Laptop Requirements for Sims 3 Expansions

Also, it runs Windows 8, if I recall

@jenn_sims1  Honestly, that laptop might not handle much of Sims all that well.  The base game could be fine, along with all stuff packs and the first three expansions (World Adventures, Ambitions, Late Night).  Once you get past that though, the packs become more demanding, and the laptop's integrated graphics card might not be able to keep up.  Everyone has a slightly different experience, depending in part on their standards for acceptable gameplay quality, and in part on how their machines are built, which includes some element of randomness.  But your laptop is unlikely to handle the most demanding packs—Pets, Seasons, then Isla Paradiso and Into the Future—very well, and it might barely be able to run them at all.

There's not much harm in trying though.  If you already own the game and you registered it in Origin, you can download it for free.  It's probably a good idea to install just the base game first, see how it runs, then add packs one at a time until you start to notice performance issues.  Longer-running saves, busier lots, and larger worlds (both in terms of physical size and population) will be more taxing, so don't judge entirely on performance in a new save.

And definitely make sure the laptop can cool itself properly whie you play.  Elevate it—put books under the corners, or use a laptop tray—or get a cooling pad.  Excessive heat will cause the hardware to throttle and drag down performance on any system.

@puzzlezaddict  That makes sense because I had Pets, Seasons, and Island Paradise on that laptop before and that is when the crashing started. Unfortunately I don’t have any of the Sims 3 games because I originally borrowed them from a friend so this time around I will buy them.

Do you know what the best specs would be to play with all expansions?
I also have a desktop Mac and can find the specs for it later today, but I like the portability of a laptop and being able to play where ever. 

Thanks so much! 

@jenn_sims1  The Mac version of Sims 3 doesn't run nearly as well as the Windows version, for a number of reasons.  If you were willing to Bootcamp your Mac, i.e. partition the hard drive and install Windows on one side, that might be a workable solution, depending on the specs of your Mac.  But if you'd prefer a Windows laptop, that's easy enough.

I could list all the specs you'd need, but the most important component is the graphics card.  An Nvidia 1650 is fast enough to run all packs together on uttra settings, as is the older 1050 ti.  Most processors you'd see in laptops with those GPUs are also fine, although avoid any with a U in their model name (e.g. i5-9300H is fine, Ryzen 5 2500U might not be).  In the U.S., I can usually find something suitable on sale for around $700; prices are higher in other countries.  If you have more demanding apps in mind, you might want stronger hardware, and the price will go up accordingly.

If you're interested in seeing some good options, I'd be happy to look.  Just let me know your budget and country, as well as any other details that matter to you, like the amount of storage, other apps you might want to run, that kind of thing.

@jenn_sims1  If you're willing to get a used or open-box model, something like this would do nicely:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-15-6-gaming-laptop-intel-core-i5-8gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1650-512gb-solid-state-drive-black/6356774.p?skuId=6356774

That's just one example, so you know what's out there.

Whenever you're ready to buy, feel free to ask for advice, or link a few options and get some feedback before you spend the money.

@jenn_sims1  The newer U-series processors can sometimes be managed by tweaking Windows's power settings.  (Of course this is with the laptop plugged in and able to properly cool itself.)  But the 6500U is older, dual-core, and not nearly as powerful as 8th-gen or newer Intel CPUs.  It's also dual-core, meaning those two cores will need to carry the load for Sims 3, Windows, and anything else you run while you play.

There are people who play on an Nvidia 940MX and do fine.  They certainly don't use the highest graphics settings, and most of them don't install Pets or Seasons (or they use Seasons but disable rain and snow).  I've seen other people try to play on the same card and have a lot more trouble.  So I can't really give you a good answer on that—a lot of it is your expectations for quality gameplay and the packs you want to use, and some of it is random.

I'm sorry I can't offer anything more definitive.  Sims 3 is more difficult than it should be to run on medium hardware, and it's not always clear why.  I don't want to tell you that this laptop will be fine and then have you barely be able to play at all.  On the other hand, you might be one of those who has a good experience.  In your position, I'd try to find something with at least a 1050, or a 960M or higher, just to be safe.  But it's your decision.