Re: Best pc for the sims 4 with the highest settings A LOT OF MODS & expansion packs

@kasimmerDid you find any problems with Cyberpower (assuming that your pc has come and you’ve tested it out)?

edit: I’m asking because I’m planning on buying a gaming pc from there too but have looked through loads of bad reviews and it’s slightly put me off :/

@lkeen515  How well a particular computer would work depends on the hardware in the computer, and HP Pavilions come in a number of different configurations.  It would help if you linked the exact model you're considering, so I can take a look.

Having said that, I'm not sure there are good options for Sims 4 in your price range.  That depends somewhat on your currency (300-400 what), but even 400 U.S. dollars won't go very far.  Still, let me know what country you're in, and I'll see what's available.

Hi Puzzle Addict, I came across this article while researching what specs would be needed to have the Sims 4 running with the highest graphics settings, and lots of mods, seamlessly. I'm talking giving all the townies custom makeup, clothes, and skin details, especially the mermaids and vampires. (They're gonna be beautifullll <3 ) So I don't really have a price range, this is just a general view of the future for me, to save up for.

Catch is that I want to try building this thing myself. I've been researching how to build PCs for a few hours tonight and it seems like fun, but always the first steps in these articles is to identify what kind of system you want, and gather all your hardware. While I'd be very happy with a bleeding-edge PC, and am willing to save for a while to do so, I was wondering if you instead could suggest your specs on the system you use, or would want to use, in my situation.

Thank you so much for your help! Please @ me if you reply <3 @puzzlezaddict 

@Gey-KayChan  This is a bit of a complicated issue because Sims 4 itself will have slowdowns on any hardware.  I know someone with a 1080 ti who has fps drops into the 30s at times, not because the graphics card is running anywhere near its limit but because the game engine has too much to do.  A faster graphics card can buffer those fps drops though, giving you enough room that the game is still playable even during the slowdowns.

If I were building a computer just for Sims 4, or at least if Sims 4 were the most taxing program I ever intended to install, this is more or less what I'd pick:

• an Intel i5-10400
• a B460 motherboard made by Asus or MSI
• a quality air cooler (I'd need to do some research)
• 16 GB RAM; the board wouldn't run it faster than 2666 MHz
• a 500 GB NVMe SSD, brand depends on budget
• a high quality power supply from Corsair or possibly Seasonic
• a large enough case that I could manage the build process

The graphics card is the trickiest decision because supply is so thin right now.  For example, an Nvidia 2060 Super should be around $300, especially when the 3060 (base price $330) is released and with the 3060 ti being $400 and up.  But the 2060 is totally sold out until you get to scalper prices, and the normally $220-ish 1660 ti is $400 and up.  So I'd probably wait until the market sorted itself out, or else if I wanted to build now, I'd grab a used card for around $100 on Ebay and wait a year.

If I planned on playing more demanding games at some point, the choices would change considerably.  I'd want a more powerful processor, probably liquid cooling (and a case with space for five or six fans), and a Z490 motherboard if I picked an Intel CPU, since only those boards support overclocking.  I might also want more storage, maybe two drives so I didn't spend a fortune on a large NVMe SSD.

Let me know if you have more questions about any of these components.  It really does help to have an overall budget, even ballpark, because that tells me what category of components you want.  For example, Samsung is the gold standard in SSDs, but its drives are 20-40% more expensive, depending on sales, than other quality drives that are maybe not quite as fast or don't last quite as long.  But the difference in speed wouldn't affect your games, and the lifespan wouldn't come into play for most people.  And timing matters too, whether you'd prefer to get this done when you can get the right parts or whether this is a longer-term goal.

Hi, 

I wanted to ask you @puzzlezaddict what PC you would recommend -

My budget is 1,500 USD max. I only play Sims 4 at the moment. I currently play on a laptop and my mods folder is at 34.8 GB.

I would like a desktop. Preferably one I don't have to upgrade straight away with a good graphics card since I have heard of the shortages on graphic cards. I plan to really only play sims 4, I use blender, Sims 4 Studio, and photoshop. I am hoping to have a computer that runs my game as smoothly as possible. 🙂

Thank you for your time!

@simmerdown18  Would you prefer a prebuilt PC, or something customized and able to support future upgrades?  The prebuilt options are cheaper, but the advantage of a custom build is you get to choose the components, meaning you get higher quality overall and more power where you need it.

Please also let me know whether you have a monitor in mind, not only whether the budget needs to cover the monitor but also if you'd like to play at a higher resolution or refresh rate.  More pixels rendered or more frames per second means you'd want a faster graphics card.  It's not really a problem with your budget, but it should be taken into account.

Hi @puzzlezaddict  I would like something that can support future upgrades. 

I do not have a monitor in mind but I would like something that I can play with my graphics on ultra. I would like the monitor to be included in the budget if possible but I am open to other options if it doesn't fall within that price range. 

Thank you.

@simmerdown18  I'm sorry for the late reply.  I've been searching every custom build site I can find, and none of them quite had what it sounds like you're looking for.  The issue is, the mid-range graphics cards are so scarce right now that all the custom build sites, and even many stores that sell pre-built models, have significantly raised the prices.  As an example, an Nvidia 2060 is usually around $80 more than a 1660 ti or Super, but models with a 2060 are more like $200 more right now, and upgrading from a 1660 Super to a 2060 also costs around $200.  Faster cards are proportionally more expensive than they should be as well, since everything is sold out and people are desperate.

You still have options, of course, especially with potentially $1,500 minus the monitor cost to spend.  The question though is how much the available upgrades are worth to you.  There are essentially two paths you could go.  One is to get high-quality components in a custom-built PC and pay about $300 more than you would for a prebuilt system with the same hardware.  The advantage of course is that you'd pick exactly the components you wanted.

The other path is to get a custom build from a company (Dell in this case has the best prices) that uses lower-end components.  The motherboard, power supply, etc. would be perfectly fine for your current needs but might not support the upgrades you might want in a few years.  Consider these two configurations, both with a 2060 Super; the differences are the stronger processor and extra RAM in the second:

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/desktop-computers/dell-g5-gaming-desktop/spd/g-series-5000-desktop/gd5090g520s?configurationid=a2c36dc9-bb78-41f9-bc40-108a1ef6cd03

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/desktop-computers/dell-g5-gaming-desktop/spd/g-series-5000-desktop/gd5090g530s?configurationid=334d4580-f7ea-4e38-8404-33ab1e078e04

(If you liked the first but wanted 16 GB RAM, you'd be better off buying it separately: you could get another 8 GB for around $35 rather than paying Dell $100 extra.)  A custom build with a 2060 Super from a company that supplies high quality components would be around $1,450.  Prebuilt options with a 2060 regular (not Super) are still $1,100 and up.

A 1660 Super would still be more than fine for Sims 4, and significantly cheaper, although still in the $1,200 range.  Prebuilt PCs on the other hand are under $1,000.  And Sims 4 doesn't need and wouldn't use more graphics power than that, even with a giant pile custom content, on a standard 60 Hz 1080p monitor.  I know it's not the firepower you're imagining, but it would be perfectly fine for now and in all likelihood for the entire run of Sims 4.  By the time you wanted a new card, the market should be normalized again.

As an example of reasonably high quality components, these two builds both include a 1660 Super and are under $900.:

https://www.amazon.com/CyberpowerPC-Xtreme-i5-10400F-GeForce-GXiVR8060A10/dp/B08FBK2DK5

https://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Gaming-Instant-Ship-GM-9910

The main difference is the processor, although the option from Amazon doesn't go into as much detail about the components.  The one directly from CyberpowerPC has a good motherboard and power supply, not the ones I'd choose if I were customizing a build but certainly good enough to support upgrading the processor or graphics card in the future.  As for the Amazon one, Cyberpower doesn't use low-quality components at all; you'd be getting surplus parts from its custom-build stock.

If none of these are what you're looking for, let me know why, and I'll go back and try to find something closer to what you want.  (It won't take me nearly this long this time around.)  However, the options are limited right now, so you'll probably need to compromise somewhere along the line.

As for monitors, it's easy to find good options, and there was plenty of stock when I looked a week ago.  Just let me know what size screen you want and whether you'd prefer a higher resolution.

@puzzlezaddict Thank you so much for taking the time to create this list for me! You have no idea how helpful it is for me. 

I am most likely going to go with this computer, the one from amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/CyberpowerPC-Xtreme-i5-10400F-GeForce-GXiVR8060A10/dp/B08FBK2DK5

For the monitor, I would like something with a high resolution. Size , I would like something that is at least 24 inches. 

I have to ask, overall for performance and investment, is the desktop a better option then a laptop? 

Again, thank you for your time! It is greatly appreciated! 

@simmerdown18  A desktop is definitely a better investment than a laptop.  Performance will be better for a given price, although the gap isn't as wide as it used to be.  More importantly though, laptops usually can't be upgraded aside from RAM and hard drives.  So you can't install a faster graphics card, and if something breaks, the entire laptop might be useless.

With a traditional desktop, not an all-in-one but the kind of tower you're considering, every component is replaceable and upgradable if and when you want.  In practical terms, that means when you decide in a few years that your graphics card isn't keeping up with Sims 5 or Planet Zoo or whatever, you can spend $400 on a newer faster card instead of $900 on an entirely new laptop.

For monitors, there aren't many options with higher than a 1920x1080 resolution at a 24" size.  The more common size for a 2560x1440 monitor is 27", and smaller monitors tend to be 1080p.  If you don't want to go to 27", this one is 25" and very nice:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1200302-REG/asus_mx25aq_25_widescreen_led.html

These others are all 27" and would work well:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1456960-REG/acer_um_hv7aa_003_v277u_bmiipx_27_16_9.html

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1429422-REG/asus_designo_mz27aql_27_wqhd.html

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-KA272U-biipx-Zero-Frame-Technology/dp/B08JQSBNYH

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-S2721D-Ultra-Thin-DisplayPort-Certified/dp/B08G8SH4QJ

https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-L27q-30-27-inch-Monitor-Backlit/dp/B089FMXYHT

All of these have IPS panels, the highest qualtiy.  They all have the same resolution and otherwise close to the same specs, although a couple run at 75 Hz rather than 60.  So the right answer is more about your personal preference than anything else.  For example, I would never buy a Dell monitor because I don't like how they look, but other people find the colors quite pleasant.  If you're in a position to go to a store and look at monitors, that can help too: all IPS monitors by a given company will look very similar, aside from higher or lower resolutions.

@puzzlezaddict --I have always gotten a HP. The only one I really want . I'm looking at a new PC tower . I have all the packs except for 2. I love cc. I have 157gb of cc! I guess what I want more than anything is ability to play on very high and ultra. I want something that will not cause lag. I require storage more than anything. This is the link to 2 I'm looking at.

https://store.hp.com/us/en/pdp/hp-pavilion-gaming-desktop-tg01-1070m-3g825av-1?jumpid=ma_hp-gaming_product-tile_desktops_8_3g825av-1_hp-pavilion-gaming-d

https://store.hp.com/us/en/pdp/hp-pavilion-gaming-desktop-tg01-1076z-bundle-pc?jumpid=ma_hp-gaming_product-tile_desktops_9_20w63aa_hp-pavilion-gaming-d

Too much? I usually am on the usual social media, but I only play The Sims 4 and I have S4S (and just use Paintnet mostly added to my downloads). Can you help me find a good HP that can give me good graphics, speed and MAINLY large storage space? I'm running out even though I have a 1TB external storage for backup cc and files.

I was reading your responses and I'm not tech savvy, but I learn quite a bit from reading your responses. I appreciate any help you can give me.

Katzc7

@Katzc7  The first one is better overall than the second in that its graphics card is significantly faster, maybe 40% on average in gaming.  However, the 1650 Super in the second is still more than fast enough to run all Sims 4 content on ultra settings, including a lot of custom content.  So if you wanted the second system for its RAM and storage, it would still be perfectly fine.

The solid state drive in the first can be upgraded to 512 GB for an extra $40, which would be a good idea even if you weren't low on storage on your current computer.  A 512 GB drive should have no problem holding all Sims 4 packs and 157 GB cc (wow, that's a lot), plus all your saves, screenshots, and whatever other game content you have.  But how much storage are you using now?  It would be helpful to know more or less what you need right now, and then you could extrapolate a bit from there.

The storage in the first desktop can be upgraded further, although the price is a bit high for the 1 TB SSD upgrade.  It should in theory support a second internal drive—I've never heard of a motherboard that didn't have at least a couple of ports for SATA drives—but I don't see any documentation to that effect.  The RAM can definitely be upgraded, but $120 to go from 8 GB to 16 is ridiculous.  You could get something like this for $70:

https://www.newegg.com/g-skill-16gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820231977

(Don't get that specific one until you check the documentation for compatible memory; I'm just saying it's $70 and not $120, and you could turn around and sell the RAM modules that came pre-installed.)

By the way, this one is customizable too: the upgrade to a 1660 (not ti) pushes the price to $760, and you get an Intel processor rather than an AMD one.  At this point, the difference between the two manufacturers is mostly a matter of preference, but it's worth mentioning.  The regular 1660 is slower than the 1660 ti but still a lot faster than the 1650 Super.  The upgrade to a 512 GB SSD is $40, and 16 GB RAM is a bit cheaper at $100.  It also clearly accommodates a secondary mechanical drive.  I would definitely upgrade the chassis to the one with a 400W power supply though.

https://store.hp.com/us/en/pdp/hp-pavilion-gaming-desktop-tg01-1160xt-8mp64av-1?jumpid=ma__product-tile_dlp_nan_8mp64av-1_hp-pavilion-gaming-d

The bottom line is, any of these would do quite well; the question is what your priorities are and how much time or money you're willing to spend on upgrades.

@Katzc7  I'm not sure you need a new computer at all, to be honest.  What matters most in determining the settings you can use is the graphics card, which you didn't mention.  But based on the processor, this system can only be a couple years old at most, and Omens tend to have at least decent cards in them.  If the only issue is storage, you should be able to add a second hard drive for $40-60, depending on what kind and size you want; you could also add more memory for somewhere between $40 and $80, depending on what you already have installed and what your motherboard supports.

If you run a dxdiag, I can take a look at everything and give you a better idea of your options.

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/pc/how-to-gather-dxdiag-information/

@puzzlezaddict 

Thank you for getting back to me. I did as you said and here is my dxdiag info: I hate that I don't know all there is to know about my computer, BUT I know more NOW than I did 4 years ago! Once again, thank you for ANY help or tips you can give. You have no idea how much I appreciate your time.

K7

@Katzc7  This system you have should be able to run Sims 4 on ultra graphics settings, even with all packs and lots of custom content.  What issues, if any, are you having right now?  I don't just mean "lag" or "crashing," but when it happens, what it looks like to you at the time, etc.

I can see your hard drive is starting to get full, but you could easily add another 50 GB without affecting system performance.  The SSD is also fast enough that the limiting factor in loading and running Sims 4 will be the game itself, so getting a faster hard drive would likely make no difference.  150 GB of custom content is going to load slowly on any system, regardless of specs.

That's not to say that your computer has no room for improvement.  I just think that going straight to a new computer might not be necessary, and it might not help.

Hey there, the prices have changed since 2019 but I'm curious if your list is still the same or if you'd change anything. I'm in the same boat as the person who made this thread was and I really have no idea what to do. 

@l1vefreed1ehard  Prices have changed a lot, and so has inventory, but the basic info about the hardware is pretty much the same.  If you have more questions, or want some suggestions for what to buy, please start a new thread, since, as you noted, this one is pretty old.