System Requirements Help

[Mooingloudly]

I bet everyone is sick of this question. However I'm going to ask anyway Nyah . I used to be better at this systems requirements crap but it appears since I joined the working world. Retail has rotted my brain. If anyone could help this silly cow out and look over my system specs I'd appreciate it.

My hope is that  Sims 3 would run on my crap-tastic  computer if I update the graphics card. I'm disappointed because I just bought this bloody thing a year ago. I know the graphic card needs to be updated but I'm still worried. I'm OK with the graphics not being perfect I just want to be able to play it without crashing.

I've been trying to "read moar" as far as the requirements go. I used to be up on this stuff when I was in highs school. I know my graphics card is sub-par and I plan to get a new one. However I wonder about the rest of it. It's the 1.80GHz  processor speed that concerns me the most. I did read in the specifications thoguh that 1.80 is ok for a integrated graphics card. The pathetic thing is I don't know the difference between a non intergrated and intergrated. I would imagine that integrated means it goes onto the mother board. I guess it's back to google for me.

Processor Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual CPU E2160 @ 1.80GHz 4.8 3.0

Memory (RAM) 2.00 GB 4.6
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce 7100 / NVIDIA nForce 630i 3.4
Gaming graphics 830 MB Total available graphics memory 3.0
Primary hard disk 387GB Free (456GB Total) 5.7
Windows Vista (TM) Home Premium

System   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
  Manufacturer HP-Pavilion
  Model KJ387AA-ABA a6403w
  Total amount of system memory 2.00 GB RAM
  System type 32-bit operating system
  Number of processor cores 2
  64-bit capable Yes

 
Graphics   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
  Display adapter type NVIDIA GeForce 7100 / NVIDIA nForce 630i
  Total available graphics memory 830 MB
        Dedicated graphics memory 128 MB
        Dedicated system memory 0 MB
        Shared system memory 702 MB
  Display adapter driver version 7.15.11.7521
  Primary monitor resolution 1680x1050
  Secondary monitor resolution 1680x1050
  DirectX version DirectX 9.0 or better


 

[alli]

Processor Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual CPU E2160 @ 1.80GHz 4.8 3.0

I don't think that 1.8 is going to be enough. The official site says Vista needs 2.4.

[wes_h]

Dual processor clock speeds are slower than single core processors for comparable performance.

[Mooingloudly]

That really bites. I wish I had waited until the specifications had come out. Well, Thanks anyway.

[Solowren]

Or you could read the post right above yours. Because you have a Dual Core processor, the 1.8 may be enough.

[faesutherland]

I think we may have the same computer, my specs are exactly the same except I've upgraded to 3 gigs of RAM and just a couple weeks ago upgraded my power supply and installed a Nvidia GeForce 9800 GTX graphics card.  But previously it was the integrated 7100 that came with the comp.  My partner has the same computer, without my upgrades, and the game runs fine.  A wee bit laggy and the graphics aren't maxed out, but it's perfectly playable and looks fine.  Hope that helps!

[Mooingloudly]

The difference between the dual and a regular processor has been rather confusing for me.  I think I may give it a go after all then. I just didn't want to buy the silly thing and then for it to not run a all. I don't care if I have to have it on low settings for a while. I'm rather attached to my Sims 2 hood so I don't really plan to pack up Sims 2 for a while yet anyway. I still would like to not wait 4 years to play the Sims 3 like I did with Sims 2.

[Solowren]

[Scratch]

I have :

Celeron 2.8 Ghz
Sapphire ATI Radeon x1950 pro with 512 mb
LCD monitor at 1440 x 900
2 gigs system memory

Which is low end, but it runs nice for me. Most of my settings are medium to high, it lags when i scroll across the screen fast.

[realmscat]

Just for information, the following are my system specs. I'm running the game just fine on high settings. The only thing I have noticed so far is an occasional grey out of the textures that last maybe a second before they appear again.

Nvidia Gforce 6800XT Vid card
System Type   X86-based PC
Processor   x86 Family 6 Model 10 Stepping 0 AuthenticAMD ~1601 Mhz
SMBIOS Version   2.3
Boot Device   \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Hardware Abstraction Layer   Version = "5.1.2600.5512 (xpsp.080413-2111)"
Total Physical Memory   2,048.00 MB
Available Physical Memory   1.45 GB
Total Virtual Memory   2.00 GB
Available Virtual Memory   1.96 GB
Page File Space   3.85 GB
Page File   C:\pagefile.sys

[stephbass]

Bumping the thread b/c I have an admittedly dumb question:

I vaguely remember there's a way to get all my computer specs listed like how Mooingloudly has it in their post, via some kind of run command trickery, but I can't remember exactly how to do it. I know how to find out what kind of computer it is (because it is crap), but I don't know how to find out what graphics and sound cards I have, whether I have directX, whether it's nuclear powered, etc., basically all the important stuff.

Thanks for any help.

[mcrashlee]

I find it alot easier to find all your pc info via your control panel.

To find it go to:
"my computer", find "control panel", and then find "system".

You'll find everything there. 

[stephbass]

No worries, thanks for the help. Just to double check, too: the "Display adapter" is the graphics card? It says NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 400, I don't know what that means. I should be able to find all the info I need from here, right?

I find it alot easier to find all your pc info via your control panel.

To find it go to:
"my computer", find "control panel", and then find "system".

You'll find everything there. 

[mcrashlee]

Yes, the display adapter is the graphics card.

And yes, you would be able to find all your info, as far as I know. It's always had enough info for me  

[Mooingloudly]

I am going to get the Sims 3 retail version on Friday. Pirate Cat I am not. Bit of a wuss here.  From what I've read it looks like I"ll be ok. I fine my system specs by going to my control panel in vista.