I'm looking for new laptop to play sims 4 with all the DLC with mods/cc. I play on a MacBook air (mid 2013) on low settings but its still laggy. I'm looking for a laptop i can play on the highest settings now and in the future. I would like another up to date MacBook or ASUS laptop but don't know what to look for. Can someone please give me any recommendations ? Im willing to spend more if i need to.
Hey @macietayl0r
You can find here the requirements for the Sims 4
EA help - Sims 4 System requirements
Ideal you should focus on a decent CPU and GPU.
Depending on your budget you can get better components to max out to 144Hz or 60hz.
I found this website that has a list with a list from cheap to more expencive laptops.
Maybe you should take a look there. 😉
laptopstudy - 5 Best Laptops For Sims 4
Zeelmaekers
@macietayl0r I've moved your post to the Sims 4 tech section.
Don't pay any attention to EA's official requirements for TS4—they're not representative of the demands of the entire game, all packs included. To run them all on the highest settings for the full run of the game, you'll need a dedicated graphics card of sufficient strength, among other things. These laptops usually start around $900 U.S., although an occasional sale will bring the price down. Prices in other countries are higher.
If you list your budget and country, I can look for some good options for you. Please also let me know if there's anything else you want to do on this laptop, including other games or apps and whether you want extra storage for any reason.
Please disregard this post and see my next in this thread / discussion, thanks. 😜
@jrrdw I'm sure you're trying to help, but a MacBook Air is absolutely not what the original poster is looking for. It will barely run TS4 on medium settings now, and maybe not even that if all packs are installed. Its integrated graphics card is too weak for any more than that and will continue to fall behind as more demanding expansions are released. Its processor isn't very good for gaming either, although that wouldn't be the limiting factor here. Plus, MacBook Airs don't have sufficiant cooling to handle even a moderately demanding game like TS4.
@puzzlezaddict L0L Ooooop's wrong link, try this link here.
@jrrdw Alienware is probably not the best choice either. The line is a better option for gaming than a MacBook Air, for sure, but these are quite overpriced for the hardware they contain, plus the quality has noticeably dropped off since the company was bought by Dell.
Again, I know you're trying to help, but this isn't a useful approach. The original poster has asked for recommendations for a laptop for a specific purpose. If and when they post back with a bit more information, I will try to find a couple of models that meet those needs, are reliable gaming computers, and are reasonably priced.
@puzzlezaddict My budget is $1,700 and I live in the U.S. I plan to mostly use the laptop for sims 4 and casual browsing. Im not too interested in playing any other games or apps. Extra storage would be nice but isn't necessary.
@macietayl0r For $1700, you can pretty much get whatever you want, especially if you're not trying to run anything more demanding than TS4. The computers that meet your needs, with no compromises, start at $1100; the question then becomes what you want in addition.
For example, this laptop has an Nvidia 1660 ti, which is a strong enough graphics card for all of TS4 now and in the future. It also has a very new (and very good) processor, 16 GB RAM, and a 1 TB solid state drive for storage. TS4 doesn't benefit from an SSD, but many tasks do, from starting up Windows to transferring data. It also has a 17.3" IPS screen (IPS is the highest quality) and a 144 Hz refresh rate. This model is $1369:
https://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Tracer-III-17-Turbo-VR-400
You could get exactly the same computer, except slimmer and with an Nvidia 2060, a step up from the 1660 ti, for $1535:
https://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Tracer-III-17S-Slim-VR-400
These two are customizable, so you could add a second hard drive if you wanted, although 1 TB storage is more than enough for most people.
If you'd like to save a bit of money from the above prices, there are plenty of options, probably more than you want to go through. So then a few questions become important:
If you'd like more options than the two I linked, let me know about these details, and I'll list a few more models.
@puzzlezaddict I would prefer a 15.6'' screen and a pretty strong graphics card, i wouldn't mind having to manage 2 hard drives.
@macietayl0r Alright, I found a few models that would fit your needs. I left out the options with an Nvidia 1060, which is the minimum necessary to run TS4 on ultra going forward; these laptops have cards that are a significant step up.
This first one is for reference, so you know how much you could save if you wanted. It has an Nvidia 1660 ti and a combination 256 GB SSD and 1 TB HDD. Its drawback is that its processor isn't all that strong, although it's more than enough for TS4 and some web browsing or other light multitasking. Still, the other processors are significantly better. This model is $1100.
Other than the above, the best choices all have an Nvidia 2060 or 1070, both stronger than the 1660 ti. (The 2060 is a bit stronger than the 1070, but they're very close.) These two MSI laptops both have the same Intel i7-8750H processor and 2060. The first one has a single 512 GB solid state drive, whereas the second one has a 256 GB SSD and a 1 TB HDD. The second one has a higher quality screen, although the first one's screen should also be very good. If you include the rebates, their net prices are $1350 and $1300, respectively.
If you don't want to deal with rebates, or would prefer to buy from Amazon (or just don't like the look of the MSIs), this is Asus's version of the above computer, with the same 8750H, 2060, and 512 GB SSD, for $1380.
https://www.amazon.com/Zephyrus-i7-8750H-GeForce-Military-Grade-Chassis/dp/B07G5Z9H8R
There is a newer version of the 8750H (the 9750H, unsurprisingly), although it's only a little bit better than its predecessor. Most laptops that have it haven't come down in price yet. I don't think it's necessarily worth the extra money for the small improvement. Still, if you're curious, the best deal for a laptop with a 9750H and a 2060 is at CyberpowerPC, where you could get the slim 15" version with a 512 GB SSD for $1500, or 1 TB SSD for $1540.
https://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Tracer-III-15Z-Slim-VR-300
https://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Tracer-III-15Z-Slim-VR-400
If you have any other questions, or these aren't quite what you're looking for, feel free to ask.
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