@ashleykfc Sure, but I need a bit more information. Please list your budget and country, whether you want a laptop or a desktop, and any other details that matter to you, for example having a lot of storage or being able to run other apps or games.
USA, I want a desktop and my budget is no more than $1100. I think I need a good amount of storage because I use ALOT of mods and CC. I only play with cc and all of my sims have alpha cc (including cc furniture/build mode) and also I need good graphics because I want to use reshade in my game and run it on ultra setting without lag.
Packs I have right now (will probably get more soon):
Get to work
Get together
Get famous
City Living
Discover University
Seasons
Spa Day
Movie Hangout
Dine out
Bowling Night
Parenthood
Jungle Adventure
Laundry Day
Sims 4 is the only game I plan to play on it. Also, I make sims content (a machinima series on youtube) where I use a lot of custom downloaded animations, so I use OBS to screen record my game. Right now currently when I screen record my game and pan it looks a little choppy when I play it back, I think that is because my game gets laggy sometimes. Thank you for getting back to me, I hope this was enough info!🙂
@ashleykfc I split your posts into their own thread because the other one was a bit old. Not really too much, but sometimes threads more than a year old get closed, so it's easier to make a new thread for you and avoid the possibility.
Anyway, given your preferences, I think you'd want an Nvidia RTX 2060, or maybe an AMD RX 5600XT, as a graphics card, or at the very least an Nvidia 1660 Super. Sims 4 has fps drops, even without any custom content mods or Reshade or any other factors; that's just how it runs these days. There's no way to avoid it, even on the most expensive hardware. But you can at least build in a buffer so that the fps drops to, say, 70 or so rather than 40. So between the fps drops and all the extra content you're going to want to add, you'll benefit from a faster card than is strictly necessary. The faster GPUs (RTX 2070, RX 5700 and up) are more expensive.
The best option I saw for under $1,100 with an Nvidia 2060 is this one, for $940. It has 16 GB RAM, which it sounds like you'll need, and more than enough storage: a 512 GB SSD and a 1 TB HDD. Its processor is quite good, not the best for gaming but more powerful than Sims 4 will ever need, and it has enough cores to support whatever else you're running alongside the game without affecting performance. In case you're curious, the CPU socket on the motherboard would also support one of the new high-end AMD processors (5000-series), if you wanted to upgrade at some point. I don't think you'd need to though, at least not for a while.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1601322-REG/cyberpowerpc_gma9020cpgv2_gm_ryzen_5_3600.html
This one is a bit cheaper, at $850, although you'd want to spend another $40 or so to double its 8 GB RAM. (This is about the easiest upgrade you can do to a computer; no special skills required.) Its processor is significantly faster for gaming, but it only has an Nvidia 1660 Super; the 2060 is about 25% faster in games. It also has a smaller SSD, although that's still enough for all your Sims 4 content; you'd just need to shift the files you didn't use frequently to the large HDD.
There are plenty of variations like both of these, but they're either more expensive without an upgrade, or they compromise on the hardware in some way, or both.
If you want a stronger processor and a faster graphics card, the cheapest option I found was this one, for $1,050. It has 16 GB RAM and a 256 GB SSD/1 TB HDD.
https://www.newegg.com/lenovo-90nc001sus-legion-tower-5/p/N82E16883994684?Item=N82E16883994684
If none of these are what you want, there are a couple of custom builds available from Dell and HP that would work. They're not as cheap as the above options, but if you're for example looking for a 1 TB SSD, that's doable. Here are the base models, if you want to play around with the options:
https://store.hp.com/us/en/pdp/hp-pavilion-gaming-desktop-tg01-1160xt-8mp64av-1
In both cases, upgrading to an Nvidia 1660 (regular or Super) is a reasonable price; the 2060 might put your over budget, depending on the other options you select. I'd also stick with 8 GB RAM and add more yourself, rather than paying $100 for the company to do it for you.
If there are other details that matter to you that these don't cover, let me know, and I'll take another look. And if you have more questions, please feel free to ask.
Hi, so I read that the sims is a more CPU intensive game than a GPU one. So the computer I'm looking at has the CPU: 3.6 GHz AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-Core and GPU : NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 with 6 GB GDDR6 VRAM. Would you say those are good to handle my game if I used reshade + with over 30gb in my mods folder?
@ashleykfc Sims 4 is actually much more GPU intensive than CPU intensive. This is true of most games, with the exceptions being those like Cities: Skylines that require a lot of off-screen simulation. Sims 4 is more CPU intensive than Sims 3, which is a common comparison to make, but that's about relative demands.
To answer your question though, I think a Ryzen 5 3600 and an RTX 2060 would be more than fine, perhaps even a bit of overkill. But that should give you plenty of overhead to account for more demanding expansions, high resolution custom content, and Reshade. I would guess you'd probably never see a performance issue except when the game engine itself has a problem, which is unfortunately inevitable on any system. For the rest of the time, you should be more than fine.
Okay, thank you so much for your help! I had no knowledge about gaming computer specs and whatnot, but with your help and a lot of research, I found a computer to buy! Thank youu! 🙂))
Hi, so I've been looking at this PC https://www.conns.com/acer-predator-orion-3000-gaming-desktop-po3620ur13.html what do think about this computer for the things I need for my game?
@ashleykfc I think if you're going to spend $1,400, you should be getting stronger hardware than that. I found the same graphics card in computers under $1,000, and the processor is only a little faster than a Ryzen 3600. This model's cooling is also not great, although with a mid-tier CPU and GPU, that wouldn't be as much of an issue.
Hi!
I'm sorry to bother this message area but I really need your help in order to buy a good laptop: in this case, my situation is that I have to buy a good laptop to use for uni but I would like to play The Sims 4 as well (of course as a hobby, so not all the time). I researched and this option seems to be perfect but I would like to have an opinion about it!
Thank you if you're considering this message. ♡
ACER SWIFT 3 (SF314-43-R2GK, 14. pixel, AMD processor Ryzen 5 (5500U), AMD Radeon Graphics, 8GB SSD, 512 GB.
@melzishere This laptop should be able to run Sims 4, all current packs included, on medium-high or high graphics settings. It's certainly a good choice in the $400-600 U.S. price range, and the only options with significantly better performance are gaming laptops. Since I'm guessing you probably don't want one of those, this is exactly the kind of laptop you'd be looking for, and it should work out well.
The short version is, if you like it, then there's no reason not to buy it.
Hi if your still active I have some links to some pcs I have been looking at could you please reply when you can I also want sims4 with alot if mods,cc and reshade
@soogyus I'm still active. Feel free to link whatever models you're considering, and I'll take a look.
@puzzlezaddictHere is the first one it’s a bit pricey considering I have an entire cart in amazon ready to purchase once enough is saved up but I need to know if these specs are better compared to the one in my Amazon cart.but ofcourse I expected it to be pricy it’s Best Buy for godsake my lowest budget is 1100 my highest is 1300.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/cyberpowerpc-gamer-xtreme-gaming-desktop-intel-core-i7-12700f-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-3060-ti-1tb-hdd-500gb-ssd-black/6500511.p?skuId=6500511
here is my Amazon one I’ll have to buy this one and pay more with the other things in my cart (desk for computer,monitor,keyboard ,and headphones)I haven’t added my monitor yet but my cart all together is 1400+ so if I get the Best Buy one it’s gonna be abt 2k so I’m hoping my Amazon pc is enough 😭
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08XQZP4T9/ref=ox_sc_act_image_6?smid=A89QP6D3VDW1W&psc=1
@soogyus Both of the computers you listed are overkill for Sims 4, even with custom content and Reshade, not that that's a bad thing. But you can do better for your money. This one has the same hardware as the Best Buy option you listed except that its processor is a year older, but that won't make any measurable difference to Sims 4. Skytech's build quality is better than Cyberpower's these days as well, although Cyberpower is still fine in most cases. It's also $200 cheaper:
I wouldn't get the Amazon option you listed, to be honest. Although the processor should be more than fine for Sims 4, I've seen a few examples of the game running slowly for no apparent reason on this particular generation of AMD CPUs, and I was never able to figure out the cause, much less fix it.
You can save more money if you want though. These two are also overkill for Sims 4, even if their hardware is not quite as powerful, and should be able to handle your cc and Reshade settings just fine as long as you're not playing on a 4k monitor:
The first one has a faster graphics card and the second one a faster processor. If you're more worried about graphics rendering, for example if you want to use very demanding Reshade settings, the first is the better option. If you're more concerned about game engine issues like simulation lag, the second one is better. They're both more than good enough though; I'm not sure you'd notice any difference between the two while playing.
If you're willing to shop elsewhere, this one is essentially the same as the second Best Buy link (faster GPU) except that its processor is a generation newer. It's cheaper too:
https://skytechgaming.com/product/0536-12400f-2060-16g/
And these two have a 3060 and a 3060 ti, like the Amazon and Best Buy options you posted, respectively. The first one's processor is significantly better than the Amazon option; the second is equally good for gaming as the Best Buy option. And they're cheaper. The only downside is that the first one doesn't have as much storage, but 500 GB is still plenty, and it's actually quite easy and reasonably to add another SSD later if you want. Plus, like I said, Skytech generally has very good build quality for this price range.
https://skytechgaming.com/product/0470-12400f-3060-16gb-shiva2/
https://skytechgaming.com/product/azure-12600k-3060ti/
If you'd prefer to stick with Amazon or Best Buy and want to keep the price down, this one is almost the same as the Amazon option you linked except for its newer and better processor, and the fact that it only has half the storage:
https://www.amazon.com/iBUYPOWER-Computer-Desktop-SlateMR-Geforce/dp/B0BJ82521F
I know this is a lot of options, but it becomes simpler once you decide whether you really want the extra power of a 3060 (regular or ti) or not. Then you can cross off half the options and go from there. As I said, a 1660 ti or 2060 is still going to do what you ask of it, but maybe you want the faster card for other reasons. The one thing I do know is you definitely don't need to spend $1,400 on this computer.
If you'd like help picking out a monitor, or you want me to look at the option(s) you're already considering, just ask.
@soogyus That monitor is fine, but it has a VA panel, which, while good enough overall, doesn't have the brightness of color quality of IPS panels. If you really like it, I don't think you'll be disappointed. But if you want something better, here are some IPS options in the same size:
https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-VA24EHE-Monitor-1920x1080-D-Sub/dp/B07Z8TC28F
https://www.newegg.com/msi-pro-mp243-24-full-hd/p/N82E16824475264
(AOC makes panels for other better-known companies, so its own label is quite good if not as popular.)
Samsung IPS monitors are more expensive, but not ridiculously so:
https://www.amazon.com/SAMSUNG-Computer-Border-Less-FreeSync-Cleaning/dp/B0B7KJDRG9
There are far too many good and reasonably-priced options to list, so it would help if you could narrow things down a bit. For example, maybe you want a Samsung monitor, or one with a particular stand or that can swivel. If you want a curved monitor, your choices are more limited at this screen size, and honestly the curve doesn't really have any benefit for a 24" screen.
I wouldn't go to a larger size though unless you want a higher resolution as well, and that means opening up the choices to a whole new, and more expensive bracket. 1920x1080 looks good at 24" but a bit grainy at 27. I'm not saying don't do it, just understand that you're driving up the price. And frankly, if you do want to play at 2560x1440, you might want to consider a 3060 rather than a 1660 ti. Under normal circumstances (no Reshade, no high poly custom content), a 1660 ti could still run Sims 4 at that resolution at above 60 fps, but you might see some small fps drops once you load in all your extra content. For this scenario, a 1660 ti feels right on the border of what would be totally fine all the time vs. occasionally not quite enough.
@soogyus If you're happy with a 1080p monitor, which is perfectly fine if you're getting a 24" model, then the computer you've picked out from the ones I listed is more than good enough. It's really not more complicated than that.
If you want a larger, higher-resolution monitor, but still want to keep the price down, I would go with this one:
https://skytechgaming.com/product/0470-12400f-3060-16gb-shiva2/
The Skytech option that has a 3060 ti and a faster processor for $100 more is an even better deal, at least if you look at the relative costs of the components. But if we're only talking about Sims 4, not other games or futureproofing for Sims 5 (and who knows what that will be like) or having extra power just because, that $100 would have no practical impact on your gaming experience.
If you're not sure about the monitor, go to a physical store and look at different options for both resolutions and decide what you think. Best Buy stores usually have lots of monitors on display, and you can ask a sales rep to show you 1080p monitors at 24 and 27" and 1440p monitors at 27". Make sure they all have IPS panels so you're only seeing the highest quality options.
@puzzlezaddictUnfortunately I couldn’t get this one because it went out of stock and isn’t sold anymore.
do you have anymore options that’s not over 900+ and around 700-900 it’s really hard these days for me but I can still save since I don’t have bills I still have to help my mom tho lol😭
@soogyus I wrote out a reply last night for someone looking for a sub-$900 PC here:
https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/TS4-PC-Help/m-p/12278815#M243591
Please let me know what you think of the options, particularly the first one.
@soogyus What matters to Sims 4 is essentially the turbo clock speed of the processor. It's not quite that simple, as newer CPUs are more efficient than older ones, so a core running at 3 GHz from eight years ago isn't going to accomplish nearly as much in a given amount of time as a current one. The difference is usually not that significant from one generation to the next.
Sims 4 can only use 4 cores, so as far as the game is concerned, there isn't any benefit to having more than six: four dedicated to Sims 4 and two to run everything else. The OS and your web browser or whatever else you're running in the background aren't going to use these full two cores; the point is just to give the game four cores it doesn't have to share. These days, the advantage of an i7 is that it has extra cores relative to the i5, but that's irrelevant here. So sure, it's "better," but not in a way that will matter to you.
Besides, as noted before, the limiting factor for Sims 4 will be the graphics card. Good processors are cheap enough these days, and GPUs so expensive, that any computer manufacturer or system integrator is going to include a CPU that will outpace the GPU—no one wants to spend a lot of money on an expensive graphics card only to find the processor is holding the GPU back from its full potential. And all these computers I listed have CPUs that will more than keep up with the GPU.
As far as Sims 4 is concerned, and this is true with most games, it's much better to spend whatever extra money you have on a faster graphics card than a better processor.
@soogyus In your position, I'd likely go with this one:
I care a lot about build quality and being able to maintain or upgrade in the future, which eliminates the HP. And while I think the build quality of a Skytech machine is slightly better than that of a ROG desktop, it's close enough that it's not worth spending the extra $100 if you have other uses for that money. While I'd prefer to have an RTX 2060 rather than a 1660 ti, it's also not worth $200 to upgrade.
However, any of these choices should be fine, so if you have other priorities, just go with what feels right to you.
This is gonna sound crazy but due to my situations I decided to do installment payments with this rising star pc builder he has a lot of good reviews haven’t seen a bad one and he does refunds too.And these are the specs my total is 1400+ I went over board because of the installment payments I’m confident I can pay 97 bucks a month.So what monitor do you recommend with this.After all my antics to be cheap I finally was able to decide on this and what do you think about these specs?I wanted a curved monitor it doesn’t have to be curved but something nice and slick
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