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L-imperatrice-9's avatar
L-imperatrice-9
4 years ago
Solved

Looking for Laptop to run Sims 4 w/ mods smoothly 2021

Hello,  I am looking for a Laptop to play the sims 4 with all expansions and mods. I need suggestions, maybe hear about your experience with your laptop, some advice on what specs to look for (keep ...
gameplay issue
  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    4 years ago

    @L-imperatrice-93  Sims 4 is not going to grow to the point that a currently new i5 would struggle to run it.  Sims 5, if and when it shows up, probably wouldn't either, unless perhaps it releases packs for seven years as Sims 4 has, but by then you'd need a new laptop anyway.  If you want to play other games that are more CPU-heavy, for example Cities: Skylines or Planet Zoo or something that's released a few years from now, then an i7 or Ryzen 7 would be a better choice.

    The most important component in determining how well a computer will run Sims 4 is the graphics card, but again only up to a point.  Once you get past a 1660 ti (the laptop 2060 is only a bit faster), you're not going to get much benefit unless you absolutely have to run the game at 120 or 144 fps.  If the graphics card is at or above that level, then the next most important thing would in theory be the processor, but like I said, an i5 would similarly be more than sufficient.  After that, having 8 GB RAM is crucial, but 16 GB only makes a difference with multitasking; the SSD will only help with load times.

    The game lags sometimes, that's just what it does.  It shouldn't lag all the time, more like a few brief moments before it recovers.  On the kind of hardware we're talking about and that you can afford, you absolutely should not have persistent lag or slowdowns.  Even a 900€ gaming laptop would meet that threshold.

    Whether you need a cooling pad or fan will depend on the laptop you buy: some run hotter than others, even with the same internal components.  Once you have the laptop, you can run a couple of simple tools to monitor CPU and GPU temperatures and decide for yourself.

    The Omen is a good choice, rated about as highly as the Lenovo overall but with different strengths.  The Lenovo runs a little cooler and a lot quieter, but the temperatures at least might be due in part to the Omen's stronger processor.  If you want a useful comparison between them, you can scroll down to the rankings by category in these articles:

    https://www.notebookcheck.net/HP-Omen-15-laptop-Review-Strong-AMD-processor-makes-Intel-tremble.512679.0.html

    https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-Legion-5-15IMH05H-Review-Excellent-power-delivery-and-good-battery-life.480845.0.html

    The reviews were originally written in German, by the way.

puzzlezaddict's avatar
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
4 years ago

@L-imperatrice-93  First, here are some general answers to your questions:

  • I haven't seen any problems with running Sims 4 on RTX cards.
  • For current-generation laptop processors, Intel vs. AMD doesn't make any difference, at least as far as Sims 4 is concerned.  You might care if you're going to be running other demanding programs aside from games.
  • Above 8 GB, loading screens aren't faster with more RAM.  (16 GB is nice to have for multitasking though.)  The determining factor is the speed of the hard drive; I'd say be sure to get a solid state drive, but any new laptop will have one.  A large amount of custom content will slow loading times significantly and proportionally to the speed of the hard drive.
  • Vertical sync is a feature where the graphics card does two things: it renders the entire frame before sending it to the monitor, and it synchronizes the rate at which it outputs frames to the refresh rate of the monitor.  G-sync is when the monitor waits to receive the entire frame before starting to display it.  The latter is an Nvidia feature (AMD has Freesync); the former can be enabled through any graphics driver.
  • Laptop mode is a low-quality setting that helps very low-end laptops perform better.  You won't need it.
  • I don't think you need an i7 unless you're planning on running more demanding programs than Sims 4.  An i5 or a Ryzen 5 would be fine.  A 1650 would also be fine for ultra graphics settings, but a 1660 ti is better because it gives you more of a margin to work with.  Anything above that is probably wasted on Sims 4.
  • Most gaming laptops are 2-2.5 kg, and the few lighter models tend to be significantly more expensive.  It costs more to fit adequate cooling into a smaller, lighter chassis, and most people would rather spend the extra 200-300€ on stronger components.
  • You didn't ask exactly, but please don't ever play with your laptop on top of blankets.  That will prevent it from cooling properly, and the system will throttle performance to prevent the excess heat from damaging the components.

If you want a few examples, here are some I found in a few minutes of searching on one site, just to get you started:

https://www.mediamarkt.de/de/product/_hp-pavilion-16-a0300ng-2652509.html

https://www.mediamarkt.de/de/product/_acer-nitro-5-an517-51-59jn-rote-tastaturbeleuchtung-2690506.html

https://www.mediamarkt.de/de/product/_hp-pavilion-15-dk1301ng-2668557.html

https://www.mediamarkt.de/de/product/_lenovo-lenovo-legion-5i-2659435.html

Keep in mind that you can upgrade the RAM yourself if you want to: it's the easiest and cheapest upgrade to perform and usually doesn't even void the warranty.

If you really do want a lightweight laptop, look for an Asus Zephyrus G14.  They're real gaming laptops but are about the size of a MacBook Pro.

If you have more questions, please feel free to ask.

  • L-imperatrice-9's avatar
    L-imperatrice-9
    4 years ago

    Thank you for your detailed answer.

    - I am skeptical to get an i5 and than it will become obsolete in a few years, is that a realistic concern? 
    - what components of a computer really make a difference in the performance of games like the sims? Would you say the ssd and ram should be prioritized  ? Does that mean the more I have of those the less lags and problems I will encounter?

    - should i get a cooling pad? 

    and finally really like the lenovo option you showed, however I also saw this computer for less that seems to have better specs, what do you think?

    https://www.saturn.de/de/product/_hp-omen-15-en0375ng-2664328.html

    they also have an i7 gtx 1660 ti 16gb 512 ssd version for a little more... 

    • puzzlezaddict's avatar
      puzzlezaddict
      Hero+
      4 years ago

      @L-imperatrice-93  Sims 4 is not going to grow to the point that a currently new i5 would struggle to run it.  Sims 5, if and when it shows up, probably wouldn't either, unless perhaps it releases packs for seven years as Sims 4 has, but by then you'd need a new laptop anyway.  If you want to play other games that are more CPU-heavy, for example Cities: Skylines or Planet Zoo or something that's released a few years from now, then an i7 or Ryzen 7 would be a better choice.

      The most important component in determining how well a computer will run Sims 4 is the graphics card, but again only up to a point.  Once you get past a 1660 ti (the laptop 2060 is only a bit faster), you're not going to get much benefit unless you absolutely have to run the game at 120 or 144 fps.  If the graphics card is at or above that level, then the next most important thing would in theory be the processor, but like I said, an i5 would similarly be more than sufficient.  After that, having 8 GB RAM is crucial, but 16 GB only makes a difference with multitasking; the SSD will only help with load times.

      The game lags sometimes, that's just what it does.  It shouldn't lag all the time, more like a few brief moments before it recovers.  On the kind of hardware we're talking about and that you can afford, you absolutely should not have persistent lag or slowdowns.  Even a 900€ gaming laptop would meet that threshold.

      Whether you need a cooling pad or fan will depend on the laptop you buy: some run hotter than others, even with the same internal components.  Once you have the laptop, you can run a couple of simple tools to monitor CPU and GPU temperatures and decide for yourself.

      The Omen is a good choice, rated about as highly as the Lenovo overall but with different strengths.  The Lenovo runs a little cooler and a lot quieter, but the temperatures at least might be due in part to the Omen's stronger processor.  If you want a useful comparison between them, you can scroll down to the rankings by category in these articles:

      https://www.notebookcheck.net/HP-Omen-15-laptop-Review-Strong-AMD-processor-makes-Intel-tremble.512679.0.html

      https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-Legion-5-15IMH05H-Review-Excellent-power-delivery-and-good-battery-life.480845.0.html

      The reviews were originally written in German, by the way.

      • L-imperatrice-9's avatar
        L-imperatrice-9
        4 years ago

        Thank you, you have been so helpful! I think I know which one I’ll get! 

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