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For some reason TS3 manages to use less resources than TS2, probably because there is nothing in it.

Quite true.
Last night,decided to install it on my Medion MSI wind clone netbook (Mobile Intel® 945GM Express Chipset ) Sims3 runs fine.
If you don't mind having to sort of scroll down to use the sims control bar,windowed mode is better but smaller,but other than that with less than 1GB ram it is running well?

For once I think they set their standards a bit high. My video card is a NVidia Geforce 9100 (i.e. not on EA's list), and yet the game runs smoothly on the lowest settings, and is playable on medium settings.

I think that's because people expect to be able to enjoy what they're looking at; the graphics recommendations are always set higher so that people aren't forced to play a game where they can barely distinguish the furniture from the sims.

That's to make sure the $60 game runs well when one wastes $9.99 on the Iphone version.

I only have 1 gig of RAM on my laptop and Vista (Alienware gaming laptop, don't make fun of me - it was a gift), and it works fine.  Between running perfectly and running at a medium level.

Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack

3 (2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.090206-1234)
           Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: MSI
       System Model: MS-7506
               BIOS: Default System BIOS
          Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5200+, 

MMX,  3DNow (2 CPUs), ~2.7GHz
             Memory: 2048MB RAM
          Page File: 463MB used, 3476MB available
        Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
    DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)

Display Devices
---------------
        Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT
     Manufacturer: NVIDIA
        Chip type: GeForce 9400 GT
         DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
       Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0641&SUBSYS_0562196E&REV_A1
   Display Memory: 1024.0 MB
     Current Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (85Hz)
          Monitor: Avitron AV-7TF
  Monitor Max Res: 1280,1024
      Driver Name: nv4_disp.dll
   Driver Version: 6.14.0011.8618 (English)
      DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
 Driver Date/Size: 6/10/2009 06:03:00, 5908608 bytes



This is my newest system and the Sims 3 runs great on high settings for everything. My middle son is a tech for Tri-State Computers and built this for my birthday May 30th. When the game installed it put all the settings on high with the exception of Sim detail was on medium. Don't know why, but I moved the Sims detail to high and moved shadows and lighting to medium as I just had eye surgery on June 3rd and it seemed easier on the eyes to lower that a bit. The Sim detail on high looks better and I have no lag, freezing, or any other weirdness. I was having a problem right after the Sims video played in the game loading where I would crash to desktop. Seems it was due to the fact I did not take the disk out of my dvd-rom when my pc rebooted. Don't ask why, I have no clue - but was advised to reboot pc with no disk in drawer. So now I just put the disk in when I'm ready to play and no more crashing to desktop.
So I would assume my pc is an acceptable alternative for pcs that can run the game on high settings with no problems.

Okay so this is mah super-duper craputer XD.

Windows Vista(ughhh)
2 gb
AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5000+ (2 CPUs), ~2.6GHz
Nvidia GeForce 6150SE(with shared memory from my ram)

I run on almost full settings(No edge smooth or advanced rendering) with absolutely no lag and no crashes thus far. I have no idea why I'm not having bad crashing problems but all well, it ain't broke don't fix it.

Runs fantastically on my $300 refurbished HP desktop.

Intel Pentium Dual 2.2 GHz (not to be confused with Core 2, this is the budget dual core processor)
3GB RAM
Nvidia Ge-Force 9500GT 1GB RAM  (a whopping $50 with mail in rebate at Microcenter)
Vista Ultimate x64 (it came with Home Premium*)

I just left it at the default settings, not full settings but close enough. Sim Detail is at High instead of Very High and I think tree detail or whatever that option is called is at Medium.

*Reason number 1 to get a royalty oem pc: no activation for your "upgrade" http://www.oembios.net/

Maybe they've set the initial spec high so they don't have to upgrade it massively as they add EPs and upset all the people who bought a PC with base game specs and couldn't add EPs.  Sims 2 went from 800Mhz and 256Mb RAM in base game to 1.8MHz and 512 RAM.