So I built a new 'puter, specifically to play Sims 3 (and be a sniper on the battlefield...but that's another topic). 
I have installed everything and updated everything including Windows and my graphics drivers. 

The game will load fine (legit copy, vanilla).  However, beginning at the aerial town screen the screen will freeze (sound will continue uninterrupted) for approx. 10 - 15 seconds.  That is immediately followed by a black screen for about 3 - 5 seconds.  When the screen does come back, everything functions normally but this behavior repeats at random intervals as I continue in the game. 

This is a brand spanking new build so I don't have any previous history to base it off of for this computer but the system specs are:

Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
Intel Core i5 750
MSI P55-CD53 Motehrboard (Intel P55 chipset)
Visiontek ATI Radeon 4850 1gb
OCZ 4GB DDR3 1600 (PC-12800) Gold Low Voltage CL8 Memory (2 2gig sticks)
Thermaltake TR2 500W Power Supply

Quick note, I tried a different video card as well as rolling back to Vista and I am getting the same issue. 

um um um  I think that's it.  Like I said, I believe this setup "should" run it fine. 
Any suggestions or help are much appreciated.

well I think my problem was my card overheating.

I put a new fan back there and it seems to be ok now.  KNOCK ON WOOD....I'm serious do it!

I will anxiously await a response to your question because the music makes me want to plug my ears with something sharp.

There is a thread here about custom music though. I haven't looked....can you tweak it so that only certain songs play like in S2?

Yeah artifacts!!  I couldn't remember.

This card is listed as being game compatible by EAxis (but yeah....)
I originally tried it with the 8.5 drivers and then updated to 9.3 from March and neither worked.  I always overwrite my drivers to guarantee only one set.

Tomorrow I am going to switch out to my Nvidia 8600 and see if that works. 

Hi all, not a noob just can't remember what my username used to be (dang it!!!)

Anyways, count me in on the ATI video problems.  I have an X1950 and as soon as I try to do anything in CAS I get those funky rendering things that make the sims look like they have spikes through their bodies.....or they are unicorns. (I like unicorns better)

As far as crashing, I got the blue screen once but I think that was a random as I had just fiddled with my drivers and settings and stuffies.