affordable PC/Laptop recs?
sarakemi I wouldn't recommend a user-sold refurbished laptop to someone who had other options and who wasn't tech savvy enough to diagnose and potentially fix any issues, at least not in the U.S. It's different in other countries that have stronger consumer protections, but here at least, there's a small but significant risk of getting a unit that never works correctly. A laptop refurbished by a reputable company is a much better bet, and they'll replace it if they make a mistake, but the prices are also not that much lower than the brand-new equivalents.
It's a bit different with building a desktop because you can buy individual components that are still under warranty, and some of them are either reliable enough to last past the reasonable lifespan of your computer or show their problems right away, before you pay for htem. Plus, you can buy new components when you really need to be sure they'll work (or you have full warranty coverage). If you do want to go that route, I can help, but it sounds like you'd rather not.
Anyway, what do you think of this laptop?
It's currently on sale and cheaper than any similar option by a significant margin. Its graphics card (the AMD Radeon RX 6550M) is roughly equivalent to an Nvidia RTX 3050, so it can run Sims 4 on ultra graphics settings with all current packs installed. There wouldn't be a lot of room for piling on more demanding content, whether that's high poly cc or Reshade or some HQ graphics mod, but it doesn't sound like that's on your radar at the moment.
In case you've seen me write about a significant issue with HP gaming laptops and Sims 4, the issue has only ever been present on models with Intel processors, not AMD like this one.
The downside is that it comes with 8 GB RAM rather than 16. But that isn't as critical an issue because the graphics card has its own video memory rather than borrowing from RAM. Plus, the laptop is very upgradable, and memory is very cheap, so you could add another 8 GB for $30-40 when you wanted.
This one is equivalent in terms of specs, and more expensive, but it's an alternative if you don't like the HP. Its memory as upgradable as the HP.
https://store.acer.com/en-us/nitro-v-15-gaming-laptop-anv15-51-532j
This one's graphics card is significantly faster, and has 16 GB RAM; and while its sticker price is $900, I see a 20% off discount code (LEVELUP20) on the site. This model does have the issue with HP gaming laptops though, at least in general; I don't know that all users are affected. The problem can be worked around, if you think this is your best option otherwise.
https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/pdp/victus-gaming-laptop-15-fa2047nr
This one has 12 GB RAM rather than 16, which is still enough for Sims 4 (and it can be upgraded just as easily as the others), plus the same graphics card as the one immediately above:
Feel free to keep asking questions, about these or in general.
