My continuous struggle with deteriorating graphics in Sims 3 with Windows 10 has brought me to the point where I've purchased Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 discs (professional). A recent update has made sim's skin look like they have a disease. I'll handle security issues by keeping the computer off the internet as this desktop is mainly to play Sims 3 anyway. This is my system info and I have a complete dxdiag if that would help. Does anyone see any potential problems with this plan? I did recently install two 16 gb RAM cards where my two 8 gb RAM cards were originally if that makes any difference. I'm not a techie, just followed a YouTube tutorial of popping the old ones out and popping the new ones in.

Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64-bit (10.0, Build 19041) (19041.vb_release.191206-1406)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: MSI
System Model: MS-7A59
BIOS: 1.60 (type: UEFI)
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-7700K CPU @ 4.20GHz (8 CPUs), ~4.2GHz
Memory: 32768MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 32728MB RAM
Page File: 15677MB used, 21913MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 12
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
Miracast: Available, no HDCP
Microsoft Graphics Hybrid: Not Supported
DirectX Database Version: 1.0.8
DxDiag Version: 10.00.19041.0928 64bit Unicode
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
Device Type: Full Device (POST)
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1C03&SUBSYS_61633842&REV_A1
Device Status: 0180200A [DN_DRIVER_LOADED|DN_STARTED|DN_DISABLEABLE|DN_NT_ENUMERATOR|DN_NT_DRIVER]
Device Problem Code: No Problem
Driver Problem Code: Unknown
Display Memory: 22415 MB
Dedicated Memory: 6052 MB
Shared Memory: 16363 MB
Current Mode: 1920 x 1080 (32 bit) (60Hz)
HDR Support: Not Supported
Display Topology: Internal
Display Color Space: DXGI_COLOR_SPACE_RGB_FULL_G22_NONE_P709
Color Primaries: Red(0.641602,0.334961), Green(0.291016,0.635742), Blue(0.153320,0.042969), White Point(0.313477,0.329102)
Display Luminance: Min Luminance = 0.500000, Max Luminance = 270.000000, MaxFullFrameLuminance = 270.000000
Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
Monitor Model: G276HL
Monitor Id: ACR0300
Native Mode: 1920 x 1080(p) (60.000Hz)
Output Type: DVI
Monitor Capabilities: HDR Not Supported
Display Pixel Format: DISPLAYCONFIG_PIXELFORMAT_32BPP
Advanced Color: Not Supported
Driver Name: C:\WINDOWS\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\nv_dispi.inf_amd64_69d6cb4608dadaa3\nvldumdx.dll,C:\WINDOWS\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\nv_dispi.inf_amd64_69d6cb4608dadaa3\nvldumdx.dll,C:\WINDOWS\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\nv_dispi.inf_amd64_69d6cb4608dadaa3\nvldumdx.dll,C:\WINDOWS\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\nv_dispi.inf_amd64_69d6cb4608dadaa3\nvldumdx.dll
Driver File Version: 27.21.0014.6192 (English)
Driver Version: 27.21.14.6192
DDI Version: 12
Feature Levels: 12_1,12_0,11_1,11_0,10_1,10_0,9_3,9_2,9_1
Driver Model: WDDM 2.7
Hardware Scheduling: Supported:True Enabled:False
Graphics Preemption: Pixel

This might work if you're careful. It looks like your motherboard has drivers for Windows 7 and 8.1; download these for whichever OS you choose onto a separate USB before you start, install the OS while your computer is offline (i.e. not internet connection at all), and install the chipset drivers before going online. But please double-check the motherboard's download page: MSI occasionally has two boards with the same model number, for inexplicable reasons.

Nvidia's newest graphics driver also supports 7 and 8.1, and although support is being dropped for those OSs in a month or two, you won't care.

With Windows 7 in particular, it may be a bit complicated to fully update it, since it's technically out of support. 8.1 may be the better bet. But if you're wiping your system anyway, you could try whichever one you like better and switch to the other if it doesn't work out.

As for RAM, it shouldn't be an issue as long as your current modules are on the list of supported memory. You can find that on the same MSI page as the drivers. If this is in fact your board, here's where to look:

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/support ... own-driver
https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/support ... port-mem-5

Thank you! Had no idea the motherboard had anything to do with it so very helpful advice.

I didn't know that there are problems with Win 10 and Sims 3. I wanted to upgrade from Win 7 to Win 10 but I guess that's not a good idea then.

himawara, The issues with Sims 3 in Windows 10 are aesthetic: the 8-bit color depth along with a lack of dithering lead to color banding, and there are sometimes other color distortions as well. The game itself performs quite well though.