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Hero+

Re: Sims 3 on laptop

@GlazedOolong That laptop would not run Sims 3 very well, and maybe not at all. The processor, integrated graphics chip, and memory are all below recommendations for running all or even most expansion packs. Performance would depend to a large extent on which packs you installed: Pets and Seasons would be out of the question, and likely Island Paradise and Into the Future as well; even the medium packs might not run well. The base game might be fine on low settings, plus possibly an early EP or two. (Stuff packs would be fine.)

The other issue is that you'd need to install the game on an external hard drive. This laptop has only 64 GB storage, which isn't enough for anything more than a collection of small apps like browsers. Windows uses up some storage, and it also needs enough free space to maneuver, typically 15 GB at the very least (and 20 when you're running a feature update.) Even then, you'd need to watch carefully to make sure the Sims 3 game folder in Documents didn't get too large, especially if you like to keep multiple saves or your sims did some traveling.

2 Replies

GlazedOolong
6 years ago
Lol, so much for “endless possibilities.” What about this laptop? My budget is 170+230 but I’m willing to spend a little extra for a good laptop that can run sims 3
this one
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Lenovo-64GB-Office-Mineral-Storage-Processor-Memory-N4000-Dual-Core-Celeron-Windows-10-Intel-4GB-1-130s-Laptop-365-Ideapad-Year-14-0-Subscription-Grey/211674621

http://www.walmart.com/ip/HP-Stream-14-ax030wm-14-Smoke-Gray-Windows-10-Home-Office-365-Personal-1-year-included-Intel-Celeron-Processor-N3060-4GB-Memory-32GB-Storage/441405265
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
6 years ago
@GlazedOolong I'm sorry I missed your reply earlier; I'm not sure how that happened. To answer your question, no, those other laptops won't work very well either. They and the first one you posted about are all in the same category: 4 GB RAM, very weak processor, even weaker integrated graphics card. While they might run the base game, even that isn't guaranteed. And most expansion packs would probably be out of the question.

Unfortunately, it's impossible to find a new computer in your price range that will handle Sims 3 well. I've seen the price of an entry-level gaming laptop drop to $500 during a sale, but that's rare and somewhat random. And the difference between the performance of that kind of laptop and the next category down ($400, give or take) is enormous. Even those laptops are better than the ones you're looking at though, with 8 GB RAM, a reasonably decent processor, and one or another of the higher-end integrated cards. Still, many players with this configuration have trouble running the most demanding EPs, although the base game and some earlier packs are usually fine.

For $230, you might be able to find something used on Ebay, if you're willing to go that route. (I could look as well.) Of course there's a risk involved, and I don't want to tell you that you'd get what you were expecting. Still, sellers with good ratings and/or those that accept returns could be a decent bet. Let me know if you're interested.