hi, i need help finding a good (yet cheap) desktop computer that can run the sims 3 on high qualities. ive been doing a lot of research but since im not computer smart and dont know what half of the stuff means its been difficult. i also attend on getting all the expansion packs soon, so if anyone can link some good deaktops preferably under $900 but if i need to go above i can (side note i do live in the usa if you need that information.)
@BellyacheSimmer You don't need to spend anywhere near $900 if you're just looking to play Sims 3, even if you want to play with all packs on ultra settings. The cheapest options that would work are around $600 (monitor not included), although they really are just good enough.
So the question becomes, do you want to go with the cheapest computer that will work, or do you want something a bit better, or maybe something that fits your needs exactly? To that end, do you want extra storage for other purposes, and how much? Or are you okay with installing a second hard drive if and when you need it? (It's quite simple, and large mechanical drives can be under $50.) Do you want to futureproof this machine in case you want to play more demanding games later? Do you want to play on a 1920x1080 monitor, or would you prefer a higher resolution? Playing at 2560x1440 would make a slightly faster graphics card a better option, although that still wouldn't drive up the price all that much.
Let me know your preferences, and I can link some options. I started to look, but there were so many good choices between $650 and $800, I didn't want to spam you with links before knowing exactly what you were looking for.
Hello, sorry for the late reply I've been busy with the online classes. I wouldn't want the cheapest I would like something a little better. I would also like to get a high-resolution monitor (2560x1440). I'd also like to have extra storage since I do play other minor games that don't take up that much space. and having it be futureproofed would be nice. Thank you for your help and don't be afraid to spam me with links 🙂 (stay safe!)
@BellyacheSimmer This doesn't at all qualify as a late reply—I've seen people come back months later. And school is definitely more important, as fun as shopping for a new computer might be.
A couple of details are useful to keep in mind when you have a bit of wiggle room in your budget. Memory and hard drives are extremely easy to install, either yourself or at a store. RAM clicks into a slot, and you're done; a hard drive needs to be slid into a slot and connected to the power supply and motherboard by cables, nothing more. (This is what it looks like, if you're curious.)
Graphics cards can be swapped out as well, although it's more complicated: the physical installation is a bit trickier, plus you'd need to make sure your power supply and motherboard supported the new card. A new processor usually means a new motherboard, which means rebuilding your computer from scratch. So if you're thinking about future upgrades, keep in mind what you'd need to do to swap out a given component.
Given what you want, I saw a few good options that were significanly cheaper than everything else. This one is the lowest I'd go though. Its graphics card, and AMD Radeon RX 580, should handle Sims 3 (all packs included) on ultra settings, even in QHD, but it's not really futureproofed for newer games. On the other hand, it's $620 on Best Buy and Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/CYBERPOWERPC-Master-Gaming-3-2GHz-GMA8980CPG/dp/B07W62CJCQ/
The next faster graphics card that's widely available is the Nvidia 1660. The Super and ti versions are about 5% and 6% faster than the standard version, but even the standard one is overkill for Sims 3 (and 25% faster than the RX 580). There are many different models with a 1660 in the $800 range, but this one, at $750, clearly has the best hardware. It comes with 16 GB RAM and an AMD Ryzen 3600, a processor that should be strong enough to handle whatever your plans are for at least five years, if not more. The motherboard and power supply should also support a faster GPU in the future. I believe the Amazon model is exactly the same as the one on Cyberpower's site, in case you don't want to order from Cyberpower.
https://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Gaming-Instant-Ship-GM-9910
https://www.amazon.com/CyberpowerPC-Master-Gaming-GeForce-GMA1400A/dp/B07X31NT47/
These two computers only have a single 500 GB solid state drive. You definitely want an SSD for Sims 3, not to mention Windows, and 500 GB should be enough for TS3 plus saves, mods, and custom content; your other "minor games"; and whatever other random apps you'd like to install. And you could add more storage later, if you wanted. But if you'd prefer not to need to, there are other options with a smaller SSD and a larger HDD. The thing is, with a 256 GB SSD, you'd need to manage your storage carefully to make sure Windows kept enough room to maneuver.
Having said that, here are more options. This one is also $750, and it has only 8 GB RAM, plus a processor that's significantly weaker, but still more than good enough for TS3:
https://www.amazon.com/CYBERPOWERPC-Xtreme-i5-9400F-GeForce-GXiVR8060A8/dp/B07VGJDKZ4/
This one is $800 and has 16 GB RAM, even more storage, and a processor that's better than the 9400F above but still significantly behind the Ryzen 5 3600:
This one ($750) has the Ryzen 5 3600, 8 GB RAM, and the RX 580 GPU from the first link:
I could spam you with lots more links, but there was nothing else I saw that was better than the ones above for a similar price.
And please feel free to ask more questions. Come back whenever you have time, and I'll be around sooner or later.
thank you very much! Id definitely be investing in one of these, if i will need you later i certainly will reply! have a good day/evening, stay safe during these times!
hi! so recently with the virus going down my price range has gotten lower.. so I was wondering if itd be easier to maybe build a computer instead of buying one? get back as soon as you'd like to no rush! and thank you for your help!
@BellyacheSimmer In this price range, it's usually cheaper to get a prebuilt computer, rather than building it yourself. I mean, you could spend two months looking for deals on Ebay and hope you find all the components you need, and maybe save a bit... but there's no guarantee, and of course you'd be taking a risk by shopping from Ebay. You might get lucky with older surplus components if you know where to look for them, but again, there's no guarantee you'd find what you want.
The prebuilt systems in this category are offered by companies that get bulk discounts from their suppliers. The quality isn't as high as what you'd buy separately, but that's the other part of how they keep costs down. And for your purposes, the computers would still work fine.
Let me know how much you're willing to spend, and I'll have another look around. If you'd rather wait a bit to get the new desktop, that's fine too—I'll be around whenever you're ready to shop.
hello! hope your having a good day, my price range is now in the $600 range. i know this maybe difficult to find a computer to play the sims 3 with ultra high settings but if I need to push it a $100 so i can. thank you for your help, have a great day!
@BellyacheSimmer There aren't nearly as many choices for $600 and under, or at least not as many good ones. But you can still get a computer that would run Sims 3 on ultra graphics settings.
This is the lowest I'd go, at $550. The processor and graphics card are more than good enough for the entire game plus whatever custom content you'd want to install. The drawback is that it has only a mechanical drive, meaning loading—everything from the initial screens to traveling to opening Build/Buy and CAS—would take longer. The game would run the same once it was loaded though. You could also buy a solid state drive and install it later; it's not difficult to add one.
This one is $600, and its processor and graphics card are both weaker than the Acer above, though still more than good enough for Sims 3. But it does have a solid state drive, and while it's not large, 256 GB is enough for Windows, Sims 3, plus your saves and other user data. You could store backups and any other data on the 1 TB HDD as needed.
This one is $620 and has the same graphics card as the Acer, a somewhate stronger processor, and a 480 GB solid state drive, which is enough storage for most people. Again, you could add a second hard drive (any SATA drive you wanted) later, if you decided you needed more storage.
Even going up to $700, I didn't see any options that were better than these. It seems like at the moment, there are fewer options in this range than usual, but these would be fine and are about what you'd expect for your budget in normal times.
If you have more questions, please feel free to ask.
