So for as long as I can remember, from years ago when I first got the Sims 3, my game lags when I go into Build/Buy mode. The first time it happened I figured ok, it's got to be my computer since at the time I had an older one. But now I've moved on and up and the problem persists. Are there any fixes for this or is it just CC? I've slimmed down my custom content to about a third of what I had and it still does this.

There is no way it's my system. I had a professional build my computer a year ago and I know the parts are not out of date. They're still on the higher end. My rig is custom made specifically for gaming and I can run most games on Ultra with no hiccups or stutters.

In fact here's a comparison I did:


CPU
Minimum: (XP) 2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent; (Vista/7) 2.4 GHz P4 processor or equivalent [If built-in graphics chipsets then 2.6 GHz Pentium D CPU, or 1.8 GHz Core 2 Duo, or equivalent.]
You Have: AMD Athlon(tm) II X2 255 Processor

CPU Speed
Minimum: (XP) 2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent; (Vista/7) 2.4 GHz P4 processor or equivalent [If built-in graphics chipsets then 2.6 GHz Pentium D CPU, or 1.8 GHz Core 2 Duo, or equivalent.]
You Have: 3.1 GHz

RAM
Minimum: (XP) 1 GB RAM; (Vista/7) 1.5 GB RAM [If built-in graphics then add 0.5 GB additional RAM]
You Have: 8.2 GB

OS
Minimum: Windows XP (Service Pack 2) or Windows Vista (Service Pack 1) or Windows 7
You Have: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition Service Pack 1 (build 7601), 64-bit

Video Card
Minimum: 128 MB Video Card, with support for Pixel Shader 2.0 (NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900 or above / ATI Radeon 9500 or above / Intel GMA 3-series or above)
You Have: GeForce GTS 450

Features: Minimum attributes of your Video Card
Required You Have
Video RAM 128 MB 4.0 GB
Pixel Shader version 2.0 5.0

Actually, your processor is OK, it's from AMD's "budget" line and it's only a dual-core - the higher end processors they make are the Phenoms. I realize the listed game requirements are much lower than your actual specs - but those listed specs change with every expansion/sp you have installed, add CC to that and performance can take a hit. Your card is good but could also stand to eventually be upgraded, especially if you play other games besides Sims 3. If you're planning on staying in the mid range if you upgrade at any point, you're honestly much better off purchasing an ATI card, because they're more conservative with power (you don't want to have to install new fans and upgrade your PSU) and you get better specs for a much lower price. Your RAM is more than enough.

Specs aside, build/buy mode can be a cluttered mess. My rig has decent specs considering it was built in 2011, and when I first boot up the game, I can still get a bit of texture pop-in during Build/Buy, depending on the detail of the lot. I'm playing with an AMD Phenom II X6 1100t, ATI Radeon HD 6770 (need to upgrade my card) and 12 GB Ram, for reference.

Do you have a lot of store content installed? The categories EA selected are random, at best, so you might want to look into the catalogue fixes provided at The Simalogue: http://www.thesimalogue.com/be-less-stupid.html

There's also a wall hider for Ambitions/Base Game to minimize duplicates at MTS:
http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=420063

Ninoo also made hiders for Build/Buy (and CAS) stuff for many of the EPs/SPs - so you can hide items you never use and simply slow down loading the catalog: http://www.4shared.com/rar/9SLZ8qE1/Hiders.html

Are you playing with an FPS Limiter OR have you enabled V-Sync in your card's preferences? By default, the game has no V-Sync option, so anyone with a decent card runs the risk of overheating it - the jumpy frame rate also can cause lag and screen-tearing in itself. I use 3Booter/FPS Limiter http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/samples/ts3/tools/ to lock my framerate at 30 FPS.

Do you take advantage of collections? CC creators have started releasing objects that are hidden from the catalog and only visible in custom collections, or you can of course create your own - if you use CC Magic, I believe creating custom collections becomes even easier.

Curious Kitty, from your spec I see the weakest point is your CPU, secondly if you play on big screen where you run on high resolution GTS450 might be too slow, from what I know when buying nvidia card the first digit is their generation, the second digit is the class/series, then GTS or GTX also make a little differences in performance.
but try to update your graphic card driver first
and then try lower the resolution if the problem persist

I run AMD cpu Phenom ii x4 and 8gb gaming ram, and also nvidia card GTX460 , and I also get the same popping texture the first time neighborhood loads, and then have to wait when loading sim bin or changing clothes in CAS, I tried to switch back to desktop where I have a RAM & CPU monitor running, and they are not strained at all, so I think the culprit is in their own
programming or interconnection between their own EP and SP and DLC.
as even loading EA's clothing is laggy in CAS, and getting worse with every installed EP on top of the base game.

Hmmm ok. I'll look at those links Ameenah, thanks again. [=

I have updated drivers for my card but I think with my tax return I'm going to look at buying new pieces for my comp.

So I guess now my question is, what should I upgrade? My card and processor? My fiance knows quite a bit about parts and installing them so if I could just sit him down for a couple hours (he works full time AND goes to school so we rarely get to see each other outside of when he comes home to sleep) we could hunt down a new processor and card for me and install it ourselves. I just want to make sure I'm upgrading the right parts. Don't tell him I said this but... I don't always trust his advice, haha. ;)

I guess I just don't understand why i can run other games with no hiccups or stutters but now suddenly i can hardly go through build/buy mode on sims 3. I guess the added sp and ep are really making my rig work.

Also about the v sync thing, i wouldn't really know. My fiance put my computer together and I usually let him handle the updating and settings and stuff, haha. I know stuff about computers but I wouldn't know how to find out if that's enabled.

Like Nav said, your CPU is your weakest component, after that it would be your GPU. If you are able to upgrade, that's excellent. (Elexis wrote a nice guide, here: http://elexissims.tumblr.com/post/41363473519) Until then, you might just want to consider knocking down some settings if that gives you performance gain. If you don't want to turn down any settings, then you'll want to spend some time cleaning up your catalog and game (but you should do this anyway ;p).

The Sims 3 is an odd game. Oftentimes it's demanding simply because of flaws in how the game was created. Catalog modes like CAS and Build/Buy are notoriously laggy, and in the case of Build/Buy and especially Edit-in-game mode, also prone to bugs. You can play on the nicest PC and still experience issues. This is EA's fault, and I feel like the majority of my mods/tweaks/hacks are simply to make the game playable in a *technical* sense. So it's difficult to compare it to other games. Plus, keep in mind, do you mod your other games to the extent that you mod Sims 3?

Lately, I've noticed many people uninstalling certain EPs they don't play with and SPs they don't utilize to speed up their games - I don't want to part with any of my EPs, I paid for them after all, so I continue to play with everything installed. If I didn't want something, I didn't buy it (Like KPSST). However, if there is an EP you are not using, it WILL speed up your game to uninstall. Another option is to play with AnyGameStarter/another game launcher, and create profiles with specific EPs/SPs that are relevant to certain save files.

With a save, lag accumulates from several factors:

• A large, detailed world. Overall map size, excess of terrain paints per world chunk, excessive amounts of spawners - these all demand more from your computer. With Seasons installed, these requirements go up.
  
• Too many lots. This isn't as much of an issue if you're playing an EA world vs a custom world, but for some computers, even the EA worlds can be too large. Also if you've placed excessive amounts of new lots through edit-in-game.
  
• Too many objects. In your sim's inventories and placed in the world. This includes large amounts of deco, especially an excess of objects placed with OMSPs/Move Objects On that are likely to cause routing failure. More objects means more opportunity for sims to get stuck in corrupted actions associated with the objects/the objects themselves to get stuck, etc. This also includes items that are auto-generated by the game, like insane amounts of cars etc. This is where mods like NRAAS Overwatch and Error Trap become incredibly handy. Master Controller also allows you to "Reset All" objects/sims - you should do this about once a sim week.
  
• Too many sims. This includes excessive homeless sims, service sims, and especially pets. For many people, the Pets EP is the expansion responsible for the largest slow down in the game. Both Master Controller and Awesome Mod have options available that allow you to cap your population at a maximum number and ways to control your current population.
  
• Bloat from the memory system introduced with Generations. Toggling it off through EA's options panel is known to not be 100% effective. I also have a tuning mod (From Shimrod at TFM) installed that disables all memories. Alternatively, you can use VelocityGrass' configurable mod that allows you to pick and choose which memories you want to be "automatic." I suggest to disable auto-memories altogether, because they're kind of useless and take up an insane amount of space, causing your save file to grow exponentially.
  
• A borked mailbox caused by the failed gifting system introduced with Seasons.

Enabling V-Sync is just an option on your GPU's control panel, you can toggle it on and off per game, too. So you can create a profile just for the Sims 3, etc.

All right. I think I'll look through some things and decide. I did get those Hiders and they helped ALOT as well as that 3booter.

I think I'll start looking at CPU and GPU upgrades tomorrow with my fiance. Thanks for everything Ameenah. You're always so helpful :D