Forum Discussion

puzzlezaddict's avatar
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
2 years ago

Re: Help choosing specs for dedicated Sims 3 PC!!!

@dianaxfreire  This is definitley overkill for Sims 3, which is not a problem, but I would say that it's a bit imbalanced.  A 7900X can drive any graphics card out there, and a 3060 is not in its league, although more than capable of handling Sims 3 of course.  That's not to say you need to adjust the specs, only that it's worth considering what you want here and where to put your money.  Even without budget constraints, some configurations make more sense than others.

The 7800X3D is actually better for gaming than the 7900X, if that's a consideration; the 7900X3D is a bit better but not as much as its higher product number would suggest.  On the other hand, the prices are similar, so the 7900X3D might be the best option.

An RTX 3060 will run Sims 3 on ultra graphics settings at a 2560x1440 resolution, at above 144 fps under ideal conditions, without maxing itself out.  The game will have fps drops on any GPU, and while faster ones will have somewhat higher lows, there's only so much even the best hardware can do about the issue.  So if Sims 3 is truly the most demanding game you'll play, going above a 3060 isn't worth the price.  However, if you're ever going to play games like Hogwarts Legacy or Baldur's Gate 3, a faster GPU would be well worth the price.

More to the point, in the U.S. at least, the 4060 is basically the same price as the 3060.  It's not a great product in terms of the 40-series overall, but it's a lot faster than a 3060, fast enough to make a significant difference in newer games.

For the memory, you didn't mention specs, AMD CPUs love fast RAM.  However, above about 5500 MHz, tighter timings matter more than the absolute speed.  So look for something around 5500-6000 MHz with a low first-word latency.  A site like PCPartPicker will list that along with the other details so you don't have to do the math.  Memory is extremely cheap right now, and quality RAM is easy to make, so don't overthink this or spend a lot of extra money to get something that appears special.

I would also suggest having more SSD storage and skipping the HDD altogether.  SSD storage is also very cheap right now, and it's much more convenient to have all your data on a single drive.  You could of course add more drives later if that becomes necessary.  I would strongly suggest spending extra on a quality SSD though.  There are a lot of low-end options out there, even from known brands, and a dead system drive would be a tragedy and a massive pain to address.  Samsung is still the gold standard, recent issues notwithstanding, and Crucial is a good substitute if the price works for you.

Corsair is the gold standard in power supplies, and 850W is enough for a much faster GPU should you want to add one later.

You didn't mention motherboards, and we can talk about that too if you want.

Finally, if you want to talk about a monitor, feel free to ask whatever questions you have.  It's the component you'll interact with the most, and a quality screen can make a huge difference in how much you enjoy games and using the computer overall.

12 Replies

  • dianaxfreire's avatar
    dianaxfreire
    2 years ago

    Wow! You are literally out here doing God's work! Thank you so so much!

    I checked out PCPartPicker and Corsair 32 GB seems to fit the criteria, what do you think of that one?

    I am absolutely clueless regarding motherboards and monitors, so if you have anything you can recommend, I'd be more than happy to hear it!

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    2 years ago

    @dianaxfreire  Corsair makes excellent RAM, and 32 GB is reasonably cheap right now.  But the important details are the speed and timings; Corsair makes memory at pretty much every available speed and many with tighter timings than standard.  You'll also need DDR5 memory, which you're probably looking at considering how much slower DDR4 is, but double-check anyway.  So it would be best to link the product page for the exact model you're considering.

    For the motherboard, if you don't need a lot of extra slots for expansion, you don't need to get fancy.  You also don't need an X-series model, e.g. X670; a B650 will do just fine.  These are the categories of boards, denoting the socket and generation, not exact models.  X670 means more slots for SSDs and other add-in cards, and also better support for manual overclocking, but it's not worth the price premium if you're only going to install 2-3 SSDs and maybe a sound card.

    I would recommend going with an ATX board if this is your first time building a computer.  This is the largest board that will fit in a standard case, and it makes building a lot easier to have the extra room to maneuver.  I would avoid Asus boards for now because this generation started out with serious voltage issues that fried some users' processors, and while the problem has apparently been addressed, I wouldn't take the chance at the moment.  MSI, Gigabyte, and ASRock are all fine choices, with

    For the CPU cooler, I would go with a tower cooler at the very least, perhaps all-in-one liquid cooling if you go with a 7900X or 7900X3D CPU and/or live in a hotter climate without good air conditioning.  A Noctua air cooler would also be fine.  Let me know what processor you're going to buy and whether your system needs extra cooling.

    For the monitor, I would strongly recommend an IPS panel (the highest quality in terms of color and viewing angle) with at least 300 nits peak brightness, more if you want a bright colorful screen and don't mind spending a little extra.  I would also suggest a 2560x1440 resolution and a refresh rate above 100 Hz.  The higher resolution will make everything look more crisp and clear, but 3840x2160 (4k) is a lot more work for the graphics card and for Sims 3's outdated game engine.  The refresh rate makes using the computer, in-game and otherwise, feel more smooth and responsive.

    Other than that, think about what size you want the monitor to be as well as what kind of look you want, if that matters.  After all, you're going to be looking at the monitor a lot, and you might have a strong preference that has nothing to do with specs.

  • dianaxfreire's avatar
    dianaxfreire
    2 years ago

    Thank you once again for the great information!

    I think I will be going with the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D CPU. Do you think it would need extra cooling? Do you have any specific product recs? I’m a total noob at understanding what kind of product it really is based on the name alone. 

    As for the RAM, I can’t link the product (I’m ordering it built for me), but it’s the Corsair Vengeance DDR 5 5600MHz 2x16GB.

    I found two mainboards that fit your recs: Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 4.0) and Gigabyte B650M DS3H (mATX, AM5, DDR5, PCIe 4.0). Is there a big difference between these (besides price?)

    I also decided to up the Samsung M.2 SSD to 2TB and get another regular 1TB SSD from Samsung. I will be keeping the GeForce GTX 3060 for now even though the price is similar and maybe upgrade in the future. I also reduced the power supply to Corsair 750 W, it’s probably still enough from what you’ve said before!

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    2 years ago

    @dianaxfreire  If you're ordering a custom build, that actually makes the process a lot easier, it cuts down on the available options, and it of course also changes the prices.  It would be simpler for me to look over the site and list what I think are the best options, so please link it here.

    The same goes for monitors: if you're buying from somewhere specific, please link it, and list the specs that matter to you.  But you of course don't need to buy the monitor at the same place since compatibility is not an issue.

  • dianaxfreire's avatar
    dianaxfreire
    2 years ago

    You are fantastic.

    I want to order on pcspecialist.ch because I live in Switzerland, but they also have a UK page pcspecialist.co.uk!

    I am not sure as for the monitor yet, so if you have specific products you recommend, I’m all ears!

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    2 years ago

    @dianaxfreire  This is definitely simpler, and I can access the Swiss site just fine.  Here's what I'd suggest:

    For the CPU, I don't think the upgrade from the 7800X3D to the 7900X3D is worth the price.  It's not a bad choice, but the "slower" processor will drive any graphics card currently out there without a problem, and it would probably take 5-8 years before it had trouble with a new mid-tier graphics card (e.g. the RTX 4070 right now).  Your money would better be spent elsewhere if that's any consideration at all.

    For the motherboard, since you're not building the computer yourself, the mATX form factor is fine, and you don't need all the extra expansion of a larger board.  And these processors are difficult to overclock, not that you'd need the extra performance.  So the first Gigabyte option, the B650M D3SH, will be great, and the more expensive boards aren't going to give you any practical benefit.  I still don't trust Asus with this generation's motherboards, but that's me being cautious.  If you're comfortable with the company, the Prime B650-Plus is clearly better than the cheapest option, but further upgrades won't make a practical difference.

    For the RAM, the site's markup is a little higher than necessary, and it doesn't list timings or enough for me to figure out the details.  One option, if you're interested, is to buy the cheapest 8 GB RAM and upgrade it yourself.  RAM is extremely easy to install, and, as mentioned, very cheap right now.  If you're interested, let me know what stores you'd buy from, and I'll list the best options so you can decide whether getting exactly what you want is worth the extra effort.  If not, the 5,600 MHz option is fine, but upgrading to 6,000 MHz is relatively cheap.

    For the graphics card, the upgrade from a 3060 to a 4060 is CHF 12, which is well worth the price.  Even if Sims 3 will never use the extra power, other games would.  And if you decide to flip the card for something faster in a few years, a 4060 will have a significantly better resale value.  I don't think it's worth paying extra for the Asus card, not at this level.  It would be different if you were buying a more expensive GPU or you planned to overclock it, but running it stock, you likely wouldn't see any difference at all even in benchmark tests.

    For the SSD, either Samsung Pro (980 or 990) is going to be effectively the same, with the Evo being a bit slower in benchmarks but not enough to make a difference in everyday use, and certainly not in games.  You could save a bit of money by going with Corsair, also very reliable and running at Evo speeds.

    I wouldn't bother getting an HDD at all.  If it turns out you need bulk storage down the road, you could get an external drive or a secondary internal one; installing it is as simple as opening the case and connecting two cables.  And with a 2 TB internal drive, the slower speed of an external HDD won't make a practical difference: everything you want to work with in the moment will fit on the SSD, and you can set large files to transfer back and forth while you do something else.

    For the power supply, definitely go with one of the "enthusiast" models, both because they have at least a Gold rating and because they're modular.  750 W is more than enough for this system and should easily be enough for a newer xx60-series GPU if and when you decide to upgrade.

    For the CPU cooler, the first DeepCool option should be fine as long as the room doesn't get too hot.  The cooler can dissipate 175 watts of heat, and the 7900X3D's TDP is 120W, with it typically using much less than that during gaming.  So you'd have plenty of headroom.  I don't know enough about FrostFlow as a brand to tell you whether it makes quality products, but DeepCool does, and the upgrade is cheap.  Standard thermal paste should be fine too, but spend the extra CHF 10 if you absolutely do not want to ever have to reapply it down the road.

    For the rest, it's mostly about what accessories you might want.  I would suggest finding out how many fans come with the case you choose, and ordering more if the number is less than 4.  I'd probably go with at least 5 total myself, just to be on the safe side, especially with an air cooler.  Because the heat from the CPU and GPU is going to be dissipated inside the case, you really need good airflow here.  But neither component kicks off that much heat, so it's not critical to have the most overpowered cooling setup.  The standard fans should be fine; no need to spend extra here unless you want RGB.

    Neither motherboad I mentioned includes wifi, but you may never need it, so skip the add-in card unless you think you might actually use it some day.  I would suggest not getting even the trial version of Norton antivirus at all because it's basically bloatware and annoying to remove.  If you need a third-party antivirus, use a different one, but Windows Defender is also very good these days.

    Finally, for the monitor, do you want to buy from PCSpecialist, or are you open to other stores?  And do you know what size you'd like?  I don't necessarily have specific recommendations because there are a lot of good options out there, but prices can vary a lot.  A great option at $200 is not even a good one at $350, and the absolute perfect 24" monitor is a bad choice for someone who wants a bigger screen.

  • dianaxfreire's avatar
    dianaxfreire
    2 years ago

    Okay, so I went back and changed some of my choices, including the GPU - but now the website is telling me I can't order a GPU support bracket because the 4060 is too small for that bracket size (and they don't have alternative sizes). Is a bracket necessary? My Google search left me feeling confused, some seem to say it's completely necessary, some say it's not necessary at all.

    I also have another question: Windows 11 is the standard OS, but lots of people seem to be saying (on Reddit) it would be better to buy an older pc with Windows 7 or 10 on it. Is Windows 11 really impossible to play Sims 3 (or Sims 2) with, even if using those optimisation mods I read about? I also read it should be possible to "downgrade" to Windows 10 using the "media creation tool", is that something you'd recommend for smooth playing?

    Finally, I am probably going to buy/order the monitor on https://mediamarkt.ch! If you're still not totally fed up with me and my questions, I'd be happy if you helped me pick out something that's nice (and not curved!)

    And do you have a Ko-fi account or something else I could send you a little token of appreciation through?

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    2 years ago

    @dianaxfreire  The 4060 ti doesn't need a support bracket.  Some of the heavier cards do benefit from one, but those are the models with faster chips and physically larger coolers.  If you do notice some sag in the GPU, and I wouldn't expect it but it's always worth checking, there are plenty of stores that sell brackets, or, frankly, you could just put something small in the case to prop up the card.  But I really don't think this would be even a minor problem.  The only exception is if you're moving houses, in which case just take out the GPU and reinstall it when the computer is in its new home.

    Windows 11 runs Sims 3 as well as Windows 10, at least at this moment.  And yes, it would be simple to reinstall Windows once you received the PC, which would mean you could choose between 11 and 10.  I would absolutely not install Windows 7 because your hardware doesn't even have official support for it.  Most of the drivers would probably work, but you could run into all sorts of sneaky issues that could be difficult to diagnose and might not be fixable without an OS upgrade.  If you want to use 10 for now, that's reasonable, but keep in mind it's losing support sometime relatively soon, apparently in October 2025 but that could get pushed back.  So you'd want or need to upgrade before too long anyway.

    The one thing I strongly suggest is avoiding OneDrive entirely.  That means either setting up Windows while offline, so Microsoft doesn't require you to enter an email address and automatically tie in OneDrive; or creating a local admin Windows account after the initial setup and using that account instead.  I can help with this once you have the computer in hand.

    For the monitor, I'm a little surprised at the relatively sparse selection from MediaMarkt, but the site does have a couple of very good options.  This one is the best combination of price and specs: bright, great colors, high resolution, high refresh rate, from a company that's been making quality monitors for a long time.

    https://www.mediamarkt.ch/de/product/_asus-tuf-gaming-vg27wq-1979381.html

    This is an alternative if you want to save some money.  It's a little dimmer but still bright enough, with otherwise equal specs.  AOC makes panels for other better-known sellers and keeps a few of its own, so the quality of the screen is still high.

    https://www.mediamarkt.ch/de/product/_aoc-q27g2s-eu-2197779.html

    If you're not thrilled about the prices, I can look elsewhere for better deals; just let me know.

    As for a token of appreciation, you're very sweet to offer, but I do this for fun and because I enjoy helping.  And picking out hardware for a new computer is always fun.

  • dianaxfreire's avatar
    dianaxfreire
    2 years ago

    Perfect! I think I have my built all set up and I'll probably be ordering in a few weeks - I'll definitely let you know once it's here!

    If you rethink the whole ko-fi thing, please please let me know! I don't think I could ever thank you enough for coming to the rescue, you are an absolute angel!

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    2 years ago

    @dianaxfreire  That looks good, and I hope you get exactly what you want out of it.  If you see a change in prices or inventory before ordering, always a possibility with computer hardware, feel free to ask more questions.  Otherwise, let me know if anything else comes up once you have Sims 3 installed.  The one critical step is limiting the in-game framerates, which should only take a few clicks, but it's best to wait to do so until you can test the results in-game.

  • dianaxfreire's avatar
    dianaxfreire
    2 years ago
    @puzzlezaddict Hi there! I’m back with an update! I ordered the pc two weeks ago and it finally arrived yesterday. I spent the afternoon setting up the games (Sims 2 UC and Sims 3 + all expansions and some stuff packs). I followed some optimization guides, added the LazyDuchess Smooth Patch and edited some game files to get the game to recognize the GTX 4060 and it seems to have worked! I also patched the Sims 2. I play tested for around half an hour and it seems to be running really well at mid to high graphics. Also the computer in general is so fast, I’ve never seen anything like it. So thank you so so much once again! You deserve an award for “Most Helpful Person On The Internet” 🙏🏼
  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    2 years ago

    @dianaxfreire  I'm so glad to hear everything is working the way you wanted.  If you do run into any trouble, you know where to find me, but hopefully it's smooth sailing from here on out.

    You should be able to play Sims 3 on ultra graphics settings, minus the two (water and high-detail lots) that need to be turned down to lower the stress on the game engine.  You can of course use whatever settings you want, but there's no need to artificially limit yourself other than the two problematic settings.  I keep water on "mirrors only" and high-detail lots on 2 when I'm playing, although there's no harm in turning them up for pretty screenshots.

About The Sims 3 Technical Issues

Get help with issues in The Sims 3 from fellow Simmers.83,286 PostsLatest Activity: 58 minutes ago