"Max Memory Used" with 8GB RAM?

[the_sistergeek]

Good evening!

I just recently finished building my new computer, and haven't been able to play the Sims 3 since. I have the Steam version, completely vanilla with no CC, brand new install. When using the crash log analyzer, every crash is attributed to "Max Memory Used" errors. I have 8GB of RAM, and when trying to run the Sims I always have at least 4GB free. In an effort to give it as much memory as possible while I diagnose the problem, I have set the game to launch in windowed mode, with graphics set to potato.

The majority of the time, it crashes in the same place. When I pick/place a family and go into household view. Sometimes, I can get it to run for about 2 minutes. Even if it leave it alone, fully paused, it still crashes on its own.

I have tried:
Turning down the graphics
Using windowed mode
Using a patch to allow the game to use more than 2GB of RAM
Clearing my caches every single launch
Re-downloading and re-installing the game
Deleting the game from the machine, and installing the vanilla base game from a DVD I bought when Sims 3 was first released (had the same issue)

My dxdiag is:
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 12/24/2013, 18:13:24
Machine name: SPARTA-PC
Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.130828-1532)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: MSI
System Model: MS-7821
BIOS: BIOS Date: 08/18/13 10:34:34 Ver: 04.06.05
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4670K CPU @ 3.40GHz (4 CPUs), ~3.4GHz
Memory: 8192MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 8136MB RAM
Page File: 3774MB used, 12495MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 64bit Unicode

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: GeForce GTX 760
DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1187&SUBSYS_84721043&REV_A1
Display Memory: 4038 MB
Dedicated Memory: 1990 MB
Shared Memory: 2048 MB
Current Mode: 1920 x 1080 (32 bit) (60Hz)


Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! I miss playing the game, and was really hoping to play it on a good computer!

[slovenian89]

I've never seen this error before, but can you try working through this list, looks like you did a couple things they suggest:

http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Sims_3_Crashing_Checklist

Since this is a fresh install, I'm assuming it isn't specific to a saved game, correct?

[the_sistergeek]

Thanks for the reply!

No, it isn't specific to any save game, or neighborhood. I have actually gone fully through that whole list you posted, it was one of my first troubleshooting steps. There is no dialogue box letting me know that the Max Memory Used error is what's up, it is what is spit out in the crash report. I'll be glad to post one of those if you'd like.

[cruinne]

I have seen this error with cracked games and the online store, but that doesn't mean it isn't just the online store causing it. (It seems like, sometimes, the online store overwhelms the computer's RAM with activity.)

You can disable the in-game online store in your options (it's a little hard to find, and I can't remember specifically where), or through your options.ini by changing enableingamestore from 1 to 0.

Edit to add: Found an image of the in-game store option: http://sims3.crinrict.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ShopMode.jpg

[Superblade]

Well that funny, i only got 4 gb of ram in my pc and it work fine, only rarely the game freeze but then work again

[UniNamer]

i have 16 gigs of ram and having the same issue when makeing a character. it tries loading all the clothes and then crashes.

[cruinne]

Does disabling the in-game store feature help? Neither of you say whether you've tried doing this.

[Redneck]

Ok im glad im not the only one with this issue, my gf just bought this game and shes been encountering this problem as well. She has a relatively new Asus laptop. I could list the specs if interested/helpful but when shes back from work ill tell her to try the disabling the in-game store feature and see if that possibly fixes it and ill let y'all know! Thanks!

[UniNamer]

i disabled the ingame shop. i doubt it helped. i also just avoided the feature all together that was causeing the crashes, picking clothes in create a sim. i was able to play for about 10 hours, also noticed my sims loosing their hair model, running around bald after swtiching to diffrent clothing sets (i skiped chosing their clothes and kept their defualt random) after 10 hours it finnaly crashed when i was jumping between sims over a distance and it loaded the surroundings.

[Return Of Woody]

well has anybody got an answer to this??

iv got the same problem but its not because the create a sim. its in the game and its every 10 min. and im getting the same crash report... "max memory used - try reduce memory used by lowering settings" but thing is i have a good pc and its not that, its the most random thing iv ever came across, i get in create a sim, crash... load bk finish it off build the house crash... load back up and furnish it and crash... iv looked everywhere and tryed 90% of the solutions and non so far try this ingame shop... so does it work??

[cruinne]

Just to be sure: is your copy a cracked copy? Like I've said, i've mostly seen this reported with cracked copies.

[Return Of Woody]

lagit. but that was the problem, thanks took me 3 days to sus this.

[cruinne]

[kaiyl_kariashi]

Sims 3 is 32-bit and can't use more then 4gb of ram, so your computer's actual ram amount is irrelevant if it's higher then that. (it can actually only use 2gb, unless you use the large address aware utility on it). Trying to get the limit hiring via manually editing the config files doesn't work and simply uses 4gb, even if you've typed it in to allow your full amount of ram.

--------------------------------

Hmmm......as to other issues..I dunno. I do know that if you run just Vanilla Sims 3, at patch 1.0, it runs absolutely flawlessly.

Most of EA's patches actually break the game, so even if you have no expansion packs, you could be having issues due to that.

[the_sistergeek]

So OP reporting back. I found the issue. It was when the game loaded ads. I disabled "Shop Mode" and everything worked perfectly.

Nope, not a cracked game, legit bought!