As jam noted in an earlier post. The minute a new game comes out there are loads of questions about performance and other issues so I decided to post an information message to give you a bit of information on the game as I currently have it and have done lots of research on it through the Sims/EA Forums: 1. Read the system requirements on the box, then double the ram requirement. I learned through experience and forum information while playing the Sims 2, that the ram requirements are usually doubled for the game to run really smoothly. What is listed on the box is the bare minimum, meaning you will not be able to run expansion packs/stuff packs smoothly if you're just at the minimum requirements. If you just want the basegame, fine. If you want to test your system quickly, go to www.canyourunit.com. 2. The Sims 3 requires a Pixel Shader 2.0 video card to run. Make sure your graphics card meets this requirement. Never be confused by the fact that a game will allow you to install it but then fail to run it. 3. Make sure you have a DVD Rom. Most later versions of the Sims require a DVD Rom to run. Yes, it will probably install if all you have is a CD Rom, but it will not run the game. 4. Gameplay issues. There are problems with this game as there usually are with new Sims releases. Check the forums at www.sims3.com to see if someone has found a solution for your gameplay issue. A patch was recently posted by EA to cover major problems with the game, but beware before you download, please read the forums there, especially if you have custom content on your machine. Downloading the patch will make this content null and void. Follow instructions there for moving the Resource.cfg which allows you to run custom content. 4. The Sims 3 will run on laptops and it will run with chipsets, sometimes, but it really isn't made for them. You'll probably encounter slow fps rates or skipping game play, especially if you have low ram. Make sure your drivers are up to date before you install the game to avoid disappointment. 5. Game Crashes - Check the forums at www.thesims3.com. This is a topic which has many threads and has provided many solutions for different kinds of crashes the game is causing. If you have a mac, you will need to download the tool to make the launcher work correctly from this site. That's all I can think of. Remember that EA is famous for putting out the Sims franchise while it still has quite a few issues. Patches are regularly made available to correct major problems, but ensuring you meet the system requirements is crucial. Although this is not Crysis, the Sims has a reputation for demanding an awful lot of your PC, far more than it claims to on the box, so make sure your PC is prepared and ensure you actually search a forum before posting. It's likely that someone has found or received an answer to your query.