Checking out a gaming laptop for Sims 4, need help with specs please

@DreamzInPink  This is an excellent laptop for $300.  I would guess it's used given the price and the hardware, which is a few years old, but not so old that it would be a problem.  It should be able to run all Sims 4 packs together on ultra graphics settings, at least without any extras like Reshade or high poly custom content.  So if you like the price, it's a very good choice.

If this laptop is used and you want to run some tests before its warranty or other store-provided guarantee runs out, I can recommend a few free ones.  As long as the laptop is in good working condition now, the chances are it'll stay that way for a couple years at least, and perhaps significantly longer.  There's never any guarantee, but the failure rate for laptops at this approximate age is pretty low.

@puzzlezaddict   Thank you so very much for your reply. And for the information!!  I'm excited to learn this would be a good starter computer for her.  It is used... you guessed correctly. 

The only question I have is the 8GB of RAM.  That seemed to be the deal breaker for other people I asked.  If you are sure though, that these specs are good enough to run the Sims 4, I will talk to the store rep and tell them I want it.  

I would be interested in the tests you mentioned, once I get it, of course.  =)  Is this site the best way to contact you?

@DreamzInPink  Having only 8 GB RAM isn't ideal for multitasking, but it should be fine for Sims 4 itself.  This is less of a problem on a gaming laptop because the dedicated graphics card has its own video memory.  On a laptop with only an integrated graphics chip, this chip borrows from main memory to do its graphics processing, so in-game, that 8 GB RAM installed might look more like 6-6.5 GB available, with some of that taken by the OS.  The GTX 1650 in this laptop has 4 GB VRAM, which Sims 4 won't max out no matter what settings you use.

A new Sims 4 save will use somewhere in the range of 2 GB, with the heaviest saves using more like 6.  But those saves are well-progressed and also involve all or most expansion packs; the base game plus Laundry Day shouldn't get anywhere near that.  Windows itself uses 2-3 GB, depending on the version, and while background apps and bloatware can eat more RAM, those can also be disabled or removed.

Additionally, the RAM can be upgraded on this machine, as with most gaming laptops.  So you're not locked into 8 GB if your niece decides she needs more for another game or for heavier multitasking while playing Sims 4.

This site is definitely the best way to contact me.  I check at least once per day and try to respond to every thread that has no answer or where I've already engaged.

@puzzlezaddict 

Thank you so much for the explanation!! It actually made sense to me. Lol And that's saying something! 🤣 

I'm so excited to be able to do this for my great niece!  She is going to freak out. 

I'm going to get the computer probably in a couple of days and then we can run those tests that you mentioned. I'll come back and tag you here when I'm ready. 😁 Thank you again!! 🩷

Edit:

going back over your last comment, does this computer have the graphics chip that you mentioned?? Or a graphics card?  I'm only asking because I sent the link to this thread to a friend so she could see what all you said, and this is how she interpreted it:

"Basically they're saying that when it's a gaming laptop, the graphics card has its own memory so it wouldn't take from the 8gb RAM. RAM = memory aka multitasking. But the laptop you're looking at doesn't have a graphics card, only a graphics chip. So it shares the RAM with the laptop. When they talk about new saves using 2gb, they mean 2 of the 8gbs. So it looks like running Sims would only use 2 of the 8gbs while the actual operating system of the laptop would use 2-3gbs. For a total of like 5gbs. Sounds like as long as she doesn't have other apps open while playing Sims, the game should run very smoothly"

I'll be waiting for your reply! Thank you!

@DreamzInPink  According to the screenshot you posted, this laptop has both an integrated graphics chip, as in, integrated into the processor; and a dedicated graphics card, the Nvidia GTX 1650.  There's sometimes a bit of confusion around this distinction because with a standard laptop, the dedicated GPU is in fact simply a standalone chip soldered to the motherboard.  (In a gaming desktop, it would be a chip soldered to its own PCB with separate cooling and power delivery, a component you could buy on its own.)  But the practical effects are the same.

The important part of this is that the GTX 1650 is a separate component, not integrated with the processor and in possession of its own video memory.  If you were to open the laptop, you'd actually see the little VRAM chiplets close to the GPU, and the GPU will use this 4 GB VRAM before borrowing from the 8 GB main memory (RAM).  Since Sims 4 won't demand anywhere near 4 GB VRAM, the GPU will only use its own video memory, not the RAM.

@DreamzInPink  I'd suggest downloading the free 3DMark demo from Steam and running Time Spy a few times.  First, run it alone and make sure the laptop doesn't crash; feel free to post your score (you don't need an account to view it) if you'd like to know whether the hardware is performing as expected.

Next, restart the laptop, download hwinfo (free, and the portable version is fine), open it, click Sensors Only, and leave it running.  Run Time Spy again, three or four runs back to back, then check the CPU and GPU temperatures.  Hwinfo reports a LOT of data, most of which you can ignore if you're not seeing any problems.  For this purpose, the key is that the laptop isn't overheating, with CPU temps hopefully no higher than the low 90s and GPU core temp no higher than the mid-70s.  The hotspot temperature will be higher, which is fine.

Let me know what you find, and if you see any issues on-screen.  In that case, I'd also like an hwinfo log, which you can create by clicking the button that's a sheet of paper with a + icon on it.  That would let me look for a variety of potential problems all at once.  But if the laptop performs well in this test, you don't need to worry about logging data.

The laptop itself should be wifi-ready, and you can click the wifi icon in the lower-right corner of the screen to choose your network and sign in.  But if you'd prefer to wait until you deliver the laptop, that's fine too.