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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...
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.

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.

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