Laptop recommendations for Sims 3 and Sims 4 2021

@BMO_girl_simmer  The single most important component for both Sims 3 and Sims 4 is the graphics card, but you don't need an especially powerful card for either game.  Even a 1660 ti is a bit of overkill, and you wouldn't see any benefit above a 3060 at most.  The GTX/RTX designation specifies whether a graphics card is equipped for Raytracing, a feature that Sims games don't have and, at least where 3 and 4 are concerned, never will.  (GTX cards can still perform some Raytracing, but they're relatively inefficient at it.)  RTX cards are higher-end, and the newest Nvidia cards are all RTX, but the 1660 ti is still an excellent laptop GPU for what it's supposed to be.

So the important question is how much extra. you're willing to pay for diminishing returns.  If you're only playing Sims games, I'd cross off the 3070, but a laptop with a 3060 may be worth a small premium over one with a 1660 ti.  Without seeing the prices or the other hardware in the laptops you've listed, I can't really have an opinion.  However, I'd also cross off any model that doesn't have at least 500 GB of SSD storage.  And if you really just want to keep things cheap, get a laptop with a 1650 and a 500 GB SSD that isn't an Omen: there are plenty of cheaper laptops of the same quality.

I know that's not an exact answer, but it's hard for me to tell you what matters most when you don't have a budget to constrain things.

If you'd like specific recommendations, I can look for some good options; just list your country and any other details that matter to you.  If you'd like to keep shopping yourself, take a look at the Lenovo Legion line.  The laptops are, on average, a bit better quality than the ones you've listed, and although the newest ones are more expensive, I've seen Legions with a 1660 ti available for around $1,000 U.S.

Hi @puzzlezaddict ! 

Firstly thank you so much for taking the time to reply !

I would love some specific recommendations, I'm from Australia. I don't have a particular budget but don't want to spend anymore then $3000 AUD ($2155.20 USD) but I am only looking at a laptop for the Sims only if that's any help on what hardware I do or don't need ! What's most important to me is that I'm able to play lag free with all packs and with mods and cc. Preferably would like a laptop I won't have to update for a few years. I don't care to much about bulkiness but would prefer a laptop that isn't overly loud but am willing to compromise on that. 

I'll provide the specs below but I won't be mentioning the Omen or the 3070 based on your recommendations so far ! Let me know if you need any other details:

HP Victus 16.1" FHD 144Hz Gaming Laptop (Intel i7) [RTX 3060

Price: $2798 AUD ($2003.62 USD)

Resolution: 1920 x 1080

Processor type: Intel i7 11800H

Processor cores: Octa Cores

Processor clock speed (GHz): 2.3 - 4.6

SSD Storage: 512 GB

RAM: 16BG

Graphics Processor: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060

Graphics Memory: 6GB

Windows 11

Asus TUF Dash 15.6" FHD 144Hz Gaming Laptop (Intel i7) [RTX 3060]

Price: $2599 AUD ($1867.12 USD)

Resolution: 1920 x 1080

Processor type: Intel i7 11370H

Processor cores: Quad Cores

Processor clock speed (GHz): 3.3 - 4.8

SSD Storage: 512 GB

RAM: 16BG

Graphics Processor: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060

Graphics Memory: unsure

Windows 10

Asus TUF Gaming F15 15.6-inch i7-10870H/16GB/512GB SSD/GTX1660Ti 6GB

Price: $2194 AUD ($1576.17 USD)

Resolution: 1920 x 1080

Processor type: Intel i7 10870H

Processor cores: Quad Cores

Processor clock speed (GHz): 2.2 - 5.0

SSD Storage: 512 GB

RAM: 16BG

Graphics Processor: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti

Graphics Memory: 6GB

Windows 10

Thank you !

@BMO_girl_simmer  I looked too, and I didn't see any Lenovo Legion models at reasonable prices, but that's not the only good option.  The ones you listed all look good to me; I wouldn't try to dissuade someone from getting any one of them on hardware alone.  I'd cross off the Victus because of the high cost and the fact that it runs a bit hot, which is something you just deal with if the price is good but not if you're already paying a premium.

The Dash will run somewhat hot but not out of control, so if you like it, go ahead and get it.  You can do better on the price though, on a few different sites:

https://www.mwave.com.au/product/asus-tuf-dash-f15-156-240hz-gaming-laptop-i711370h-16gb-512gb-rtx3060-w10h-ac43846

https://www.jw.com.au/asus-15-6-fhd-i7-11370h-rtx3060-16gb-512gb-w10-509702

https://www.centrecom.com.au/asus-tuf-dash-f15-156-fhd-240hz-i7-11370h-rtx-3060-laptop

I found a couple other laptops worth mentioning as well.  If you'd like to save a lot of money and just get something that works, this Acer is cheaper than any of the other models you've listed and has a 3060:

https://www.umart.com.au/Acer-Nitro-5-15-6in-FHD-IPS-144Hz-R5-5600H-RTX-3060-512GB-SSD-16GB-RAM-W10H-Gaming-Laptop--AN515-45-R8GB-NH-QBCSA-004_59266G.html

To be clear, this isn't a high-end laptop, but it also runs decently cool and quiet—the AMD processor produces significantly less heat than its Intel equivalent—and gets good performance in gaming.

On the high end, Gigabyte makes laptops that are close to premium quality and usually close to premium prices, but a few good ones are within your price range.  I'd avoid the G5, which has its issues; the Aero is premium, and the Aorus is similar but cuts corners on battery and noise.  (Its noise level isn't terrible, just not better than entry-level options.)  This Aero has an excellent screen as well:

https://www.centrecom.com.au/giagbyte-aero-15-oled-kd-156-uhd-oled-i7-11800h-rtx3060p-laptop

If you don't want to risk OLED burn-in, which is a real issue when you have static images on-screen, the Aorus is a reasonable alternative.  A couple places offer it for $2,300:

https://www.umart.com.au/Gigabyte-Aorus-15P-15-6in-FHD-i7-11800H-RTX-3060P-512-SSD-16GB-RAM-W10H-Gaming-Laptop--AORUS-15P-KD-72AU223SH_60992G.html

https://www.centrecom.com.au/gigabyte-aorus-15p-kd-156-240hz-i7-11800h-rtx3060p-laptop-2

If you decide you don't need as fast a graphics card, another excellent option is the Asus Zephyrus G14 with a 3050 (ti or not).  Its very well-built and lighter than the others; you'd just be paying somewhat of a premium.  For example:

https://www.umart.com.au/ASUS-ROG-Zephyrus-14in-FHD-144Hz-R7-5800HS-RTX3050-512G-SSD-16G-RAM-W10-Gaming-Laptop--GA401QC-HZ003T_59050G.html

https://www.centrecom.com.au/asus-rog-zephyrus-g15-156-wqhd-165hz-ryzen-9-5900hs-rtx3050ti-laptop

There are a lot more options with a 3050, but if you're getting the slower card, you really want a high-quality laptop that will get the full performance out of the card.

Really though, with your budget, you have plenty of good choices, including those you listed.  So there's nothing wrong with taking these lists and choosing based on other factors, even aesthetics if that's what matters to you.

@puzzlezaddictThank you ! Your response has been incredibly helpful and I'll definitely take your suggestions on board and look into them further !!

I was just wondering if I did end up going with one of the two I listed, the Asus TUF Dash 15.6" FHD 144Hz Gaming Laptop (Intel i7) [RTX 3060] or the Asus TUF Gaming F15 15.6-inch i7-10870H/16GB/512GB SSD/GTX1660Ti 6GB, which one would you go with ?

@BMO_girl_simmer  I personally would get the Dash with the 3060, but that's because I play other games that are more demanding than Sims 3 or 4.  I don't think the 3060 is worth the extra money if all you're doing is running Sims games with one possible caveat: if you notice the difference between 60 fps and higher, you'll probably enjoy the 144 Hz screen.

You can actually go to a physical store and test a few high-refresh-rate screens yourself—the best test is to find one that runs at 120 or 144 Hz, try it out, and then set it to run at 60 and see if you notice a difference.  (This is so screen quality isn't a factor.)  One obvious difference, at least for people who can distinguish between 60 fps and higher, is quickly dragging a File Explorer window around the screen: it looks and feels smoother at higher refresh rates.  But if you don't notice the difference at all, then the extra cost of a 144 Hz screen and the faster card to drive it won't be worth it to you.

And to be clear, you can do this with any monitor you find that runs at a high refresh rate.  So any store that would let you play with a random laptop or standalone monitor would work.