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Simswhynotplay's avatar
Simswhynotplay
11 months ago
Solved

New Laptop for the Sims - help would be greatly appreciated!

Hi all, I'm looking for a new laptop for the sims, perviously I was looking for a desktop but my circumstances have changed and I am going to need something more portable. I am in the UK, so UK store recommendations would be useful please. I have all the expansions and a lot of other packs as well like playing with CC and the Pandasama birth mod, so a system that can run all of this would be the dream. I don't intend to play any other games on the laptop or do any work on it as I have a separate work computer. My upper budget is around £850 (hoping that is enough!), although I will be waiting until Black Friday or January sales to buy (I just like knowing my options ahead of time) and any help or recommendations would be greatly appreciated! 

pc
  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    11 months ago

    @Simswhynotplay  Running Sims 4 wouldn't damage the battery.  What damages laptop batteries is having the laptop constantly plugged in and charged to 100%, or constantly running it down near zero.  But this is only about long-term battery health, not day-to-day use.  And the battery will degrade over time no matter what you do.

    The best way to preserve battery life in general is to only charge to 75-80%, and only let the laptop get down to about 20%, except for once a month or so when you charge it to 100 and let it run down to 5.  It's not an exact science, but this does help a lot.

    What I would suggest then is installing an app that allows you to tell the laptop to stop charging at whatever value you want.  So you could for example say even when plugged in, stop at 80%, and play Sims 4 with the laptop stable at 80% battery without worrying about wear and tear.  Then if you happen to need more charge because you'll be out and about for the day, override the setting in the app and let it charge to 100%.

    As far as what app to use, the best option is one that's free and open-source, the latter because other users can check the source code for malware and confirm it works as intended.  Beyond that, pick whatever you like.

3 Replies

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    11 months ago

    @Simswhynotplay  Is there a reason you don't want to play on your Mac with the M2 chip that you mentioned previously?  You'd get about the same performance on the Mac as on an entry-level gaming laptop, and without spending more money.  If you need extra storage, an external drive, even a fast SSD, is a lot cheaper than a second laptop.

    For specific recommandations, I can't really offer any until you're ready to buy.  A great laptop at £700 is not a good deal at £850, and it's impossible to predict what prices will look like in two months.  So when you are absolutely sure you're ready to make the purchase, AND you don't want to just use your Mac (which would be my actual recommendation if you're not opposed to it), let me know, and I'll help you find something.

    I understand wanting to know your options, but that's just now how things work in this market.  All I can tell you is that you should be able to find something with an Nvidia RTX 4060 within your budget, or at least a 4050 if you're picky about other details or want to save money.  The 4050 is more than fast enough for Sims 4 on ultra settings, and the 4060 is somewhat faster than that.

  • Simswhynotplay's avatar
    Simswhynotplay
    11 months ago

    The only reason I am hesitant to use my Mac M2 is incase the Sims damages the battery as I have to use the M2 out and about and need it to be able to hold a decent charge. But I will take all of your advice on board and I really appreciate the time you have spent helping me, so thank you very much! 

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    11 months ago

    @Simswhynotplay  Running Sims 4 wouldn't damage the battery.  What damages laptop batteries is having the laptop constantly plugged in and charged to 100%, or constantly running it down near zero.  But this is only about long-term battery health, not day-to-day use.  And the battery will degrade over time no matter what you do.

    The best way to preserve battery life in general is to only charge to 75-80%, and only let the laptop get down to about 20%, except for once a month or so when you charge it to 100 and let it run down to 5.  It's not an exact science, but this does help a lot.

    What I would suggest then is installing an app that allows you to tell the laptop to stop charging at whatever value you want.  So you could for example say even when plugged in, stop at 80%, and play Sims 4 with the laptop stable at 80% battery without worrying about wear and tear.  Then if you happen to need more charge because you'll be out and about for the day, override the setting in the app and let it charge to 100%.

    As far as what app to use, the best option is one that's free and open-source, the latter because other users can check the source code for malware and confirm it works as intended.  Beyond that, pick whatever you like.

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