Image retention, is like a shadow sorta that trails behind the actual graphics, or something like that, had to ask ai what it is.

Getting Sims 2 on my new laptop, I think I encountered something like this before but I forgot. My graphic card is an AMD Ryzen 7.
I installed 4GB patch on Sims2EP9 . I use Sims 2 RPC, got 4GB patch and set 4GB patch tick on. I also changed the graphic rules like Pixu's video. Aswell as installed graphic rules maker.
Pixu's Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yc-3rcM9oI

I'm not sure what else to do now.

Does it happen with only the Sims 2? I've seen this happen with bad monitor cables.

I think so? I have only a few other games on my laptop, it doesn't do that. Also I noticed now this happened after I change the graphic cards according to Pixu's video. Could it be the enumerate...(I don't remember how to spell all that) feature?

I've had the bad cable issue happen on my old stationary computer, where the entire image would shift a little and sort of "ghost". Nudging the cable would make the image go either better or worse. Doesn't sound like the same issue.

Does it show in a screenshot (printscreen)? If not, is there a way you can show the "shadow" issue?

The GraphicRules and 4GB, etc. shouldn't be causing this, but there could be a default setting in the graphic card that's causing the issue.

Like the uploaded image, but the 'for sale' box is flickering.

I changed the enumerate back to the default, and it's still flickering... Could it be the screen resolution? That would be pretty odd to cause flickering...

Could be your monitor / settings - I think some people have had flickering issues with the refresh rate (Hz screen VS fps rate).

(I don't know enough on this issue to be of much help, but maybe someone else can give pointers?)

if other stuff is working as expected it is not a hardware (like the connector unseated, cable broken etc.) issue.

- drivers may be the issue because the game uses dx9 and newer drivers tends to treat old frameworks as kinda 'meh' (are other dx9 application working fine?).

Assuming that your game confihuration is OK my 1st suspect would be* VSync and antialiasing (a method in particular). Try to set different values (starting with the game's internal AA on 0). Next in line are: prerendered frames (set to 1), and particular AMD quality stuff.

*sometimes for gods knows why AMDs tries to render old dx9 apps as OpenGL with weird output. Don't ask. It's a mystery. Happens with embedded Intels, too. Solved by directly telling the GPU method of rendering.

Ah, sorry, but I'm not sure where to find these values?

VSync is both in game (leave that one alone) and in the 'video' section of GPU settings (AMD has got it's own settings panel IIRC just like NVidia and Intel. though VS is usually set on synchronous with the default system settings - depends of your mix of hardware+software defaults e.g. 60, 100 etc.)

The same with AA and the rest. If AA would reveal itself as a source of the problem set ingame on 0 and use FSAA (fullscreen AA) in video settings.

I've looked in the options, and I'm not sure where they are still... sorry.

I am sorry but I do not have AMD (neither Windows on my home machines).
but: [https://www.amd.com/en/support/kb/faq/dh-012] [https://www.amd.com/en/support/kb/faq/dh3-012]

Ingame settings are in 'graphics' section of 'settings' (you need to be at least at the neigh. view, settings are not visible from the 'select neigh.' panel.

AA is named 'Smooth Edges'.

Tick on/off different options until you find satysfying combination.

Transparency rendering might be the culprit, too. Don't be afraid of experimenting.

(image grabbed from simsvip - ddgo search)