[buttaphly06]

thnks for the forum thread..i have the same excate problem thats listed there...but none of their suggestions helped me. im just gonna get a new graphics card.

since my card is integrated can i still change it?

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Hi, buttaphly06...Welcome to G2G.

To answer your question...yes, you can add a new graphics card. You don't give any specs on your machine in your posts so I can't really give you much advice on what to purchase. One thing to keep in mind though is that there are two basic ways of mounting these cards in the machine...AGP and PCI. Not all older machines have an AGP slot so be sure to check before you buy. (The APG slot will be brown or tan and be located slightly more toward the center of the motherboard). PCI slots will be white and there will be (usually) 3 or more. If in doubt, get a PCI card...you'll lose a little perfomance, but there will almost definitely be a PCI slot available to mount it in. Be sure to check on the Maxis site to make sure the card you want is on their list.

wannabe1

[wannabe1]

Hi, buttaphly06...Welcome to G2G.

To answer your question...yes, you can add a new graphics card. You don't give any specs on your machine in your posts so I can't really give you much advice on what to purchase. One thing to keep in mind though is that there are two basic ways of mounting these cards in the machine...AGP and PCI. Not all older machines have an AGP slot so be sure to check before you buy. (The APG slot will be brown or tan and be located slightly more toward the center of the motherboard). PCI slots will be white and there will be (usually) 3 or more. If in doubt, get a PCI card...you'll lose a little perfomance, but there will almost definitely be a PCI slot available to mount it in. Be sure to check on the Maxis site to make sure the card you want is on their list.

wannabe1

[buttaphly06]

i hope this helps

System Information
------------------
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

(5.1, Build 2600)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Compaq Presario 061
BIOS: Rev. 3.11
Processor: AMD Athlon™ XP 3200+, MMX, 3DNow, ~2.2GHz
Memory: 448MB RAM
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)

--------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: VIA/S3G UniChrome Graphics
Manufacturer: VIA/S3G
Chip type: VIA/S3G UniChrome Graphics IGP
DAC type: Internal
Approx. Total Memory: n/a
Current Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor: Plug and Play Monitor

--------------
Drivers
---------------
Driver Name: vtdisp.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.0194 (English)
DDI Version: unknown


i dont know if i should buy a AGP or PCI

[buttaphly06]

Memory: 448MB RAM
Page File: 296MB used, 761 available

whats the difference between the two?

[wannabe1]

buttaphly06,

Is this a laptop or a desk top computer?

The AGP card is faster than the PCI, but if your computer is a laptop, we may have to regroup a little.

wannabe1

[buttaphly06]

its a desktop

[wannabe1]

buttaphly06,

Your machine should have an AGP slot which will make finding a compatable card easier as there is a wider variety of AGP cards than PCI.

I would get the AGP card. Make sure it is DirectX 9.0c compatable. (You may still want to take a peek inside the case to make sure before you buy.)

I'm no expert on Sims2, but my daughter plays it for hours on end and I just went through all this graphics stuff on my her HP computer...I understand your frustrations.

ATI makes several affordable boards that will work just fine.

wannabe1

[buttaphly06]

ok thnk you alot!

by any chance do u know if ATI or NVIDIA is more suitable for the game?

[wannabe1]

Hi buttaphly06,

I installed an ATI Radeon 9200 in my daughter's machine and it seems to run the game a little cleaner and brighter than the NVIDIA that's on my machine. The ATI cost about $100, but there were some on the same shelf for less than $70 that would have worked, too. You'll want at very least 128MB of memory on the card and 256MB would be the recommended amount for good game play. After that, it all depends on how thick your pocket book feels...

wannabe1

[buttaphly06]

does your daughter have any problems with saving it?

because on my dads computer he has a NVIDIA and it would take about 15 minutes to save or sometimes it freezes and i would have to restart.

[buttaphly06]

i think i might buy the ATI Radeon 9200 for my computer.

[wannabe1]

buttaphly06,

My daughter says she used to have problems saving her games on my machine every once in a while, but not every time. She also tells me that the games have been saving without a problem on her machine (with the ATI card).

The ATI 9200 series card seems to be working as it should and the graphics were a big improvement over my machine...so there you go...it should be a good choice for Sims 2 play.

Good luck with your upgrade. If you have any problems after thie install, you may certainly PM me and I'll gladly help if I'm able.

wannabe1

[buttaphly06]

Edited by buttaphly06, 17 October 2005 - 01:03 AM.

[buttaphly06]

Yes it has been about 3 months since I’ve been on this site. I’ve been very busy with my senior year in high school.

If u need to know my problem just re-read the beginning of the post

I still didn’t get the graphics card yet. My only problem is where do I go to get one? Do I install it myself or take the computer in?

[buttaphly06]

wow its been almost a year...i still dont have a graphics card.

where can i get one?