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WhimsyEmma's avatar
WhimsyEmma
5 years ago

Need to buy a new laptop

Hi! I'm going to buy a new laptop as I currently have a MacBook Pro from 2011. The reason is that I can't buy any of the new packs and I need to play the Legacy Edition that means no access to the Co...
pc
puzzlezaddict's avatar
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
5 years ago

@WhimsyEmma  I wouldn't pay too much attention to PC Benchmark scores.  The scores are on a scale from zero to "can run all new AAA games in 4k at 60+ fps," or if you prefer, the most powerful gaming computer money can buy.  Both of these configurations can run Sims 4, all packs included, on ultra graphics settings, currently with some room to spare.

These two processors should always be fine, but it's possible that the 1650 ti will at some point not be quite fast enough for ultra settings.  The faster 1660 ti should always be able to handle ultra settings, and the cheapest laptops with a 1660 ti are often not all that much more expensive.

The 3060 is even faster than that and would absolutely be overkill, although if you can find a laptop with one for the equivalent of around €1,000, it would be a good deal overall.  If you're thinking of futureproofing this laptop, it's worth considering, again if the price is reasonable and there's something you like available soon.  CounterStrike wouldn't benefit from the faster card either, but maybe you'll want to play some other demanding game in the future.

Don't worry about Sims 4 not recognizing your graphics card.  The game's database is updated frequently, and in the interim, it's easy to add a very new card manually.

WhimsyEmma's avatar
WhimsyEmma
5 years ago
@puzzlezaddict Thanks for answering and sharing your knowledge. From what I can understand of all I have read about and gotten of input the minimum GPU should be GTX 1660Ti.

So I’ve been looking for laptops with 1660Ti, 2060, 2070 and 3060. The price differences isn’t to big either. The ones I looked at that wan in store/wear house were 1660Ti with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD was between €1000-€1500, and the ones with 2060 or 3060 and same RAM and SSD as over were between €1100-€1500.

So that’s also the reason that I’m thinking more about a 2060 or 3060 rather than a 1660Ti. And as you mentioned, I’m futureproofing the laptop if I’ll choose the 3060 because I don’t need to upgrade for a while. But the sayings that it’s overkill for TS4 makes me insecure as well.
  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    5 years ago

    @WhimsyEmma  There's nothing wrong with a little overkill, that is if you're comfortable with the price and want to futureproof or account for other games.  But nothing above a 1660 ti will make a difference for Sims 4, so the only reason to get a faster (and more expensive) card is for those other games.  And if fact you might always be fine playing Sims 4 on a 1650 ti, but we don't know because we're not sure how the game will continue to develop.

    It's also worth thinking about how long you want to have this laptop.  Some people buy the cheapest one that will be fine for now, knowing full well that they'll replace it in a couple of years.  But it's worth it to them because they save money now that they could spend on a more powerful machine when they're ready.  Other people would rather not need to upgrade for much longer.  Both approaches are valid; it's about what makes sense for your needs.

    By the way, a 2060 is actually only a few percentage points faster than a 1660 ti in typical gaming.  Where it's much faster is in Raytracing, which the 1660 ti does not do very well.  Sims 4 will never have Raytracing, and Sims 5 (if and when it exists) may not either; the feature is currently limited to a few very new, very demanding AAA games.  The 3060 is much faster both overall and for Raytracing.

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