Re: The best laptop to play Sims 4 with all packs and mods/cc

I’m trying to find out what laptop will have good performance and won’t lag for the sims 4. I want to buy the hp pavilion gaming laptop that’s black and green and I wanna know if that’s a good choice ... I have a budget and don’t want to spend much. Will it perform good with expansion packs , game packs and CC? I use a lot of CC in the sims and I wanna know if this is a good choice for me.

@fabulousgabby362  It would help to know which specific laptop you're considering.  The new Pavilion models currently on sale should all be fine, but it doesn't hurt to check.

If you'd like to see other options for comparison, just list your budget and country, as well as any other considerations that matter to you.

I live in the US so my budget is a gaming laptop that is around $600-$700 That has good performance on ultra settings for the sims 4.

I also thought about getting the Acer nitro 5 or the ASUS tuf .

But the main laptop that I’m considering right now is the hp pavilion gaming laptop with the GTX 1050 and the 8GB RAM with the backlit keyboard. 

@fabulousgabby362  Asus, Acer, and HP all make good enough gaming laptops, so the most important question is what these particular models have for a graphics card.  An Nvidia 1050 can run all packs together on ultra graphics settings, although only barely.  A 1650 is somewhat faster and would give the laptop some breathing room to accommodate the likely increased demands of future expansions.  But it's not strictly necessary—if you're fine playing on high settings in a year or two, a laptop with a 1050 would still be a good choice.

The cheapest laptop with a 1650 I've seen recently is this MSI, for $700.  It only has a 256 GB hard drive, but that's enough for Sims 4 and your user data, plus however many small apps like browsers you'd want to install.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1542057-REG/msi_gf63_thin_9scx_005_gf63_i5_9300h_8gb.html

This Acer is $730 and has a lot more storage: a combination 128 GB SSD/1 TB HDD.  You'd probably need to install Sims 4 on the mechanical drive, so it would load somewhat more slowly; or else you'd need to be very careful managing free space on the SSD.  But if you need a lot of overall storage, this is a good option.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/acer-nitro-5-15-6-gaming-laptop-intel-core-i5-8gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1650-1tb-hard-drive-128gb-ssd-black/6344387.p?skuId=6344387

If you'd like a second opinion on other laptops you're considering, feel free to link them, and I'll take a look.

Will the hp pavilion gaming laptop work good with CC in the game as well along with the expansion packs ? Or is the MSI better when it comes to CC wise .... and if I do get the hp pavilion .... is it a good choice for me to order it off of Walmart online ? 

@gabby26409  The MSI is better than the HP because its graphics card is faster.  This gives you more of a margin to add more demanding packs in the future, or use high poly (higher resolution, which is more demanding) custom content, and still play on ultra graphics settings.  The HP with the 1050 will still run the game fine, but you might have to turn down the graphics settings a bit in the future.

I don't know whether the Walmart MSI option is the same one I linked from B&H, but feel free to link it for me here so I can have a look.  Just because it's an MSI doesn't mean it has the same hardware.

Is the Acer Nitro 5 good with CC as well ? Will it run smoothly ? 

@gabby26409  The Acer has the same essential specs—processor, graphics card, and memory—as the MSI, and plenty of storage, so it should run the game almost exactly as well.  (There's always a bit of variation depending on how a laptop is made and the tweaks the manufacturer applies to certain software.)  That includes handling custom content as well.

I think I’m gonna get the hp pavilion gaming laptop , does it work good with CC ? Also, are there anymore things I should know about this computer? 

Hi! I noticed you had some really helpful advice about laptops and I've done a lot of research and I think I found one that fits all the specs but I would like a second opinion please. 

Lenovo Yoga c940 15.6in 

intel core i7

16gb ram

512 ssd 

Nvidia geforce gtx 1650 

This is a 2-in-1 laptop. This one had some good results with other games but nothing to compare to the sims 4. I also want to play sims 3.

I have about 75% of the packs and like to play with around 2gb of cc. I would like to play at least high settings. 

I really don't want a gaming laptop for the size bc I will be carrying it at school and the portable gaming laptops are a fortune. I'm willing to spend around 1000-1500 for something nice and this seems to be the ticket. 

Any advice on this? 

@laforea  That laptop should run Sims 4 on ultra graphics settings without any trouble, at least now.  Its graphics card may or may not be quite fast enough for ultra settings once the game is out of development; we don't know how demanding future expansions will be.  But an Nvidia 1650 should at least always be able to run the game on a mix of high and ultra settings.

If you'd like other suggestions, I can find some.  Is it the weight that's a problem?  There are now a few gaming laptops that are somewhat lighter and not that much more expensive than their normal-sized counterparts, but they still have good enough cooling to protect the components during a long play session.  For example, these MSI laptops are 4.1 pounds, or rather they're the same laptop with slightly different hardware:

https://www.newegg.com/black-msi-gf-series-gf65-thin-9sexr-249-gaming-entertainment/p/N82E16834155351?Item=N82E16834155351

https://www.newegg.com/black-msi-gf-series-gf65-thin-9sexr-250-gaming-entertainment/p/N82E16834155350?Item=N82E16834155350

https://www.newegg.com/black-msi-gf-series-gf65-thin-9se-013-gaming-entertainment/p/N82E16834155584?Item=N82E16834155584

This MSI is 4.2 pounds with a better battery life:

https://www.newegg.com/matte-black-with-gold-diamond-cut-msi-gs-series-gs65-stealth-1668-gaming-entertainment/p/N82E16834155426?Item=N82E16834155426

This one is 3.6 pounds and 14" but is still very much a legitimate gaming laptop, in either configuration, although the second one is massive overkill for Sims 4:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-rog-zephyrus-g14-14-laptop-amd-ryzen-7-8gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1650-512gb-ssd-eclipse-gray/6403425.p?skuId=6403425

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-rog-zephyrus-g14-14-gaming-laptop-amd-ryzen-9-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-2060-max-q-1tb-ssd-moonlight-white/6403816.p?skuId=6403816

If you don't want a gaming laptop for other reasons, the Yoga would be a good choice.  There are plenty of other options in that category though.  For example:

https://www.newegg.com/grey-with-blue-diamond-cut-msi-prestige-15-a10sc-296-mainstream/p/N82E16834155448?Item=N82E16834155448

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-zenbook-15-15-6-laptop-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1650-1tb-ssd-royal-blue/6389837.p?skuId=6389837

Let me know whether you'd like more information about any of these.

Ultimately, I was more worried about the thinness of the laptop because I know 15 in laptops can feel bulky when you carry it around all day. I think I’m going to purchase the MSI stealth you recommended. Also what are your thoughts on the razor blade stealth? I like that they have the option for 13.3 in display. Do you think that’s pretty overkill for sims 4 and not worth the money? I really don’t do much about else than sims but my 2013 Mac air has 8gb ram, 512 gb ssd but it LAGS so much which I assume is do to no dedicated graphics and it’s age. 🤣 Anyway, I will upgrade the ram also to be safe because I want this one to last me at least ten years if I can manage. 

THANK YOU!! 

This is the model I’m going to look into

https://www.newegg.com/matte-black-with-gold-diamond-cut-msi-gs-series-gs65-stealth-1668-gaming-entertainment/p/N82E16834155426?Item=N82E16834155426

@laforea  I think Razers are excellent laptops, not perfect but definitely worth their status as a premium product.  But the Stealth models with a dedicated graphics card start at $1,600, and that's for a significantly slower card than the MSI.  So it's not overkill at all, it's paying extra for a smaller laptop.

https://www.razer.com/gaming-laptops/Razer-Blade-Stealth-13/RZ09-03102E02-R3U1

You could save a little by getting a used model, but that's a risk, even if it's refurbished by Amazon Warehouse.

https://www.amazon.com/Razer-Stealth-Ultrabook-Gaming-Laptop/dp/B07X4BLSR8

The 15" models are similarly expensive, although at that price point, you'd get a 1660 ti.  Or you could save some money and get an older model from a third-party seller, but that's a risk as well.

https://www.newegg.com/black-razer-blade-15-gaming-entertainment/p/2WC-001W-000U4

And yes, a 2013 MacBook Air would have a lot of trouble running Sims 4, mostly because of the integrated graphics chip, and probably partly because of weaker cooling.  (When hardware starts to overheat, it throttles performance to protect itself.)  Even the current Airs don't run Sims 4 all that well, although they'd do better than yours.

For the MSI, or even the Razer, I'm not sure you can expect it to work well for anywhere near ten years.  You might get lucky, but laptops don't typically last that long.  Many of them fall apart mechanically, or some component breaks, often but not always because of the laptop contstantly getting bumped as it's moved around.  Even without that though, technology is improving enough that there's probably no computer out there that will still be fast enough for what you'd want to be doing in eight or nine years.

If you're still playing Sims 4, that's one thing, but there will probably be a Sims 5, or a competitor, and meanwhile regular apps will keep getting more demanding as hardware improves.  The reason computers "slow down" as they age is not so much that their components slow as they age, it's that everything else is so much faster, and uses more RAM, which also runs at higher speeds.  For example, a good computer in 2010 might have come with 4 GB of 1066 or 1333 MHz RAM, and now the standard is 8 or (much better) 16 GB at 2666 MHz or higher.  Processors and graphics cards have improved even more.  Obsolescence is unavoidable.

Having said that, the MSI or one of the Razers should be very good at what you want it to do for quite a while.  And you can upgrade the memory now or later: RAM is cheap and easy to install yourself, whenever you happen to decide you want more.

Hello,

I was hoping you could help me. I'm considering options for laptops for uni and I would also like to play the Sims 4 with it. Weight and battery life are my main issues  as I commute to uni daily (before COVID). 

I only have the base game and I am only looking to buy a few of the packs and probably no CC. I don't need much.

This is the one I was thinking of:

Microsoft Surface Book 3 (13.5)

• Has up to 15.5 hours of battery life
• NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1650 Max-Q graphics card
• 16 GB RAM and SSD storage
• A screen size of 13.5 inch

I'm looking for confirmation that this is good or other recommendations of computers that are cheaper but equally as good. I'm Australian, so it would have to be available here.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

@rlysmalldragon  That laptop could run all current Sims 4 packs together on ultra graphics settings, although that may not quite be true by the time the game is out of development.  So it's a good choice on that front, although more expensive than necessary for the performance you'd get.  The Surface line is definitely overpriced compared to other laptops with the same internal components.

If you're looking for a long battery life and a small laptop though, I'm not sure you'd do better.  Most gaming laptops have weaker batteries, because playing games on battery leads to poor performance.  And I only know of two true gaming laptops that are smaller than 15".  One of them starts at $4,000 Australian, which is a lot higher than the exchange rate would suggest.  This is the other, in a couple different configurations:

https://www.mwave.com.au/product/asus-rog-zephyrus-g14-14-120hz-gaming-laptop-ryzen-7-16gb-512gb-1650ti-white-ac33641

https://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Laptops-&-Notebooks/Gaming-Laptops/83788-GA401IU-HA031T

I don't know how the prices compare to the Surface; certainly, the Zephyrus is more expensive for its small size.  Its battery life is supposed to be excellent, although maybe not as good as the Surface.  (I can look it up later if you want.)  But these are real gaming computers, and relatively light even with their powerful hardware.

Let me know if you're interested in more details, and I'll dig up some reviews.

@puzzlezaddict thank you so much for your reply.

I think I will go with the Surface Book 3, even though it is overpriced. It's battery life is better and I am eligible for a student discount which helps!

Zephyrus is a very beautiful laptop and it's specs are really good. I looked into the battery life and it's great for a gaming laptop but there is a 4-5 hour difference.

Which configuration would be best for the Sims? I wouldn't want to spend too much so your input would be great.

Again, thank you for helping! 🙂

@rlysmalldragon  Do these all have at least an Nvidia 1650?  That's the most important consideration here.  If they do, then even the lowest-tier configuration would be fine for Sims 4.  I'd prefer the second one though, for the extra memory and the stronger processor.  While neither is necessary for Sims 4 itself, they'll make multitasking easier and faster.  The only benefit to the third and fourth is the extra storage—you don't need more than 16 GB memory—and for that price, save some money and get yourself an external drive with a lot more capacity.  I'd have to look up prices in Australia, but you could probably get a 1 TB external HDD for something around $100.

By the way, not that it matters all that much, but the battery life on the Asus is actually better when idling or browsing the web, at least now that Asus has apparently made some adjustments.  Of course it's worse under load, but that's to be expected of more powerful components, and anyway you wouldn't want to play games on battery.  Here's my source, if you're curious:

https://www.notebookcheck.net/We-retest-the-Asus-Zephyrus-G14-battery-life-and-now-it-s-over-two-times-longer-than-before.469441.0.html

For comparison, the battery life is towards the bottom of this in-depth review of the Surface:

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Surface-Book-3-13-5-review-Microsoft-convertible-is-slowly-getting-old.477543.0.html

The Surface is a very good laptop though, so it'll do quite well for what you want out of it.

@puzzlezaddict thank you for your help! 

Only the ones with Intel i7 processor have Nvidia 1650. I agree with your choice and I will get the second one.

Do you have any recommendations for external drives? From a quick google search there seems to be quite a range in pricing, is this something I need to be wary of?

Seriously, you have helped me so much, thank you for your time!

🙂

@rlysmalldragon  All external mechanical hard drives (HDDs) from reputable vendors are pretty much the same.  I wouldn't go for a bargain-basement version, but the regular ones aren't going to be much different.  Companies like WD, Sandisk, Seagate all produce reliable and cheap drives in any size you'd want.

You could also get an external SSD if you wanted.  But unless you're going to store and run applications from it, there's not much point.  Data transfer to an HDD is still fast enough that you wouldn't need to worry about copying files back and forth; it's only when there are constant reads and writes (as with apps running) that it starts to slow down enough to affect how you use it.

If you do want an SSD, now or later, make sure it has the correct connector.  It shouldn't be an issue, but it's always best to double-check before buying something.

To play the Sims 4 in Laptop you need at least below specification:- 

• OS: 64 Bit Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or 10
• PROCESSOR: Intel core i5 or faster, AMD Athlon X4
• VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA GTX 650 or better
• MEMORY: 4 GB RAM
• HARD DRIVE: 18 GB of Hard Drive space
• CPU: 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

hi! i saw that you were giving great advice and was wondering if you could help me, if it wasn't too much trouble? i'm looking into buying a new laptop because of university and i'd like to also play the sims 4 with it. i was thinking about buying the lenovo ideapad s340 but don't know if the graphic card (Intel UHD Graphics 620) is good enough?

@cryclara_  Sims 4 will run on an Intel UHD 620, but not all that well.  You might be able to play on medium settings, or maybe low-medium, depending on a few different factors.  In this category of laptop, the other hardware matters too: I've seen plenty of models with a 620 and a very weak processor, or only 4 GB memory, or a hard drive that's effectively too small.

So there may be better options for you.  If you post your budget and country, as well as any other details that matter to you, I can have a look around and list a few models worth considering.

thank you for helping me! 

my budget is 800€ max but can go a bit more if it's worth it and i'm from Portugal.

i will be using it mostly for university and will probably be carrying it everywhere, so i was trying to stay away from gaming laptops because they are very bulky most of the time.

i also saw an Asus VivoBook X512UF (it has 1tb of storage and a NVIDIA GeForce MX130 graphic card) and because it was advertised as being good for games, was considering it as an option.

@cryclara_  A laptop with an MX130 will be better than one without a dedicated graphics card, but not by a particularly large margin: the MX130 is really the lowest-level dedicated card available, at least among those that you'd be able to find in new laptops.  The 1 TB hard drive is probably (check to make sure) a mechanical drive (HDD), which would load everything from Windows to many apps significantly slower than a solid state drive.  Everything would run fine once loaded though.

You could do better on both fronts though.  I found a number of laptops with either a single 512 GB solid state drive or a combination 256 GB SSD/1 TB HDD, so you'd have plenty of storage.  (512 GB is enough for most people.)  And there are stronger graphics cards available too, even in the class of lightweight laptops you want.  For the MX series, the fastest card is an MX350, but an MX250 or even 330 would also do okay.

As a reference, the 250 is a few percentage points faster than the 330, and both are around 50% faster in gaming than the 130.  (I don't see any good Sims 4 benchmarks for these cards; this is an average of games that did get tested.)  The 350 is almost twice as fast as the 130.  That's the difference between medium and high graphics settings, or low-medium and medium-high as Sims 4 gets more demanding.

There aren't that many laptops available with an MX350, but I did find one for €700.  It has a 512 GB SSD and weighs 1.8 kg; it seems to have a relatively thin profile too.

https://www.worten.pt/informatica-e-acessorios/computadores/computadores-portateis/portatil-acer-aspire-5-a515-55g-51ja-15-6-intel-core-i5-1035g1-ram-8-gb-512-gb-ssd-pcie-nvidia-geforce-mx350-7222387

If you don't like that particular laptop, this one has an MX330 and a 256 GB SSD/1 TB HDD and is about the same size.  It's available on several sites for €650.

https://www.radiopopular.pt/produto/portatil-asus-f512jp-50am3sb1#

https://www.worten.pt/informatica-e-acessorios/computadores/computadores-portateis/portatil-asus-vivobook-f512jp-50am3sb1-15-6-intel-core-i5-1035g1-ram-8-gb-1-tb-hdd-256-gb-ssd-nvidia-geforce-mx330-7163466

https://www.fnac.pt/Computador-Portatil-Asus-VivoBook-F512JP-50AM3SB1-Computador-Portatil-Computador-Portatil/a7703696

This is an alternative with a single 512 GB SSD and otherwise the same specs:

https://www.globaldata.pt/computadores/portateis/portatil-asus-vivobook-156-f512jp-i5-8gb-512gb-mx330-w10-f512jp-50bm3sb1

I think I saw a few options with an MX250 as well, but not for cheaper than the Acer with the MX350.  Still, if you'd like more options, feel free to ask.  And if you see a laptop you like and want a second opinion, just link it and I'll take a look.