10 Surefire Tips to Make The Sims 4 Run Faster

Make The Sims 4 Run Faster
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The Sims 4 is a popular life simulation game that has been enjoyed by millions of players since its release in 2014. However, some players may experience performance issues, such as lag or freezing, which can affect their gameplay experience. If you’re one of those players, don’t worry! There are several things you can do to make The Sims 4 run faster.

One of the most common causes of performance issues in The Sims 4 is outdated mods. Mods are third-party content that can add new features or change the gameplay of the game. While mods can be great for customizing your game, they can also cause problems if they’re not updated to the latest version of the game. If you’re experiencing performance issues, the first thing you should do is check to see if any of your mods need to be updated.

Another potential cause of performance issues is a lack of available memory. The Sims 4 is a demanding game that requires a lot of memory to run smoothly. If your computer doesn’t have enough memory, the game may start to lag or freeze. To fix this, you can try closing any other programs that are running in the background or increasing the amount of virtual memory on your computer.

Optimize Your Game Settings

Getting your Sims 4 game running faster can be achieved by adjusting the game’s settings. Check out these essential tips to enhance your gameplay:

In-Game Settings Menu (Before Loading Save File)

Before loading any save files, navigate to the in-game ‘Game Options’ menu. Here you’ll find a plethora of settings that can directly impact performance.

Display Settings

Setting	Recommended Value
Resolution	Lower your resolution, especially if your GPU is struggling.
Fullscreen Mode	Enable ‘Fullscreen’ mode for smoother gameplay and reduced input latency.
Windowed Mode (Windowed or Borderless)	Disable ‘Windowed’ modes as they consume more system resources.
Vertical Sync	Disable ‘Vertical Sync’ unless you experience screen tearing, as it can introduce input lag.

Graphics Settings

Setting	Recommended Value
Graphics Quality	Lower the graphics quality preset, especially if your GPU is not high-end.
Texture Detail	Reduce the texture detail level to improve performance.
Shadow Quality	Select ‘Low’ or ‘Medium’ shadow quality to minimize performance impact.
Sim Detail	Lower the Sim detail level to reduce CPU usage, especially on densely populated lots.

Close Background Programs

The Sims 4 is a resource-intensive game, and having too many programs running in the background can slow it down. To improve performance, close any unnecessary programs before launching the game. This includes web browsers, email clients, and other applications that you’re not actively using.

Here’s a list of some common programs that can slow down The Sims 4:

Program	How to Close
Web browsers	Click the “x” button in the top-right corner of the browser window.
Email clients	Click the “File” menu and select “Exit”.
Music players	Right-click on the music player icon in the taskbar and select “Exit”.
Video players	Right-click on the video player icon in the taskbar and select “Exit”.
Games	Press the “Alt” and “F4” keys at the same time to close the game.

Once you’ve closed all unnecessary programs, restart The Sims 4 and see if it runs faster.

Remove Custom Content and Mods

Custom content (CC) and mods can add new features and objects to The Sims 4, but they can also slow down the game. If you’re experiencing performance issues, removing CC and mods can help improve the game’s speed.

Identifying and Removing Problematic CC and Mods

There are a few different ways to identify and remove problematic CC and mods. One way is to use the “Sims 4 Tray Importer” tool, which allows you to preview CC and mods in a safe environment before adding them to your game. Another way is to manually remove CC and mods from the “Mods” folder in your Sims 4 game directory.

If you’re not sure which CC and mods are causing the performance issues, you can try removing them all and then adding them back one by one until you find the ones that are causing the problem. It can be a time-consuming process, but it’s the most effective way to ensure that your game is running smoothly.

Tips for Removing CC and Mods

Here are a few tips for removing CC and mods from The Sims 4:

Tips

– Back up your “Mods” folder before making any changes.

– Remove CC and mods from the “Mods” folder, not just the “Package” folder.

– If you’re not sure which CC and mods are causing the performance issues, remove them all and then add them back one by one until you find the ones that are causing the problem.

– Reset your game’s settings after removing CC and mods.

– Keep your CC and mods up to date.

Repair Your Game Files

One of the most common causes of The Sims 4 running slowly is corrupted game files. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as a power outage or a faulty hard drive. Fortunately, there is an easy way to repair your game files.

To repair your game files, follow these steps:

Exit The Sims 4.
Open the Origin client.
Click on the “My Games” tab.
Right-click on The Sims 4 and select “Repair.”

Origin’s Repair Process

The repair process will take several minutes to complete. Once it is finished, try launching The Sims 4 again. If your game is still running slowly, you may need to perform the repair process again.

Tips	Details
Choose a reliable internet connection	Origin requires stable internet to efficiently download and install game files.
Close unnecessary programs	Freeing up system resources can speed up the repair process.
Restart the computer	Fresh restart can resolve temporary issues affecting the repair.

If you have tried repairing your game files and The Sims 4 is still running slowly, there may be a different issue causing the problem. Check for any other potential issues and troubleshoot accordingly.

Update Your Graphics Drivers

Updating your graphics drivers is one of the most important things you can do to improve your gaming performance. New drivers are constantly being released that improve the performance of games, so it’s important to keep your drivers up to date.

To update your graphics drivers, you can either download them from the manufacturer’s website or use a driver update tool. If you’re not sure which graphics card you have, you can use the DirectX Diagnostic Tool to find out.

Here are the steps on how to update your graphics drivers:

Open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool by pressing Windows Key + R and typing “dxdiag” into the Run dialog box.
Click on the “Display” tab.
The name of your graphics card will be listed under the “Device” heading.
Go to the manufacturer’s website and download the latest drivers for your graphics card.
Install the drivers and restart your computer.

Benefits of Updating Your Graphics Drivers

Improved gaming performance
Reduced lag and stuttering
Fixed bugs and glitches
Improved image quality
Support for new features

Here is a table summarizing the benefits of updating your graphics drivers:

Benefit	Description
Improved gaming performance	New drivers often include optimizations that can improve the performance of games.
Reduced lag and stuttering	Outdated drivers can cause lag and stuttering in games. Updating your drivers can help to fix these issues.
Fixed bugs and glitches	New drivers often include fixes for bugs and glitches that can affect games.
Improved image quality	New drivers can improve the image quality in games by adding support for new features such as anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering.
Support for new features	New drivers often add support for new features that can improve the gaming experience, such as support for new graphics cards or new game technologies.

Defragment Your Hard Drive

Hard drive defragmentation is the process of rearranging the files on your hard drive to make them more efficiently organized. This can improve performance, and it’s especially important for hard drives that are starting to get full.

There are two methods for defragmenting a hard drive:

Automatic defragmentation: Windows has a built-in defragmentation tool that runs automatically on a schedule. You can adjust the schedule in the Disk Defragmenter tool.
Manual defragmentation: You can also manually defragment your hard drive at any time. To do this, open the Disk Defragmenter tool and select the drive you want to defragment. Then, click the “Defragment” button.

The defragmentation process can take several hours, depending on the size and fullness of your hard drive. However, it can significantly improve the performance of your computer, especially if you have a lot of large files on your hard drive.

Benefits of Defragmenting Your Hard Drive	Drawbacks of Defragmenting Your Hard Drive
Improves performance	Can be time-consuming
Makes it easier to find files	Can shorten the lifespan of your hard drive
Can help prevent hard drive crashes	May not be necessary for SSDs

Increase Your RAM

The Sims 4 is a demanding game that requires a lot of RAM to run smoothly, especially if you have a lot of custom content installed. If you are experiencing lag or crashes, increasing your RAM may help. Most computers come with 8GB of RAM, but you may want to consider upgrading to 16GB or even 32GB if you are a heavy Sims 4 player.

To check how much RAM you have, open the Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and click on the “Performance” tab. Under the “Memory” section, you will see how much RAM is installed and how much is being used.

If you decide to upgrade your RAM, make sure that you purchase compatible RAM for your computer. You can usually find this information in your computer’s manual.

Here is a table of the recommended RAM requirements for The Sims 4:

Game	Minimum RAM
The Sims 4	8GB
The Sims 4 with expansions	12GB
The Sims 4 with heavy custom content	16GB or more

Disable Anti-Aliasing and Anisotropic Filtering

Anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering are graphical techniques that can improve the visual quality of The Sims 4. However, they can also impact performance, especially on lower-end systems. Disabling these options can give your game a significant speed boost.

Anti-Aliasing

Anti-aliasing reduces jagged edges on objects by blending adjacent pixels. This can result in a smoother and more realistic-looking image, but it can also reduce performance. There are several levels of anti-aliasing, from 2x to 8x. The higher the number, the better the image quality, but the greater the performance impact.

Anisotropic Filtering

Anisotropic filtering improves the texture quality of objects that are viewed at an angle. This can make distant objects look more detailed and less blurry. However, anisotropic filtering can also reduce performance, especially on lower-end systems.

How to Disable Anti-Aliasing and Anisotropic Filtering

To disable anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering in The Sims 4, follow these steps:

Launch The Sims 4 and go to the “Game Options” menu.
Click on the “Graphics” tab.
Under the “Advanced Graphics” section, find the “Anti-Aliasing” and “Anisotropic Filtering” options.
Set both options to “Disabled”.
Click “Apply” to save your changes.

You should now see a noticeable improvement in performance without any significant loss of visual quality.

Anti-Aliasing	Anisotropic Filtering	Impact on Performance
Disabled	Disabled	Significant improvement
2x	2x	Moderate improvement
4x	4x	Slight improvement
8x	8x	No improvement or slight decrease

Use a Higher-Performing Graphics Card

Upgrading to a higher-performing graphics card is one of the most effective ways to improve The Sims 4’s performance. A dedicated graphics card with more video memory (VRAM) and a faster graphics processing unit (GPU) will be able to handle the game’s demanding graphics and textures more efficiently, resulting in smoother gameplay and higher frame rates.

Here are some tips for choosing a higher-performing graphics card:

Look for a card with a high VRAM capacity. VRAM is used to store the game’s textures and other graphical data. The more VRAM a card has, the less it will need to rely on your system’s RAM, which can improve performance.
Choose a card with a fast GPU. The GPU is responsible for processing the game’s graphics. A faster GPU will be able to handle more complex graphics and textures more quickly, resulting in better performance.
Consider your budget. Graphics cards can range in price from a few hundred dollars to over a thousand dollars. Choose a card that fits your budget and meets your performance needs.

Graphics Card	VRAM	GPU	Price
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080	10 GB	NVIDIA Ampere	$699
AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT	16 GB	AMD RDNA 2	$649
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti	11 GB	NVIDIA Turing	$599

Install an SSD (Solid State Drive)

Upgrading to a solid state drive (SSD) can significantly boost the performance of The Sims 4. SSDs store data on flash memory chips, which are much faster than the mechanical hard disk drives (HDDs) commonly used in computers. This speedup results in faster loading times, smoother gameplay, and reduced stuttering.

Benefits of Installing an SSD for The Sims 4

Installing an SSD for The Sims 4 offers numerous benefits, including:

Shorter loading times: SSDs can reduce loading times for The Sims 4 and its expansion packs by up to 50% or more.
Improved performance: SSDs provide faster data access, resulting in smoother gameplay and reduced lag.
Increased stability: SSDs are less susceptible to failure than HDDs, making them a more reliable storage option for The Sims 4.

Choosing an SSD for The Sims 4

When selecting an SSD for The Sims 4, consider the following factors:

Capacity: Choose an SSD with sufficient capacity to store The Sims 4 base game, expansion packs, and mods without running out of space.
Speed: Look for an SSD with high read/write speeds for optimal performance. Aim for a model with a sequential read speed of at least 500 MB/s and a write speed of 400 MB/s.
Form factor: Ensure the SSD is compatible with your computer’s motherboard. Common form factors include 2.5-inch and M.2.

Installation Tips

Installing an SSD is relatively straightforward, but follow these tips for a smooth process:

Back up your data: Always back up important files before performing any significant hardware upgrades.
Power down your computer: Unplug your computer from the power outlet and turn it off completely.
Open your computer case: Locate and remove the screws holding the side panel of your computer case.
Install the SSD: Locate the appropriate drive bay or M.2 slot for your SSD and carefully insert it.
Connect the SSD: Connect the SSD to your motherboard using the provided SATA cable or M.2 connector.
Close your computer case: Replace the side panel of your computer case and secure it with the screws.
Boot from the SSD: Turn on your computer and enter your BIOS settings to ensure the system is booting from the SSD.

How To Make The Sims 4 Run Faster

The Sims 4 is a popular life simulation game that has been enjoyed by millions of players since its release in 2014. However, some players have reported that the game can be slow and laggy, especially on older computers. If you’re one of those players, here are a few tips on how to make The Sims 4 run faster:

1. Update your graphics card drivers. Outdated graphics card drivers can cause a variety of problems in The Sims 4, including slow performance. Make sure to update your drivers to the latest version to improve your gaming experience.

2. Close any unnecessary programs. When you’re playing The Sims 4, close any other programs that you don’t need. This will free up your computer’s resources and make the game run faster.

3. Reduce the graphics settings. If you’re still having problems with performance, try reducing the graphics settings in The Sims 4. You can do this by going to the game’s options menu and adjusting the settings under the “Graphics” tab.

4. Install the game on an SSD. If you have an SSD (solid state drive), installing The Sims 4 on it can significantly improve performance. SSDs are much faster than traditional hard drives, so they can load the game and its assets much more quickly.

5. Use a gaming laptop or PC. If you’re serious about gaming, consider investing in a gaming laptop or PC. These computers are specifically designed for gaming and offer better performance than regular laptops and PCs.