Edit: Ah, I see ella beat me to it. Ah well, I'll leave this post as it contains more detailed info on the HWMonitor process. Even if removing the patch helps with TS3, you should still do this - the fact that other games are also crashing, and that the crash totally shuts down your laptop, indicates that there is a severe problem with the laptop itself as well as just the game.


The weaker processor isn't that huge an issue - it could cause problems, but not problems of this sort. What surface do you put the laptop on when you use it? A table? A lap? Does it feel hot underneath? I'm concerned that your laptop may be overheating.

Download this program - it will hopefully tell us the temperatures of various components in your laptop, though Dell are notorious for not bothering to put proper sensors in, so we may only get a little information.

Use the laptop normally for about 30 minutes, with HWMonitor running, then screenshot the HWMonitor window and post the screenshot here. I'd usually ask you to do the same while playing Sims 3, but I appreciate you can't play TS3 for 30 minutes. Are there any other games that normally last that long before crashing? If so, please repeat the process with them; if not, never mind.

Your system requirements are fine, even though it requires a 2.4 GHz processor(single core) your running a core 2 duo at 2.2 GHz and if i remember correctly sims 3 requaires a 1.8 GHz for a dual core system.

Your problem is overheating very common with laptops. The reason the laptop turns its self off is to proctect the CPU and GPU from frying, normally it will only downclock itself which only cuase game lag for a bit but if the heat is excesive the laptop with shutdown completly.

Here are few things you should try:

1. Use HWMonitor like ellacharm and white suggested to check you temperatures while playing games and post the picture on here so we can have a look.

2. You can also use ORTHOS to stress test your system if all your games crash really quickly.

In Response to Ella

1. I havn't played many games on here until about 3 months ago. But yes, it has. By t he way I've had this laptop since Xmas of '08, so about 13-14 months.
2. The other game I play on it is Dragon Age: Origins. I am not sure as to if it meets the requirements, although I am able to play that game sometimes for hours with no crash, however it occasionally will crash within the first 15 minutes, and after it crashes if I restart it I could sometimes play for hours after that. One thing that seems to trigger the crash in Dragon Age: Origins is if I have the charger plugged in, and for some reason the plug falls out of the side of the laptop its all but guarenteed to crash if that helps any.
3. I have not been monitoring the heat, and I think you might be getting something there because my computer does get pretty hot at times and I do normally have it sitting on a table, not one where it would have any ventilation. I am downloading that application however I do not know how to "screencap" the screen.
4. Dell Supports reasoning for it not working was the difference in the 2.4 and 2.2 gh and that is causing my comp to crash.

In terms of the Event Log I am unsure as to what I'm suppose to do. I am in Event Viewer and I don't see Global Logs or System. I See Custom Views, Windows Logs, applications and services logs and subscriptions. If I go into Custom Views it then says administrative events and has a big grouping of Warnings and Errors and I'm guessing that is what you're talking about.

I see 2 errors around one of the times I crashed yesterday and the first one says :Source - WMI and the general description is

"Event filter with query "SELECT * FROM __InstanceModificationEvent WITHIN 60 WHERE TargetInstance ISA "Win32_Processor" AND TargetInstance.LoadPercentage > 99" could not be reactivated in namespace "//./root/CIMV2" because of error 0x80041003. Events cannot be delivered through this filter until the problem is corrected."

There error that Preceded that said : Source - netbt and the general description is

"The name "YOUR-CA38AA8D3F:0" could not be registered on the interface with IP address 192.168.1.5. The computer with the IP address 192.168.1.6 did not allow the name to be claimed by this computer."

I hope that is what you're looking for.

Here's How to take a Screencap:
1.Click on the Start Menu and start typing "snipping" into the search box.

2.Snipping Tool should show up in the Programs list above the search box, and you can click on it to start it.

3.The Snipping Tool window will appear on your screen. You may move it to an edge of the screen so it's not in your way, but it will also disappear when you start dragging a selection area.

4.The Snipping Tool assumes you want to create a new clipping as soon as you open it. Your screen will dim, and you can click and drag your cursor to select an area to copy. As you drag, the selected area will be darker, and surrounded by a red border if you've never changed the Snipping Tool options.

5.When you release the mouse button, the captured area will open in the Snipping Tool window. If you're not happy with the selection and need to try again, click the "New" button.

6.When you are happy with your clipping, press the second button to save the screen shot as an image file.

Here is my screen shot after playing Dragon Age: Origins for about a half hour.

85 c for cpu and 89 c for gpu that is hot, and dragon age doesn't use nearly as much cpu power as the sims 3 does. Good thing is you can do a few things yourself to try an impove this.

What can I do?

1. clean your vents, fan, and heatsink with compressed air.
2. get a laptop cooler like the zalman nc1000 or the nc2000.
3. apply new thermal pads/paste
4. Try undervolting your laptop with RMclock note: this will help with some game but not all.
5. Send it off to dell for repair, Hope you still have your warranty

1. How do I do that? What is compressed air?
2. How much does that cost? Easy to use?
3. What is that?
4. Again, what is that?
5. I do have my warranty, and what would I be sending it there for exactly?


Also, after all this dialogue and attempts to get my game to work, are you confident that the problem with it is simply the heat of my laptop?

1. by opening up your laptop and blow all the dirt and dust out use the compressed air. you can buy these at any store that sells pc parts, cost anywhere from $1.99 to $3 all it is compressed air in a can.
2. it like a stand for a laptop with fans on the bottom for more cooling, the zalman nc1000 cost about $50
3. It's a paste that sit between your cpu and motherboard
4.It's a program that lets you control voltage used by the cpu, the less it uses the cooler it runs.
5. Tell them that your laptop is overheating and they should know what to replace.

Heat is the biggest problem you could have. You want the system to be around 30 c or lower when idle and below 70 when under stress. Oh i forgot to add this earlier never have you battery in when the laptop is plugged into the wall creates heat you don't need or want.

1. By opening up do you mean every place on the bottom of the laptop that have be detached by unscrewing the screws and clean those?
4. Is this a free program? If not, how much? Also, I have no idea how much voltage the computer should be using...Is there a guide I can get somewhere? Also, is this ultimately necessary?
5. I feel as if this is a very good idea because I'm still under warranty and fixing what needs to be fixed is important. However, my life basically revolves around my laptop. Now, is this ultimately necessary?

I would also like to thank you very much for all your help, as well as the others who have contributed. Whether or not I get my game to work I have learned a lot about maintenance pertaining to my laptop and my overall computer knowledge has grown. Hopefully I'll be playing the Sims 3 soon but even if I'm not, you have certainly helped me in improving my computer and its performance. Thank you, I very much appreciate the help you've given me.

How about the fan? Do you hear any whirring noise or is it dead?
That might need to be replaced, too.

I use the smallest vacuum nozzle at low-mid settings, periodically, just because I'm too lazy to open up my laptop chassis (plus I might nudge something loose, it's happened!).

Opening it up as TheUnknownTruth suggested above is the best action, though.
If it is still under warranty, best to have Dell deal with it or they might use your opening it up to void the warranty. Just get Dell to pick it up, if you have OnSite coverage. Have them do (1), (3) and clean/replace the fan (if necessary). If your GPU or whatever parts for this model is eligible for replacement parts in any recall exercise, demand that too.

I'll research what I can find on that error, but I think that is of no help. We might need to see a HijackThis log, when overheating has been ruled out as the cause.

Oh, nothing is guaranteed with TS3.. One patch can work one day and suddenly not work the next. Same patch that failed will work after 3 reinstalls, etc. sorry, I exaggerates (somewhat)

the fan noise is normal, no irregularities.

Ella you said to "Have them do (1), (3)..." Are you referring to TheUnknownTruth's post

"1. by opening up your laptop and blow all the dirt and dust out use the compressed air. you can buy these at any store that sells pc parts, cost anywhere from $1.99 to $3 all it is compressed air in a can."

and

"3. It's a paste that sit between your cpu and motherboard"

Are you saying to simply ask them to perform these tasks?

Also, are you suggesting that overheating is not cause?

1. This requires it completely open, not just the panels on the back but it will most like void your warranty in which case i would not do it.

4. It should still be free unless they started charging for it. There is no ideal voltage for a cpu because different games use different amount of cpu power. Example Dragon Age don't require much cpu power in whish case you could drop the voltage way down without hampering your game performance and reducing your cpu temp. You would have to play around with different voltage setting until you found one that works well.

5. It's probably the best idea if your not hands on like me. The worst case scenario they send you a new model.

No problem, most people don't realize that a computer is like a car it needs it's oil changed once in a while.

Yes, am referring to TheUnknownTruth's post. And overheating might not be the only cause.

How long is the warranty still valid for, how much time is left before it expires?
You can do research on this for your model on the web or at Dell's website to see what others were provided with ie one-to-one exchange (if warranty validity term is still within a year or longer or if you get their extended warranty) with different motherboard+GPU or replacement GPU, etc. Just make sure the hardware they offered you does not have the same heating issues/flaws - more research needed for those replacement parts.
some useful info I found to start you off:

• http://support.dell.com/support/top...&doclang=en&cs=
• http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/...nt-details.aspx
• http://en.community.dell.com/forums...&l=en&cs=&s=gen
• http://en.community.dell.com/forums...?SectionID=3518

You can tell them the issue of (most/all?) games that you play are crashing and quote the screencap there as proof. And ask them what their suggested fixes are if you send the laptop in, how long it is going to take, etc. Ask them what the warranty covers in terms of what you can get fixed for overheating issues caused by the components in the laptop they configure.

And if the points (1)+(3) we discussed here were not offered, I'd still ask them to do it, especially if it is free. Well since it is going to be in their (or their vendor's) repair workshop, and all...

Do NOT start breaking apart your laptop and reapplying thermal paste and all that jazz unless you really know what you're doing. First of all you will void your warranty. Second of all, if you do not know what you are doing, you can really screw things up.

Your laptop is defective in that it cannot handle heat the way it was originally intended to. Your temps are definitely way too high.

First off, you need to make sure you are always using your laptop on a hard flat surface, like a table or a desk. Do not put it on a chair, bed, couch, or even your laptop. Check temps while using it properly on the hard flat surface. If temps are still that hot, send it in for repair. Tell them your GPU and CPU are overheating. My guess is it's a cooling issue (maybe a fan problem) since it's not just isolated to one component, but they should determine that on their own and replace parts as necessary.

The warranty lasts until this december, and I plan to get in contact with and send it into dell asap.