TS3/GTX 460 SE Compatibility Issues

[Purplepaws]

I hope I posted in the right section, but being as this deals mainly with hardware, I figured it didn't belong in Game Help.

Okay, so here's the story...

I just upgraded my graphics card from an EVGA 9600 GT to an EVGA GTX 460 SE because the card was wearing out and causing fuzzy text and anti-aliasing after being in the game for a short period of time. I chose the GTX 460 SE because the reviews were very good and everything seemed to suggest it would run TS3 with ease. Well, it was installed a few days ago, and I can't say I'm all that thrilled with the performance. Considerable lag/choppiness when zooming or moving around the lot or neighborhood, sometimes with fps drops (to the mid-teens), sometimes not, but it's such a noticeable difference from my last card that I can't even comfortably play it. I did some research, and this problem seems to be affecting other people with this card (both the regular 460 and the SE), but at the same time, it's listed as compatible (and should blow my old card out of the water).

I could certainly see that my computer might be bottle-necking some of the power (as it's over three years old), however I shouldn't see a decrease in performance from a lesser card to a higher one. The 9600 GT controls and navigation were perfectly smooth, so of course I was expecting the same from the GTX 460 SE, as well as an improvement in graphics quality and overall frame rate (which it does have, except for some highly-pixelated shadows and blurry glass shader rendering, another disappointment). It is important to note that the only thing that's changed about my pc's configuration between the time TS3 played smoothly and the time I noticed the problem is the graphics card. It's been recently defragged, cleaned, and optimized, and should otherwise be in peak condition to run TS3. My specs:

OS: Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit SP2
Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4 GHz
RAM: 4 GB Dual-channel DDR2
Graphics: EVGA GTX 460 SE 1 GB (v-sync enabled)
Power Supply: Corsair 550w
Display: 1440x900 px

I realize the card may be a bit more powerful than my pc can use, but I bought it with the thought of transferring to a new computer within a year. Also, the Corsair 550w was just put in a few months ago and exceeds the minimum required watts for the GTX 460 SE by 100. The system is also well-ventilated, dust-free, and runs quiet as a mouse.

So, my question to you is... Is there anything I can do to improve performance? Is there something about my system I'm overlooking? Can anyone confirm that this card runs smoothly for their game? Or did I make the wrong decision?

Thank you SO much for any help you're able to give on this matter. I really hope this can be solved, as I've been prepping/organizing my game for the last month and a half and I just want to play! :(

*Edit* I forgot to add that my game is fully patched and I've done a clean uninstall/reinstall of the latest Nvidia drivers (even tried the beta).

[ellacharmed]

How about DirectX?

Was the option.ini removed?
Does TS3 recognize this new card or still list the old one in the DeviceConfig.log file?
Both files are in the User folders.

You tested on a new game or old save?
It just may be incidental that the new card allows for faster processing and you now see the lags manifest as before you may have attributed it to a weak GPU. :)

[Purplepaws]

I had previously checked my version of DirectX and verified that it was the latest, but I ran through the updater just in case.

I also deleted the options.ini file as per suggestion and made sure the new card was recognized in the DeviceConfig.log file.

I forgot to mention that I had tested it before with my user files removed and a fresh game, but I tried it again to make sure.

After all these steps, the card is still behaving as it has been. I tried lowering all game settings to the minimum, which caused a slight frame rate improvement, but the overall choppiness when moving the camera was still there.

Is it possible that this could be fixed somewhere down the road with either a game patch or driver update? Or maybe my processor is the real problem and is not equipped to handle newer cards? I could see where someone new to the game might perceive this as normal and have no problems playing, but having experienced smoother performance, I'm finding it hard to adjust.

[ellacharmed]

Is that "(v-sync enabled)" something you tweaked? Have you run it with factory settings and see how it performs before tweaking anything?
The card performs without issues in other games and when watching movies?

I have the 1GB regular model and I can't say I see the symptoms you described, but then the SE is a crippled version of the regular model, but according to the numbers shouldn't be by much and the difference although slight may not have been noticeable.

You have a Quad Core, albeit with the DDR2 older generation, so the performance should be fine.

If it can't be explain away by tweaking in software and OS, I would unplug and reseat it again, making sure the 2 6pin plugs are secure at both ends. Redownload (correct OS and bit type?) and reinstall drivers in Safe Mode, again as well.
Other than that, I cannot think of anything else. Perhaps it need to "settle in" - play on default option.ini settings for a bit, before you tweak that too.

Oh, you haven't tweaked any of the game's .sgr files in the /Game/Bin, have you?

[Purplepaws]

I did try factory settings before tweaking any options in the Nvidia control panel, but the choppiness was still present. I forced v-sync on to eliminate any horizontal tearing (also necessary with my other card). I also have anisotropic filtering enabled at 8x but tried it without as well (makes no difference in frame rate). I'm thrilled that I can enable it with the 460 SE, as the 9600 GT would overheat with this option and cause minor pixelation issues in CAS.

I actually don't play any other graphics-intensive games on this PC, and I haven't tried any video playback yet (but will make a point to do so). It's good to know you've had no issues with the regular 460 so I know it's not a standard issue for this card. Maybe it does just need to "settle in" as you suggested. I'll try reseating it just in case, and test it out some more over the next couple of days. It would really be a shame if this card didn't work for me, since it runs so quietly and displays such vivid graphics (although I could do without the pixelated shadows).

And no, I never changed any .sgr files, or any others in the game installation directory, for that matter.

[ellacharmed]

You get tearing after playing for how long? Not immediately when loading a game, right?
And in what sort of scenes? Changing clothing for bed/shower, when Sims are moving about Town, etc?

What is the Monitor model? This is unchanged, right? You're using the same monitor with both cards?
Are you using the native resolution the card provides for this monitor?

[Purplepaws]

The tearing occurs whenever I move the camera or zoom, any time, any place (doesn't matter how long I've been in the game). I don't recall whether this was present when my computer was new, but I noticed it a month or two ago and fixed it by forcing v-sync "on" in the Nvidia settings. The new card is the same. Is this not a good sign? I was under the impression that the tearing was merely caused by the frame rate surpassing the monitor's refresh rate, which v-sync essentially caps, and in turn helps prevent the card from overheating.

My monitor is as old as my computer and is an HP w1907. It's the same one I've used for both cards. And yes, 1440x900 is the native resolution.

[ellacharmed]

Right, seems the GPU is too fast for the monitor, huh? ;)

How is the monitor connected? VGA? DVI?

[Purplepaws]

Well, too fast until it spikes. The monitor is connected via VGA cable.

(And I haven't had time to do any more testing. I'll report back when I do.)

[ellacharmed]

Maybe you want to try going Digital? A shame not to use the GPU's full potential and stick to analog VGA.
Both the monitor and card has a DVI port, I think.

[Purplepaws]

At some point I may, but it likely won't fix the problem at hand, right? (Or are you suggesting it might?)

Still no time to test; will try for tomorrow. Thank you for all of your suggestions thus far.

[Purplepaws]

So I went to the trouble of reseating it, making sure everything was firmly connected, and reinstalled the latest drivers (though the installation failed in safe mode for whatever reason, so I had to restart normally). I even found the DVI cable that must have come with the monitor and made the switch from VGA (don't know why I didn't use that in the first place). I deleted the options.ini file again, and made sure the Nvidia settings were set to application-controlled.

Tested the game, and... it's exactly the same. I'm noticing no difference whatsoever. I checked out some YouTube videos showcasing the 460's performance with The Sims 3, and I can't say I can see the same problem, although it's hard to tell as the player doesn't move around much. I'm quickly losing my frame of reference, and now I'm starting to wonder if my old card really was as smooth as I remember. I think it would benefit me to reinstall the 9600 GT so I can have a fresher comparison.

*sigh* I'll have to attempt that tomorrow as I'm getting a migraine.

[Purplepaws]

It just may be incidental that the new card allows for faster processing and you now see the lags manifest as before you may have attributed it to a weak GPU. :)

Okay, so I should have paid more attention to this comment. :faceslap:

Reinstalled the old card and tested it with TS3. Guess what? No smoother performance. I guess I had learned to ignore the choppiness when I was focusing on gameplay, and suddenly when the new card was installed my focus switched to graphics and I noticed all the flaws. I really credited myself with being a little more observant than that...

So anyway, I guess I'll be sticking to the 460 SE. My apologies for the oversight; I've been kind of burnt out as of late and it was really only a matter of time before I lost it. So sorry for taking up your valuable time with what turned out to be a non-problem.

(By the way, I hope this triple post is acceptable given the amount of time between posts.)

[ellacharmed]

Yeah, I had no further input to help you with, thus no posts. :)
So glad you tested and have at least convinced yourself, instead of just listening to me babble on.
I knew the GPU wouldn't be affecting lags as you would expect, as it is all the CPU doing the processing.

Glad it's all sorted now, at least.
Re: the VGA cable issue, seems a waste to go digital from CPU through an analog cable to be digitized again on the LCD.

[Purplepaws]

Re: the VGA cable issue, seems a waste to go digital from CPU through an analog cable to be digitized again on the LCD.

Definitely, I'm glad you suggested it.

...So all in all, it's a problem with the system, not the GPU. Just out of curiosity, which part do you think might be bottle-necking? You stated that the Quad Core should have no issues, and I thought I read somewhere that anything over 4GB RAM was overkill for TS3. Might I be able to increase performance by upgrading any of my components, or should I just wait for a new PC?

[ellacharmed]

If you want to upgrade anything, I suggest Windows 7.

You're already on a quad-core, so nothing revolutionary to upgrade processors. Until the next big hardware invention comes along, that is. But CPUs are going on the "integration" and "low-power" kick, so apart from longer battery life on mobile devices, there's not much these improvements can do for Desktop Gaming. And the IGPs on these new CPUs still cannot handle Sims games.
So, meh....

More than 4GB RAM is overkill if your style is to play or use one application at a time, yes.

I'd just put the budget towards the next PC purchase, if I were you. Then, when you're ready to buy that new dream gaming machine, you can splurge all out. :)

[Purplepaws]

Thanks so much for your input; I really appreciate it. I'm going to go ahead and wait for the new PC rather than invest in any further upgrades.