SIMS 3 Requirements

[roerzman]

just a word of warning before we all get to exited, these minimum specs. that game producers release in order to sell their games, must be taken tongue in cheek, those so called gran. machines may just get by if you tone everything down and have no more than two sims on your screen at any one time.
something else we tend to overlook sometimes. win. xp requires at least 500 mb. to 1 gig. of  ram to run properly.
                                                                vista requires 1gig. ram min.to 2gig.+ to run reasonably smoothly
the above are only for the operating systems, we now need more ram for your aplications, even more ram to run your antivirus etc. if you need to be online to play the game. those who choose to run a modern game on a 6 year old machine will risk frying it, i have also seen the previews of sims3 and as a gamer with many years experience and several burned out computers, i can tell you all that you will need a mid to high end spec. pc. to run that game, try it on an old pentium and if you don't drive yourself mad you will burn it out. you wiil need a minimum  2.4 doucore cpu. 2 gig. ram. and  at least a 9800 gt+ nvidea graphics card. as for ram windows 32bit which we all use will not read anymore than 3.5 gig. of ram. that includes vista. the s__t one reads about pcs. running 4. 8. 12 gig of ram are pcs. running windows or vista 64bit, and as far as i know no game has yet been written for 64bit.
those out there who can still remember playing sims1 on an old pentium3 or 4 with 500meg of sdr. ram and an old agp graphics card will know exactly what i'm talking about.
oops, i almost forgot, it gets worse, your monitor, the larger your monitor the more power your graphics needs to alocate to run it. i find it best to wait for the games to be released and read in gaming magazines just what you realy require to run the things, and not sit in front of a screen watching something struggling along at 3 frames a second and my harddrive working overtime alocating more and more virtual memory untill windows finaly gives up and you're left looking at the blue screan of death. been there? i have, many times, so please take care, after all they're there to sell a product and your pc. is right at the bottom of their priorities
finaly, with ram we are talking about ddr2, not ddr or sdr.and to run ddr2 you will require a modern motherboard.

[geezy33]

I have a good computer that can handle the sims 3, cuz I put the sims 2 on it, it's like heaven, the best thing to do is, play your game for  1 hour, that's what I do. I love having new sims

[roerzman]

most if not all modern computers are capable of running sims2 and 3, just a word of caution for those who chose to buy a bargain with onboard graphics and no expansion slot for a graphics card, tone everything down to its minimum, texture , lighting, terain etc.and don't have anymore than 2 or 3 sims active at anyone time, and with a bit of luck you just might get by, and limit your playing time.
there are some background tasks that you can turn of, they will be listed in the game manual, but if you need an internet conection to play the game you will have a problem, also keep an eye on your hard drive indicator (the red light) if it is on constantly during play that means windows is using the hard drive for memory, shut the game down, damage will result.

[cantresist17]

If I'm not wrong, my laptop is royally screwed because it's a laptop AND has Vista.  So I think I made the bare mininum for those requirements.  (This WAS a really good laptop last year; XPS with the upgrades-just not crazy expensive.)  And I was looking forward to TS3.  I just don't want to play on mininum...

[roerzman]

vista is a real resource hog and likes at least 1 gig. ram to run smoothly.best wait for windows 7 to be released, or go back to xp. that is unless you are in a position to spend big dollars and get a laptop that can handle the latest generation of games.

[liverbird]

I have a gforce nividia 7500LE will it work with sims 3 as its not listed...

[Hanomaru]

I'd tentatively say yes, because it's a newer series than the min. for both laptops and desktops, and as far as I know, nVidia didn't suddenly do a monkeys-with-typewriters thing for the drivers on any one series.

[sleepily]

I resent all the fuss that people are making about Vista. As a long-time windows user, I love Vista. I've had absolutely no problem with it, and it's an incredibly smooth OS. Just buy Vista ultimate (or whatever the newest version is) and/or get yourself a better graphics card. As someone who plays at least ONE computer game, you should really be using better technology. Buying a better video card is an inexpensive way to boost your old PC, and it's easy to install. come on, people!

[Tenshii~Akari]

As someone who plays at least ONE computer game, you should really be using better technology. Buying a better video card is an inexpensive way to boost your old PC, and it's easy to install. come on, people!

Now, if one could afford to spend money on new technology, I'd probably agree with you.  But considering some people's circumstances and unwillingness to spend money on things when they know they'll need it for necessities and other non-game related things, I don't know...   One would also have to consider those in the age bracket that can't get/don't have jobs and still play the game. 

Speaking from experience, not everyone is going to be able to update their technology in the way they want, but do know that if they can still play the game on what they have they'll make the best of it until they are able to upgrade.  One (but not the main) reason why I know I'll be skipping out on this, as my computer is just barely making it by with Sims 2 up to Seasons (excluding Pets EP and SPs).  College debt will be kicking in eventually, and it's hard enough to budget on small income.  By the time I get a new computer, it's probably going to be time for Sims 4 to make a sneak peek... or 5... or even 6 if the series even lasts through 3, 4 and 5. 

[Hanomaru]

(And don't forget the complete economic rain-o'-fire-and-brimstone thing.)

The only reason I've been able to get any new computer at all over the past six years or so is mostly windfalls and mooching off my parents. I'm damn lucky to have my own roof over my head, let alone a snazzy Tosh.

Also, I've used Mac, Linux and Windows and I've got to say, Vista's got some really good stuff, but it's got a lot of stuff that just makes me go "What the hell!". My comp came with XP "downgrade" software, and I'm very tempted.

[Razamataz]

The web site "Can you Run it" has added the Minamum requierments for The Sims 3 to its list. So now you can Just Check this link!!

http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/referrer/srtest

[Feisty32]

As someone who plays at least ONE computer game, you should really be using better technology. Buying a better video card is an inexpensive way to boost your old PC, and it's easy to install. come on, people!

Now, if one could afford to spend money on new technology, I'd probably agree with you.  But considering some people's circumstances and unwillingness to spend money on things when they know they'll need it for necessities and other non-game related things, I don't know...   One would also have to consider those in the age bracket that can't get/don't have jobs and still play the game. 

Speaking from experience, not everyone is going to be able to update their technology in the way they want, but do know that if they can still play the game on what they have they'll make the best of it until they are able to upgrade.  One (but not the main) reason why I know I'll be skipping out on this, as my computer is just barely making it by with Sims 2 up to Seasons (excluding Pets EP and SPs).  College debt will be kicking in eventually, and it's hard enough to budget on small income.  By the time I get a new computer, it's probably going to be time for Sims 4 to make a sneak peek... or 5... or even 6 if the series even lasts through 3, 4 and 5. 

beautifully said Tenshii Akari.

[VampyrMuffinMan]

As someone who plays at least ONE computer game, you should really be using better technology. Buying a better video card is an inexpensive way to boost your old PC, and it's easy to install. come on, people!

Now, if one could afford to spend money on new technology, I'd probably agree with you.  But considering some people's circumstances and unwillingness to spend money on things when they know they'll need it for necessities and other non-game related things, I don't know...   One would also have to consider those in the age bracket that can't get/don't have jobs and still play the game. 

Speaking from experience, not everyone is going to be able to update their technology in the way they want, but do know that if they can still play the game on what they have they'll make the best of it until they are able to upgrade.  One (but not the main) reason why I know I'll be skipping out on this, as my computer is just barely making it by with Sims 2 up to Seasons (excluding Pets EP and SPs).  College debt will be kicking in eventually, and it's hard enough to budget on small income.  By the time I get a new computer, it's probably going to be time for Sims 4 to make a sneak peek... or 5... or even 6 if the series even lasts through 3, 4 and 5. 

beautifully said Tenshii Akari.

 
Throwing money at the problem isn't the answer to 90% of computer slowdowns.  As far a Vista goes, yeah, there are plenty of people who like it.  Does it run well on my computer?  Nope.  Could I throw money at it and make it run well?  Yep.  Here's a fun fact, though.  Windows 7 runs almost as well on my computer as XP Pro SP3 does.  (which is good...)  So right now (or when Sims 3 comes out) buying a new computer with Vista on it is a total waste of money.  Too bad the Windows 7 release won't coincide with Sims 3...  Maybe by June you can get something with a free upgrade to 7 when it's released?

[SimGirl20]

lol! thanks for that helpful hint about system requirements lab updating to Sim3 minimum reqs there Razamataz I checked and look with what I failed on

 System RAM
Minimum: (XP) 1 GB RAM; (Vista) 1.5 GB RAM [If built-in graphics then add 0.5 GB additional RAM]
You Have: 446 MB  FAIL: Sorry, your computer does not meet this minimum requirement. You may be able to add more RAM which could make your computer more powerful. Click the 'We Recommend' to see how.


off to the store we go to buy some more RAM! yay but I'm so happy I can actually run it...

Full System Specs...

  CPU
Minimum: (XP) 2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent; (Vista) 2.4 GHz P4 processor or equivalent [If built-in graphics chipsets then 2.6 GHz Pentium D CPU, or 1.8 GHz Core 2 Duo, or equivalent.]
You Have: AMD Sempron(tm) Processor 3400+  PASS   
 CPU Speed
Minimum: 2 GHz
You Have: 1.80 GHz Performance Rated at 3.40 GHz  PASS   
 System RAM
Minimum: (XP) 1 GB RAM; (Vista) 1.5 GB RAM [If built-in graphics then add 0.5 GB additional RAM]
You Have: 446 MB  FAIL: Sorry, your computer does not meet this minimum requirement. You may be able to add more RAM which could make your computer more powerful. Click the 'We Recommend' to see how. 
 Operating System
Minimum: Windows XP (Service Pack 2) or Windows Vista (Service Pack 1)
You Have: Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition (Build Service Pack 32600)  PASS   
 Video Card
Minimum: 128 MB Video Card, with support for Pixel Shader 2.0 (NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900 or above / ATI Radeon 9500 or above / Intel GMA 3-series or above)
You Have: NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE (GeForce 6150 LE)  PASS   
 Video Card Features - Minimum attributes of your Video Card  Video RAM: Required - 128 MB , You have - 256 MB
 Video Card 3D Acceleration: Required - Yes , You have - Yes
 Pixel Shader Ver.: Required - 2.0 , You have - 3.0
 
 
 Video Card Driver Version (DirectX)
Your driver version number is: 6.14.10.8208   FYI: Your video card driver version is provided for your information, but it is not part of this analysis. But proper video card driver versions are important to the proper operation of your product. 
 Sound Card
Minimum: Yes
You Have: Realtek HD Audio rear output   PASS   
 Sound Card Driver Version
Your driver version number is: 5.10   FYI: Your sound card driver version is provided for your information, but it is not part of this analysis. But proper sound card driver versions are important to the proper operation of your product. 
 Free Disk Space
Minimum: 6.1 GB of hard drive space with at least 1 GB of additional space for custom content and saved games
You Have: 71.3 GB  PASS
 

[roerzman]

I realise many out there are very keen to play sims 3 so please don't look on this as being anti sims 3, this is meant to help and hopefully save burning out someones pc.

These minimum requirements that game developers state will run their latest releases are put out to sell the game.
Pcs. that barely meet these requirements will not run the game smoothly. In order to get the game to run at all you will have to turn everything down to its minimum or off not to mention waiting fifteen minutes for it to load.
This is exactly like a car salesman telling you that the little four cylinder SUV. you're looking at will tow your thirty foot caravan. Sure it will, but for how long before either the transmission or motor go pffftt? and that's after you removed the bed and fridge to make it lighter.
The cpu. is the key to what you can and can not do. Throwing more ram. or a larger graphics card into an old pentium will speed up windows and some application but will make very little difference to the latest generation of games. It's like bolting on a supercharger from a street racer on to the old four cylinder piece of junk parked in your backyard and hopping to give your next door neighbours V8 a run for his money.
I have been into the gaming forums including PC.Powerplay and the great majority of the response to these requirements posted by EA. were from scepticism to disbelief. The things that were often mentioned were quad core cpus. and very expensive graphics cards in order to get the thing to run at an acceptable frame rate.
The other thing that's often mentioned is if the game developers release realistic system requirements, you'll be looking at serious dollars and the game will not sell as they hope.
How on earth can EA.stand up and say that the same old tired machine that was struggling to run sims 2.and not including the expansion packs, will run the largely upgraded sims 3 with all its new gameplay smoothly?
As for on board graphics, you're kidding me. They are office machines not gaming machines, try it and you'll have a smoking ruin after a week or your hard drive will fly apart from continuous use.

All the comments were made by members of the gaming community looking at the video releases and comparing that to similar previews of previous releases and the associated unrealistic minimum hardware requirements.

I know many of you are really keen to get the game, and good for you. But do yourselves a favour and ask someone who builds pcs, not someone who flogs software, what you realistically need. Don't just get one opinion get several, compare them and hopefully you'll have an enjoyable experience rather than staring at the blank screen of a burned out pc. (been there, done that, several times)

Just remember this NEVER, I repeat NEVER take the game developers minimum requirements as gospel, they are there to sell a product, nothing else. They have absolutely no interest in your hardware,their interest is solely in selling their new release.