@lkkamwmkw The single most important detail here, for Sims 3 and for most games, is the graphics card. An RTX 3050 is more than fast enough to run Sims 3 on ultra graphics settings minus the two (water and high-detail lots) that should be turned down to lower the stress on the game engine. An RTX 3060 or 4050 would help buffer the inevitable slowdowns, although not eliminate them; anything faster than that would have no practical effect.
The processors paired with these graphics cards are going to be fast enough to not be a problem because good CPUs are cheaper than good GPUs. No one wants to spend a lot of money on a fast graphics card only to have it held back by the processor. 256 GB storage is enough for Sims 3, but these days, most gaming laptops come with at least double that. As for RAM, you don't actually need more than 8 GB just for Sims 3, although it's nice to have 16 GB for other purposes. And you're right, it's simple enough to install more, now or later.
One other note: For the moment at least, AMD processors run cooler than their Intel equivalents. I wouldn't cross off a system with an Intel CPU for that reason alone, especially as it's easy enough to pick up a laptop cooling fan or pad. But it's worth keeping in mind when considering multiple similar options.
For specific examples, this is significant overkill for Sims 3 (and Sims 4 for that matter), and temporarily on sale for $800:
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-loq-15-6-gaming-laptop-fhd-amd-ryzen-7-7435hs-with-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-4060-8gb-512gb-ssd-luna-grey/6578511.p?skuId=6578511
This is the same laptop build overall, with the cheaper and slower (but still fast enough) RTX 3050, a downgraded but still good processor, and only 12 GB RAM.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-loq-15-6-gaming-laptop-fhd-amd-ryzen-5-7235hs-with-12gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-3050-6gb-512gb-ssd-luna-grey/6578512.p?skuId=6578512
This one has an RTX 4050, between the 3050 and 4060 in speed, and is currently heavily discounted. It does only have 8 GB RAM, but an upgrade would be cheap. The build quality is higher than the LOQ as well, not that the LOQ is bad by any stretch, just that I'd choose this one all else being equal. But they're both reasonable options, and other details might matter to you..
https://www.walmart.com/ip/5395277312
This is a high-quality laptop with an RTX 4060 (again, overkill) and a high-resolution, high-refresh-rate screen to match. The res isn't critical but will make anything the laptop is running look more crisp and clear. The Legion is overall an excellent line, perhaps the best in the "budget" category, and has been for several years.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/5033748027
If you don't like any of these for one reason or another, let me know why, and I can look around again. These are by no means your only options, just the best combination of price, performance, and build quality that I could find tonight. I believe the're all better options than the standard Acer Nitro, which is fine but somewhat cheaply made and tends to be a little loud and noisy.
As a side note, if you ever registered Sims 3, either in Origin or on the old site, your purchases should show up in your EA App game library under whatever email address you used at the time. If you can't find them, try whatever old addresses you still have access to.
If you are in fact stuck buying the game again, do so during a sale. These days, the Starter Pack plus all additional EPs and SPs go on sale for $8 each in the EA App. In Steam, the Sims 3 Collection is 50% off the sticker price of the packs separately, so $10 each, but it's occasionally (and briefly) discounted further. That's not as much of a help if you don't want to buy the entire collection, but it's worth considering, especially since it means not having to use the EA App to play. The Steam version doesn't require the App to be running, or Steam either after the first time the game is launched.
