Would new video card make a difference?

[KLGFCG]

This is the computer I have: http://support.gateway.com/s/PC/R/4364/4364sp3.shtml (with 2.0 GB of RAM). Overall, graphics are fine (everything set to high except smooth edges) but I do have white pools on neighborhood view. Would upgrading to a Radeon X1600 PRO with 512 mb memory make any noticeable difference/improvement in my game? Pretty much the only video heavy thing I do is TS2. I don't want to plunk down $200 if it's going to be a wash but my video card is probably the overall weakest part of my computer so I was thinking maybe I'd update for Xmas. Also, would the new video card make any difference in load times or is that a RAM issue? My load time of about 28 minutes isn't bad considering my 17.4 GB download folder but I wouldn't mind faster. Thanks for any thoughts!

[ThyGuy]

No, it wouldn't make much difference. EA demands you buy a new computer to play or their shock soldiers will come and destroy you.

[J. M. Pescado]

...I think a 17.4 GB downloads folder may cause problems right there. You see, in order for the entire mess to fit in RAM, you need twice as much RAM as your downloads folder. And you can't install 40 GBs of RAM in a computer, so you're going to have to cut your downloads below 1 GB. Also, update your drivers.

[KatEnigma]

The only thing that would help your load times is more RAM and a faster hard drive. But how in the heck do you even get that many downloads? I have more than I can ever use, and even I only have 1.5 GB.

[Giggy]

I have white pools but I easily get rid of them by going into the lot and tilting it slightly flat

[neriana]

That's actually quite a good graphics card, and the computer should have absolutely no problems with the game. The white pools thing sounds like just a little glitch; that, or it's because of your MASSIVE downloads folder.

[Gwill]

I have to ask...
What on EARTH does all those 17 GB consist of?

[MokeyHokey]

Overall, graphics are fine (everything set to high except smooth edges) but I do have white pools on neighborhood view. Would upgrading to a Radeon X1600 PRO with 512 mb memory make any noticeable difference/improvement in my game?

...6 months ago, I upgraded my video card to a Radeon X1900XTX with 512MB. I have 2 GB RAM, and an AMD FX-60. I now have white pools, and my PC runs the Sims like crap. Can't even run it in a window anymore. (Decimates Oblivion though...)

So anyway, maybe white pools are just a Radeon problem?

[ZiggyDoodle]

maybe white pools are just a Radeon problem?

When I'm in a Sims lot and look next door or across the road, my neighbor's pools are colorless.  But I've never seen it as a problem since the graphics in the lot I'm playing are excellent (ATI Radeon X850XT card).

Come to think of it, I've never paid attention to the color of the pools in the neighborhood and have no idea if they are white or blue. 

[Updated:  Checked, and I have lots of blue pools/ponds in the hood view and from my lots, neighboring pools are not colorless]

[ThyGuy]

Whoa, I should read post all the way through before posting, but hey; I'm stupid, one miracle at a time.

Time for some intelligent talk for a moment...

My load time of about 28 minutes isn't bad considering my 17.4 GB download folder but I wouldn't mind faster.

17GB?! HOLY HELL! You need to go into that folder and see what you need, and what you downloaded, because it looked cool, but never actually use. I have a folder outside of the game that sits on my desktop that is 10GB of mods and clothing that I thought was awesome and tossed in there for whenever I actually want to use it in game. 17GB is a insanity size and you should REALLY get it down to under 1.5 GB (or as low as you possibly can). Do yourself this favor and your load time should go waaaaay down, resulting in you not smashing your computer and getting a new one, like EA partners in crime want.

[Annette]

From the neighborhood view my pools are white too. That is with a Fx 7600 GS 256 mb PCI Express card, which is as good as I'm going to get for a long time. The maxis pools on lots that I have not visited are still the nice bright blue they should be, but after I visit and modify they become white.
Back before we had all the ep's (and when I had a lesser card) they stayed blue, even after I would change things. I just blame the game....thinks look good on the lot and that's all that matters. 

[KLGFCG]

  Yeah, I know the compulsive downloading is an issue. Honestly, finding new goodies is half the fun for me... in all, it's a harmless addiction. Of course I have things that I don't use much or at all, but thanks to SimCat, I know where to find all of it when I do want to use it. Other than a long load time (I usually play right before turning in, however, so I just shower and/or tidy up while the game is loading) the game runs really well.
  I was just trying to think of a Xmas present and wondered if a new graphics card would do anything. Sounds like not so I'll look into other prospects. 
  As for the white pools, they started after Uni or NL, before that they were blue. Anyway, it's not a huge issue though I miss the blue. Since the rest of my graphics are flawless, I guess I'll just live with it.
  Finally, for the curious, my DL folder breaks down thusly (I have everything subfoldered): Objects/Recolors of Objects: 10.1 GB, Hair: 1.63 GB, Accessories (glasses, jewelry, etc.): 112 MB, Clothes: 4.02 GB, Walls, Floors, and Terrain Paints: 95.1 MB, Hacks: 16.3 MB, Skintones: 1.00 GB, Makeup: 67.7 MB, and Eyes 6.11 MB. It's insane, I know, but it makes me happy, damnit all. 

[flowerchile]

Wow..  just wow

[moondance]

6 mb of eyes?  How many eyes is that?  Are there any eyes that you do NOT have?

[idtaminger]

Last time I checked my d/ls folder it was 2-3 Gigs. The second time I checked it was 7 frigging Gigs. Then I blinked and it went up to 8 Gigs.

Pescado's loot hasn't helped trim my d/ls down any, certainly. I'm worried that I'm gonna hit that 10 Gig mark soon. Ahh!

[Gwill]

Somehow I expected there to be more skintones in there.  They can be fricking huge.

[blubug]

I'm not so surprised. But I know that my new video card didn't speed up loading time with my 9GB download folder; my new +1 GB of ram DID. I went from a load time of 45-50mins. to 25 minutes.
I first narrowed my downloads to 4.5GB (15 minutes) about a year ago, now I'm back to 8.5. I still have to sort through most of my skintones and ghastly hair. But I just fire up my game and watch some tv or eat.

[miros]

Well, I'm taking the "rename the data folder and move it in as you really need it" approach. 

I'm binning the hair as I move it in too!  The really crazy bit is that I'm actually fixing up missing gray hair and other silliness.  Haven't quite got to the point where I recolor the pink/purple/magenta hair to look more red tho.

[seelindarun]

Wow.

I just want to thank you all; this has been an incredibly enlightening thread for me.  I've been playing TS2 for ohhh, I don't know... a couple of years or three, whenever it was that they made it available for mac.  Sometime after NL, I complained to my boyfriend that it was taking too long to load, and maybe I needed more RAM.  I'd fire it up, go and get a cup of coffee, or take a pee, and settle back in, and it would still be loading!  Well, I never!

At it's worst, it was taking 7 or 8 min. to load up.  I did blithely add more RAM which improved overall gameplay and reduced the load time to an astonishing 3 min.  Because of PMBD, I'm back up to around 5min. again, but this time I'll know better than to complain. 

I don't want to be misinterpreted as saying that somehow my set-up is better.  Believe me, I still have a fairly modest 650 MB in my dl folder, and I play on the last-generation Powerbook.  (Even with PMBD, I'm picky about what I like to see in my game, so it isn't hard for me to pass on a lot of CC.)  I don't imagine that my game resembles anything like what some of you are seeing!