Gaming computer assistance

Asus laptops are available in various qualities

Stephon386  What's your budget here?  Do you want a laptop or a desktop, and if a desktop, would the budget include a monitor, or do you have one already (or plan to buy it separately)?  Are there any other details that matter to you, for example screen size in a laptop?  Let me know, and I can list some examples that fit your parameters.

It's fine to ask more general questions too, if you have any before starting this process.

First, thank you for your help.

My budget is pretty small to be honest. Im only getting it to play this game. Not a gamer but I love the Sims. I really dont want to spend over $800 max. I want a desktop because I want the glass case. I like seeing the lights in the inside. I already have a monitor. I would like to be able to download mods as well. I know this will have an effect on the memory and storage space.

Stephon386  If you want to go right up to $800, this one has an RTX 4060, which is overkill for Sims 4, and other hardware that is more than sufficient for your needs:

https://www.newegg.com/abs-cyclone-aqua-gaming-desktop-pc-geforce-rtx-4060-intel-core-i5-12400f-32gb-ddr4-1tb-ssd-ca12400f40602/p/N82E16883360677

ABS is Newegg's in-house system integrator: the company makes prebuilt computers with the leftover components it doesn't sell separately.  So you're getting the same class of hardware you would if you built the computer yourself.

If you'd like to keep the price down as much as possible, this one is still more than capable of running the game, all packs included, on ultra graphics settings.  The processor isn't great but will more than keep up with the graphics card, which is the important point when it comes to gaming.

https://www.newegg.com/p/3D5-002N-000B4?Item=3D5-002N-000B4

These two have much better processors, which would probably only help a little in Sims 4, but they'd better support a faster graphics card in the future should you ever want to upgrade:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/thermaltake-quartz-i350-r4-gaming-desktop-12th-gen-intel-core-i5-12400f-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-3050-1tb-nvme-m-2-white/6560191.p?skuId=6560191
https://www.newegg.com/cyberpowerpc-gaming-desktop-pc-geforce-rtx-3050-intel-core-i5-14400f-16gb-ddr5-128-gb-ssd-gx8239-white/p/N82E16883230800

There are a few other options here and there for similar systems, but I think these are the ones worth considering given their price and hardware.  However, if none of them is exactly what you want, let me know why, and I'll try to find something else that fits better.

I sincerly appreciate your help. These look great. I have no earthly clue what I am looking for, so I'll take your suggestions wholeheartedly.

I do have another ask... let's say I wanted something no higher than $500. Is that possible? I am trying to weigh all my options.

Would getting a laptop, then hooking it up to monitors be a better way to go? In the grand scheme of things, I want to play on a much larger screen than a laptop can provides. But if connecting to a separate monitor might work and a laptop could possibly be cheaper, I am willing to do that. As I mentioned previously, I only want to play sims. I stare at a computer all day long for work so spending a lot of money is not in any interest of mine for 1 game.

I really appreciate all your help.

You can of course connect to any screen without problems but you must buy a laptop with an Nvidia or AMD graphics card For high graphics

Stephon386  A gaming laptop is a bit cheaper than a gaming desktop at the moment.  But laptop hardware is also weaker than desktop hardware in the same class, for example a desktop RTX 3050 is about 50% faster in gaming than an RTX 3050 mobile.  (That is only an average, and there is some variation from one game to another even before you start factoring in different graphics settings.)  So in terms of pure performance, you're getting more for a desktop than a laptop.

The other important point to consider is that a desktop is much more repairable and upgradable than a laptop.  You can replace any single desktop component and keep most or all of the others, whereas you can only really replace RAM or a drive in a laptop.  So desktops will last longer, on average, rather than the traditional 3-5 year life expectancy of a gaming laptop.  They're lasting longer these days, again on average, but still can fail in a few years.  Or they can last for a decade; it's really hit or miss.

At any rate, you won't typically find a new (true) gaming desktop or laptop for $500 U.S. outside of Black Friday and holiday deals.  Some computers are listed as "gaming" but don't have gaming hardware.  These and more typical non-gaming systems are a significant drop-off from a gaming computer, usually capable of high graphics settings at best.  That's not to say they're a bad choice, only that there's a clear difference in performance for a relatively small increase in price.

Having said that, I do see this gaming laptop (only a few left?) for $550, if you're interested:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/9969804547

All else being equal, I would say the cheapest desktop I linked earlier is the better purchase in terms of both current performance and future repairs/upgrades.  But this is definitely a viable option, and it's also a good example of what you can find if you're looking closely at sales.

Given your words of wisdom, I'll go with the desk top. And besides, I like the glass case. I couldn't be more appreciative of your advice. I'm not making the purchase just right yet but within the next couple months I will. I might be back to see whats good for around that time. But I like having the knowledge about what pricing is looking like these days. Again, thank you, thanks you!!!

Stephon386  When you are in fact ready to buy, as in, you'll click the Buy button as soon as you find what you want, feel free to ask for more advice about specific computers.  Just let me know what you're looking for and your budget, and I'll be happy to list some good options.  But the ones I've listed now probably won't be available anymore or will at least have different prices, as the market changes quickly and often seemingly at random.