Integrated Graphics Chip.

[Morphoseth]

We recently got a new computer and it has an old ATI Radeon 3000 chip. I recently installed The Sims with NL, OFB, Seasons, FT and AL on it, and aside from a few lag spots here and there, it ran them extremely well, everything was very crisp and fluid. However, I read the FAQS, and I take it that it isn't a good idea to continue to playing on this chip even seem to be running good now?

There's room for expansion but i don't want to buy a new graphics card just for Sims(the only pc game I play), at the same time though , this pc is new and I don't want to wear out the chip this soon. To be honest,I always thought up to this point that having a graphics chip wasn't much of an issue , I know a lot of people that play the games that don't have a dedicated card, heck, I had an integrated Geforce 4 card on my old pc and the game ran fine on that, and I played for hours everyday.

[queenmarci8284]

I'm not a graphics chip specialist, but I can tell you I fried my previous computer by playing this game with onboard graphics. I can't remember the exact chipset I had, but basically with onboard graphics, when they go... the computer dies. My game ran fine for a long time, too, but it took its toll in the long run, & by the time it started showing problems, it was already too late. I had to buy a new computer... & I now have a good graphics card to run TS2 & 3 so it won't happen again!

[StarboardParoxysm]

Running on integrated graphics can be okay as long as you're careful with it, keep your settings low (especially the bells and whistles type stuff like reflections and texture detail, but also resolution), monitor your temps, and shut down and give it a rest at the first sign of strain (overheating, graphics glitches, or errors). Just be aware that even with doing that, it means that you may be wearing out your graphics before their time, but with a bit of caution, you should be able to get a good lifetime out of your computer.

[Morphoseth]

Thanks guys, yeah, I will be play with lower graphic settings. Hurting the chip is what scares me the most, I can put up with some flawed performance as long as it isn't hurting the pc itself. Would it be best to play in moderation, like a couple of hours every day or every other day? I played almost nonstop on my old pc, but I won't be doing that here.