Forum Discussion

Seasoned Newcomer

6 years ago

Solved

Computer Choices for High-Ultra Settings

Hi. I’m looking for a computer to buy for Christmas, but all I really care about it being able to play Sims 4 on high-ultra settings with CC and packs. I live in the US and my budget is around $500-750, which I know is low, but I can go a little higher because I know how expensive they can be. I’ve been looking at computers on Best Buy and Amazon, but I don’t trust myself to pick one out because I’m not very good with specs. Can anyone list a few computers that would run fine? Thank you so much.

puzzlezaddict
6 years ago
@gabbywhite43 I looked around this morning and found a few options that would work, as in, they'd all run Sims 4, all packs included on ultra graphics settings, now and in all likelihood for the entire run of the game. The questions will be how much you want to spend, and how much it's worth to you to get somewhat better components.

This is the lowest I'd go, at $540. Its processor and graphics card are good enough for Sims 4, and it has a 480 GB solid state drive. That's plenty of storage for the game, all your associated content, plenty of small apps, and even another game or two if you want. It does only have 8 GB memory, which is more than enough for Sims 4 but might make multitasking a bit slower. Still, it's very simple, and cheap (maybe $40-50) to add a matching RAM stick, or you could pay a bit more to have someone do it for you.

https://www.amazon.com/CYBERPOWERPC-Master-Gaming-3-2GHz-GMA8980CPG/dp/B07W62CJCQ

Best Buy is also offering it for $571, if you prefer to buy in store. Since it's exactly the same model (GMA8980CPG), you should be able to get the store to match Amazon's price. (They'd probably also be happy to sell you more memory and install it on-site, if you want.)

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/cyberpowerpc-gaming-desktop-amd-ryzen-5-1600-8gb-memory-amd-radeon-rx-580-480gb-solid-state-drive-black/6371594.p?skuId=6371594

This model, at $622, has the same graphics card as the one above and a significantly stronger processor. It won't make a difference to Sims 4, but it would help if you wanted to upgrade the computer in a few years—the stronger CPU would work better with a faster graphics card when the time came. This also has 16 GB RAM already. Its downside is that it only has a mechanical hard drive, which means Windows and apps will load slower than if they were on an SSD. But Sims 4 will run the same once it's loaded.

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Inspiron-Desktop-Processor-Graphics/dp/B07Q3G3B67

This model, at $710, has a processor in between the other two in strength, plus a significantly faster graphics card. It has a 500 GB SSD and 8 GB RAM.

https://www.amazon.com/SkyTech-Blaze-Gaming-Computer-Desktop/dp/B07RHBLV7F

If these aren't exactly what you want, let me know, and I'll look more. These are more of a sampling of the best hardware for the lowest price, but there are certainly plenty of options in the same range.

6 Replies

puzzlezaddict
Hero+
6 years ago
@gabbywhite43 Under $750 U.S. is absolutely doable, even for ultra settings. Do you want a laptop or a desktop? Do you need extra storage for large collections of data (music, movies, photos, etc.)? Are there other games you'd like to play? I'd be happy to list some good options for you... tomorrow, because I'm going to bed soon. But I'll get back to you once I know what you're looking for.
gabbywhite43
Seasoned Newcomer
6 years ago
Thank you so much! I was aiming towards desktop and I don’t need extra storage for any of those. I’m mainly just getting this to play Sims, but I have almost all the expansions packs and CC. I don’t play any other PC games at the moment, so anything that’ll run Sims on ultra is perfect. I appreciate it!
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
6 years ago
@gabbywhite43 I looked around this morning and found a few options that would work, as in, they'd all run Sims 4, all packs included on ultra graphics settings, now and in all likelihood for the entire run of the game. The questions will be how much you want to spend, and how much it's worth to you to get somewhat better components.

This is the lowest I'd go, at $540. Its processor and graphics card are good enough for Sims 4, and it has a 480 GB solid state drive. That's plenty of storage for the game, all your associated content, plenty of small apps, and even another game or two if you want. It does only have 8 GB memory, which is more than enough for Sims 4 but might make multitasking a bit slower. Still, it's very simple, and cheap (maybe $40-50) to add a matching RAM stick, or you could pay a bit more to have someone do it for you.

https://www.amazon.com/CYBERPOWERPC-Master-Gaming-3-2GHz-GMA8980CPG/dp/B07W62CJCQ

Best Buy is also offering it for $571, if you prefer to buy in store. Since it's exactly the same model (GMA8980CPG), you should be able to get the store to match Amazon's price. (They'd probably also be happy to sell you more memory and install it on-site, if you want.)

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/cyberpowerpc-gaming-desktop-amd-ryzen-5-1600-8gb-memory-amd-radeon-rx-580-480gb-solid-state-drive-black/6371594.p?skuId=6371594

This model, at $622, has the same graphics card as the one above and a significantly stronger processor. It won't make a difference to Sims 4, but it would help if you wanted to upgrade the computer in a few years—the stronger CPU would work better with a faster graphics card when the time came. This also has 16 GB RAM already. Its downside is that it only has a mechanical hard drive, which means Windows and apps will load slower than if they were on an SSD. But Sims 4 will run the same once it's loaded.

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Inspiron-Desktop-Processor-Graphics/dp/B07Q3G3B67

This model, at $710, has a processor in between the other two in strength, plus a significantly faster graphics card. It has a 500 GB SSD and 8 GB RAM.

https://www.amazon.com/SkyTech-Blaze-Gaming-Computer-Desktop/dp/B07RHBLV7F

If these aren't exactly what you want, let me know, and I'll look more. These are more of a sampling of the best hardware for the lowest price, but there are certainly plenty of options in the same range.
gabbywhite43
Seasoned Newcomer
6 years ago
I cannot thank you enough! So, I was looking at the first one you mentioned before, but I didn’t know if the RX 580 was good for ultra, but now I do thanks to you. I’m also looking at the last one you mentioned too. I have one last question (because I’m dumb), but if I was to buy a monitor for either the first one or the last one, would a QHD 144hz monitor work with either? Or does the first need a 1080 monitor or lower than 144hz. Once again, I really appreciate the help
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
6 years ago
@gabbywhite43 QHD monitors are great, and 144 Hz monitors are nice too if you can tell the difference between that and a 60 or 75 Hz refresh rate. (Many people can, but many can't.) However, running at a higher resolution is more work for a graphics card, and if the card is already running at or near its limit, the in-game frame rates will drop accordingly.

Even in QHD, the 580 will run Sims 4 just fine. But it won't get anywhere near 144 fps on ultra graphics settings; it would more likely be somewhere around half that, maybe a bit higher. (This is absolutely a rough estimate, not an accurate measurement.) An Nvidia 1660 will generate higher frame rates, but the margin would be small-ish.

The other consideration is that you could always play at a lower resolution if the framerates bothered you. But really, many people see no difference, and most would barely notice, if fps dropped into the 60s while playing. Given how much better images look in QHD vs. 1920x1080, the higher resolution is probably going to make you a lot happier, all else being equal. Still, the best thing you can do is go to a store and look at various screens. Some with impressive specs might not look great to you even in QHD. Best Buy usually has a good selection on display.

P.S. It's not a dumb question at all, especially when you're getting ready to spend a significant amount of money. It's always better to look for more information.
gabbywhite43
Seasoned Newcomer
6 years ago
Okay! I think I will get the GTX 1660 one and a QHD monitor. I feel like it'll be a little bit better to have if I ever do try a new PC game. I really appreciate the help!