Hi,I am looking to buy a laptop but I want to make sure that I can find one that can run the Sims 4, plus expansion packs and CC. I live in Spain, and my budget is of 650-700€.I have been looking at the Asus Vivobook ones, because they seem slim and appropriate to take them to class as well, but I keep reading everywhere that you can't play because they don't meet the requirements, which is a dissapointment. Anyway, if anyone could give me a few recommendations for laptops to buy, it will be great.Thanx!

@ItzVM I looked at a few different Spanish sites, but the best prices I found were all from pccomponentes.com. If there's another site you'd like me to look at, let me know. The better Asus Vivobooks are above the minimum requirements for Sims 4 and should run the game on medium settings without any trouble. If this is the kind of computer you want, and you're not unhappy with medium settings, you could get one for 500€ or less. Here are two examples, with the second one having a stronger processor and twice the storage of the first: https://www.pccomponentes.com/asus-m509da-br260-amd-ryzen-5-3500u-8gb-256gb-ssd-156 https://www.pccomponentes.com/asus-vivobook-d509da-ej098-amd-ryzen-7-3700u-8gb-512gb-ssd-156 Those two only have integrated graphics cards, which is why they probably wouldn't handle more than medium settings very well. An entry-level graphics card capable of high settings, although not by much, would be 200€ more expensive if you specifically wanted a Vivobook: https://www.pccomponentes.com/asus-vivobook-14-s412fj-ek264t-intel-core-i5-8265u-8gb-256gb-ssd-mx230-14 https://www.pccomponentes.com/asus-vivobook-s512fj-bq076t-intel-core-i5-8265u-8gb-256gb-ssd-mx230-156 but cheaper from other brands: https://www.pccomponentes.com/acer-aspire-3-a315-55g-541p-intel-core-i5-10210u-8gb-256gb-mx230-156 However, in the same price range, you could get a proper gaming laptop, one that would run all Sims 4 packs together on a mix of high and ultra graphics settings. (Ultra settings would probably be fine if you didn't own all the expansions or didn't mind lower in-game framerates.) There are a number of options, all with the same graphics card, which is the single biggest determining factor for how well a computer will run Sims 4, as long as the other components are good enough. On the other hand, proper gaming laptops are heavier and bulkier because they need good cooling to protect their hardware while running demanding games. These two, 500€ and 600€, respectively, are the lowest you'd want to go in a gaming laptop; the only meaningful difference between them is that the second one has a hard drive twice the size of the first. https://www.pccomponentes.com/hp-pavilion-gaming-15-ec0007ns-amd-ryzen-5-3550h-8gb-256gb-ssd-gtx1050-156 https://www.pccomponentes.com/hp-pavilion-gaming-15-ec0000ns-amd-ryzen-5-3550h-8gb-512gb-ssd-gtx1050-156 These two are 700€ and have a slightly stronger processor than the ones above. They also have 16 GB RAM, which isn't necessary for Sims 4 but is great for multitasking. The first has a combination 256 GB solid state drive (very fast) and a 1 TB mechanical drive (slow, but great for large storage). The second has a single 512 GB SSD. Which one is better depends on your storage needs and whether you're okay with managing two hard drives. https://www.pccomponentes.com/asus-x571gd-bq352-intel-core-i5-8300h-16gb-1tb-256gb-ssd-gtx1050-156 https://www.pccomponentes.com/hp-pavilion-gaming-15-dk0020ns-intel-core-i5-9300h-16gb-512gb-ssd-gtx-1050-156 If you have more questions, please feel free to ask.

@ItzVM That's too bad that pccomponentes won't ship to where you live; its prices were better than the other five or six sites I checked. (And Amazon.es was pretty bad.) If you do find a site or a store that works for you, feel free to link it, and I can look over the offerings. The other option would be to wait until the next time you travel somewhere and buy a laptop at a local store, that is, if you're planning to travel any time soon. HP gaming laptops are better than they have been in the past, and the new ones tend to get good reviews. They're not perfect, but they are on par with other gaming laptops in the same price range, which is to say they usually work exactly how they should. There are always exceptions, and the lower-end models that aren't built for gaming may be an entirely different story. But you can always look up reviews for a specific model on Amazon or similar—a long list of complaints about a specific model is a warning sign, but a couple of posts is nothing to worry about, since most people only post to complain.

@PepperJohnny Sorry, but that laptop wouldn't manage anything close to ultra settings. Although its graphics card was good when it was released, that was seven years ago. Now it might manage medium settings with all packs running, but that's about it; and even that much isn't guaranteed in an older laptop. If you'd like an idea of what to look for in new laptops, you can check out the ones I listed to get a general idea of what's out there. I'd be happy to look for something that appeals to you if you're shopping; just let me know your budget and any other features that matter to you.

@ItzVM If you’re really into the Vivobook, the one you linked with the MX230 would work decently well. I would expect it to handle medium/high settings, and of course it will be great to take to class. It doesn’t have the same cooling as a gaming laptop, so you’d need to elevate it (use a laptop tray or put books under the corners) or use a cooling pad while you played. But this isn’t usually an issue as long as you make sure it’s cooling well. If you’d like me to look at other sites, I can, but the best you could do with a Vivobook, other than the most expensive models, is an MX230 or MX250. @PepperJohnny The first laptop you listed, with the MX250, is okay but not great for Sims 4, and as you’ve seen, you could do better for the same price, or a lot better for a bit more money. The HP is a good choice for Sims 4, capable of running the game with all packs installed on ultra settings. An Nvidia 1650 may or may not quite be able to handle ultra setting with all future packs installed too—it’s right on the border of what we guess will be necessary. But the next card up, a 1660 ti, is significantly more expensive, and also overkill for Sims 4. A 1650 is significantly faster than a 1050, so if you can fit it in your budget, a model with a 1650 is definitely a better choice. It's certainly a great investment for 50€ extra. HPs are fine these days, about the same as other manufacturers’ laptops in the same price range. But if you’d like me to look at other options, just let me know your preferred budget.

Hi@PepperJohnny 🙂 The Acer Aspire 5 has a dedicated GPU, a MX250. That is already clearly visible in the link you provided. But I agree with @puzzlezaddict, you can do much better for the same or only slightly more money. From the options you provided the HP Pavilion laptop is the by far best one. The GTX 1650 is a way more powerful GPU than the GTX 1050 in the other laptops let alone the MX250, and the Intel Core i5 9300H CPU is also more powerful than the AMD Ryzen 7 3750H. I have the same HP model with an i7 CPU and a GTX1660 GPU and the cooling is more than sufficient, even at much more demanding games. I build and repair PC and repair Laptops for 30 years now, and there is no such thing as a "good" or "bad" vendor. You can get unlucky with all of them, but the chance is very small, no matter what you buy. All this machines come from top vendors and have high quality components.

Good laptop for sims 4? | EA Forums

17 Replies

puzzlezaddict
Hero+
6 years ago
@ItzVM I looked at a few different Spanish sites, but the best prices I found were all from pccomponentes.com. If there's another site you'd like me to look at, let me know.

The better Asus Vivobooks are above the minimum requirements for Sims 4 and should run the game on medium settings without any trouble. If this is the kind of computer you want, and you're not unhappy with medium settings, you could get one for 500€ or less. Here are two examples, with the second one having a stronger processor and twice the storage of the first:

https://www.pccomponentes.com/asus-m509da-br260-amd-ryzen-5-3500u-8gb-256gb-ssd-156

https://www.pccomponentes.com/asus-vivobook-d509da-ej098-amd-ryzen-7-3700u-8gb-512gb-ssd-156

Those two only have integrated graphics cards, which is why they probably wouldn't handle more than medium settings very well. An entry-level graphics card capable of high settings, although not by much, would be 200€ more expensive if you specifically wanted a Vivobook:

https://www.pccomponentes.com/asus-vivobook-14-s412fj-ek264t-intel-core-i5-8265u-8gb-256gb-ssd-mx230-14

https://www.pccomponentes.com/asus-vivobook-s512fj-bq076t-intel-core-i5-8265u-8gb-256gb-ssd-mx230-156

but cheaper from other brands:

https://www.pccomponentes.com/acer-aspire-3-a315-55g-541p-intel-core-i5-10210u-8gb-256gb-mx230-156

However, in the same price range, you could get a proper gaming laptop, one that would run all Sims 4 packs together on a mix of high and ultra graphics settings. (Ultra settings would probably be fine if you didn't own all the expansions or didn't mind lower in-game framerates.) There are a number of options, all with the same graphics card, which is the single biggest determining factor for how well a computer will run Sims 4, as long as the other components are good enough. On the other hand, proper gaming laptops are heavier and bulkier because they need good cooling to protect their hardware while running demanding games.

These two, 500€ and 600€, respectively, are the lowest you'd want to go in a gaming laptop; the only meaningful difference between them is that the second one has a hard drive twice the size of the first.

https://www.pccomponentes.com/hp-pavilion-gaming-15-ec0007ns-amd-ryzen-5-3550h-8gb-256gb-ssd-gtx1050-156

https://www.pccomponentes.com/hp-pavilion-gaming-15-ec0000ns-amd-ryzen-5-3550h-8gb-512gb-ssd-gtx1050-156

These two are 700€ and have a slightly stronger processor than the ones above. They also have 16 GB RAM, which isn't necessary for Sims 4 but is great for multitasking. The first has a combination 256 GB solid state drive (very fast) and a 1 TB mechanical drive (slow, but great for large storage). The second has a single 512 GB SSD. Which one is better depends on your storage needs and whether you're okay with managing two hard drives.

https://www.pccomponentes.com/asus-x571gd-bq352-intel-core-i5-8300h-16gb-1tb-256gb-ssd-gtx1050-156

https://www.pccomponentes.com/hp-pavilion-gaming-15-dk0020ns-intel-core-i5-9300h-16gb-512gb-ssd-gtx-1050-156

If you have more questions, please feel free to ask.
ItzVM
6 years ago
Thanx a lot for your recommendations!
I've tried a few of the links and all of them seem like great options based on what you've explained unfortunately, it turns out that PcComponents doesn't send to the area of Spain I live in (Tenerife), and I'm having trouble finding a reliable place to buy them otherwise.
Regarding the hp gaming ones you recommended, is HP a good brand? Because my current laptop is HP, it didn't work ver well from the beginning, and I've read all sorts of reviews online saying that even gaming ones are a waste of money if they are from HP.
Thank you again for your advice
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
6 years ago
@ItzVM That's too bad that pccomponentes won't ship to where you live; its prices were better than the other five or six sites I checked. (And Amazon.es was pretty bad.) If you do find a site or a store that works for you, feel free to link it, and I can look over the offerings. The other option would be to wait until the next time you travel somewhere and buy a laptop at a local store, that is, if you're planning to travel any time soon.

HP gaming laptops are better than they have been in the past, and the new ones tend to get good reviews. They're not perfect, but they are on par with other gaming laptops in the same price range, which is to say they usually work exactly how they should. There are always exceptions, and the lower-end models that aren't built for gaming may be an entirely different story. But you can always look up reviews for a specific model on Amazon or similar—a long list of complaints about a specific model is a warning sign, but a couple of posts is nothing to worry about, since most people only post to complain.
PepperJohnny
6 years ago
@puzzlezaddictHey! Since I'm in Spain too (and not to open another thread) can you tell me if with this laptop I'll be able to play on Ultra with everything installed?

Acer Aspire
AMD Quad-Core processor A-10 5757M with Turbo CORE Tech up to 3.5 GHz
AMD Radeon HD8750m 2gb dedicated vram
8GB DDR Memory
1 TB Hdd

Thank you!
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
6 years ago
@PepperJohnny Sorry, but that laptop wouldn't manage anything close to ultra settings. Although its graphics card was good when it was released, that was seven years ago. Now it might manage medium settings with all packs running, but that's about it; and even that much isn't guaranteed in an older laptop.

If you'd like an idea of what to look for in new laptops, you can check out the ones I listed to get a general idea of what's out there. I'd be happy to look for something that appeals to you if you're shopping; just let me know your budget and any other features that matter to you.
PepperJohnny
6 years ago
@puzzlezaddict Thank you! That’s so helpful! I didn’t want to got for a gaming laptop because I still need some portability. What do you think of this one:

https://www.pccomponentes.com/acer-aspire-5-a515-54g-intel-core-i7-10510u-8gb-512gb-ssd-mx250-156
roberta591
Hero (Retired)
6 years ago
@PepperJohnny The first thing I notice is there is no mention of a dedicated video chip which means it will use the integrated video chip in the I7 cpu chip, Integrated video chips are usually not desirable for 3D gaming games like the Sims 4. The base frequency of the cpu is 1.8Ghz which IMO is too slow as the cpu will probably using turbo frequency while running this game. The cpu running at turbo and using the integrated video chip will cause the cpu to produce more heat from the cpu chip. Some laptops don't have good cooling systems. I do not recommend this laptop for 3D gaming. Running the game on battery will cause less run time. Running expansion packs like Seasons is hard on the video chip and you may have to reduce the graphics resolution for acceptable performance. hth
PepperJohnny
6 years ago
@roberta591 Thank you so much for the help! I’m a total newbie on this. Ok final one:

https://www.fnac.es/Portatil-gaming-HP-Pavilion-15-dk0002ns-15-6-Negro-Ordenador-portatil-PC-Portatil/a6783814

Will this do? 😂 thanks!
ItzVM
6 years ago
@puzzlezaddict A few places I can buy from are mediamarkt and worten. I admit that I am kinda smitten by the Vivobook ones, but if you have any other suggestion from those places that might fit the requirements and my budget, I will consider buying them as well
Thanx a lot for your help!
EDIT: I've found a supplier that sells this one and I think that if you consider it a good option to run the game with expansions and CC, I'll buy it.
https://www.pccomponentes.com/asus-vivobook-14-s412fj-ek264t-intel-core-i5-8265u-8gb-256gb-ssd-mx230-14
PepperJohnny
6 years ago
@ItzVM Fnac has a campaign going on this week you might want to check it!