Horribly pixelated clothes

[ttttttte]

So I booted up the Sims 3 today and for no reason whatsoever, the clothes textures are abysmal.

http://i.imgur.com/5xB4E.png

My settings are all default except texture detail is set to "high". I'm running the latest patch and never had any problems until now. Can anyone help?

ETA: I tried removing all my mods to see if any of them were the problem, and it didn't help. I have no CC installed. Also have all EPs and SPs.

[ttttttte]

System specs for the graphics card.

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: Intel(R) G41 Express Chipset
Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Chip type: Intel(R) 4 Series Express Chipset Family
DAC type: Internal
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2E32&SUBSYS_2A8C103C&REV_03
Display Memory: 1326 MB
Dedicated Memory: 64 MB
Shared Memory: 1262 MB
Current Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
Monitor Model: Acer AL1511
Monitor Id: ACRAD14
Native Mode: 1024 x 768(p) (60.004Hz)
Output Type: HD15
Driver Name: igdumd64.dll,igd10umd64.dll,igdumdx32,igd10umd32
Driver File Version: 8.15.0010.2119 (English)
Driver Version: 8.15.10.2119
DDI Version: 10
Driver Model: WDDM 1.1
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 4/21/2010 05:18:38, 6534144 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: n/a
WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
Device Identifier: {D7B78E66-6D72-11CF-CB7B-860AA3C2C535}
Vendor ID: 0x8086
Device ID: 0x2E32
SubSys ID: 0x2A8C103C
Revision ID: 0x0003
Driver Strong Name: oem3.inf:Intel.Mfg.NTamd64:iEGL0:8.15.10.2119:pci\ven_8086&dev_2e32&subsys_2a8c103c
Rank Of Driver: 00E60001
Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_A ModeMPEG2_C ModeWMV9_B ModeWMV9_C ModeVC1_B ModeVC1_C
Deinterlace Caps: {BF752EF6-8CC4-457A-BE1B-08BD1CAEEE9F}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY VideoProcess_AlphaBlend DeinterlaceTech_EdgeFiltering
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY VideoProcess_AlphaBlend DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY VideoProcess_AlphaBlend
{BF752EF6-8CC4-457A-BE1B-08BD1CAEEE9F}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY VideoProcess_AlphaBlend DeinterlaceTech_EdgeFiltering
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY VideoProcess_AlphaBlend DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY VideoProcess_AlphaBlend
{BF752EF6-8CC4-457A-BE1B-08BD1CAEEE9F}: Format(In/Out)=(YV12,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY VideoProcess_AlphaBlend DeinterlaceTech_EdgeFiltering
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(YV12,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY VideoProcess_AlphaBlend DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(YV12,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY VideoProcess_AlphaBlend
{BF752EF6-8CC4-457A-BE1B-08BD1CAEEE9F}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY VideoProcess_AlphaBlend DeinterlaceTech_EdgeFiltering
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{BF752EF6-8CC4-457A-BE1B-08BD1CAEEE9F}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY VideoProcess_AlphaBlend DeinterlaceTech_EdgeFiltering
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{BF752EF6-8CC4-457A-BE1B-08BD1CAEEE9F}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC3,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY VideoProcess_AlphaBlend DeinterlaceTech_EdgeFiltering
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{BF752EF6-8CC4-457A-BE1B-08BD1CAEEE9F}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC4,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY VideoProcess_AlphaBlend DeinterlaceTech_EdgeFiltering
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D3D9 Overlay: Supported
DXVA-HD: Supported
DDraw Status: Enabled
D3D Status: Enabled
AGP Status: Enabled

I don't think it's a very good one but it's displayed Sims 3 just fine for the past few years so I don't see why today would be any different. Any help would be really appreciated, game is pretty much unplayable for me in this state. Clothes look painted on, yuck!

[Mordant17]

That graphics card cannot handle the sims 3! You have onboard graphics: http://www.modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Onboard_Graphics

Playing the sims 3 on such a card can actually damage your computer. Even though it used to be fine before, today may just have been the last straw. Check out this article: http://www.modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Your_Computer_is_Like_a_Car

[ttttttte]

So what should I do? Not play until I get a proper graphics card or turn the settings down as far as possible? I tried to look at that article for a recommendation for a different one but it seems to contradict itself and doesn't list a lot of graphics card I see for sale on pcworld. I'm looking into getting a new laptop soon so I dunno if I'll be able to afford a standalone graphics card, are ALL onboard graphics unsafe and bound to lose stability eventually?

[Ghost sdoj]

All Integrated Graphics cards are unsuited for the Sims, despite what EA will tell you. (They don't care if you burn up your computer as long as you have their games on it.) You can turn all settings down to minimum, play in windowed mode, and limit play time to help things out a bit, but the best thing to do is to save up for an inexpensive graphics card that is listed with "Yes" for everything on the MTS system Requirements page. And some of them really are relatively inexpensive, especially if you shop around and are willing to settle for an older card if it still has yes across the board.

http://www.modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:TS3_System_Requirements

That gets updated with real-life info a lot faster than EA updates the system requirements on the Sims 3 boxes.

[ttttttte]

I can't find any with yes across the board that aren't mad expensive... how much of a risk is it going for one with about half yes and half maybe?

ETA: Actually managed to find one with yes across the board for about £42.10 which isn't too bad. My next question is... how do they work? :P I have no idea when it comes to these things, forgive me!

[whiterider]

You said you're buying a new laptop soon - does that mean you're using a laptop right now? If so, you won't be able to install a new graphics card.

Have a look at the graphics cards sticky in this forum - that'll point out some other things you need to think about, like the power requirements of the new card and whether or not your computer can meet them. If you find something in any the info here that confuses you or seems to contradict itself, point it out, we can probably explain. :)

A £42 graphics card is either very weak or second-hand - and really, I'd probably be suspicious of someone selling a strong graphics card second hand for that price, because I'd worry that they'd damaged it or something. Which make and model are you looking at, and where are you thinking of buying from?

[ttttttte]

Nah I'm on a desktop right now. You can't install them on laptops? That sucks but I can make do.

The card I was talking about is a Sapphire 11192-26-20G Radeon HD 6570 1GB DDR3 Graphics Card. It's on Amazon £42 new. Yeses across the board on the table mentioned earlier.

Thanks for the help by the way :beer: