Is this trying to tell me I have a bad graphics card?

[SilentDream]

In that little blur or whatever you want to call it, there is infact a house I have played. As far as I can tell it's completely cosmetic and I don't have any problems or anything like that. It doesn't happen all the time but usually there's one random house that just decides it has to be fucked up like this. Just for clarification I have all the expansions and none of the stuff packs.

Does anyone know WHY it's doing this or what I can do to change it short of buying an actual video card? I have one of those piece of shit integrated ones... or so that's what my mom told me when she bought my computer. I couldn't tell you what it actually is unless someone wanted to tell me how to figure that out.

Also I'm sorry if this has already been addressed.

[dizzy]

Delete Groups.cache?

[miros]

Go to My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Logs

There will be a 10K file there with an exact description of your 'puter.

[Sleepycat]

under start/programs/ea games/sims 2/last expansion - you will find "EAsy info" which will also tell you info about your computer.

(last expansion - just cause it seems best to use that version)

[SilentDream]

According to easyinfo my display device is an Intel(R) 82945G Express Chipset Family.

In other news, deleting the groups.cache didn't seem to do anything. But it isn't like this is new, I know I had it in OFB and I think in NL, but I got Uni and NL at the same time, so it's highly possible that this has been an issue the whole entire time I've had the game. This just happens to be the first time it's bugged me. I can't remember, but I think what I used to do was move the family out and delete the lot. I don't know if it makes any difference but as well as my memory serves me (which isn't saying much), it's only ever happened to lots I've played.

[jsalemi]

According to easyinfo my display device is an Intel(R) 82945G Express Chipset Family.

There's your problem -- the Intel graphic chipsets aren't even supported by TS2.  Yea, you should probably get a better graphics card.  Assuming your system uses PCIe (most made in the last 3+ years do), you could get an ATI 850 series for around (and maybe by now under) $100. Just remember to go into the system BIOS at startup after you install the new card and turn off the on-board video.

[SilentDream]

That sucks.. thanks for your help. I was already told by the support people over at Dell that I needed a new video card but the reasoning I could live with and I guess I can live with this too it doesn't really seem to cause problems. Every now and again randomly my display driver just quits on me, so the game then shuts down and I have to restart. My computer (aw it had it's birthday recently) is like a week or two over a year old so it's not a problem to restart.

[J. M. Pescado]

There's your problem -- the Intel graphic chipsets aren't even supported by TS2.  Yea, you should probably get a better graphics card.  Assuming your system uses PCIe (most made in the last 3+ years do), you could get an ATI 850 series for around (and maybe by now under) $100. Just remember to go into the system BIOS at startup after you install the new card and turn off the on-board video.

Messing with the BIOS is rarely necessary for this and not recommended: If your monitor lights up connected to your new video card, that's all you need. Disabling the onboard on your BIOS can potentially get you into a situation where neither video output will work, leaving your computer monitorless and forcing a full BIOS reset.

Note that lots of crappy boards, particularly brand-name computers, don't ship with ANY kind of video-extendability, so as to force you to buy a new computer and give them more money.

[jsalemi]

I agree in most cases, but he did say he has a Dell (which I also have), and they do recommend turning off the on-board video through the BIOS if you put in a video card.  Most higher-end Dells already come with a video card, though not a great one by default, so it's not an issue.  But some of their lower-end 'home' machines came with on-board video, and that will sometimes cause a conflict if you don't turn it off when you put a video card in.  Trust me, I speak from past experience.   I've made sure all the computers I've bought since then had video cards in them just to avoid that problem.

[SilentDream]

You're right jsalemi. When I talked to a computer tech (who had experience with Dell - don't even ask me why she bought me a Dell) at my mom's work, which is an IT department, he told me that I would in fact have to go into BIOS.

ps. I'm a she haha.

[dizzy]

Quoting from the readme.txt in Support:

Supported video cards:

...

  Intel(R) Extreme Graphics (see note below)
    82845, 82865, 82915
 
NOTE: If you have a non-T&L capable video card, such as Intel Extreme Graphics or Radeon VE series, then you need at least a 2.0 GHz processor.

[jsalemi]

Yea, I missed that.  But it went up with Pets:

Intel(R) Extreme Graphics (see note below)
    82865, 82915 and above
 
NOTE: If you have a non-T&L capable video card, such as Intel Extreme Graphics, then you need at least a 2.4 GHz processor. 

[bubbs]

Open the house, change the color of the outsidel paint.  I had something like that and changing the paint corrected it. 

[ThyGuy]

I got ripped off by DELL with this piece of crap computer I have right now. Useless PCI piece of garbage (and they made the new PCI-E version a WEEK after I bought this one). Do yourself a favor and by your comp, piece by piece and build one; like I'm going to do. Just be careful and it'll be well rewarding. I can't wait to have a computer that I know everything about, instead a piece of garbage that I have no clue about.

[J. M. Pescado]

Never buy from Dell. Trepie was pondering buying from Dell this morning, and I went and dug up system specs piece-by-piece that were equivalent or superior and cost less. Dell = ripoff.

[syberspunk]

What sites do you recommend purchasing from? I will soon be in the market for a new a computer... and I suppose I will go the "build my own" route because it's cheaper and I can probably get better parts. Any recommendations?

So far, I only know of tiger direct and new egg. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Ste

[J. M. Pescado]

Go for a large-scale rummage from pricewatch, if you don't purchase wholesale like I do.

[ThyGuy]

Go for something that is just slightly outdated. Everything from Q2 of this year is lower priced now. By next year; they price will be a little lower than before. Just remember the rule; in computer age; if it's been out for six months; it's now obsolete to the high tech people, and the prices drops like a old woman with a broken hip.

[neriana]

What sites do you recommend purchasing from? I will soon be in the market for a new a computer... and I suppose I will go the "build my own" route because it's cheaper and I can probably get better parts. Any recommendations?

Your friendly local PC dealer, not a chain, and not online. Every town has a couple random guys with their own PC businesses. I got my very shiney new computer from one such guy. It cost about $2000, and blows away a $7000 Dell. I checked online, and nowhere has a computer this good for this price.

[Skarlath]

The same thing happens to me randomly.



Operating System - Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 (Build 2600)
System Memory -  512.5
Processor Speed - 2127.8
Display Device - NVIDIA GeForce 6200 
Display Memory - 512.0
Processor - AMD AMD Athlon(tm) XP 2600+ 2127.8 Mhz

Any idea what it can be? It hasn't happened for a while, but it'd be nice to know if it's my graphics card.

[J. M. Pescado]

Your friendly local PC dealer, not a chain, and not online. Every town has a couple random guys with their own PC businesses. I got my very shiney new computer from one such guy. It cost about $2000, and blows away a $7000 Dell. I checked online, and nowhere has a computer this good for this price.

Hell no, order online, it's cheaper by far. You paid *$2000* for a computer? You were ROBBED. Even loaded with the best shinies on the market, I cannot make a computer cost that much.

[miros]

The same thing happens to me randomly.
<snip>
Any idea what it can be? It hasn't happened for a while, but it'd be nice to know if it's my graphics card.

My game does something like that when I've got too much stuff in the Downloads folder.

[Baskar]

Rather than create a new topic, thought I'd just come here.  Currently using a VIA/S3G Unichrome Vid Card.  I'm currently hoping that this supposed patch that EA is to release next month will fix it, but if not......

Currently dealing with the red flashing walls.  Quite annoying, believe you me.  Now,  my mother (next door) is offering me her computer - which she doesn't use....  anywho, just wondering if an nVidia Geforce 6150LE vid card is able to support the game well enough.  I don't need to worry about memory or the other computer specifications, I'm just worried about the card.    Any insight would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you.

[J. M. Pescado]

The card should be able to run the game, perhaps badly. What you have now is not a graphics card. I mean, what the hell? "Unichrome"? That sounds like a synonym for "monochrome", as "uni-" and "mono-" are the same thing. Does it even have color?

[SaraMK]

The card should be able to run the game, perhaps badly. What you have now is not a graphics card. I mean, what the hell? "Unichrome"? That sounds like a synonym for "monochrome", as "uni-" and "mono-" are the same thing. Does it even have color?

I think that's a standardintegrated piece of crap that Compaq used to put in every computer. My old one had it. It played the base game and Uni fine, but stopped working after NL. I had a better computer by then, of course. I still use it for testing stuff though.