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Bcky44's avatar
Bcky44
6 years ago
Solved

Sims 4 Laptop Help

Hi all,

I was hoping to take advantage of Black Friday to get a better computer. I want to be sure I could play Sims 4 with many expansion packs on it and have high quality. My current laptop works well, but if I have larger houses or households, it tends to lag.

This laptop is on sale for Black Friday for $899.

ASUS - 17.3" Gaming Laptop - Intel Core i7 - 16GB Memory - NADIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti - 512GB Solid State Drive - Black

I had also considered getting this laptop a few months ago, and I got help on this forum that it would be a good choice, if I added a second hard drive:

Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop PC, 15.6" FHD IPS w/ 144Hz Refresh, Intel i7-8750H, GTX 1060 6GB, 16GB DDR4, 256GB NVMe SSD, Aeroblade Metal Fans PH315-51-78NP. This one is not on sale, but it priced at $938.43

Would the Asus be a good choice? Or would the Acer with the extra hard drive be better?

Thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving!

gameplay issue
  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    6 years ago

    @Bcky44  Either laptop would run Sims 4, all packs included, on ultra graphics settings, now and in all likelihood for the entire development of the game.  The 1660 ti is a stronger card, and nice to have for other reasons, but its extra power would be lost on Sims 4.

    As for the hard drive, 256 GB is enough for just the game, all packs, and your user files (saves, builds, etc.), plus plenty of small apps like browsers.  512 GB is enough for most people, other than the group who like to play lots of different games.  Personally, I'd get the Asus and make the 512 GB work, but then I have external drives for extra data.  If you want to store a large music or photo collection, that kind of thing, than the Acer plus an extra hard drive would be the better option.

    I'd normally offer to look for other options for you, but a model with a 9750H, an Nvidia 1660 ti, 16 GB RAM, and a 512 GB SSD is a steal at $900.  I'd expect it to be around $150 more at best, or close to the same price but with a compromise like only 8 GB RAM.

    If you do want a 15" screen though, I can look for one.  I doubt I'd do much better in price than the Acer,  unless you're willing to go with 8 GB RAM and install extra yourself.  (It's not necessary for Sims 4, but it's certainly nice to have.)  It seems like you've done a good job finding the best deals already.

8 Replies

  • RandomBuzziness's avatar
    RandomBuzziness
    Seasoned Ace
    6 years ago
    @Bcky44 If I'm reading everything correctly, it's actually the ASUS that has the larger hard drive, 512 GB vs 256 GB. Plus it has the 17" monitor.

    If you'd like to check out an Acer in the 17" size with similar specs to the one you listed before, Newegg has this one on sale for $849:

    Acer - Gaming Laptop - 17.3" FHD IPS 60 Hz, Intel i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB GDDR5, 16 GB Memory, 256 GB SSD, Windows 10 Home, VR Ready, Aspire 7 (A717-72G-700J)

    The 17" monitors are really nice for gaming but more of a pain to carry around. I like the 17's better anyway :D
  • Bcky44's avatar
    Bcky44
    6 years ago
    @RandomBuzziness Thanks! Would I need to add an additional hard drive to that Acer one from Newegg? I know that all the expansion packs can take up a bunch of room and slow things down.

    I've never had a 17 inch, and I'm a bit intimidated by it! I don't need to carry the laptop around though, just to the couch!

    My main concern is running the game smoothly and on high quality.
  • RandomBuzziness's avatar
    RandomBuzziness
    Seasoned Ace
    6 years ago

    @Bcky44I don't have all of the packs but I do have 4 EP's, 3 Game Packs, and 3 Stuff Packs. My Sims 4 folder in Program Files takes up just under 25 GB. I do use lots of CC so that plus my save files take up another 4 GB. A 256 GB SSD should be plenty, unless there are a bunch of other things you plan to install on it. You can check the Properties of your C: drive to see how much storage space you are using on your current computer and decide if 256 GB is too small.

    I do keep a 1 TB USB external drive for backing up all of my personal files (including Sims saves, trays, etc) in case my HDD crashes. Those are always a good thing to have no matter how much storage you have on your laptop. You can get a 1 TB (1 TB = 1000 GB) USB external HDD for under $50.

    I'm pretty sure Sims 4 would look & play awesome on any of those gaming laptops listed above. I play on a regular laptop with a slower CPU (i5 gen 4), less RAM (12 GB), and just a regular integrated graphics card. I keep all the game settings on medium or higher (I never use laptop mode) & everything loads plenty fast, no lags, and with no crashes ever. I know it would look & play much better on a gaming laptop! I do most of my gaming on XBox One though.

    I currently have a 15" and like it fine but I used to play on a 17" and that was pretty sweet but the thing was a beast and felt big at times. I had to haul it around everywhere though. If there is some way you could go to a local store and see for yourself the size difference that might help you decide. If you shop on Newegg you can also check User Reviews to see how others rate each model. Avoid anything that has too many negative reviews.

    One final thought- high end gaming laptops can run hot so make sure to use some kind of hard surface, laptop tray, etc, and consider buying a laptop cooling pad.

    @puzzlezaddict  if you have any other recommendations that would be awesome! I've read your other posts and you give great advice on gaming laptops & all that other good stuff. :D

  • Bcky44's avatar
    Bcky44
    6 years ago
    @RandomBuzziness Thank you so much for your help! It's a good idea to do a comparison. And good to know that you have enough space on your system for the Sims.
  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    6 years ago

    @Bcky44  Either laptop would run Sims 4, all packs included, on ultra graphics settings, now and in all likelihood for the entire development of the game.  The 1660 ti is a stronger card, and nice to have for other reasons, but its extra power would be lost on Sims 4.

    As for the hard drive, 256 GB is enough for just the game, all packs, and your user files (saves, builds, etc.), plus plenty of small apps like browsers.  512 GB is enough for most people, other than the group who like to play lots of different games.  Personally, I'd get the Asus and make the 512 GB work, but then I have external drives for extra data.  If you want to store a large music or photo collection, that kind of thing, than the Acer plus an extra hard drive would be the better option.

    I'd normally offer to look for other options for you, but a model with a 9750H, an Nvidia 1660 ti, 16 GB RAM, and a 512 GB SSD is a steal at $900.  I'd expect it to be around $150 more at best, or close to the same price but with a compromise like only 8 GB RAM.

    If you do want a 15" screen though, I can look for one.  I doubt I'd do much better in price than the Acer,  unless you're willing to go with 8 GB RAM and install extra yourself.  (It's not necessary for Sims 4, but it's certainly nice to have.)  It seems like you've done a good job finding the best deals already.

  • Bcky44's avatar
    Bcky44
    6 years ago
    @puzzlezaddict Thank you, this is very helpful! I think I'll take your recommendation on the 512 GB and see how I like the 17 in. It does seem like it might be fun to have.
  • RandomBuzziness's avatar
    RandomBuzziness
    Seasoned Ace
    6 years ago
    @Bcky44 You can find laptop cooling pads in 17" size. They usually plug in to a USB port on your laptop for power (so you don't need to run another AC power cord) and they have extra USB ports so you aren't losing any ports for other devices. They're usually ultra thin, light, quiet, and have multiple height settings so you can adjust the angle of your keyboard for whatever is most comfortable for you. You can find a good one for as little as $20 - $30 and they'll help your laptop to run cooler and protect your investment.

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