Sims 2 - need to upgrade my PC

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Archived from groups: alt.games.the-sims (More info?)

OK-so I bought a Dell Dimension 2300 with Intel Celeron CPU 1.8GHZ with
256 MB of RAM. Also has XP Home Edition SP2. Disk space is 75GB with
33GB free.

I originally bought this PC for storage purposes hence the 75GB hard
drive but have now become obsessed with Sims 2. It can get very slow
and painfully slow when I'm on huge community lots.

I'm already about to buy 512MB RAM but need to know if that's all I'd
need to help with the slowness. I've just found out that there is no
AGP slot-only PCI so what are my options as far as video or will the
extra 512 RAM help? THANKS for any and all help!!!!
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.the-sims (More info?)

Extra 512 will always help, even though it might not be enough -
depends on your video card.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.the-sims (More info?)

mstoini@hotmail.com wrote:
> OK-so I bought a Dell Dimension 2300 with Intel Celeron CPU 1.8GHZ
> with 256 MB of RAM. Also has XP Home Edition SP2. Disk space is
> 75GB with 33GB free.
>
> I'm already about to buy 512MB RAM but need to know if that's all I'd
> need to help with the slowness. I've just found out that there is no
> AGP slot-only PCI so what are my options as far as video or will the
> extra 512 RAM help? THANKS for any and all help!!!!

You are (just) below minimum specs for a PC without a T&L card.

http://thesims2.ea.com/help/detail.php?help_id=21

" If you have a non-T&L capable video card (an Intel Extreme Graphics or
a Radeon 7000/VE Series) then you need at least:
a.. 2.0 GHz processor or better
b.. 256 MB RAM if Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98, or Windows 2000
c.. At least 3.5 GB of hard drive space"
and a Celeron doesn't really cut it either. I think it's 'new PC' time
:)



--
Muttley!! Doooooo Something!!
Fix Outlook Express - http://home.in.tum.de/~jain/software/oe-quotefix/
as recommended by your friendly neighbourhood MeltDown.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.the-sims (More info?)

mstoini@hotmail.com wrote:
> OK-so I bought a Dell Dimension 2300 with Intel Celeron CPU 1.8GHZ
> with 256 MB of RAM. Also has XP Home Edition SP2. Disk space is
> 75GB with 33GB free.
>
> I originally bought this PC for storage purposes hence the 75GB hard
> drive but have now become obsessed with Sims 2. It can get very slow
> and painfully slow when I'm on huge community lots.
>
> I'm already about to buy 512MB RAM but need to know if that's all I'd
> need to help with the slowness. I've just found out that there is no
> AGP slot-only PCI so what are my options as far as video or will the
> extra 512 RAM help? THANKS for any and all help!!!!

I'd save the money on the RAM and put it towards a new computer with a
better processor. That Celeron just isn't going to run Sims2 like you want
it to run. Keep using your current PC for storage and move on up to a P4 or
better processor with a video card with 128MB RAM on it. I've currently got
768MB of RDRAM and that's plenty.

Jeanie
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.the-sims (More info?)

"Jeanie" <Nobody@home.com> wrote in message
news:ZHtQd.6163$4q6.3565@attbi_s01...
> mstoini@hotmail.com wrote:
> > OK-so I bought a Dell Dimension 2300 with Intel Celeron CPU 1.8GHZ
> > with 256 MB of RAM. Also has XP Home Edition SP2. Disk space is
> > 75GB with 33GB free.
> >
> > I originally bought this PC for storage purposes hence the 75GB hard
> > drive but have now become obsessed with Sims 2. It can get very slow
> > and painfully slow when I'm on huge community lots.
> >
> > I'm already about to buy 512MB RAM but need to know if that's all I'd
> > need to help with the slowness. I've just found out that there is no
> > AGP slot-only PCI so what are my options as far as video or will the
> > extra 512 RAM help? THANKS for any and all help!!!!
>
> I'd save the money on the RAM and put it towards a new computer with a
> better processor. That Celeron just isn't going to run Sims2 like you
want
> it to run. Keep using your current PC for storage and move on up to a P4
or
> better processor with a video card with 128MB RAM on it. I've currently
got
> 768MB of RDRAM and that's plenty.
>
> Jeanie

I've got a 2.20 celeron and it runs pretty good. I just need a bit more RAM
and a better video card :)

>
>
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.the-sims (More info?)

"Bluegenie2" <me@fuil.com> wrote in message
news:LvOdnd4-k4xx4o_fRVn-jQ@comcast.com...
>
>
> I've got a 2.20 celeron and it runs pretty good. I just need a bit more
> RAM
> and a better video card :)



Celeron's aren't noted for being great gaming CPU's.

http://www.tomshardware.com/cpu/20020103/

noname
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.the-sims (More info?)

"noname" <hip_ster@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:zwwQd.34$qa.36084@twister.southeast.rr.com...
>
> "Bluegenie2" <me@fuil.com> wrote in message
> news:LvOdnd4-k4xx4o_fRVn-jQ@comcast.com...
> >
> >
> > I've got a 2.20 celeron and it runs pretty good. I just need a bit more
> > RAM
> > and a better video card :)
>
>
>
> Celeron's aren't noted for being great gaming CPU's.
>
> http://www.tomshardware.com/cpu/20020103/
>
> noname

Yeah I know, but when you get something freee :)

>
>
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.the-sims (More info?)

"noname" <hip_ster@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:zwwQd.34$qa.36084@twister.southeast.rr.com...
>
> "Bluegenie2" <me@fuil.com> wrote in message
> news:LvOdnd4-k4xx4o_fRVn-jQ@comcast.com...
> >
> >
> > I've got a 2.20 celeron and it runs pretty good. I just need a bit more
> > RAM
> > and a better video card :)
>
>
>
> Celeron's aren't noted for being great gaming CPU's.
>
> http://www.tomshardware.com/cpu/20020103/

True (though ironically the Xbox actually uses a Celeron), but does it
really matter that much compared to the video card (which actually does most
of the work for the graphics) and ram (which generally determines the
loading speed, since with more ram less has to be re-loaded)?

Also, that article just compares an older (1 gigahertz or so) Celeron vs.
the Duron, not their overall ability, and not the newer 2 GHz+ celerons.

These articles are more apropriate:

http://www6.tomshardware.com/cpu/20021016/

and

http://www6.tomshardware.com/cpu/20020903/
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.the-sims (More info?)

Jeremy Reaban wrote:
>
> Also, that article just compares an older (1 gigahertz or so) Celeron
> vs. the Duron, not their overall ability, and not the newer 2 GHz+
> celerons.
>
> These articles are more apropriate:
>
> http://www6.tomshardware.com/cpu/20021016/

"...boasting an impressive clock speed of 2 GHz, even if the performance
of such systems still falls far short of that of a Pentium 4 or an
Athlon XP. "

" The differences are obvious: 128 rather than 512 KB L2 cache, and 400
rather than 533 MHz FSB clockspeed trim down the Pentium 4 architecture
so much that the performance of the 2 GHz processor can only be
described as adequate."

" Once more Celeron fails to impress; in almost every discipline the
Athlon XP takes a handsome victory, despite the considerably lower clock
speed."

" The conclusion to be drawn is that the Celeron, in its present form,
can no longer keep pace with the Athlon XP and Pentium 4 by means of
higher clock speeds. The Pentium 4 is considerably faster - but also
much more expensive. AMD's Athlon XP does not, as a rule, cost any more,
but offers significantly higher performance in some respects (including
with DDR333). Anyone making a carefully considered purchase would be
better advised to go for an Athlon XP or a Pentium 4. "


--
Muttley!! Doooooo Something!!
Fix Outlook Express - http://home.in.tum.de/~jain/software/oe-quotefix/
as recommended by your friendly neighbourhood MeltDown.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.the-sims (More info?)

Jeremy Reaban wrote:
> and ram (which generally
> determines the loading speed, since with more ram less has to be
> re-loaded)?

No, I doubled my RAM from 512 DDR333 to 1024 DDR333, and the loading speed
is virtually the same. All the RAM does AFAIK is store frequently used
files, so when TS2 is running, it is much smoother, as it does not need to
get all the graphics off the HDD, as many more of them are stored on the
RAM. But when TS2 is not running, none of its files will be in the RAM and
so it must get them all of the HDD, and process them, so loading speed will
be affected by the CPU, and possibly the GPU.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.the-sims (More info?)

Will Bradshaw wrote:
>> and ram (which generally
>> determines the loading speed, since with more ram less has to be
>> re-loaded)?
>
> No, I doubled my RAM from 512 DDR333 to 1024 DDR333, and the loading
> speed is virtually the same.

Ok, I take that back, the loading time for the game is the same, about 1
minute, the loading time for a neighbourhood is the same, again, about a
minute, but the loading time for a house is significantly shorter, probably
about 75% of the original loading time which depends on the house, but but
usually 3-8.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.the-sims (More info?)

"Will Bradshaw" <wbradshaw@beasolutions.com> wrote in message
news:37gjafF5farb9U1@individual.net...
> Will Bradshaw wrote:
> >> and ram (which generally
> >> determines the loading speed, since with more ram less has to be
> >> re-loaded)?
> >
> > No, I doubled my RAM from 512 DDR333 to 1024 DDR333, and the loading
> > speed is virtually the same.
>
> Ok, I take that back, the loading time for the game is the same, about 1
> minute, the loading time for a neighbourhood is the same, again, about a
> minute, but the loading time for a house is significantly shorter,
probably
> about 75% of the original loading time which depends on the house, but but
> usually 3-8.

But did the game speed increase? Are you able to have more people in a
house before it starts lagging?

>
>
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.the-sims (More info?)

Will Bradshaw wrote:
> Will Bradshaw wrote:
>>> and ram (which generally
>>> determines the loading speed, since with more ram less has to be
>>> re-loaded)?
>>
>> No, I doubled my RAM from 512 DDR333 to 1024 DDR333, and the
loading
>> speed is virtually the same.
>
> Ok, I take that back, the loading time for the game is the same,
> about 1 minute, the loading time for a neighbourhood is the same,
> again, about a minute, but the loading time for a house is
> significantly shorter, probably about 75% of the original loading
> time which depends on the house, but but usually 3-8.

Yeah, that's what I meant. When I went from my old computer with 384
megs of ram to my new with 512, but with the same hard drive, the
loading time was about the same for the game originally, but much
quicker in the game, especially when I left to go to a lot or play
another house. I would imagine 1024 again is a help, but maybe not as
big (since the game apparently uses up about 600-700 megs or so)
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.the-sims (More info?)

Just as a matter of interest, being as you are techie inclined. I 'think'..
I think my load up speeds have slowed down a little after I installed
Windows service Pack2 - once I got the new graphics board working...
Neighbourhoods, especially so.
Or is it my imagination? Can i remember this being discussed before?

Obviously the new board doesn't effect loading times but that's by-the-way.

Granny

"Jeremy Reaban" <jer@connectria.com> wrote in message
news:11167uitdje08e7@corp.supernews.com...
> Will Bradshaw wrote:

>>
>> Ok, I take that back, the loading time for the game is the same,
>> about 1 minute, the loading time for a neighbourhood is the same,
>> again, about a minute, but the loading time for a house is
>> significantly shorter, probably about 75% of the original loading
>> time which depends on the house, but but usually 3-8.
>
> Yeah, that's what I meant. When I went from my old computer with 384
> megs of ram to my new with 512, but with the same hard drive, the
> loading time was about the same for the game originally, but much
> quicker in the game, especially when I left to go to a lot or play
> another house. I would imagine 1024 again is a help, but maybe not as
> big (since the game apparently uses up about 600-700 megs or so)
>
>
>
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.the-sims (More info?)

Bluegenie2 wrote:
> But did the game speed increase? Are you able to have more people in
> a house before it starts lagging?

Yes, The game is alot smoother, I described it in
news:37cl7tF5cic4rU1@individual.net, it doesn't realy speed it up much, as I
said speed would depend on the CPU or GPU but it does make it smoother.
 
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