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Mad Poster
Original Poster
#1 Old 22nd Feb 2020 at 10:05 PM
Default What do I need to play TS2 on Windows 10?
I really need a new computer and also an operating system that is still being supported, so I have a question: what specs should I get my new computer with so that it can still play TS2 with a minimum of headache?
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Inventor
#2 Old 22nd Feb 2020 at 10:29 PM
I'm using windows 10, after using graphic rules maker to adjust resolution up to 1920x1080 and add more texture memory from my graphics card + 4 GB patch I'm running sims 2 UC with tons of cc and mods fine enough to be playable on max settings.
My specs are: nvida geforce gt 730, amd a10-7800 r7, 4GB ram. So it's nowhere to be high end, but didn't had to do too much of fiddling to make game work, probably would work without graphics rules maker and 4gb anyway
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#3 Old 22nd Feb 2020 at 10:42 PM
Is there a particular graphics card, etc. that is recommended, though? Or are they all fine as long as you use graphics rules maker?
Inventor
#4 Old 22nd Feb 2020 at 10:49 PM
Quote: Originally posted by kestrellyn
Is there a particular graphics card, etc. that is recommended, though? Or are they all fine as long as you use graphics rules maker?

You can use graphic rules maker to force game to actually recognize your graphics card, so I think it doesn't really matter.
Also if you're planning to use lots of cc (for example hood deco) look for a card with lots of vram, so you can use more texture memory with graphics rules maker to prevent or slow down appearance of pink flashing. I stumbled upon pink flashing only once in like half of a year or more, but at that time I played quite long and went to community lot with lots of stuff, so that was understandable.
Mad Poster
#5 Old 22nd Feb 2020 at 11:29 PM
Some newer graphics cards can be difficult to work with. The Nvidia 1000/2000 series are a bit trial and failure (some make it work, others have a lot of problems), and there's also a recent Radeon/AMD series you may want to avoid due to it possibly being incompatible (can't remember the series, but I'd expect it's from sometime 2017+).

For multi-core CPUs, make sure each individual core meets the TS2 criteria, because TS2 prefers single-core CPUs and can be a bit iffy on multi-core ones.

Windows 10 is also a bit meh, and could be a problem in itself (there's a "bug" related to 32-bit programs and memory handling in an update from a while ago. It affects some users but not all, and may be causing a pink-flashing avalanche for some people - but there are ways around, though).
Instructor
#6 Old 22nd Feb 2020 at 11:47 PM
At the moment my build is very budget-based and Sims 2 runs great on it from what I've tested so far, also testing at the moment (am away from home until tomorrow so I have yet to test with more cc) and with 15gb of custom content it's still running beautifully. I've also managed in the past to get Sims 2 working on a macbook pro 2017 (with bootcamp for windows 10) and it worked pretty well on that too, so laptops aren't a complete no-no, if it suits you better. If you're interested I'll post my specs for my budget gaming PC below:

(Windows 10 64-Bit Operating system btw)
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 670
Motherboard: Gigabyte A320M-S2H
Power Supply: Corsair VS450 450 W
Memory: 16gb (8gbx2) DDR4 - (honestly here, you could get away with 8gb)
CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 1200

Overall the PC cost me around £300-350? Including case and SSD/HDD. (Though I did have the GPU in the cupboard, gathering dust, that's a general estimate on what the prices are on ebay)

Honestly, I'd argue you could definitely get away with an even more budgety computer than that. It's just basically what your budget limits you to, really. As said above, it's good to get something with a good amount of vram. Plus make sure if you have enough RAM, do get the 4gb patch, because it's a life saver. Graphics Rules Maker is also your best friend.

Formally known as TotallySimsCrazy. Still addicted to custom content.
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Mad Poster
Original Poster
#7 Old 22nd Feb 2020 at 11:47 PM
Thanks. Remind me what TS2's requirements for each core is? I'm guessing the sticky in the help forum about pink flashing and Windows 10 helps sometimes.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#8 Old 22nd Feb 2020 at 11:49 PM
Oh yes, I should probably have mentioned, this is definitely going to be a laptop, purely for portability reasons.
Instructor
#9 Old 22nd Feb 2020 at 11:55 PM
Ah completely fair. A good option would be one with a decent chunk of memory, GPU shouldn't be too much of an issue, I had a Thinkpad T430 a few years ago that had sims run well on it too, not as good as it does for me now, but it was playable. Really depends on budget and what you can get for your money and what suits you

Formally known as TotallySimsCrazy. Still addicted to custom content.
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Mad Poster
Original Poster
#10 Old 22nd Feb 2020 at 11:59 PM
I think budget isn't a huge concern (as long as the cost is at least reasonable), but dimensions might be, as I want to be able to fit it in a backpack.
Mad Poster
#11 Old 23rd Feb 2020 at 10:51 AM
I know you're asking computer specs and I'm sure others can/have answered much better than I could, but I also wanted to say that for getting TS2 to work on Win 10, this tutorial really helped me: https://docs.google.com/document/d/...dit?usp=sharing
Mad Poster
#12 Old 23rd Feb 2020 at 9:16 PM
^ From what I can see that document only links to the GraphicRules Maker and a bunch of hacks/fixes. It doesn't actually tell you how to run the game better on Windows 10. Useful for the list of fixes/mods, though.

The UC is *supposedly* updated to have some better compatibility with Win10 - but exactly what that update was is a bit unclear. They did remove SecuRom (which is a good thing, because SecuRom had several issues, and especially together with Win10).
Lab Assistant
#13 Old 23rd Feb 2020 at 9:47 PM
Thanks for asking this kestrellyn! I was just searching the site for a thread like this the other day as I'm thinking of upgrading to Win 10 as well. I have disc copies of the game though, does that make a difference to set up vs. the UC?
Mad Poster
#14 Old 24th Feb 2020 at 7:26 AM
I'm currently fighting off a flu bug, but I'll post some stuff when I'm better.

I'm secretly a Bulbasaur. | Formerly known as ihatemandatoryregister

Looking for SimWardrobe's mods? | Or Dizzy's? | Faiuwle/rufio's too! | smorbie1's Chris Hatch archives
Scholar
#15 Old 24th Feb 2020 at 6:54 PM
Quote:
The UC is *supposedly* updated to have some better compatibility with Win10 - but exactly what that update was is a bit unclear. They did remove SecuRom (which is a good thing, because SecuRom had several issues, and especially together with Win10).


they removed SecuROM (finally) but EA being EA, has took one malicious software out while imposing another, namely: Origin. You cannot normally play without Origin services active.
There are workarounds and it's easy to silence that pesky mess in *ux after installation. Still, it's kinda Move of the Dick. Usual EA stuff.


favorite quote: "When ElaineNualla is posting..I always read..Nutella. I am sorry" by Rosebine
self-claimed "lower-spec simmer"
Mad Poster
#16 Old 26th Feb 2020 at 10:54 PM Last edited by Bulbizarre : 28th Feb 2020 at 8:48 PM.
Well, what I thought was a flu bug turned out to be an infection that put me in the hospital for two nights. Always fun that.

- SecuROM/SafeDisc is the biggest issue. Windows 10 removed support for it. Since the Ultimate Collection isn't really available anymore, you'll have to procure a....modified executable.
- I highly suggest installing the game outside of Program Files, due to various permissions issues. I use C:/Games/The Sims/The Sims 2/ myself.
- 4GB patch. The game can normally only access 2GB of memory. This can make it crash on CC-heavy setups. This lets it use 4GB instead. (It's the same as the CFF Explorer method, but far simpler.)
- Don't plop your old save folder right in and try to run it. Instead, let it run and generate a fresh set of files. Then drop the Downloads folder in. Once you're sure that it's enabled, then drop the Neighborhoods folder in.
- Jessa's Memory Allocation Fix. Windows 10 has bugged memory management.
- There's a weird incompatibility between Nopke's SkyFix and various camera hacks that can cause crashing; oddly, I never had issues until switching to 10. I've used Lowdeus's compilation successfully though.

Graphics Woes
- Graphics Rules Maker is a little outdated and listed my video card wrong. I was able to fix that by manually editing it, but you might want to check the files available on LeeFish.
- Hardware-rendered smooth edges might help with pink flashing.
- Editing the Graphics Rule.sgr to set "boolProp enableDriverMemoryManager" to true helped me with pink flashing issues though YMMV.
- In the worst case, you can try the DXVK method. backup your config files if you want to try it as it modifies them and might cause problems if you revert.

Still not feeling my best, so I might modify/add onto this list later.

I'm secretly a Bulbasaur. | Formerly known as ihatemandatoryregister

Looking for SimWardrobe's mods? | Or Dizzy's? | Faiuwle/rufio's too! | smorbie1's Chris Hatch archives
Mad Poster
#17 Old 26th Feb 2020 at 11:06 PM Last edited by simmer22 : 26th Feb 2020 at 11:16 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by ElaineNualla
they removed SecuROM (finally) but EA being EA, has took one malicious software out while imposing another, namely: Origin. You cannot normally play without Origin services active.


Oh, there are ways around... I no longer have to start Origin to run TS2 UC
(Origin is used for installing, and once in a blue moon fixing/updating the game for whatever reason, but that's about it).

Quote: Originally posted by Bulbizarre
you'll have to procure a....modified executable.


Something like that...

I only suffer Origin when playing TS3 and TS4 now. Not sure if there's a similar thing with TS3 (which I have installed through Origin due to not having a disc drive and because one of my CDs may have been borked or not compatible or some such - it made strange noises in my old laptop disc drive, and never managed to install the EP properly, ending up borking my game), but I doubt there is a way around for TS4. I do play offline for both of them, only setting to online if I decide to update. Origin seems to want to update once every week or so, and I don't let it because it gets really annoying. Origin seems to also be rather resource demanding.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#18 Old 27th Feb 2020 at 12:59 AM
Thanks, Bulbizarre. Do you know of any graphics cards that would specifically be a bad idea/hard for the Graphics Rules Maker to identify?
Mad Poster
#19 Old 27th Feb 2020 at 2:37 AM
Mine is a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, so I wouldn't be surprised if others in the same line have difficulties.

I'm secretly a Bulbasaur. | Formerly known as ihatemandatoryregister

Looking for SimWardrobe's mods? | Or Dizzy's? | Faiuwle/rufio's too! | smorbie1's Chris Hatch archives
Mad Poster
#20 Old 27th Feb 2020 at 6:53 PM
^ Nvidia 1000 and 2000 series seem to be a bit iffy, especially alongside Win10. It's possible to make them work, but they seem to be more likely to get pink-flashy issues.
Mad Poster
#21 Old 27th Feb 2020 at 7:13 PM
Mine's pretty stable now, but I occasionally get purple soup if the game's generated too many object/clothing thumbnails in one session.

I'm secretly a Bulbasaur. | Formerly known as ihatemandatoryregister

Looking for SimWardrobe's mods? | Or Dizzy's? | Faiuwle/rufio's too! | smorbie1's Chris Hatch archives
Turquoise Dragon
retired moderator
#22 Old 27th Feb 2020 at 7:36 PM
Nvidia 1070 and 1080 especially seem to cause issues.

In the 1000 series I mean.
Alchemist
#23 Old 27th Feb 2020 at 8:14 PM
Scholar
#24 Old 27th Feb 2020 at 8:59 PM
I have an Acer Swift 3 laptop with Nvidia 150MX. The game works like a dream on it (and so pretty!), even when you play for hours at a time. It doesn't get too hot either, which my old Thinkpad T420 did.

Paladins/SimWardrobes downloads: https://simfileshare.net/folder/87849/
Theorist
#25 Old 28th Feb 2020 at 12:16 AM Last edited by PenelopeT : 9th Mar 2020 at 3:14 AM.
After getting tired of maintaining multiple desktops in order to keep playing older games like TS2, over the weekend I finally just caved and retired my old TS2 computer that had Windows 7 Pro (even though I'd just upgraded it... but the new parts will be stored away should the mood hit me to build another computer at some point), and reinstalled TS2 (disc versions 'cause screw EA/Origin) to my newer gaming desktop.

The only things I had to do were manually edit the Graphics Rules.sgr(s) and Video Cards.sgr in the game's Program Files to get the multiple screen size options back and turn smooth edges back on (everything else was automatically set at the highest setting already), add my graphics card to the list since it's too new to be recognized, set the texture memory (since again the graphics card was not recognized) and removed Securom ('cause again, disc install and EA ).

So far, I've not had any issues and I use a ton of mods and currently have about 9GB of content installed. However, in addition to this being a fresh game install, my game's Program Files have also been modified to never generate any of the game neighborhoods or Sims/families/townies (bin or otherwise) that shipped with the BG/EP's. So each new neighborhood I create is completely empty (since I use Pescado's noregen mods too)... which is a lot of game clutter being eliminated as well. I'm also not reusing any of my old neighborhoods or lots either (which sorta sucks since I'd just built some on the old computer... but oh well new lots to build and decorate is always fun to me).

Oh, and I have always disabled the Internet on my computer(s) when playing the game as well. It's just a preference and one less thing running in the background. If I want to listen to music or an audio book, I just keep a tablet nearby.

Resource links that were helpful to me:
- https://simscommunity.info/2016/04/...es-sim-shadows/
- http://www.leefish.nl/mybb/showthre...=34569#pid34569
- http://www.leefish.nl/mybb/forumdisplay.php?fid=21.


My PC specs:
- Windows 10 Pro, 64-bit (per the usual I have already disabled or uninstalled any unnecessary background applications... which Windows 10 has a lot of)
- Intel Core i7-9700KF CPU @ 3.60GHz (8 CPUs)
- 1TB SSD
- DirectX 12
- NVIDIA RTX 2060 Super 8GB GDDR6
- 16GB DDR4-3600 RAM (though I'm going to be upgrading that to 32GB since I've installed TS2 and plan on adding a few more newer games too)


Should also mention that I have my GPU set to not automatically update 'cause it's just not needed at the moment for the type of games I play, and I don't want unexpected issues cropping up due to an unwanted NVIDIA driver update. The same goes for Windows updates, which are kept on a delay so I don't get them on day one, so they have time to get the issues ironed out... as there always seems to be an update to fix an update.

Body Shop and HomeCrafter Plus are running just fine also. Just going to keep my fingers crossed that things continue on without issue since I'm not quite ready to give up on TS2 just yet.


EDIT: Ditto Bulbizzare's suggestion to install the game anywhere but the Program Files. I originally did that and eventually encountered 'permissions' issues (Thanks Microsoft, never once had this issue on Win 7 ) that prevented the game from realizing that I'd made changes to some of the custom content that I had stored in the 'bin' folder so I wouldn't accidentally delete them in-game. So, I uninstalled and reinstalled the game outside of Program Files to avoid any further issues like that.


“Seize the time... Live now! Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again.” ― Jean-Luc Picard
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