Will this CPU and graphics card handle TS3?
I recently got a new computer with i7-2600 processor (3.4ghz) and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 650 card. The computer was a replacement for one that got damaged in transit, so I couldn't choose the specs. I ...
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@Goosey I did not tell the OP to purchase any new processor, I said they only could upgrade to a high-end 3rd-gen Intel CPU at best, at least without replacing the motherboard. And I also said it might not be necessary depending on how their system was handling Sims 3 and might not be worth the price anyway.
Additionally, I don't know if you noticed, but they have a non-K CPU, unlike you. The i7-2600 non-K can only be overclocked to a very limited degree, doing so is much more complicated than with the K variant, and their motherboard might not even support it. A 3770K could be a significant improvement, especially if overclocking was necessary for good performance, although again that's not at all a foregone conclusion.
As for heat, there are plenty of CPU coolers that have no trouble handling a 3rd-gen CPU with or without an overclock. The amount of heat generated is only an issue if the cooler or the case airflow can't keep up; it's never by itself a reason not to buy a particular processor. The 3rd-gen models do NOT thermal throttle at default clock speeds if the cooler is doing its job, and casually throwing around misleading information like that is the kind of thing that helps people make bad purchasing decisions.
The GTX 950 can run all Sims 3 packs together, likely on high settings if not ultra. It's a mid-range card and was always meant to be one, there's no shame in that and it's not "nerfed" relative to its original purpose or price point. The higher model cards are of course faster, that's the whole point, but they also require more power and you can't just stick one in a system that isn't built to handle it. But at the moment, the point is moot, since the OP has a 650 and hasn't decided whether an upgrade is necessary or warranted.
Additionally, I don't know if you noticed, but they have a non-K CPU, unlike you. The i7-2600 non-K can only be overclocked to a very limited degree, doing so is much more complicated than with the K variant, and their motherboard might not even support it. A 3770K could be a significant improvement, especially if overclocking was necessary for good performance, although again that's not at all a foregone conclusion.
As for heat, there are plenty of CPU coolers that have no trouble handling a 3rd-gen CPU with or without an overclock. The amount of heat generated is only an issue if the cooler or the case airflow can't keep up; it's never by itself a reason not to buy a particular processor. The 3rd-gen models do NOT thermal throttle at default clock speeds if the cooler is doing its job, and casually throwing around misleading information like that is the kind of thing that helps people make bad purchasing decisions.
The GTX 950 can run all Sims 3 packs together, likely on high settings if not ultra. It's a mid-range card and was always meant to be one, there's no shame in that and it's not "nerfed" relative to its original purpose or price point. The higher model cards are of course faster, that's the whole point, but they also require more power and you can't just stick one in a system that isn't built to handle it. But at the moment, the point is moot, since the OP has a 650 and hasn't decided whether an upgrade is necessary or warranted.
