I spent years of my life playing TS3 and have recently been feeling nostalgic for it. I have the base game and pretty much all EPs, and can’t play the game without twallan’s mods. Back in the day I had a hugely expensive gaming laptop, but I don’t have a PC at all any more.I’ve googled and can see that to play on a laptop you still need something expensive, but can anyone give me an idea of what kind of price that I’d be looking at to play smoothly with minimal crashes/glitches? Recommendations also gratefully received.I expect I’m going to find that a suitable laptop is outside of my budget these days, so would appreciate it if anyone could also recommend a decent desktop PC that could play the base game and all EPs without too much trouble.

Gaming laptops can be quite pricey.I owned two and both I ended up having to get rid of because after 3-4 years they kind of reach their end.My favorite was my Nitro 5 https://www.electronicexpress.com/catalog/190852/nitro-5-gaming-laptop?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1qL6BRCmARIsADV9JtbkKN0F3lYOK0vwIfHD834H0ozMfmZI2ve-lKIPi9fpN8vWBQB26HsaAjuaEALw_wcBIt ran the game on medium setting with Twallan's mods and bit of CC.Plus they had excellent customer service when I hadto send it in for fan repairs.Next was my MSIhttps://www.newegg.com/black-msi-gf75-gaming-entertainment/p/1TS-0016-01294?item=9SIA7ABBYC5379&source=region&nm_mc=knc-googlemkp-pc&cm_mmc=knc-googlemkp-pc-_-pla-dealking-_-notebooks-_-9SIA7ABBYC5379&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1qL6BRCmARIsADV9JtY2k5SvcyAv-e-kKy1iNiRLcbCp3IPZilzDWW4ie5PbXFS3B1oZA6gaAmBTEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.dsIt wasn't a bad laptop, but it did get quite toasty when I was gaming on it.Problem with laptops(that I found.Someone correct me if I'm wrong) is they tend to heat up when under heavy stressand without proper cooling, their lifespans aren't very long.I had each laptop for about 2-3 years before I had to get a newone.First one the fans died.This last one the keyboard died.I'm now on a gaming desktop(only for a few days now) and I'm enjoying it quite a bit.https://www.rentacenter.com/en/computers/desktops/skytech-legacy-29-nvidia-gtx-1660-gaming-desktop-bundle-legacyii-29/p/200011697This is the bundle I bought.I'm probably overpaying because I'm going through rent-a-center, but for me it wasthe best option, I'm sure you could find it a bit cheaper somewhere.@igazor or @puzzlezaddict might have some more ideas or tidbits for you.=)

What country are you in? Prices can vary a lot from one place to another, and computers are cheaper in the U.S. than elsewhere. And how much would you like to spend? Laptops that would run Sims 3 on ultra graphics settings aren't so expensive these days: I can usually find multiple options for $700 (U.S.), and sometimes lower. Desktops will be cheaper and have stronger hardware, but the floor tends to be $600 or so for an entry-level gaming system, and that doesn't include a monitor. Of course, prices can drop during sales or if you're willing to get an open-box model.As an example, this desktop would be more than fine. Its graphics card is a bit faster than Sims 3 needs, but there aren't many slower dedicated cards, and having only an integrated graphics chip would be a significant drop-off in performance. This model happens to have a 480 GB solid state drive, which is plenty of storage for Sims 3 and all its content; you wouldn't need to worry about maintaining free space or shifting files to a secondary hard drive.https://www.bestbuy.com/site/cyberpowerpc-gaming-desktop-amd-ryzen-5-1400-8gb-memory-amd-radeon-rx-570-4gb-480gb-ssd-black/6343318.p?skuId=6343318If you give me more of an idea what you're looking for, I can do a more thorough search. But there's not much point until you're ready to buy, since inventory turns over quickly.

Desktops are typically better for the money for several reasons: their hardware is stronger, their cooling is better, they're easier to repair and so they typically last longer. Of course, laptops are much more convenient. And for £800, you can get a laptop that should run Sims 3 on ultra graphics settings, even with all packs installed.There's no large difference in performance in your price range—laptops with an Nvidia 1650 start below £700, and models with the next card up (a 1660 ti) are at least £900. You don't usually see 16 GB memory in laptops in this category, although you could add more on your own easily enough; while 256 GB storage is enough for Sims 3, it's better to get a larger hard drive so you don't have to worry about running out of space. That narrows things down considerably.The only real questions left are what processor you want, if you have an opinion, and whether you're willing to spend a little extra, not a lot, to get a more highly rated model. If you just want the cheapest good option, the Acer I linked earlier, for £650, would be fine. The HP (£700) is more highly rated as a gaming laptop though:https://www.box.co.uk/1L6F6EAABU-HP-Pavilion-Gaming-15-ec17007na_2958258.htmlAn alternative is this Asus, also £700.https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9199527These two have the same specs except for the stronger processor in the HP, although Sims 3 would run fine on either one.An alternative is this Asus, for £750, which has the same specs as the above models except for an Intel CPU. I don't think this processor is better than the one in the HP, although some people prefer Intel models.https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/asus-tuf-fx505gt-15-6-gaming-laptop-intel-core-i5-gtx-1650-512-gb-ssd-10208029-pdt.htmlThe Asus A15 is highly rated, and it's also £750 here, with the same specs as the HP:https://www.overclockers.co.uk/asus-tuf-gaming-a15-fa506ih-nvidia-gtx-1650-8gb-15.6-144hz-ryzen-r5-4600h-gaming-laptop-lt-2bf-as.htmlSince I don't know exactly what details you're looking for, it's hard to say what the best choice would be for you. If these aren't quite what you want, let me know what you'd like to see, and I'll have a look later today.

"caitlinx00;c-17633757" wrote:Thank you both for your replies! I’m in the UK and looking ideally to spend no more than £800, but I don’t know if that’s possible or not! I have a monitor so if I get a desktop it would be just the system I need.You're welcome.Like I said, I go through rent-a- center because of how my budget is.I end up paying more than what I wouldif I buy it out right.So don't base pricing off the ones I have.:) it's better to get a larger hard drive so you don't have to worry about running out of space.I can vouch for that.my last laptop had a small hard drive, I had to get an external hard drive to install other games on to it.

@livingforwards When you factor in refurbished laptops, there are so many different configurations that it's difficult to give a good overview of what to look for. This is what you'd generally want though: Processor: Quad-core is better in a laptop, and until the last couple of generations, the CPU would do better if it had at least a 2.4 GHz base clock speed, and an i7 would be better than an i5 if you were buying Intel. But starting with the i5-8300H and i7-8750H, those details aren't critical. If you're getting at least 8th-gen Intel or any Ryzen, just avoid a CPU with a U or Y in its model number (e.g. i5-8250U, Ryzen 5 2500U), and you should be fine. Memory: 8 GB RAM is the minimum you'd want, and more would only help with multitasking, not with Sims 3 itself. You can almost always add more memory to a gaming laptop though. Storage: A 512 GB SSD is ideal, but a 256 GB model is manageable, especially if you have a second drive for everything else. Sims 3 will load much faster on an SSD than on a mechanical drive (HDD), but the game itself will run fine once it's loaded on any kind of drive. Graphics card: This is the most important component, and there are too many models to list. But this chart from MTS is a good insight into how any given card can be expected to handle the game: https://modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:TS3_System_RequirementsThe thing to keep in mind is that a fully patched game will be more demanding even without all packs installed.Cooling is its own issue, especially since older models don't necessarily have the same setup as their newer counterparts, even from the same line of laptop.If you find something you like, feel free to link the product page for a second opinion.

Best budget laptop/desktop for Sims 3 + expansions

livingforwards
5 years ago
So my laptop arrived and I got everything installed. Played a test game for an hour and had the fps on It never went above 400.
SuzyCue72
5 years ago
"livingforwards;c-17639812" wrote:
So my laptop arrived and I got everything installed. Played a test game for an hour and had the fps on It never went above 400.

@livingforwards If you want a more exact benchmarking you can use Fraps, play with it turned on for a while, then save and exit the game, open the .csv file that Fraps created and check the numbers.

Since 400 FPS is too high they will have be to lowered by turning on vsync, that will synchronise them to your monitors refresh rate which I believe is 60 on your computer. The monitors refresh rate is measured in Hz.

It would be interesting to see a DxDiag report on your computer first, you can find instructions how to do that in my previous post above. After it's finished you can upload all of it to Pastebin and put a link to it in your next reply.

Like this: DxDiag report Or without embedding it if you prefer that: https://pastebin.com/1qaLTDew
igazor
5 years ago
@livingforwards - I think there must be some misunderstanding here. The goal for capping the frame rate should be the refresh rate of your monitor. For your model laptop, that is going to be either 60 Hz or 144 Hz, so 60 or 144 fps (although if the latter, then it was also suggested to try 72 fps to see if there is a performance difference). Not 400 or 600, this is not a case where bigger/higher is better. To see your monitor's refresh rate, right-click on your desktop then Display settings > Advanced display settings and it should be one of about six things showing up there, the one measured in Hz.

The game running at way too high a frame rate is not only horrible for performance, but it can damage your system's hardware by making it work way too hard for no reason.
SuzyCue72
5 years ago
"livingforwards;c-17641061" wrote:
I did find the dxdiag report yesterday and pasted it into a text note. I’m not home right now to get it from the laptop. I also found the NVidia CP and was able to set the frame rate to 600. Still couldn’t run all EPs without lag after that. Spent the rest of the evening adding 5 nraas mods and ellascharmed world.

I’ll share the dxdiag later when I can be on the laptop. The laptop is physically a bit bigger than I can manage so if I can’t get it to run smoothly then my husband wants to send it back and we’ll get me a desktop instead.

@livingforwards Is 600 a typo? Did you mean to write 60 instead?

I think it would be better if you wait with adding third party content until you've got the computer in correct working order, with the right settings applied and proven to have taken effect.

Yes, gaming laptops tend to be a bit big and bulky. My 17" Asus ROG's are 2" thick and weigh around 10 pounds each.

I'm afraid a desktop computer will not be smaller, and I also think it's way too early to give up.
SuzyCue72
5 years ago
"igazor;c-17641123" wrote:
@livingforwards - I think there must be some misunderstanding here. The goal for capping the frame rate should be the refresh rate of your monitor. For your model laptop, that is going to be either 60 Hz or 144 Hz, so 60 or 144 fps (although if the latter, then it was also suggested to try 72 fps to see if there is a performance difference). Not 400 or 600, this is not a case where bigger/higher is better. To see your monitor's refresh rate, right-click on your desktop then Display settings > Advanced display settings and it should be one of about six things showing up there, the one measured in Hz.

The game running at way too high a frame rate is not only horrible for performance, but it can damage your system's hardware by making it work way too hard for no reason.

It's 60 for this laptop, answer from Acer representative/TeamAcer:

"This Nitro 5 laptop has a 60hz LCD panel."
livingforwards
5 years ago
OMGOMGOMG Sorry guys, it was 600, I’ve altered it to 60 now and am rechecking the in game fps now. Hope I didn’t give anyone a heart attack! Laptop seems to have forgiven me and my carelessness at least. Luckily I didn’t play on it today yet.
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
5 years ago
@livingforwards Are you playing in fullscreen or windowed mode? Vertical sync only works in fullscreen, although the max frame rate setting in the Nvidia CP should apply either way. If you'd like to play in windowed, or you just don't want to worry about fps running high, you can add another tool to force cap fps. Nvidia Inspector is one useful tool; screenshots and instructions are here, under the second spoiler:

https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/16540301/#Comment_16540301

If Inspector is a bit heavy for you, an alternative is RivaTuner Statistics Server, which only has a few options and works quite well. I've never had fps go over its limit while playing, at least not that I've noticed. Unlike the others, RTSS does need to be running while you play, so be sure to minimize it rather than Xing it out. The download is towards the bottom of the page here:

https://www.guru3d.com/files-details/rtss-rivatuner-statistics-server-download.html

It's pretty easy to set up, but let me know if you need help. The one important thing to remember is to use TS3.exe for an Origin install or TS3W.exe (with the W) for a disc or Steam install.
livingforwards
5 years ago
@puzzlezaddict I think I’m there now. I play full screen, no other windows open, generally offline (no wifi, not just offline within the launcher - otherwise Origin continues to run after quitting the game).

I went back into the NVidia CP, the frame rate had reset to default even though the grayed out slider was at 60. I turned the vertical sync on, turned the frame rate back to 60 and now I am running the game with the 6 EPs I like best and the fps shows it’s staying under 60.

I’ll check again tomorrow as I want to have CAW installed and able to run too.

Thanks to everyone for sticking with me and helping.
SuzyCue72
5 years ago
"livingforwards;c-17646173" wrote:
So... in the NVidia control panel, the framerate is set at 60.

Last night the framerate in play stayed under 60. Graphics were the typical slightly choppy Sims 3 look but the game ran without issue and no fans starting up like we’re about to launch into hyperdrive.

Restarted the computer this morning.

Went to play my game this morning and the fan started up immediately. Graphics looked too impressively smooth to be true. Did the fps-on and it was ticking along at 400ish. Closed the game, checked the NVidia settings and it’s still on 60.

Looked at the Intel Graphics Command Center too, also found it was set to 60.

Restarted the computer again.

I’m not enjoying myself because my husband is pushing me to decide if I want to return the laptop. He’s a programmer who doesn’t game online, so he cannot help me re the graphics card. At least I knew the graphics card was important before we bought a gaming laptop. I prefer to not have his help with my computers so that I can keep up with tech changes a bit.

This afternoon I shall look through all the advise here again and start again.

Thanks again for being so willing to help me out here.

@livingforwards How do you do to bring up the Intel G. C. Center? Is it on the Start menu? Was it already installed on your laptop, or did you have to download it from Microsoft Store first, and install it yourself?

Here is an interesting article about the Intel Graphics Command Center at AnandTech. The fourth picture from the top shows where you turn on vsync (at the bottom of the picture). Does it look the same on your Intel G. C. Center?
fsetj468
5 years ago
Thank you both for your replies! I’m in the UK and looking ideally to spend no more than £800, but I don’t know if that’s possible or not! I have a monitor so if I get a desktop it would be just the system I need.