Adding Memory....On of scale of 1 to 10.....how difficult should this be?

[Tgdrysix]

Cause it ranks right there at a 10 for me!!!    On the recomendation of my brother, who just built a new computer for himself, suggested that some of the issues I may have running this game could be to not having enough memory, I have 1 gb,  (which the guy who built my computer said would be enough), being at my wits end and ready to chuck this computer and the sims2 out the window, I figured I'd add some memory.....so I ordered the exact same memory sticks that I ordered when I had the computer built about 2 months ago....cause I didn't want to just get any ole memory......so I tentively open up the computer....locate the slots and added the memory sticks making sure they "clicked" in place as per directions....fired up my computer and it came on but the monitor didn't.....so I'm thinking maybe I accidentally cause something to come loose.....checked everything and it all seemed to be in it's right places.....so I call my brother who started this mess figuring he could help me "clean it up"....at his recommendation I first tried moving over the old sticks replacing the new ones in their slot.....same thing.....computer comes on but not the monitor.....next we tried taking the new stick out leaving the old sticks in their new position....computer came on , monitor came on......great.......then we put in just one of the new sticks in and turned on the computer....it came on the monitor came on.....great.....replaced the first new stick with the second new stick.....computer came on, monitor came on....great......(conclusion, new sticks were good).....put the remaining new stick in and computer came on monitor didn't.....WTF is going on? This even stumped my brother.....so he went seaching for solutions but really couldn't find anything cause it should work.....he said something about BIOS stuff and I pretty much bailed at that point.....so once more I seek the wisdom of the more awesome than me folks here who could give me so insight to what the hell am I doing wrong.....and what should I be doing right.....hat in hand I slink away to await your responses.......Tgdrysix

[phyllis_p]

I feel bad no one has answered you, so I'll give you my lame answer.

It shouldn't be very hard, but one time I had a similar experience to yours.  I took it to a shop and paid the guy $65 to learn that I hadn't seated the RAM stick properly -- it needed to be pushed down into the slot further.  (I'd thought it was fine because I could lock the little locks in place on the ends).

It would be nice if your problem is as simple as that, but since you've tried so many different combos it makes me worry that it's something else.

[neriana]

First, 1 gig should be enough for Sims 2. It works for me. I suspect your problems running the game probably stem from something else.

However, my first question is: are you sure you got the right kind of memory? Check http://www.crucial.com/. My second is: what brand did you get?

My third is, what's with all the ellipses?

[Emma]

I feel bad no one has answered you, so I'll give you my lame answer.

It shouldn't be very hard, but one time I had a similar experience to yours.  I took it to a shop and paid the guy $65 to learn that I hadn't seated the RAM stick properly -- it needed to be pushed down into the slot further.  (I'd thought it was fine because I could lock the little locks in place on the ends).

It would be nice if your problem is as simple as that, but since you've tried so many different combos it makes me worry that it's something else.

Yep, this is what happened to me too, and that was the solution. I was so worried about breaking something that I didn't push the sticks in fully enough.

[Tgdrysix]

Well I got the guy who built this computer for me to see if he could figure out what the heck was going on....happy to report it did the same thing to him.....not that I am happy that I'm having issues just that he had them too which means I'm not crazy or doing something wrong....he will back to "work" on it some more, maybe one of these days I'll get to play my game for now I'm reading....got into the Jane Evanovich series.....up to #4....Thanks for all the responses.....Tgdrysix

[ZiggyDoodle]

How many memory slots does your system have, Tgdrysix?

I just added another gig to my system - I have a total of four slots and they are numbered, so I had to be certain I installed the new memory in the correct slot.

As noted, you have to seat the ram firmly so that it snaps into place - there are generally a couple of notices in the bottom which will match the slot so you can figure out whether you have it facing in the right direction.

I hope whoever built it for you game you some documentation about the motherboard so you can check this out.

[neriana]

It sounds to me like it's just bad ram. Did you get an off-brand?

[Ancient Sim]

All the reports I've read say that 1 gig is more than enough to run the game.  Someone (Hegelian, I think) said that the game will use whatever's there and I think that's true.  I have 1 gig and the tests I've done show that it uses around 750 of it, whereas with my old computer, I only had half a gig and the game used around 350 of it (and I had no problems running it with half a gig, either).  Basically, if the extra is there it will use it, but it doesn't really need it.  It's got a lot to do with swop files and stuff, I think.  All too technical for me.  I don't think adding RAM is difficult, though.  My son put some into my last-but-one pc and he'd never even taken the back off one before - it worked fine.  I probably couldn't do it, but men have more experience than women at sticking things into holes.

[Ambular]

1 GB should be enough to run the game, out of the box, if you're not running anything else to speak of at the same time.  If, however, you have a lot of downloads and/or you've got other programs running at the same time as the game, 1 GB may very quickly become inadequate.

I've got a gig and a half of downloads and the same amount of memory, and the game runs moderately well when I've got a few other programs going; but by Pescado's recommendation, I would need about 3 gigs for optimal performace.

And I'd say you've probably either got a bad stick of RAM or one or more dirty/corroded slots.  Was there a lot of dust in your computer's case when you opened it?

[ZiggyDoodle]

for now I'm reading....got into the Jane Evanovich series.....up to #4

Whoopee!  Reading about Miss Plum's mishaps (and Ranger) is much more fun than playing with pixels.  Especially if you have a good imagination.   

Enjoy.....I have them all and just finished 12.

[Tgdrysix]

 " I probably couldn't do it, but men have more experience than women at sticking things into holes."

LOL.... ....I have to agree with ya there!!! Tgdrysix

[Tgdrysix]

for now I'm reading....got into the Jane Evanovich series.....up to #4

Whoopee!  Reading about Miss Plum's mishaps (and Ranger) is much more fun than playing with pixels.  Especially if you have a good imagination.   

Enjoy.....I have them all and just finished 12.

I'm half way thru #4 and have already contacted my bookstore for the rest.....I don't usually stay up very late at night cause I have to get up so earlier to get my husband out of here....on the first book I was reading I look at the clock and it's like 1:00 am.....and I'm thinking this isn't going to be good....needless to say I'm running on empty when it comes to sleep....can't seem to put the darn things down.....Tgdrysix

[Tgdrysix]

And I'd say you've probably either got a bad stick of RAM or one or more dirty/corroded slots.  Was there a lot of dust in your computer's case when you opened it?

No it wasn't too bad, dust wise, I had just recently "cleaned" it out cause with the case I have you can see inside and it bugs me if I see too much of it in there.....I do have ALOT of downloads....you'll never get me to tell how much NEVER I say.... .....I'm waiting for my little computer guy to come back....he thinks it may have something to do with the motherboard not getting enough power....I don't know....I get dizzy and my eyes glaze over when he starts talking about that kind of stuff....I just want it to work I don't need the details....Thanks for the response....Tgdrysix

[Lythdan]

I have 512 RAM, and my game runs fine for me, apart from the odd VPU recover here and there, if I make really huge jerky movements with the camera. I would think 1 GB would be fine too...

[Tgdrysix]

[

It sounds to me like it's just bad ram. Did you get an off-brand?

Corsair XMS 1 GB (2x512 MB) 184-pin DDR SDRAM unbuffered DDR 400 (PC-3200) It's the same type I ordered when I ordered the orginal parts for my computer a couple of months ago....I didn't want to get an off brand....and both of the sticks worked if I only had 3 in the slots....I tried them both by swaping them out....Tgdrysix

[DrBeast]

Some motherboards have trouble working with all memory slots filled up. I wouldn't be surprised if you swapped the 4 512MB sticks with 2 1GB sticks and it worked.

ETA: updating your motherboard's BIOS might do the trick.

[Tgdrysix]

Some motherboards have trouble working with all memory slots filled up. I wouldn't be surprised if you swapped the 4 512MB sticks with 2 1GB sticks and it worked.

Well that would be my luck!

ETA: updating your motherboard's BIOS might do the trick.

My brother mention something about this but that's when I pretty much bailed on the situation....dizzy blurry making me it is......my little computer guy is suppose to be looking into this sometime, maybe today, not holding my breath... ...going get more books.... ....they make me laugh....Tgdrysix

[DrBeast]

No, holding your breath is definitely bad for your health... 
Relax, breathe in and out, and go read a book. May I suggest Homer's Odyssey?