How many of you run Windows 10 with sims 3?

[puzzlezaddict]

@silverwood02  Yes, you're going to want to bring down that fps.  I can't tell you how to lock it in beyond the screenshots in the post I linked because I have an AMD card, so the Nvidia tools don't work for me.  If you're playing in fullscreen mode, the Control Panel settings under the first spoiler in that link may be enough to lock fps to 60, or whatever your monitor's refresh rate happens to be.  But if that doesn't help, or if you play in windowed mode, you'll need Inspector.

And if you downloaded from Origin, make sure to use TS3.exe (not TS3w) to set up the game's profile.  TS3w.exe is for disc and Steam installs.

[silverwood02]

OK thanks again.

[silverwood02]

Ok - all installed and seems to be ok. However I can't get the frame rate under 300-400. IN the Nvidia settings it refers to sims 3 launcher - is that ok for an Origin product? I click the vertical sync to on, but still get the same frame rate. Not sure where the nvidia inspector is - but I do get a compatibility warning and it suggests running the program in WIndows 8.

I also can't seem to get a screen size that fits the whole screen. I am not technically minded, but what would happen if we leave the frame rate high? I usually plat for around 30 - 40 mins at a time, is that likely to cause harm?

Keith

[puzzlezaddict]

@silverwood02  Nvidia Inspector is a free download; it doesn't come pre-installed on your computer.  It sounds like you're playing in windowed mode, which is why the Control Panel settings aren't working.  You can switch to fullscreen on the same options page as your other graphics settings.  But even in fullscreen CP sometimes fails to lock in fps, which is why Inspector is so useful.

I doubt you'd damage your graphics card right away with such high frame rates, but you could certainly shorten its life with such a heavy workload.  The other consideration is the extra heat generated by the card.  Depending on how efficient your computer's cooling apparatus is, you might have a real problem there.  Playing for short periods will help, certainly, but fps in the hundreds might be able to overheat a computer in just a few minutes.  Again, this is speculation, since I don't know how well your computer handles excess heat.  But it's much better to just lock in fps and not have to worry about it.

Edit:  I just saw your post on the Sims forums.  I play in fullscreen, and I use a resolution of 1280x800.  The user interface is big and easy to read, and I can use the highest graphics settings (other than water and high-detail lots, which take extra resources) without taxing my graphics card.  For reference, I have an AMD Radeon Pro 560 and a native screen resolution of 2880x1800.  Whatever else your settings, if you're going to play in fullscreen, you should make sure that the resolution matches the aspect ratio of your monitor.

Second edit:  (because I forgot to mention it)  You don't need to run TS3 in compatibility mode.  Windows 10 itself is fine.

[silverwood02]

Ok thanks again. I have been running in full screen with the laptop, I don't know why the Nvidia settings didn't work, unless the Sims 3 launcher did not recognise the program. Its  a laptop, so I think they are prone to heat quite quickly, it does have a HP coolsense, which may help. I will try your settings, how do I find out what the aspect is of the screen?

[puzzlezaddict]

@silverwood02  Okay, I missed something before.  (That's what I get for trying to have three conversations at once, and too early in the morning.)  When you set up the profile for TS3, you need to use TS3.exe, not Sims3Launcher.exe or anything like that.  Using the launcher .exe will only cap the frame rates while you're running the launcher itself, which is a separate program.

I'm still not sure why your game window isn't filling up the whole screen if you're running in fullscreen mode.  When I messed around with the aspect ratio, the game window just stretched to fill the entire screen regardless of the aspect ratio I was using.  But if you're having trouble, you can always trash the options.ini file in your game folder and try again.  Sometimes that file gets stuck or corrupted and won't accept any changes you make.  But if you delete it, a new one will spawn, hopefully letting you change the settings again.

To find your monitor's resolution, you can go to Settings > System > Display.  (As a shortcut, you may be able to right-click on your desktop instead.)  You should see a category called Resolution.  I can't tell you exactly where to look because I'm not using Windows at the moment, but the settings should be in there somewhere.  Don't change them; just make sure the game matches your resolution or is properly scaled, i.e. the aspect ratio is the same.

[silverwood02]

OK - sims 3 exe - doesn't appear, just the launcher, so I will have to add it.

Thanks again. I will try all this and see what happens.

[silverwood02]

Ok thanks again. Using the right sims exe in Nvidia made no diference, the frame rate is still over 60, but maxing all the settings it goes down to 140 - 180, still too high for long periods. I will try the inspector program, just one thing, I assume it wont damage the card?

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@silverwood02  It won't damage the card to run TS3 just long enough to check the settings.  It would be a problem if you kept playing for a while, but it sounds like you're being careful.

If you can't get Inspector to cooperate either, you can try RivaTuner Statistics Server, also a free download.  Unlike the other tools, it does need to be running in the background to cap fps.  But it works great for me.  And, as with the other apps, you need to use "TS3.exe" to set up a profile for the game.

[silverwood02]

Just wanted to say thanks, I have installed the program and the frame rate is 59-60 now. So much better, really appreciate the help.

Cheers.

Keith