Re: Pc build for sims 4,please help!

@xws3qax4wier  I don't get overwhelmed by hardware questions, so feel free to list whatever's on your mind.  Who knows, we might even find out whether this site has a per-post character limit.  (Let's hope we don't find out.)

1)  You could absolutely upgrade the graphics card if you wanted.  A 5700X will also keep up with everything currently on the market under $1,000, and maybe some of the more expensive ones.  (I can check benchmarks if you'd like, but you get the idea.)  However, if the price of upgrading is relatively high, I'd consider waiting: a GPU that costs $800 today might only be as fast as a $300 model in three years, so you could put away the extra money and get something faster if and when you need it.

2)  Sims 4 can't properly use even 16 GB memory.  Its practical max seems to be in the 6-8 GB range; above that, the save runs poorly on any system.  This is a limitation of the game engine, not the hardware.  The only time RAM spikes above that is when the save or the game itself has a bug, for example the Father Winter issue from a couple years ago.  So no, you won't see any benefit from installing more than 32 GB over the entire life of Sims 4.

This is also completely or almost completely independent of the resolution you're using: more pixels means more VRAM used, but the GPUs you're considering have far more memory than Sims 4 can utilize.  The last time I checked my own game, my GPU topped out at about 2.5 GB VRAM used while running on ultra settings at 2560x1440 and around 170 fps.

Speaking of fps, it's not really your question, but my overclocked RTX 2070 can maintain a stable 169 fps (ultra settings, 2560x1440) under ideal conditions, and its core load isn't close to maxed out.  In fact, the GPU isn't even running at its turbo speed a lot of the time.  I do see fps drops, even as low as the 90s here and there, in certain worlds and during inclement weather, but even then, the core load is somewhere in the range of 60%.  (The CPU, RAM, and SSD aren't anywhere near maxed out either, and temps are fine across the board.)  So this looks pretty clearly to be a limitation of the game engine, not my hardware.

The number of sims in a save can significantly impact fps because the game engine has more to process, but this has nothing to do with the graphics card.  The CPU does matter here, but the ones you're considering are fast enough that the game engine will be the limiting factor.  What can impact GPU load is having more sims on the active lot, especially if they're wearing high poly custom content, but here again, the cards you're considering are more capable than the game engine and wouldn't themselves limit the performance.

I mention this because I have my doubts about the website you're looking at, but also because I want you to have reasonable expectations here.  I'm not sure there's any way to overcome Sims 4's limitations, and above a certain point, faster components aren't going to make any difference.  That doesn't mean there's no point in spending more money—in particular, a strong processor is a great investment when it enables you to install a faster GPU down the line.  It's just that Sims 4 is limited in what it can reasonably handle regardless of the computer running it.

Aah, okay. I understand what you are saying. Thank you for all that information! I did a bit more research today and answered most of my own questions, the biggest one I have left is this: is there a reason or benefit to a backup power protector? Would I need one if my psu is already strong enough to support my gpu per Nvidia's recommendations? If I should get one, does it need to match/exceed the wattage of my psu or not since it's just a backup (assuming it's even necessary)?

@xws3qax4wier  Are you talking about a UPS (uninterruptible power source)?  I would say it's probably not necessary unless you live in a place with frequent power outages or unreliable power delivery.  It would also be important to have one if you were handling sensitive data that you needed to know would always be intact; for Sims 4, you'll have backup saves, so it's not so critical.  I'd definitely at least get a surge protector though.

If you do want a UPS, you can get one with a slightly lower maximum output than your PSU, since the goal here is not to keep playing but to give you a few minutes to shut down safely.  Something like 500W should be fine for that purpose.

Yes, I did mean UPS I couldn't remember what it was called. 

I think I might alas have one more question: I was skimming back through our conversation and saw you say your temps were good across the board. What kind of cooling do you have? Are the fans that come with it sufficient or is it wise to invest in extra cooling?

@xws3qax4wier  My CPU cooler is a Fractal Design S36, an all-in-one liquid cooler with a three-fan radiator.  It's overkill for my processor, but I really didn't want to worry, and it wasn't that much more money than the cheaper and barely-sufficient options.  Plus it's quiet.  My GPU just has the typical stock cooler, three fans in this case.  I front-mounted the radiator and set its 120mm fans to intake, and I have three 140 mm case fans set to outtake, two on top and one in the back.  The entire setup is overkill, but it's nice to know that my GPU is barely going to hit 70º C even on a hot day.

The best part about buying a quality case is that you have plenty of options for where and how to mount the fans.  If you decide to add more, you just order a few decent ones from Amazon.  You can always flip a fan around to switch between intake and outtake, and you can experiment with different configurations.  None of this requires any special components or planning in advance.

As an example, if my GPU temps were more of a problem, I could switch the radiator fans to outtake and the others to intake.  The radiator would be taking in hotter air from inside the case, so my CPU temps would likely rise by a few degrees, but that would also exhaust the CPU heat directly instead of letting it stay inside the case, so the GPU would stay a little cooler.  Since I'm not concerned with either component's temperatures, I haven't bothered; I'm just saying it would be a viable strategy if I installed a more powerful graphics card that was running a little hot.

If you're looking at a 5700X or 5800X, you could get away with a high-end air cooler (Noctua makes the best models, but there are other options too), and a 240mm liquid cooler would be more than sufficient.  Other than that, you can easily adjust after the fact, so it's not a huge concern right now.  Just get a case with room for five or six fans and you're fine.  And the system integrator should absolutely include sufficient cooling in the build.  After all, that's part of what you're paying for.

@xws3qax4wier   I have a AMD 5600X with a RTX3050 graphics card. MB is ASUS ROG STRIX B550-F Gaming. MB is Windows 11 out of the box.   hth The only problem I had was the stock cooler just couldn't handle it. Either get a better air cooler or a water cooler. I went with a Corsair H100i pro XT  Runs nice and cool now. My case is a Lian Li Lancool mesh. Not only is it a great case but comes with RGB lighting and it's affordable.

Thank you so much again!! You have been awesome!!

Thanks so much!! I was definitely considering liquid cooling and at least 4 fans, having 2 opinions in favor solidifies it. 😊

@puzzlezaddictSorry not sure if this is allowed but I'm butting in on a thread here as I have a similar dillema. I'm actually just tossing up between two laptops though. I'm unsure which version of the dell g15 to get and there's a $400 NZd ($226USd) difference. First g15 is ryzen 5 5600h, 6 core, rtx 3050 4gb, both have 16gb & 512ssd. That's priced at $1599Nzd ($907usd) Other is ryzen 7 5800h, 8 core, rtx 3060 6gb. Priced at $1999nzd ($1134usd) they are both 'new' dell factory remanufactured laptops though... I would only use for sims 4 with all expansion packs and lots of custom content and then music recording/producing with reaper, basic video editing, and canva etc. Just wondering if the ryzen 5 will suffice or if its worth the extra $$ to have the upgraded 3060? I don't buy big purchases like this often. Last laptop was a lenovo ideapad. Any suggestions would be great. I'd prefer not to spend the higher amount but if its a no brainer I will. Thanks!

@chelsugar  With both of these laptops, the processor won't be the limiting factor; the graphics card will.  But a 3050 is more than fast enough to run Sims 4 on ultra settings even with all current packs installed.  If the prices were closer or the money didn't matter to you, or if you wanted to play other, more demanding games for that matter, I'd suggest getting the 3060.  But since that's not the case, go ahead and get the one with the 3050 instead.  You'll be more than fine.

@puzzlezaddictThat's great thankyou! Also I forgot to mention the batteries are a bit different, 3 cell 56whr vs 6 cell 86whr. Would this factor into your opinion? And if sims 5 is ever a thing lol would it still be good? 

@chelsugar  It would only matter to me if I planned to spend extended time running the laptop on battery.  For laptops with AMD CPUs, a 56 Wh battery should be fine for several hours at least; precisely how much life you get depends on how you're using it and also how the components are tuned by the manufacturer.  And there are not many places where you'd be without a power outlet for hours and also constantly be using your laptop.

If you played Sims 4 while running on battery, you'd be looking at maybe an hour before you'd need to plug it in, with the faster CPU and GPU eating proportionally more power, so the larger battery would only offer a small improvement (as little as 10 minutes, again depending on tuning).  But you'd get significantly worse performance playing on battery anyway, regardless of your in-game or Windows settings, so that's not really a factor.

@chelsugar  The processor does matter a bit in terms of battery life and temperatures (not performance though).  The differences are small, so this would only be worth considering on the margins: maybe you do want to squeeze extra time on battery out of the laptop, or your usual gaming space gets hot and you've had trouble cooling a laptop in the past.  You could always buy a cooling pad or fan, but that would erase the price difference.  On the other hand, if these aren't a concern, then the cheaper model wouldn't be a problem.

The 3050 ti is something like 8% faster in games, on average.  I don't know exactly how that translates to Sims 4, but it's certainly not going to be slower than the regular 3050.  I tend to suggest laptops with a ti when the price is less than $100 USD more, all else being equal and the potential buyer's budget having room to accommodate the higher cost.  If it's cheaper, that's usually all anyone needs to hear.

Still, check the reviews to make sure there aren't any red flags, and check the product page to make sure you're not getting a slightly-damaged model.  I'd expect this configuration to be $100 more than the 5600H/3050 model, and while prices do fluctuate, this is the kind of situation where you really do want to read the fine print.

OK yes true I forgot about temperature, I do currently own a lap desk with two fans that plug into USB port so that could help, I've heard dell's run on the hotter side than other brands but I prefer the look of it to the others. I suppose "Ti" would be better suited for people who play first person type games with a higher demand etc?? So thanks yeah that makes sense and I think it's almost $170usd more cause its from a big chain store with high quality appliances and electronics here in nz. The cheaper option is from an online store where they sell remanufactured and refurbished laptops. I had to look into what exactly remanufactured meant because I was under the impression it meant refurbished. Thanks again for you help! And time! 

Hi @puzzlezaddict, I loved your insight on this thread and hope you can help me out.

I am looking to build a PC for roughly £600 to play the Sims 4. I'd like to run Reshade and run a lot of mods on top of all DLCS. I'm just not sure which specs to go for? So far i'm thinking:

CPU Ryzen 5 5600
GPU RTX 3060
RAM 16 GB (2x8GB)

Is this an overkill? I just want to enjoy the game without it lagging every time I install a bit of CC and the best price-performance ratio. 

I wouldn't mind upgrading in 2y or so as long as I can enjoy a smooth game now.

Hope you can help out 🙂 

@so0307  That's definitely overkill for Sims 4, but not in a bad way.  If you can get all that for around £600, it's a very good deal too.  If not, an RTX 3050 would still run Sims 4, all current packs included, on ultra graphics settings with some room to spare.  Reshade does add to the game's demands, but not so much that a desktop 3050 would struggle at  1920x1080.  If you're looking to play at a higher resolution, the 3060 would be the better choice.

As far as upgrading goes, you can make sure you have options since you're building the system yourself.  Get a power supply that's a step or two higher than what you need, and you'll give yourself room for a newer, faster, more power-hungry GPU in the future.  I'm not saying spend an extra £50, but £20 is probably a good investment.  The CPU would have trouble keeping up with a top-tier GPU in the future, but then again it doesn't sound like you want to drop £1,200 on an RTX 5080 or whatever in two years.

On the other hand, if you do get an R5 5600 and an RTX 3060, you'll be set for the entire lifespan of Sims 4, provided nothing changes drastically in the next year or two.  (And all indications are that it won't.)  That goes for using Reshade too.  Plus, it's unlikely that Sims 5, whenever it shows up, would need more power than that in the first couple of years at least, since the developers want the game to run on lower-end computers too.

I don't know whether you've built a computer before, but if you haven't, consider a bigger case and an ATX motherboard to give yourself more room to maneuver.  Neither is necessary, and certainly not worth breaking the budget for, but both would make the process of building for the first time somewhat easier.

When you have a parts list, feel free to link it, and I'll look it over.

I can't believe I already have an answer. Thank you.

Here is the list: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/3mpd4s

I couldn't find an ATX...

If it's not too much oof a bother, if you also have pre-built PCs that would do the job just fine, I'm happy to look into them 🙂

@so0307  For this build, I'd change a couple things.  First, two 8 GB RAM modules will give you significantly better performance than a single 16 GB stick.  The motherboard can run memory in dual-channel mode, and doing so will make a big difference in certain tasks.

Second, I'd spend a little more money to get a higher-quality SSD, for example this one:

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/zDhmP6/corsair-mp510-480-gb-m2-2280-nvme-solid-state-drive-cssd-f480gbmp510b

PCIe (as opposed to SATA) SSDs are significantly faster (around six times faster for Gen. 3 PCIe, which is what this motherboard uses), which won't make any real difference to Sims 4 but will make your system feel faster and more responsive overall.  And they're cheap now, plus they're easier to install.

I do want to point out that 1 TB SSDs are cheap too, and if this computer is only for Sims 4 for now, dropping the HDD and going with a a single SSD might be the better solution.  You could always add more storage later.

Finally, and most crucially of all, spend the extra money for a better power supply.  If you get a bad one, or even one that's fine for a couple of years but starts to decay, it can and will affect your entire system.  A bad PSU can even damage other components.  This is the single most important decision you make when building a PC.

Corsair is the gold standard in PSUs, and Seasonic is the next-best option for those who don't want to pay for Corsair.  EVGA is creating good PSUs too but hasn't been a big player in the market for as long, so I can't tell you that their products will last the way the others will.  Corsair and Seasonic typically offer 10-year warranties, to give you an idea of how seriously they take this.

Given the components in this build, I think 80+ Bronze is good enough—it's not as power-efficient as Gold, but the components aren't power hogs and you won't be maxing them out with Sims 4.  This is one good option:

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/cY2bt6/corsair-cv650-650-w-80-bronze-certified-atx-power-supply-cp-9020236-na

Even though it's a little more expensive than the one you picked out, consider it an investment in the overall health of your computer.

The included CPU cooler should be sufficient for the processor as far as Sims 4 is concerned.  If you upgrade to a faster GPU down the line, or start playing more CPU-heavy games, that's something to consider upgrading.  But you can check the temperatures you're getting under heavy load and make the decision then; it shouldn't be a problem now.

By the way, the motherboard you picked out is ATX.  That's a form factor, not a make or model.

I checked at least a dozen different U.K. sites for prebuilt gaming PCs, and I didn't find anything that was as good as what you've picked out in terms of hardware and price.  The cheapest systems I found with a 3060 are these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ADMI-Gaming-PC-3000MHz-Windows/dp/B077GS751Z/

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/cyberpowerpc-blaze-amd-ryzen-5-nvidia-geforce-rtx-3060-16gb-ram-1tb-ssd-win-ld22223/version.asp

Your build has a better processor, better storage options, and likely a better motherboard, although the product pages don't specify.  The same goes for the PSU if you pick out a higher-quality option.

Downgrading to an RTX 3050, a GTX 1660 of some kind, or an AMD RX 6000-series only brings the price down to about £650.  The 3060 is so much faster that if it's within your budget can accommodate it at all, I would definitely stick with it.

If you have more questions, feel free to keep asking.

Hi!

Think I made all changes you recommended: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/Qz2qKp

Glad the build is better than the pre-builds, I saw those but was wondering if they'd be better given the price. Do we have a winner? 🙂 whoop!

@so0307  I'd suggest spending the extra £4 to upgrade the RAM speed.  It's not strictly necessary, but AMD CPUs do love fast RAM, and there's a big difference between 3600 and 3000 megatransfers per second.

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/VNJtt6/corsair-16-gb-2-x-8-gb-ddr4-3600-memory-cmk16gx4m2d3600c18

It looks like you went with the single 500 GB SSD, which should still be fine for Sims 4; I just wanted to mention it in case that's not what you meant to do.

Other than that, I think you have a winner and the components for an excellent gaming PC, especially for the budget.

It's always worth comparing prices between components and pre-built systems, and in this price range, the prebuilts are often significantly cheaper.  But as you're seeing, that's not always the case, and if you can build your own system or are willing to learn, you can guarantee you get the quality hardware you want.

Hello hello,

Just updated the RAM. Not sure about the SSD, should I go for more storage? 

Thanks for all the help again 🙂

@so0307  In your position, if the extra cost wasn't a problem, I'd go with the 1 TB SSD rather than 500 GB.  It's a cheap upgrade, and your motherboard only has one M.2 slot, meaning you couldn't add a second one of these drives.  A SATA SSD is fast enough for most tasks, including running Sims 4; this is more about maximizing the usage of that faster M.2 connection, which uses PCIe lanes rather than a SATA port.  (That's the 6x increase in speed I mentioned before.)  Plus, it pushes the need for a storage upgrade further down the line, if you ever need it at all.

Still, if you don't want to spend the extra money now, it's perfectly fine to stick with the 500 GB drive.  You'll have more than enough storage now, and the motherboard has plenty of SATA ports if and when you're ready to add another drive.