Best PC For Sims
@puzzlezaddict Hi, I’m looking for a recommended PC I need for sims 4 and possibly using the pc for additional things like editing videos. This would be my first time buying a PC and I'm looking in the budget of $1,200. My main goal for the pc is to really play SIMS but in case I decide to edit videos or want to play more games, what would you recommend?
@RenoM25 When you say you might want to play more games, are you thinking of newer, demanding games like Baldur's Gate 3 or Hogwarts Legacy? If so, I'd suggest getting all the graphics power you reasonably can, which in this case means an Nvidia RTX 4060 ti. This can run pretty much anything on ultra graphics settings, or high-ultra if you want to use some of the fancier graphics options (Raytracing for example).
For video editing, what kind of power you need depends on what software you use as well as how much patience you have. Even an entry-level gaming system can handle hobbyist-level video editing; the difference is how long it takes to complete the tasks. So this isn't about whether you're able to or not so much as how efficient the process is.
If you want all the power that $1,200 will buy, this is the best system I'm seeing (same model, two stores), with a 4060 ti, 32 GB RAM, and the fastest processor in this price range:
https://www.amazon.com/iBUYPOWER-TraceMesh-Computer-Desktop-TMI7N46T01/dp/B0CRSZGN9L
To be clear, you don't need all this power; I'm just saying it's available. If you're fine with a lower-tier but still more-than-capable processor, you could save a lot of money with these, either of which will run Sims 4 any GPU-heavy game (that's most of them) just as well as the one above:
https://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-i5-13400F-ToughRam-GeForce®-S2QT-B66R-46T-LCS/dp/B0CR56R8KG/
The caveat is that if you think you'll get into Cities Skylines 2 or something else that's more CPU-heavy, you might want the extra processing power. These have a CPU upgrade relative to the two above (still slower than the first though) but are otherwise equal:
https://www.amazon.com/iBUYPOWER-Desktop-Computer-GeForce-SCA5N46T01/dp/B0DFLN7114
If you're not going to play GPU-demanding games, an RTX 4060 would still be overkill for Sims 4, but you'd only save about $100 at the low end. You could pair the 4060 with a reasonably-good processor, one that's about halfway between the first and second options above, and stay around $1,000:
https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16883151552
Technically, you could go lower than an RTX 4060 and still run Sims 4 on ultra graphics settings with plenty of room to spare. But there really aren't many options on the Nvidia side until you go all the way down to an RTX 3050, which is a significant downgrade and not much cheaper, at least in pre-built systems. There are some AMD GPUs in between that can be good options, but without knowing what other games you might play or video editing software you might want to use, Nvidia is the safer bet. And you have the budget to easily accommodate the 4060 anyway.
Keep in mind that the CPU can be upgraded later, without changing any other components as long as you pick a new processor that's compatible with the motherboard. So you're not locking yourself into one path here, although a CPU upgrade later would likely erase the savings from now. Still, if you're not sure you'll need the extra power, it's a reasonable option.
If you have more questions, about any of these options or in general, please feel free to ask.
