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TropiSims's avatar
TropiSims
4 years ago
Solved

New PC laptop | How are my specs?

Hey simmers! So hubby got me a brand new gaming laptop in the hopes it will run The Sims 4 much better than my crappy old Dell laptop (good hubby!) - but I'm clueless when it comes to computer specs...
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  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    4 years ago

    @TropiSims  I think "good hubby" doesn't even begin to cover it.  This is a powerful laptop and can handle everything Sims 4 would throw at it without breaking a sweat, so to speak.  It's also a great laptop in general, I mean in terms of build quality, cooling and noise, and performance relative to its hardware.  So you should be able to run the game on ultra settings even if you pile on the custom content.

    Sims 4 will have the occasional slowdown, that's just how it's made, and it happens on even the strongest systems.  But it won't be your computer's fault.  And the rest of the time, the game should run great.

TropiSims's avatar
TropiSims
4 years ago

Great advice, thank you! I have a simple plastic tray with a beanbag type thing on the bottom, it's more for writing on while in bed or on the couch, but that's what I've been using. Would that suffice? Or should I get a real laptop cooling tray with either fans, or cut outs to allow air circulation? My blanket doesn't block any of the airflow with just the little writing tray, but I also want to take good care of this beautiful new computer so that it will last for years to come. So if you think it's worth getting a real laptop tray, I'll get one asap!

Thank you again for all of your help, and for your well wishes!

puzzlezaddict's avatar
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
4 years ago

@TropiSims  Whatever you use, the idea is that the laptop's vents need to be unblocked.  It looks like your laptop brings in cool air through the bottom of the chassis and the fans push it out through the side and back vents, so you want the bottom grate completely unobstructed.  Even though there's a little riser on the bottom to lift that vent off the surface it's sitting on, you might get better cooling with a cutout beneath the grate, or at least with a setup that gives it an inch or so of clearance.

Looking at its setup and reviews, I don't think this laptop needs a tray with build-in cooling fans, especially if Sims 4 is the most demanding game you play.  But if the laptop is uncomfortably hot to the touch after an hour or so of gaming, then extra cooling will be helpful regardless of internal temperatures.

There's no harm in trying your current setup, or fiddling with improvised solutions, and deciding what you need based on your own observations.  Your laptop will throttle performance if necessary to keep from overheating and damaging itself; this is universal in modern hardware.  It's just that you don't want to lose performance due to that throttling, and of course you don't want the laptop's surface to be too hot to use the way you'd like.

  • TropiSims's avatar
    TropiSims
    4 years ago

    Awesome, all great advice! Thank you!

    I've already played countless hours into the wee hours of the night on this bad boy (lol) and it hasn't really gotten hot. I've mostly been using it while I'm sitting on the couch with it on my lap, and have also used it directly on the dining room table without any heating issues. The fan does blow out of the sides pretty hard when I'm playing The Sims, but the laptop itself only gets a little warm. However, I think I'm going to look into getting a decent laptop tray just to be on the safe side. This thing cost us a lot of money, so I want to make sure I take good care of it 🙂

    Thank you again for all of your help and advice! I really appreciate it!!

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