Will This Computer Play The Sims 3?

@riccardouga I'm not sure what else you have planned for this computer, but I can provide a bit of information on Sims games. From all indications, and due to how it's programmed, Sims 4 will never need anything stronger than an Nvidia 1060 6 GB, even on ultra settings. It might be fine with the 3 GB version, but that's not clear. Sims 4 will be in development for at least a couple more years, and then there will certainly be a gap before Sims 5 shows up, if it ever does. So if there is a Sims 5, it's at least 3-4 years away.

Even then, if the base game is anything like the previous two, its requirements will be relatively low. The more demanding packs will be at least another year or two away. At that point, even if you take great care of this laptop, you'll probably be looking for a new one. And the graphics cards themselves will have advanced significantly in that time. So there's really not much point in trying to futureproof for a game that's years away from existing, and may have features that none of the current cards can handle.

Having said that, you may want a stronger card for other reasons. The next card up from the 1060 is the 1660 ti. After that comes the 1070; a 2060 is equal to or better than a 1070, depending on the game. The 2060 is definitely the better choice for newer games, as the architecture of the 20-series cards was updated to support features that the 10-series cards can't run. None of this has anything to do with Sims games, but if you were wondering about graphics cards, that's the short answer.

Having said that, if you do want a 1070, this one you found would be an excellent option at that price, if it weren't sold out. But for €1750, you could get a laptop with a 2060 and the same processor and RAM. Its only drawback is that its SSD is smaller, but at least its HDD is of the faster 7200 RPM variety:
https://www.amazon.it/MSI-8SE-012IT-Notebook-Gaming-Nvidia/dp/B07N9HLT5R

It would take an additional €100 to get a 1 TB hybrid drive (SSHD), which is a little slower than a regular SSD:
https://www.amazon.it/Asus-GL704GV-EV013T-notebook-i7-8750H-FireCuda/dp/B07P9DSWS1

For reference, this is the same computer as above, but with a 1060 6 GB:
https://www.amazon.it/Asus-GL704GM-EV001T-Gl704gm-ev001t-8750h/dp/B07N6MNHRG

This is the best price (€2149) I saw for a laptop with a 2070:
https://eshop.asus.com/it-IT/gaming/serie-rog/notebook/asus-notebook-rog-scar-ii-gl504gw-es006t-windows-10-home-15-6-fhd-ips-144-hz-processore-intelr-coretm-i7-8750h-16gb-ram-1tb-hdd-128-ssd.html

The reason I was recommending the company that does custom builds is that you'd be able to get exactly what you wanted instead of compromising on the hard drive or graphics card. I understand that custom builds can sound like a risk, but this company offers a two year warranty, which is the same as or better than most manufacturers. I looked at the site again (because I really can't help myself) and saw that you could get an i7-8750H, a 2060, 16 GB RAM, a quality 1 TB SSD, and a 17" screen for €1882. Getting a 2070 instead would cost an extra €200; upgrading the processor to the newer 9750H would cost €90. (You could also add more storage, in several different configurations.)

Anyway, the point is, with your budget, you should be able to get exactly what you want. Once you pick the graphics card, it's pretty easy to find good options. The only thing I can't tell you is whether the other stores you've been browsing have good reputations, since I can't read reviews in Italian. But buying from Amazon, or directly from Asus, would be fine.

"puzzlezaddict;c-17079363" wrote:
@riccardouga I'm not sure what else you have planned for this computer, but I can provide a bit of information on Sims games. From all indications, and due to how it's programmed, Sims 4 will never need anything stronger than an Nvidia 1060 6 GB, even on ultra settings. It might be fine with the 3 GB version, but that's not clear. Sims 4 will be in development for at least a couple more years, and then there will certainly be a gap before Sims 5 shows up, if it ever does. So if there is a Sims 5, it's at least 3-4 years away.

Even then, if the base game is anything like the previous two, its requirements will be relatively low. The more demanding packs will be at least another year or two away. At that point, even if you take great care of this laptop, you'll probably be looking for a new one. And the graphics cards themselves will have advanced significantly in that time. So there's really not much point in trying to futureproof for a game that's years away from existing, and may have features that none of the current cards can handle.

Having said that, you may want a stronger card for other reasons. The next card up from the 1060 is the 1660 ti. After that comes the 1070; a 2060 is equal to or better than a 1070, depending on the game. The 2060 is definitely the better choice for newer games, as the architecture of the 20-series cards was updated to support features that the 10-series cards can't run. None of this has anything to do with Sims games, but if you were wondering about graphics cards, that's the short answer.

Having said that, if you do want a 1070, this one you found would be an excellent option at that price, if it weren't sold out. But for €1750, you could get a laptop with a 2060 and the same processor and RAM. Its only drawback is that its SSD is smaller, but at least its HDD is of the faster 7200 RPM variety:
https://www.amazon.it/MSI-8SE-012IT-Notebook-Gaming-Nvidia/dp/B07N9HLT5R

It would take an additional €100 to get a 1 TB hybrid drive (SSHD), which is a little slower than a regular SSD:
https://www.amazon.it/Asus-GL704GV-EV013T-notebook-i7-8750H-FireCuda/dp/B07P9DSWS1

For reference, this is the same computer as above, but with a 1060 6 GB:
https://www.amazon.it/Asus-GL704GM-EV001T-Gl704gm-ev001t-8750h/dp/B07N6MNHRG

This is the best price (€2149) I saw for a laptop with a 2070:
https://eshop.asus.com/it-IT/gaming/serie-rog/notebook/asus-notebook-rog-scar-ii-gl504gw-es006t-windows-10-home-15-6-fhd-ips-144-hz-processore-intelr-coretm-i7-8750h-16gb-ram-1tb-hdd-128-ssd.html

The reason I was recommending the company that does custom builds is that you'd be able to get exactly what you wanted instead of compromising on the hard drive or graphics card. I understand that custom builds can sound like a risk, but this company offers a two year warranty, which is the same as or better than most manufacturers. I looked at the site again (because I really can't help myself) and saw that you could get an i7-8750H, a 2060, 16 GB RAM, a quality 1 TB SSD, and a 17" screen for €1882. Getting a 2070 instead would cost an extra €200; upgrading the processor to the newer 9750H would cost €90. (You could also add more storage, in several different configurations.)

Anyway, the point is, with your budget, you should be able to get exactly what you want. Once you pick the graphics card, it's pretty easy to find good options. The only thing I can't tell you is whether the other stores you've been browsing have good reputations, since I can't read reviews in Italian. But buying from Amazon, or directly from Asus, would be fine.

@puzzlezaddict Thanks for your futher help but none of these laptops would be good for my usage. I want a 512gb SSD because of mods and CC (+obviously all expansion/stuff packs & all store premium content/worlds).... Also I don't think in any possible way (judging by how current things are going on) that a Sims 5 can potentially be a heavy/extremely detailed game (something like GTA V). On this laptop I will only play exclusively every itineration of the series, from The Sims 1 to The Sims 4. Sorry but I want to avoid any installs on the HDD... Last past months I've seen so many tutorials (Origin too) and I just can't stand the idea to move the main Document folder just for one game. At least with what I have in mind, I will simply install everything directly on the SSD (C:) and move my other personal files (photo, music, videos ecc) on the HDD (D:). Furthermore (this might be a minor detail, but) I will play Sims 3 (disc version) on the 1.67 patch level, so I assume it's a better choice for performances. What I'm trying to explain is the fact that only Sims 4 will need to be accessed trough Origin (again, since I own every single disc of Sims 2. I hate the Ultimate Collection for various reasons and I tend to play always offline)... I don't know guys, maybe I'm doing something wrong but I'm really convicied with my concern ?

@riccardouga I don't think you're doing anything wrong by wanting an SSD. I don't have an HDD myself, but the few times I've used one recently for other purposes (installing stuff for my parents, borrowing my brother's laptop for *testing*), I've been quite frustrated by how slow everything feels. I will say that TS4 runs the same off an HDD as an SSD; I'm not sure about TS2. TS3 is definitely faster on an SSD though, and it's not particularly close if you have all the packs and/or a lot of custom content.

I can narrow my search pretty easily to look for a larger SSD. One question I have is, if you had a single 512 GB drive, would you be comfortable installing a larger HDD yourself when you needed it? I looked up specs on an Asus a couple of days ago (not a model you'd want), and the manual showed that installing a second drive was extremely easy. But if you'd rather not, I'll cross that off the list.

The other question is, what graphics card do you want? Or, if you prefer, what's the minimum you want? Now that I know what to look for, it shouldn't be too difficult to find the best options.

Edit: I looked around more, both on Amazon.it and on a few other Italian sites, and I still think that if you really want the combination of a 512 GB SSD and 1 TB HDD (or something to that effect), you're best off ordering a custom built laptop. Yes, there are other models on sale at various stores that meet have what you want. But some of the stores clearly do their own upgrades, or else they list laptops from third parties that have done their own upgrades; either way, this would break the manufacturer's warranty, and for repairs you'd need to go through that outside company. The models that are not upgraded are much more expensive, sometimes ridiculously so. I don't think you should have to pay an extra €300 just to upgrade a 256 GB SSD to the 512 GB version.

I know I must sound like a broken record by now, and if you truly don't want to order a custom build you can tell me, and I won't mention it again. But this is what I would order for myself if I were in your situation (putting aside for the moment that I'm a Mac person). Not only would you have a 2 year warranty, just like any other upstanding company, but you could pick your graphics card and exactly the combination of storage that you wanted. You could even pay a few euro extra for a better brand of SSD instead of being stuck with the cheap variety. I know it's not just about saving money, but this is a lot of money, and the quality would almost certainly be higher than if you bought an Asus or MSI that had been upgraded by someone else.

Anyway, that's just my opinion. If you're not interested, let me know whether or not you're okay adding a second drive yourself, and either way I'll have some options for you tomorrow.

"puzzlezaddict;c-17079905" wrote:
@riccardouga I don't think you're doing anything wrong by wanting an SSD. I don't have an HDD myself, but the few times I've used one recently for other purposes (installing stuff for my parents, borrowing my brother's laptop for *testing*), I've been quite frustrated by how slow everything feels. I will say that TS4 runs the same off an HDD as an SSD; I'm not sure about TS2. TS3 is definitely faster on an SSD though, and it's not particularly close if you have all the packs and/or a lot of custom content.

I can narrow my search pretty easily to look for a larger SSD. One question I have is, if you had a single 512 GB drive, would you be comfortable installing a larger HDD yourself when you needed it? I looked up specs on an Asus a couple of days ago (not a model you'd want), and the manual showed that installing a second drive was extremely easy. But if you'd rather not, I'll cross that off the list.

The other question is, what graphics card do you want? Or, if you prefer, what's the minimum you want? Now that I know what to look for, it shouldn't be too difficult to find the best options.

Edit: I looked around more, both on Amazon.it and on a few other Italian sites, and I still think that if you really want the combination of a 512 GB SSD and 1 TB HDD (or something to that effect), you're best off ordering a custom built laptop. Yes, there are other models on sale at various stores that meet have what you want. But some of the stores clearly do their own upgrades, or else they list laptops from third parties that have done their own upgrades; either way, this would break the manufacturer's warranty, and for repairs you'd need to go through that outside company. The models that are not upgraded are much more expensive, sometimes ridiculously so. I don't think you should have to pay an extra €300 just to upgrade a 256 GB SSD to the 512 GB version.

I know I must sound like a broken record by now, and if you truly don't want to order a custom build you can tell me, and I won't mention it again. But this is what I would order for myself if I were in your situation (putting aside for the moment that I'm a Mac person). Not only would you have a 2 year warranty, just like any other upstanding company, but you could pick your graphics card and exactly the combination of storage that you wanted. You could even pay a few euro extra for a better brand of SSD instead of being stuck with the cheap variety. I know it's not just about saving money, but this is a lot of money, and the quality would almost certainly be higher than if you bought an Asus or MSI that had been upgraded by someone else.

Anyway, that's just my opinion. If you're not interested, let me know whether or not you're okay adding a second drive yourself, and either way I'll have some options for you tomorrow.

@puzzlezaddict I just want a model like this (with a 17" inch screen, possibly 144hz)

https://www.asustore.it/notebook-asus/3034-notebook-asus-gaming-rog-strix-gl703gs-e5012t-notebook-asus-store-4712900973617.html

This one also have G-sync... for The Sims 3 is a plus or not? (sorry if I'm insisting on this particular model but I find it a really complete laptop for my usage)

Can you find something similiar with the same (more or less) components? The most important things to respect are the 512gb SSD and the 1tb HDD. Sorry but the idea of having a custom laptop still don't coinvince me...

If you're willing to add an HDD yourself, which is easy on most Asus models (I can find you the user manual, complete with diagrams), get this:
https://eshop.asus.com/it-IT/gaming/serie-rog/notebook/asus-rog-zephyrus-gx501gi-ei014t-windows-10-home-15-6-fhd-144-hz-processore-intelr-coretmi7-8750h-16gb-ram-512gb-ssd.html

If you don't want to add anything yourself, get this:
https://eshop.asus.com/it-IT/gaming/serie-rog/notebook/asus-notebook-rog-gl704gw-ev003t-windows-10-home-17-3-fhd-ips-144-hz-processore-intelr-coretm-i7-8750h-16gb-ram-1tb-hdd-512-ssd.html

Both have better graphics cards than the last one you linked. The second one has the same 17" 144 Hz IPS screen, while the first one has the 15.6" version. Both are cheaper too.

There are better options on Amazon.it and elsewhere, if you're willing to add a second drive yourself; otherwise, there's not much out there that hasn't been upgraded by a third party.

"puzzlezaddict;c-17080621" wrote:
If you're willing to add an HDD yourself, which is easy on most Asus models (I can find you the user manual, complete with diagrams), get this:
https://eshop.asus.com/it-IT/gaming/serie-rog/notebook/asus-rog-zephyrus-gx501gi-ei014t-windows-10-home-15-6-fhd-144-hz-processore-intelr-coretmi7-8750h-16gb-ram-512gb-ssd.html

If you don't want to add anything yourself, get this:
https://eshop.asus.com/it-IT/gaming/serie-rog/notebook/asus-notebook-rog-gl704gw-ev003t-windows-10-home-17-3-fhd-ips-144-hz-processore-intelr-coretm-i7-8750h-16gb-ram-1tb-hdd-512-ssd.html

Both have better graphics cards than the last one you linked. The second one has the same 17" 144 Hz IPS screen, while the first one has the 15.6" version. Both are cheaper too.

There are better options on Amazon.it and elsewhere, if you're willing to add a second drive yourself; otherwise, there's not much out there that hasn't been upgraded by a third party.

@puzzlezaddict But the second one doesn't have G-sync... is it important for The Sims 3 to have it or not? I mean for less lag/tearing (sorry but I absolutely don't want a 15.6" screen)

G-sync is a new feature built into monitors that allows the display to sync its frames to what the graphics card is sending it. (Freesync is the same thing, only less expensive, as are all AMD equivalents to Nvidia features.) It can be useful in first-person shooter games, where it smoothes out the visuals, helping get rid of stutter and the occasional screen tears. It's better than the existing tools like vsync, but the same thing can almost always be accomplished with some combination of Nvidia's Control Panel and Inspector or MSI Afterburner.

I'm not sure TS3 would benefit at all from G-sync. The game will produce drops in frame rates all on its own, and nothing the monitor or graphics card does will stop that. Fps drops are responsible for much of the stutter, and the delays in rendering that many people refer to as lag are due to the game engine itself, not the display settings. Screen tearing can almost always be fixed with CP and Inspector, RTSS, and/or playing in windowed (or Windowed Borderless) mode; the computers that are resistant to the usual interventions almost invariably have weak graphics cards, or else a nonstandard monitor setup (i.e. three monitors with different resolutions and cable connectors).

So the answer is: I don't know, but I would guess probably not. I haven't seen any tests (maybe someone else has), and the problems G-sync is supposed to fix can be addressed in other ways. TS3 is nothing like the new games that benefit the most from G-sync, and it will be its usual difficult self no matter how many fancy features your monitor has. I don't think there's any reason to get it.

Another question: If I have an AMD graphics driver and it doesn't play on the laptop, yet it plays on another with an Intel Core graphic driver, then what can I do to make the game support my graphics driver?

"540jmh12;c-17082197" wrote:
Another question: If I have an AMD graphics driver and it doesn't play on the laptop, yet it plays on another with an Intel Core graphic driver, then what can I do to make the game support my graphics driver?

AMD, Nvidia, and Intel are brand names of hardware. Intel makes integrated graphics chips, Nvidia makes dedicated cards, AMD makes both. If a chip/card is not strong enough to carry the game, it's not the brand name that is the cause. My new system has a dedicated AMD graphics card in it, as did its predecessor from 2011, and they both run the game fine. Of course the newer one runs it better.

Drivers are the software that make hardware work. We cannot under most circumstances change or upgrade the graphics chip/card, meaning the physical hardware, on a laptop.

In case we are still talking about Ideapad 130 series, it's not the fact that its graphics chip is AMD or a driver issue that is the problem. A laptop in that range would likely overheat and burn out if it were somehow forced to run the game. Or are we now talking about a different system and if so, which one?

Or we could look at this another way. While the cost of a computer is not really a determining factor here, a new laptop strong enough to run all of TS3, meaning all 11 EPs, generally costs $900 (US Dollars) and up. Ideapads in that range tend to cost under or around $300. They are not the same classes of devices and they are made for very different things from each other.

It's not the system itself, but for some reason, when I play the game on a different laptop with Intel, it plays fine, however when I try to play it on my laptop, it goes to the new game system, but doesn't let me click on the check mark at the bottom.