Buying a gaming laptop ?

> @puzzlezaddict said:
> @martinaaa998 Sorry for the delay. Yesterday was Mother's Day, and I was lucky enough to be able to spend it with my parents.
>
> I didn't find many reviews either, but this one is useful and in-depth:
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> https://laptopmedia.com/review/asus-vivobook-k571-x571-review-something-new-that-needs-a-little-retouch/
>
> Keep in mind that this site reviewed a model with an Nvidia 1050, a significantly slower graphics card than the 1650 in the models you're considering. From the description, it looks like you'd be getting a good enough gaming laptop for a very good price. ("As of the performance – it is fine.") You're not going to find high-end performance in this price range, but then again you don't really need that for Sims 3, you just need to know that the hardware will do what it's supposed to.
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> As I mentioned before, this laptop line does have a free 2.5" drive bay, so you could add the hard drive of your choice. This is definitely a better option than replacing the 256 GB SSD. First of all, you wouldn't have to reinstall Windows or all your programs. And considering that the existing SSD is the more expensive form factor, a quality replacement 512 GB SSD for the same PCIe slot would probably be almost as expensive as a 1 TB 2.5" SATA SSD, and maybe more expensive than a 1 TB mechanical drive. So for around the same price, you might as well add a second hard drive instead of swapping out the one you're already using.
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> Not knowing what work tasks you have in mind, I have no idea whether the i7 processor will make a difference, but it certainly won't hurt. So if you're willing to pay a small premium for the better CPU, then it's a good choice.
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> I played Sims 3 for over six years on a MacBook Pro, and it held up quite well for almost the whole time. (The laptop still works fine, I just wouldn't want to play on it anymore.) But I only had the base game and Ambitions, no demanding packs. Then I got a new MacBook Pro and played on it for more than a year, first in macOS, then in Windows via Bootcamp. It handled the game great, much better on the Windows side, but that's the OS, not the hardware.
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> Still, it's not a gaming computer, even with its dedicated graphics card and dual cooling fans, and I don't feel comfortable treating it like one. I can see how many Macs, especially the Airs with their one fan or the MacBooks with their zero fans, would have a lot of trouble with Sims 3. Plus, no dedicated graphics card in all but the 15" or now 16" MBP models means the processor and its integrated graphics chip are carrying all the load, and generating all the heat. Modern hardware is supposed to throttle performance to protect itself from overheating, but that only goes so far.
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> Even the high-end MacBook Pros aren't a good choice for Sims games though. Given the price difference, I would never recommend a Mac for any kind of gaming. In the U.S., I could find a $700 Windows laptop that would have better in-game performance than a $2,400 MacBook Pro. So if running Sims 3 is the primary goal, then save the money and get a Windows laptop that's built to handle the load of moderately demanding games.

Thank you so much for your availability and clear explanations! I have acquired some more information. Thanks again!