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Najmaa45's avatar
Najmaa45
Seasoned Newcomer
5 years ago
Solved

Gaming laptop Advice

Hi, I was interested in this https://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=13F17EA&opt=ABU&mastersku=13F17EA&masteropt=ABU&sel=NTB&.  I  have five sims 4 expansions packs and all sim 3 expansions packs.  I also play other games. 

pc
  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    5 years ago

    @Najmaa45  I know someone with a Gaming Pavilion with a 1660 ti, although it has an Intel processor.  The CPU did come close to overheating when running a much more demanding game than Sims 4; this person undervolted it a bit, and the temperature dropped 10º C.  However, that doesn't mean that the Ryzen CPU will behave the same way.

    To be clear, the Pavilion doesn't actually overheat, it just runs hot.  The laptop is well-built, and the components protect themselves against thermal damage, as is true for any proplerly made computer.  So I wouldn't be overly concerned about temperatures.  However, if running cool is important to you, the Lenovo is the better option.

    As far as cooling fans or pads go, there are plenty of good options, and personal preference will be the most important factor.  Something that's 10% more efficient but also inconvenient to use may not help you much.

    I think that the issue about the graphics card taking up memory is actually in reference to the graphics chip in the processor using RAM.  The chips in AMD laptop CPUs can use up to 2 GB of main memory, and they often reserve that much for themselves regardless of the load they're handling.  This isn't really an issue if you have 16 GB RAM installed, but it can be with 8.

    How much RAM an integrated chip uses can usually be adjusted in BIOS, that is if the setting is user-accessible.  I've noticed some laptop manufacturers seem to set this much lower by default in gaming laptops, which makes sense given that the dedicated card is going to handle all the high workloads.  I've seen HP laptops with the full 2 GB reserved, but I can't tell you whether it's adjustable because I haven't been in front of one.  Like I said though, if you're planning on installing another 8 GB RAM, it's not really a problem.

9 Replies

  • jpkarlsen's avatar
    jpkarlsen
    Hero (Retired)
    5 years ago

    @Najmaa45 

    That will work great for the Sims 3/4 with all expansions and possibly for any other game you could throw at it.

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    5 years ago

    @Najmaa45  I don't know what other games you play, so I can't comment on those.  But this laptop should be able to run all Sims 3 and all Sims 4 packs together on ultra graphics settings, with some room to spare.  Its graphics card may or may not be quite fast enough for ultra settings by the time Sims 4 is out of development; we don't know how demanding future expansions will be.  But if you're not planning on buying all the EPs, you should probably be fine, and certainly a mix of high and ultra settings should always be doable.

    If you'd like other options, especially ones with a faster graphics card, let me know your preferred budget as well as any other details that matter to you.  Or, if you want to see an example, this laptop has a graphics card that's around 40% faster for gaming, a stronger processor, and 16 GB RAM, for £950:

    https://www.overclockers.co.uk/hp-pavillion-15-ec1009na-nvidia-gtx-1660-ti-16gb-15.6-fhd-amd-ryzen-7-4800h-gaming-laptop-lt-04y-hp.html

    It does only have 500 GB storage, but you could add a 2.5" drive (SSD or HDD) later if you wanted.  Whether you'd need the extra space depends on the other games you'd like to install, of course, as well as your other needs.

  • Najmaa45's avatar
    Najmaa45
    Seasoned Newcomer
    5 years ago

    @puzzlezaddict Hi, thanks for responding to me. I play games like Gta 5 and saints row. Do you think it would fit the 500gb storage. My budget is from 700-1200. I'm looking for a laptop with 16gb and one with good cooling system. Its my first time buying a laptop, so i want it to be useable for a couple of years.  I know this has 8gb ram but i was thinking to get this, then add another ram stick. Buy HP Pavilion 15.6in Ryzen 7 8GB 512GB GTX1660Ti Gaming Laptop | Gaming laptops | Argos would this be ok

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    5 years ago

    @Najmaa45  I think that would be a very good option, and I've suggested it to a couple other people recently.  Actually, I've suggested this one, for £950, that comes with 16 GB RAM:

    https://www.overclockers.co.uk/hp-pavillion-15-ec1009na-nvidia-gtx-1660-ti-16gb-15.6-fhd-amd-ryzen-7-4800h-gaming-laptop-lt-04y-hp.html

    Price-wise, you'd probably save a bit buying the extra RAM yourself, but it might be more convenient to have it already installed.

    A 512 GB drive is large enough for Sims 4 and several other games of similar size, so it's probably more than enough.  The laptop does have an empty 2.5" drive bay though, in case you ever need to add a second hard drive; it should take any standard 2.5" drive, HDD or SSD.

    If you'd like a slightly faster (maybe 5% in gaming) graphics card, laptops with an Nvidia 2060 are also within your price range.  As examples:

    https://www.overclockers.co.uk/asus-tuf-gaming-a15-fa506iv-nvidia-rtx-2060-16gb-15.6-144hz-ryzen-r7-4800h-gaming-laptop-lt-2cc-as.html

    https://www.box.co.uk/G512LV-HN037T-ASUS-ROG-STRIX-G15-G512LV-HN037T_2940905.html

    https://www.box.co.uk/81Y6005VUK-Lenovo-Legion-5i-15_2943293.html

    https://www.box.co.uk/AORUS-5-KB-7UK1131SH-AORUS-5_2932841.html

    These all have 16 GB memory; the Lenovo and the Asus should also take a second hard drive, although I'm not sure the Strix would.  The Aorus already has a 1 TB HDD in addition to the SSD.  But the higher price is probably only worth it if you'd like to play games with Raytracing: while the 1660 ti technically supports it, the card doesn't handle Raytracing that well, whereas the 2060 is built to do it.

    By the way, I didn't do a thorough search, since I wasn't sure whether you wanted to see more options.  Let me know if you do.  And if you have other questions, please feel free to ask.

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    5 years ago

    @Najmaa45  You're not bothering me; I do this for fun.

    The Lenovo Legion is a highly rated series, although the version with a 4800H is new enough that there aren't as many reviews.  It still looks very good though.

    Adding another 8 GB RAM might cost you £40 or so, depending on what's already installed in the laptop.  (You'd want a matching module.)  It looks like the laptop actually has two NVMe slots and an empty 2.5" drive bay, so you could add the drive of your choice without replacing the 256 GB SSD.  In fact, the most convenient option would probably be to leave Windows and user data on the existing drive and install your games on the second one.  If you want a better idea:

    https://laptopmedia.com/highlights/inside-lenovo-legion-5-15-disassembly-and-upgrade-options/

    https://www.reddit.com/r/AMDLaptops/comments/j9493l/lenovo_legion_5p_upgrade_notes/

    And yes, this would likely be cheaper than the other options I linked.  You could get a 500 GB SSD starting around £50, or a full terabyte for around £75 (SATA SSD) or £90 (NVMe SSD).  The highest quality options are more expensive, but you'll have Windows and your critical files on the boot drive, so a typical drive from a well-known manufacturer (e.g. WD Blue, Crucial P1, Intel 665p) should be more than fine.  So if you're willing to do the work yourself, you might end up saving at least £100.

  • Najmaa45's avatar
    Najmaa45
    Seasoned Newcomer
    5 years ago

    @puzzlezaddict thanks for the help, my choice is between legion 5 or the Hp Pavillion from Argos. I originally was buying the hp Pavillion tomorrow along with the headphones &  mouse deal but was put off due to people saying it’s not a good laptop. Do you think it’s a good deal. I have had experience with hp laptops as I currently own one for three years, the problem is with the overheating. Do you know if the cooling system is good, and what cooling fans do you recommend. Also I heard that the graphics card take up some gb.

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    5 years ago

    @Najmaa45  I know someone with a Gaming Pavilion with a 1660 ti, although it has an Intel processor.  The CPU did come close to overheating when running a much more demanding game than Sims 4; this person undervolted it a bit, and the temperature dropped 10º C.  However, that doesn't mean that the Ryzen CPU will behave the same way.

    To be clear, the Pavilion doesn't actually overheat, it just runs hot.  The laptop is well-built, and the components protect themselves against thermal damage, as is true for any proplerly made computer.  So I wouldn't be overly concerned about temperatures.  However, if running cool is important to you, the Lenovo is the better option.

    As far as cooling fans or pads go, there are plenty of good options, and personal preference will be the most important factor.  Something that's 10% more efficient but also inconvenient to use may not help you much.

    I think that the issue about the graphics card taking up memory is actually in reference to the graphics chip in the processor using RAM.  The chips in AMD laptop CPUs can use up to 2 GB of main memory, and they often reserve that much for themselves regardless of the load they're handling.  This isn't really an issue if you have 16 GB RAM installed, but it can be with 8.

    How much RAM an integrated chip uses can usually be adjusted in BIOS, that is if the setting is user-accessible.  I've noticed some laptop manufacturers seem to set this much lower by default in gaming laptops, which makes sense given that the dedicated card is going to handle all the high workloads.  I've seen HP laptops with the full 2 GB reserved, but I can't tell you whether it's adjustable because I haven't been in front of one.  Like I said though, if you're planning on installing another 8 GB RAM, it's not really a problem.

  • Najmaa45's avatar
    Najmaa45
    Seasoned Newcomer
    5 years ago

    @puzzlezaddict  thanks so much for your help, I've decided that I want to buy the Hp pavilion gaming laptop.

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