FAQ HOW TO - read a <mypcname>-config-log.txt

You find your config-log.txt in the logs folder in your game folder in my documents:
\My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Logs\ for CD/DVD players and
\My Documents\Origin\The Sims 2\Logs\ for ultimate collection players.

It looks like this but only the top section and the bottom sections are useful for 99% of the problems. (So I'm cutting that bit out of the example)

The fields that are bolded are the ones that we're interested in.

CPU needs to be 3000+ for High resolution.
RAM needs to be above 512 for High Resolution.
Texture Memory needs to be above 32Mb for High Resolution, and it needs to be much higher for no lag. If you're lucky and don't need the texture fix, you'll see the number is generally in the 1000'sMb.

The field that is shown in the HW T&L Programmable - needs to be 3 for high resolution. This field is called internally - $maxVertexProgramVersionHWMajor, if that number is lower - the graphic rules will turn off the shaders and drop the resolution, regardless of whether the CPU, RAM and Texture Memory is good enough.

NOTES:

• If you have more 2 cores, you may get lag because of it. That is, your CPU is too powerful and fast for the game. This is fixed by putting -CPUCOUNT:1 in the target field.
• If your Texture Memory is 32Mb, that means that you have the Texture Memory problem, and you should choose the graphic rules which are tagged with "- Texture Fix"
• If your Screen Mode is greater that 1600 x 1200, then you need to choose a graphic rules which has been tagged with "-1920x1080"
  

Log generated on 1/12/2016, 04:15

=== Application info ===
Name: The Sims 2 EP9
Version: 1.17.0.66
Build: ReleaseSRT
=== Machine info ===
OS version: Windows NT 6.0
CPU: 3491.599853Mhz, Name:GenuineIntel, FPU:1, MMX:1 -- Says how much CPU you have
Memory: 2048MB-- Says how much RAM you have for the game
Free memory: 2048MB
User: Dragomir-PC
Computer: DRAGOMIR
=== Sound device info ===
Name: Unknown
Driver: Unknown
=== Graphics device info ===
Number: 0
Name (driver): NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M
Name (database): NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M <<NOT FOUND IN DATABASE!>>-- Says which Graphics Card you have and whether it is in the database
Vendor: NVIDIA
Chipset: Vendor: 10de, Device: 1392, Board: 091d1025, Chipset: 00a2-- These are the details you need for the Video Cards.sgr set up
Driver: nvd3dum.dll, Version: 10.18.13.6143, GUID: D7B71E3E-50D2-11CF-6A64-10291FC2C735
Driver version: 6143
Monitor: \\.\DISPLAY1
Monitor aspect: 1.776744, 16:9
Screen mode: 1920x1080x32BPP,60Hz-- this says how big your screen is
Texture memory: 32MB-- This is the all-important Texture memory field. IF this is set to 32Mb THEN you have the texture memory problem
HW T&L: Fixed function:1 Programmable:3.0-- Programmable needs to be 3 to allow for high resolution
Pixel program: 3.0
Texture stages: 8
AppControlledAA: 1

<<< This bit snipped out >>>>

Device properties
-----------------
boolProp useRenderTextures false
uintProp antialiasingSupport 3
boolProp dontMergeNHFlora true
boolProp enableDriverMemoryManager false
boolProp vs2LoopsFunctional false
boolProp presentWorkaround false
boolProp enumerateMultisampleLevels true -- IF this is true, then you have smooth edges, if you don't you're in low resolution
boolProp createNVidiaWorkaroundTexture true
uintProp deviceLocalVideoMemorySizeDefault 1828716544
boolProp activeDeviceUseSoftwareRasterizer false
uintProp configParserErrorCode 0
uintProp hwMajorPSVersion 3