3W.exe, and create a desktop shortcut.  You can double-click on the shortcut to launch the game.
  • Before playing, take your computer completely offline: pull the ethernet cable and/or disconnect from wifi.
  • Turn off memories, the in-game shopping experience, and the hidden object interactive loading screens.  All these are in game options, once you get to the Main Menu.
  • Turn down your graphics settings, specifically water and high detail lots; these are the most demanding.  I keep them at "mirrors only" and 2, but you may want to reduce them to the minimum.

You can save a sim while in CAS, and resume your work later.  If you're still getting crashes, you may need to quit and reload several times before you finish with a sim.  The Save button is a little folder that appears when you click on the three dots next to the sim's thumbnail, on the user interface at the bottom of the screen.  To load a sim you've saved, click on the six silhouettes of sim heads just to the left of the sim thumbnail, and pick the one you made from the list.

 

The fact is though, depending on which packs you have installed, you may keep running out of memory while playing.  If you want me to look over a dxdiag to check for other problems, I'd be happy to do so, but I think this is most likely a RAM issue, not anything else.

 

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/pc/how-to-gather-dxdiag-information/

——————————————————————————————————————————

I don't work for EA. I'm just trying to help fellow players with their games.
Message 2 of 5 (1,178 Views)

Re: Sims 3 keeps crashing

★ Novice

Oh god im gutted I literally brought it for a couple of games sims 3 being my fave and to do coursework on.

 

Its brand new, do you think it’s worth returning and paying more for a better 1? I honestly thought the £530 I paid would mean it was more then capable of running the sims but then hey I am useless with computers. 

 

Thanks for your help 

Message 3 of 5 (1,170 Views)

Re: Sims 3 keeps crashing

★ Novice

Can I just ask what this 16 gb intel optane is aswell?

Message 4 of 5 (1,165 Views)

Re: Sims 3 keeps crashing

@Lu_Elissa  This isn't a terrible computer by any means; the other hardware is fine.  It just doesn't have enough memory for you to properly play TS3.  You should be able to upgrade it, with something like this:

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMSO8GX4M1A2133C15-Select-Mainstream-Notebook/dp/B0143UM6Y0

 

But you need to first check your user guide to see what it says about adding memory, or else take the laptop to a store, or contact Lenovo.  Not all types of memory are compatible with all computers, and some laptops make it unreasonably difficult to upgrade, although they should all theoretically allow more RAM to be added.

 

Intel Optane memory is an accelerator applied to a mechanical hard drive (HDD).  The idea is that the memory speeds up the transfer of data from the HDD to RAM, where you can use it.  HDDs are much slower than solid state drives (SSDs), but adding Intel Optane memory can make an HDD run almost as fast as an SSD for any task you do more than once.  And it's much cheaper than buying a large SSD, so it's a great value for anyone who needs a lot of storage but can't pay the extra for the SSD.

 

As to whether you should take this computer back, that depends on your budget.  £530 is an excellent price for a laptop that can run TS3 on reasonably high settings, although Lenovo isn't a manufacturer I would recommend.  (It's not terrible, just less reliable than some, and its laptops tend to overheat.  This can be addressed by keeping the laptop elevated while playing and/or buying a cooling pad.)  If that's as far as you can or want to stretch your budget, then the best answer is to spend the extra £40 or so on upgrading the RAM.

 

I looked at a couple of U.K. sites and found a few models that are similar to yours.  (Surprisingly, Amazon was zero help, so I stayed with Currys/PC World.)  For example, this one has the same processor, hard drive, and Optane memory, but it has 8 GB RAM, a slightly stronger graphics card, and two user-accessible RAM slots.  It's made by Asus, a company that makes great gaming laptops.  It's £700.

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/asus-tuf-fx504gd-15-6-intel-core-i5-gtx-1050...

 

This Acer is exactly the same as the Asus except for the lack of Optane memory, and the fact that it's an Acer (better than Lenovo, not as good as Asus).  It's £650:

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/acer-nitro-5-15-6-intel-core-i5-gtx-1050-gam...

 

This Asus, at £580, is the lowest I'd go for TS3.  It has a slightly weaker processor and graphics card than the others, but both should be fine.  (The graphics card is about the same as what you have now.)  It has no Optane memory; the 128 GB SSD is too small for anything besides Windows and an antivirus/firewall, so you'd need to run TS3 off the larger HDD.

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/asus-tuf-fx505dy-15-6-amd-ryzen-5-rx-560x-ga...

 

So I'm not sure what the best choice is for you.  Without your exact model number, I'm having a lot of trouble trying to figure out the RAM situation with your current laptop, hence my suggestion that you have someone physically look at it and tell you whether you can easily add more memory, and how much.

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I don't work for EA. I'm just trying to help fellow players with their games.
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