Question About Computer Specs
Hiii! So I have a question (sorry, I know I tend to ask a lot of questions regarding computers). Basically, my sister is looking to invest in a computer to run The Sims 3 on. She wants to be able to h...
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I didn't meant to suggest Best Buy was selling defective computers, at least not on a regular basis, just that defective systems are bound to happen here and there. What matters is how the company handles it, and also its typical build quality. Where iBUYPOWER is a dicey proposition, or at least it was, is when people order directly from the company and happen to get a system that has some problem the buyer can't solve alone. But going through Best Buy, or another physical store, or Amazon for that matter, gives people a layer of protection.
At any rate, I think I saw the model your sister was considering, and she can do better for her money. I'm not sure exactly what she wants, so I'll list a few examples to give you and her an idea of what's out there. Some relevant questions:
To give you an idea, this ($680) is the kind of computer that would run Sims 3, all packs included, on ultra settings, at 60 fps on a typical 1920x1080 monitor. Its processor is stronger than necessary, but still mid-tier; it has only 8 GB RAM and a single 500 GB SSD, enough to handle Sims 3 but maybe not other tasks she has in mind.
https://www.amazon.com/SkyTech-Blaze-Gaming-Computer-Desktop/dp/B07RG8KM2C/
This one is $800 and has a significantly stronger processor, a significantly faster graphics card, and 16 GB memory:
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/cyberpowerpc-gamer-master-gaming-desktop-amd-ryzen-7-2700x-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1660-500gb-ssd-white/6385375.p?skuId=6385375
The above is pretty cheap for its hardware. From what I saw, systems with a faster graphics card (total overkill for Sims 3 unless you sister wants 144 fps in QHD or something) and otherwise similar hardware are well over $1000. This one is exactly the same as the previous one except for the graphics card that's about 50% faster.
https://www.amazon.com/Skytech-Blaze-Gaming-Computer-Desktop/dp/B0825FG29B/
An extra $100 gets an even stronger processor and twice the SSD storage:
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/clx-set-gaming-desktop-amd-ryzen-7-3700x-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-2060-960gb-solid-state-drive-black-rgb/6360496.p?skuId=6360496
There are a lot of options in between these, depending on which details matter to your sister. If you let me know what she'd like, I can check other sites for more systems as well, unless she'd prefer to go with Best Buy. Regardless though, she should be able to get exactly what she wants for a lot less than $1,500.
At any rate, I think I saw the model your sister was considering, and she can do better for her money. I'm not sure exactly what she wants, so I'll list a few examples to give you and her an idea of what's out there. Some relevant questions:
- What does your sister have in mind with "one of the more powerful processors"? Some overkill is good when it means doing individual upgrades in four or five years rather than having to buy an entirely new computer. But she'll probably never benefit beyond a certain point.
- What resolution does your sister want to use while playing, and what framerates would she like to see? Sims 3 looks great in QHD (2560x1440) and on a monitor with a high refresh rate, but she'd need a somewhat faster graphics card than if she was looking to maintain 60 Hz at 1920x1080.
- How much storage does your sister want, or if she doesn't know, what else would she like to store on this computer?
- Would your sister rather save some money and do a simple upgrade or two herself, or pay more to get all the features she wants right out of the box? This isn't about any serious messing around, more like installing extra RAM or a second hard drive if necessary.
To give you an idea, this ($680) is the kind of computer that would run Sims 3, all packs included, on ultra settings, at 60 fps on a typical 1920x1080 monitor. Its processor is stronger than necessary, but still mid-tier; it has only 8 GB RAM and a single 500 GB SSD, enough to handle Sims 3 but maybe not other tasks she has in mind.
https://www.amazon.com/SkyTech-Blaze-Gaming-Computer-Desktop/dp/B07RG8KM2C/
This one is $800 and has a significantly stronger processor, a significantly faster graphics card, and 16 GB memory:
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/cyberpowerpc-gamer-master-gaming-desktop-amd-ryzen-7-2700x-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1660-500gb-ssd-white/6385375.p?skuId=6385375
The above is pretty cheap for its hardware. From what I saw, systems with a faster graphics card (total overkill for Sims 3 unless you sister wants 144 fps in QHD or something) and otherwise similar hardware are well over $1000. This one is exactly the same as the previous one except for the graphics card that's about 50% faster.
https://www.amazon.com/Skytech-Blaze-Gaming-Computer-Desktop/dp/B0825FG29B/
An extra $100 gets an even stronger processor and twice the SSD storage:
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/clx-set-gaming-desktop-amd-ryzen-7-3700x-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-2060-960gb-solid-state-drive-black-rgb/6360496.p?skuId=6360496
There are a lot of options in between these, depending on which details matter to your sister. If you let me know what she'd like, I can check other sites for more systems as well, unless she'd prefer to go with Best Buy. Regardless though, she should be able to get exactly what she wants for a lot less than $1,500.
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