graphic woes on new pc

[graphico]

I am in urgent need of help.

I finally upgraded my system from a Windows 2K, Intel P4 3gHz with an nVidia FX 5200 card and 1gb RAM to what is shown below, which I'm sure should be able to run Sims 2 three times over without glitches. The reality, however, is that the game runs smoothly for a few seconds and then badly stutters or jerks or lags or chops or skips or whatever the hell you want to call it. It does that for about 5-10 seconds and then runs smoothly for the next 5-10 seconds before doing its little thing again, world without end, amen. This happens in the entire game: in the neighbourhood screen, in live mode, buy mode and build mode and in create a family.

Other than with TS2, the new computer is on fire and starts Windows XP Pro within 1 minute from pressing the power button! I don't play other games, so I am unable to test whether this is exclusive to TS2.

Friday I spent the entire day on the net looking for solutions. Apparently there is such a thing as a cpu affinity issue or some such which means TS2 can't utilise more than one processor. So:

• I installed the AMD cpu optimizer and I set the affinity to first one and then the other cpu in windows task manager,
• I tried to install MS's KB896256 and KB924441 but apparently they were included in the service pack (sp3) that I already have installed,
• I started drinking,
• I made sure all background tasks were shut down,
• I updated the drivers for the motherboard, the graphics card, the cpu,
• I reinstalled Windows XP three times and TS2 with all the EA patches twice,
• I cursed an moaned and cursed once more,
• I scandisked and defragged and virus checked with a completely up to date AVG Free version 8,
• I reduced the size of the page file (min 513k, max 1535k) and moved it to a different physical drive,
• I tried to go without TS2,
• I installed only the base game with no custom content and turned down all the graphics options as low as they could go,
• I had withdrawal symptoms,
• I made sure both system restore and drive indexing were switched off,
• I tried "boolprop useshaders false" and "vsync off",

none of which did the slightest bit of anything to solve the problem. How I miss my old system! It was not perfect by a long shot, but at least I could play.

The DirectX Diagnostic report:

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 7/11/2008, 23:34:50
Machine name: ODYSSEY
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp.080413-2111)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Asus
System Model: M2n-VM DVI
BIOS: BIOS Date: 10/23/07 09:46:26 Ver: 08.00.14
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 6000+, MMX, 3DNow (2 CPUs), ~3.0GHz
Memory: 2048MB RAM
Page File: 253MB used, 2152MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.5512 32bit Unicode

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: GeForce 8600 GT
DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0401&SUBSYS_82721043&REV_A1
Display Memory: 512.0 MB
Current Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (75Hz)
Monitor: LG Flatron ez T730SH
Monitor Max Res: 1600,1200
Driver Name: nv4_disp.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0011.7519 (English)
DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 5/16/2008 14:01:00, 6108928 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
VDD: n/a
Mini VDD: nv4_mini.sys
Mini VDD Date: 5/16/2008 14:01:00, 6557408 bytes
Device Identifier: {D7B71E3E-4741-11CF-AC6E-79A200C2CB35}
Vendor ID: 0x10DE
Device ID: 0x0401
SubSys ID: 0x82721043
Revision ID: 0x00A1
Revision ID: 0x00A1
Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_C ModeMPEG2_D ModeWMV9_B ModeWMV9_A
Deinterlace Caps: {6CB69578-7617-4637-91E5-1C02DB810285}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{6CB69578-7617-4637-91E5-1C02DB810285}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{6CB69578-7617-4637-91E5-1C02DB810285}: Format(In/Out)=(YV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(YV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{6CB69578-7617-4637-91E5-1C02DB810285}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
Registry: OK
DDraw Status: Enabled
D3D Status: Enabled
AGP Status: Enabled
DDraw Test Result: Not run
D3D7 Test Result: Not run
D3D8 Test Result: Not run
D3D9 Test Result: Not run

What isn't mentioned in these reports is that I have 2 hdds - C: is a 40GB IDE (primary master) and contains all OS (including My Documents) and program files, and D: is a 80GB SATA and is where all my data is kept. And an LG GSA-H55L multi DVD writer (primary slave). Also, I have a 350W psu which is not the best, but is supposed to be strong enough.

Please help!

[swmeek]

Did you try running Driver Cleaner to make sure you were installing with clean video drivers?
http://downloads.guru3d.com/Driver-Cleaner-Professional-download-745.html
You seem pretty computer literate so I would suggest you go and run DC and have it clean out all of your old drivers and then install the newest driver for that card.
The only thing you do not want to clean is the Nvidia chipset drivers.
Also what particular breed of power supply are you using?
You might also try using this and see just how much you are using and if your psu really has enough to power it all.
http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp

[Leticron]

why did you reduce the page file?
It might not have anything to do with your issue but you should set MIN and MAX to the SAME value (which should be 1.5x the size of your RAM) to prevent Windows from constantly swapping in and out and thus fragmenting the swap file.
Plus I suggest you get process explorer (http://www.filehippo.com/download_process_explorer/) and run it in the background. it will show you what causes the lags every 10-15 sec. if you hover the cursor over the taskbar icon

IMHO it's not the PSU...Those symptoms are different ;)
One more thing that comes to mind, seeing how you re installed XP so many times.
Did you accidentally forget to re-install the chipset drivers (http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us)by any chance?

-le

[graphico]

Hi guys, thanks for all the advice!

swmeek, I don't know the brand of psu, but that website you gave me calculates that I need about 270W. I've downloaded Drive Cleaner and I'll do what you suggested.

Leticron, some other website suggested I change the page file sizes to what I mentioned, but I'll try your suggestion. I've downloaded Process Explorer and I'll have a look what I can figure out with it. I always install the chipset drivers right after I install the OS, so no, I haven't forgotten install them, but thanks for thinking of that.

I'll try everything both of you suggested as soon as I get home from work and I'll let you know whether it was successful.

Thanks again!

[swmeek]

The only way short of looking on the manufacturer's website is pop open the case and look for a tag on the psu itself.
It will say something like 350 watt maximim output.

[graphico]

None of these suggestions had any effect, I'm afraid.

I found another suggestion on EA's website, which is to start the game with the -w and -nosound switches. The game's performance was definitely better with the -w option, but -nosound had no visible effect. When I paused the game for a while and went back to it, however, the dreaded lag was back. Does this mean anything?

I'm attaching two screenshots from Process Explorer - I don't really know how to interpret the information.

My psu's brand is PowerMax.

[swmeek]

Have you done a thorough search for spyware on your pc?

[graphico]

I think I may have found the problem.

When setting the affinity the game has for only one of the two processors, I never checked in the task manager that it was actually using only the one processor specified. When I used Process Explorer, however, I noticed that the game still used the other processor from time to time, even though it had been told to only use one. And the periods that it was using the other processor was exactly the time that the game stuttered, as shown in the attached screen capture.

So I tried setting the affinity with Task Assign, to no avail. Then I found another program, ForceCore, which is supposed to do the same thing. But I got an error message - oxc0000135 - when I tried to run the program. Back to the drawing board once more. After doing a bit of research, I found that the error message seems to mean that the program needs MS's .NET
installed. Which is the next thing I will do. I just wonder whether it needs .NET 1.1 or 2.0? Never mind, I'll install both.

And I'll update this thread as soon as I have done that.

Sigh.

[swmeek]

2.0 is the same as 1.1 only just upgraded.

[graphico]

An update on my little ForceCore solution of yesterday:

Very little, if anything, changed. Even though the game had been instructed to use only one processor, it kept accessing the second processor. Why? Why? I've attached a new screenshot, if anyone's interested.

Tried a thorough search for spyware, found nothing.

[Leticron]

Have a look HERE (http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php?topic=7748.0;wap2) I guess that might be a solution

-le

[graphico]

I am finally able to play Sims again!

There were many, many suggestions from all over, including replacing the psu. In the end, replacing the motherboard was what fixed the problem. Everything works beautifully now.

Thanks for all the help, I really appreciate it!