Recognising Newer Graphics Cards for Sims2

Hey it's me again
I was enjoying my game with kiri's intel fix,when i noticed issues with neighbourhood options.
They're clickable but won't apply.For example neighbourhood view distance,it's possible to click extra large but when clicked apply it jumps back to small

Hi there! I've come across this thread through Google and thought someone could help me here. So, basically, I have exactly the same problem as Mareus. There are flickerings in the game, bad textures and bad-looking ocean (with no reflection, in addition). I'm too lazy to read the 38 pages, so if anyone can help me making my Sims 2 games working, I'd be really thankful.

Oh, and as I thought it really was incompatible, I uninstalled all my Sims 2 games from this laptop, just keeping The Sims Life Stories (which besides has the same problem). If you can have The Sims Life Stories working on my laptop, then I'll reconsider re-installing The Sims 2.

I have a laptop with Windows 8.1, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760M, Intel Core i5-4200M 2.5GHz and 4 GB DDR3 L Memory (I plan to buy an extra 4 GB, so very soon it'll be 8 GB).

Thank you very much!

-poisson-

Hi again, I forgot to say that I have all my games (Life Stories, Sims 2, Sims 3, etc.) in Origin. Would this be another problem? :/ Thanks again.

Hi Poisson, I really need to see your config-log.txt which sits in your log folder of your Sims2 game before I can do anything. And with you uninstalling Sims2, there's not much I can do. I don't change things in the main area, I change things in the graphics rules.

Hi! Here's my config log from Life Stories:

[attachment=1684]

I assume that it will be the same things for The Sims 2. Then, do you think that I will be able to modify things myself, with you help and support?

You have a dual card, and it's using the Intel Card, not the Nvidia. I can't help you with the activation of the NVidia card rather than the Intel Card. It's an issue with that. What I can give you is a graphics rules that will run with the Intel card.

Download Intel Graphic Rules

Where you will need to put it

\The Sims 2 - Life Stories\TSData\Res\Config
\The Sims 2 - Life Stories\TSData\Res\CSConfig

FIRST SAVE YOUR ORIGINALS.

If your intel card is up for it, this will allow it to be hi res.

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Laura - I have no idea why that's happening. Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you.

What seems to be strange is that when I open Life Stories, "l'activité du processeur graphique NVIDIA" (NVIDIA GPU activity) is on. It says that one program (Life Stories) is using it. Besides, I chose to always use NVIDIA GPU for this game. Is there indeed something strange, or is there something I don't understand? Perhaps it also does the same thing with The Sims 3 (I mean the Intel card using)! :O

Thank you for keeping helping me, you're so kind.

EDIT: I've just tested with your file, and it works. Nevertheless, I need to understand why it's written "Intel Graphics" in the log file, whereas it is actually supposed to use the Nvidia card.

EDIT 2: Oh no, I tried to find the same kind of file for my Sims 3, and it also shows the Intel thing... what is the point to have a pretty good graphics card if it is not used by default? What's more, I changed things on the specific window (control panel of Nvidia) for it to always use Nvidia for The Sims 3 and Life Stories...

No idea - but watching the trouble that people have with dual graphics cards, I have decided for myself never to have one.

Ok, thank you anyway Kiri.

EDIT:
For The Sims 3:

I found this tutorial, tried it, but it's still written HD Graphics 4600 in the DeviceConfig file:

http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game...y_the_game

Then, at the bottom of the tutorial, they say this: "If you have dual-GPU, the deviceconfig.log report is no longer accurate. Just go by the GPU vendor's Control Panel's report when you have the game running. If that panel shows TS3W is using the dedicated GPU, then you're good to go. You can safely ignore whatever the deviceconfig.log claims."

So, I'm (almost) not worried anymore. lol I say almost, because there's still a problem with The Sims 2. I'm re-installing them as of now. So any help is welcome.

EDIT 2: it's done. All my Sims 2 games are now installed again on my laptop.

So, so, so...

I finally found the solution... which is actually extremely simple. So simple that I wonder how I didn't really try it.

First off, I think it works better (in that case), if it deals with digital games bought from Origin Store (note that TS2 and its expansions are no longer available there).

Well, you have to do these things in a coordinated manner/jointly:

1. go to Nvidia control panel / select your latest installed game (SP9 most often) / force the game to use the good graphics card (not the integrated one) by selecting Nvidia high perfomance;

2. put the game in compatibility mode (Vista) and only Vista;
2. put the game in compatibility mode WIN7

3. and finally -always- run as an admin.

That's it.

Uh, I was searching things too far, whereas the solution was so simple, in front of me. Thank you Kiri and LeeFish who both helped me.