I've got a problem on my desktop. It runs Civ4 and Civ5 just fine, but runs Sims 3 worse than my laptop. I thought the Radeon HD 6670 was supposed to be a step up from the Sandy Bridge integrated graphics.

Like Sinead19 over in the archived "Getting new graphics cards recognized by the game" thread, my GPU is correctly recognized, but the GPU Memory is not, giving me the good old 32MB Override.

The desktop is Win8, the laptop is Win7.

Snippets from the desktop DeviceConfig.log

=== Rating info ===
GPU: 5 GPU Memory: 1 CPU: 3 RAM: 4 CPU Speed: 2394 Threading: 3
Adjusted CPU: 2792 RAM: 8125 Adjusted RAM: 7613 Cores: 4

=== Graphics device info ===
Number: 0
Name (driver): AMD Radeon HD 6670
Name (database): AMD Radeon HD 6600 series [Found: 1, Matched: 1]
Vendor: ATI
Chipset: Vendor: 1002, Device: 6758, Board: 318c1682, Chipset: 0000
Driver: aticfx32.dll, Version: 8.17.10.1247, GUID: D7B71EE2-2418-11CF-ED71-8611BEC2C535
Driver version: 1247
Monitor: \\.\DISPLAY1
Texture memory: 32MB <<OVERRIDE>>
Vertex program: 3.0
Pixel program: 3.0
Hardware TnL: 1


From my DxDiag.txt:

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: AMD Radeon HD 6670
Manufacturer: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Chip type: AMD Radeon Graphics Processor (0x6758)
DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
Device Type: Full Device
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_6758&SUBSYS_318C1682&REV_00
Display Memory: 5875 MB
Dedicated Memory: 2035 MB
Shared Memory: 3840 MB
Current Mode: 1280 x 1024 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Dell 1907FP(Digital)
Monitor Model: DELL 1907FP
Monitor Id: DEL4015
Native Mode: 1280 x 1024(p) (60.020Hz)
Output Type: DVI
Driver Name: aticfx64.dll,aticfx64.dll,aticfx64.dll,aticfx32,aticfx32,aticfx32,atiumd64.dll,atidxx64.dll,atidxx64.dll,atiumdag,atidxx32,atidxx32,atiumdva,atiumd6a.cap,atitmm64.dll
Driver File Version: 8.17.0010.1247 (English)
Driver Version: 13.251.0.0
DDI Version: 11
Feature Levels: 11.0,10.1,10.0,9.3,9.2,9.1
Driver Model: WDDM 1.3
Graphics Preemption: DMA
Compute Preemption: DMA
Miracast: Not Supported
Hybrid Graphics GPU: Not Supported
Power P-states: Not Supported
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 12/13/2013 14:23:30, 1318552 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
WHQL Date Stamp:
Device Identifier: {D7B71EE2-2418-11CF-ED71-8611BEC2C535}
Vendor ID: 0x1002
Device ID: 0x6758
SubSys ID: 0x318C1682
Revision ID: 0x0000
Driver Strong Name: oem10.inf:cb0ae414ef6fc206:ati2mtag_NI:13.251.0.0:pci\ven_1002&dev_6758
Rank Of Driver: 00DA2001
Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_A ModeMPEG2_C
DXVA2 Modes: DXVA2_ModeMPEG2_VLD DXVA2_ModeMPEG2_IDCT DXVA2_ModeH264_VLD_NoFGT DXVA2_ModeVC1_VLD
Deinterlace Caps: {6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY
{6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,UYVY) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,UYVY) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,UYVY) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY
{5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(YV12,0x32315659) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=
{3C5323C1-6FB7-44F5-9081-056BF2EE449D}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,2) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{552C0DAD-CCBC-420B-83C8-74943CF9F1A6}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,2) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY
{5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC1,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=
{5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC2,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=
{5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC3,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=
{5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC4,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=
{5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(S340,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=
{5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(S342,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=
D3D9 Overlay: Not Supported
DXVA-HD: Not Supported
DDraw Status: Enabled
D3D Status: Enabled
AGP Status: Enabled


And a twist...I forgot to mention the desktop is dual-boot, so I picked up The Sims 2 on the cheap at Goodwill and installed it on the XP (32-bit) partition. Funnily enough, the game correctly recognized the amount of video memory as 2048 MB. I will copy that log later.

This is the 3rd or 4th report I've seen of a 2GB RAM AMD video card not being properly recognized by TS3. In fact, in every case, it reports the Video Memory as 0 and therefore Rates it the lowest possible setting. There is clearly a failure is the configuration/ recognition files, though I've not found it yet. There is a type of work around, though using it is at your own risk since Your video card is listed as questionable for the last 2 to 3 EP's and SP's,

It amounts to editing the GraphicsRules.sgr found in C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Game\Bin, You're looking for the following lines:
seti gpumemLevelUber 4
seti gpumemLevelHigh 3
seti gpumemLevelMedium 2
seti gpumemLevelLow 1

Change them to:
seti gpumemLevelUber 4
seti gpumemLevelHigh 4
seti gpumemLevelMedium 4
seti gpumemLevelLow 4
save and close the sgr file and start your game. make any other changes in options. If you notice any overheating or other irregular activity, change the 4's to 3's and repeat.

Yeah, that workaround was good enough. And hey, the Intel HD 3000 on my laptop goes "Maybe" at Ambitions and "No" by Showtime, and it's somewhat playable even when I've crammed all the expansions on. I'm still kicking myself for cheaping out on the graphics card on my desktop.

It's just that CAS looks terrible below High Sim Detail.

Just for fun, here's the log from TS2 correctly detecting the VRAM:

=== Application info ===
Name: The Sims 2
Version: 1.0.0.932
Build: ReleaseSRT-P
=== Machine info ===
OS version: Windows NT 5.1
CPU: 2394Mhz, Name:GenuineIntel, FPU:1, MMX:1
Memory: 2048MB
Free memory: 2048MB
User: Dell
Computer: DELL-07D4358D7B
=== Sound device info ===
Name: Unknown
Driver: Unknown
=== Graphics device info ===
Number: 0
Name (driver): AMD Radeon HD 6670
Name (database): AMD Radeon HD 6670 <<NOT FOUND IN DATABASE!>>
Vendor: ATI
Chipset: Vendor: 1002, Device: 6758, Board: 318c1682, Chipset: 0000
Driver: ati2dvag.dll, Version: 6.14.10.7270, GUID: D7B71EE2-2418-11CF-5469-8611A1C2CB35
Driver version: 7270
Monitor: \\.\DISPLAY1
Monitor aspect: 1.266666, 5:4
Screen mode: 1280x1024x32BPP,60Hz
Texture memory: 2048MB
HW T&L: Fixed function:1 Programmable:3.0
Pixel program: 3.0
Texture stages: 8
AppControlledAA: 1