Re: PC Specs For Sims 3
Edit: I didn't see your price range until now. Just let me know your currency so I have an idea of where to look.
@christine800133 And here we are. This is what I'd recommend:
Processor: Any desktop processor released in the last four years or so is fine, but it sounds like you want better than fine. The core count doesn't really matter, at least not above four for the game and six for moderate video editing. The key for Sims 3 is single-core speed, particularly boost clock—the game can only use two cores, and the relevant point is how much those two can process per second.
On that note, the Ryzen 5 5600X is a very good option. It's almost the same speed as the next-higher model and much cheaper. The i5-11600 (with or without a K) is the equivalent Intel model: it has six cores and boosts slightly higher, but performance in Sims 3 would be close enough I doubt you'd notice a difference. The i5-10600K has a faster boost clock but is a bit less efficient, so it's a little slower overall, but it's still an excellent option. The 10th- and 11th-gen i7s have more cores but aren't any faster and are significantly more expensive.
With any processor in this class, the limiting factor will be the game engine, so it doesn't have any practical effect to add a tiny bit more speed. For video editing, you might notice a difference between six cores and eight if you timed it, but the gap is still pretty small.
Graphics card: While you could get away with an Nvidia GTX 1650, you'll give your system more of a buffer to absorb performance hits with a faster card. Personally, I'd go with a 1660 (ti or Super), a 2060, or a 3060, in order of increasing speed; the very new 3050 is still hard to find, although it would do fine as well. Any of these will outpace your monitor's refresh rate as much as the game engine itself allows, meaning that you won't see any additional benefit on the monitor.
Memory: Sims 3 only needs 8 GB, but you'll want 16 for multitasking, for example recording videos. If you see a system you otherwise like that only comes with 8, just buy more RAM—it's the cheapest and easiest component to install, with an additional 8 GB costing under $50.
Storage: For Sims 3 itself, a 500 GB solid state drive is plenty. It sounds like you'd want additional storage, which is cheaper in the form of a large mechanical drive, but you might also find a system with a single 1 TB SSD. Either would work since your videos don't need to be on high-speed storage while you're not editing them. A secondary drive is usually relatively easy to install provided the manufacturer has included the extra cables. (You could buy them too, but that's annoying.)
To be clear, all of this is over the top just for Sims 3. The game engine itself is the limiting factor to a large extent, although better hardware does help performance somewhat. Above the CPUs and GPUs I listed though, the improvements are so small that you probably wouldn't notice unless you took out a stopwatch or ran benchmarks. And there's no point in generating an extra 100 fps if your monitor can't display it, so no sense in spending more money to upgrade to a faster graphics card.
There are additional steps you can take to help Sims 3 run better on powerful hardware; one of the most significant is the Smooth Patch released last summer. LazyDuchess explains it well on their site if you're curious. Aside from that, the answer is mods and disabling a few features (especially in-game memories) that clog up saves, plus enforcing an fps limit to protect your graphics card. But all of this is moot until you have the computer in front of you and are ready to change some settings.
I'm happy to expand on any of the sections above; if you have questions, just ask. And feel free to link any products you're considering.
