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emz_20_02's avatar
4 months ago

Please help with purchasing a new PC to run sims 4 between $1200 and $2000 AUD

Hello!

Can I please have some suggestions on what PC to buy between $1200 and $2000 AUD for the sims 4? Or some good places in Australia where I could look for good deals? I would prefer a desktop unless there is a significant benefit in getting a laptop.

My partner is getting me a birthday/Christmas present and I would like to give him a few options.

I was helped by the lovely puzzlezaddict with information for my PC upgrade a few months back (I was able to install the GPU, CPU and SSD by myself and it works really well, so thank you!!) but still not quite as smooth or fast as I would like, but it is what it is. My partner is going to use this pc, so it won't be a waste.

I am looking for my setup to run all packs of the sims 4 and CC/mods - pretty much the best I can get around that price range. I don't mind if it's overkill, as long as it's smooth and fast lol

Current system is:

- Intel Core i5-9600K on ASUSTek PRIME H310M-K R2.0 Rev X.0x

- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060

- Crucial MX500 2TB 2.5" SATA SSD

- 16 GB Ram

- PSU is an Axceltek AP500 500W

- Running a Dell s3422DWG curved monitor - (finally got 144hz when I used a dpi instead of the hdmi)

so anything better than this! (I will be keeping the monitor)

Thank you, I really appreciate you taking the time out to answer 🙂

3 Replies

  • @emz_20_02  I would be happy to make more suggestions.  However, I'm wondering if you might be chasing a level of Sims 4 performance that doesn't exist, at least not right now.  Your setup should be able to run all current packs together on ultra graphics settings at well above 100 fps, most of the time, as long as you're not trying to play at a 4k resolution.  The problem is that the game itself has issues that can't be overcome on even the most powerful hardware.

    If you want to see how well your current computer can run Sims 4 in theory, with nothing else interfering, I'd suggest trying a clean boot while offline.  This isn't a fix but more a way to set a baseline for performance, to see if something else is interfering with the game.  Here's how to clean boot:

    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows-da2f9573-6eec-00ad-2f8a-a97a1807f3dd

    The one service to leave enabled is the EABackgroundService, which the EA App needs in order to run.  Disable the rest as described.

    When you reboot your computer, go through the Task Manager's background processes list shutting down any service that doesn't absolutely need to be running, for example anything from MSI Afterburner to RGB software might still be enabled.  If you accidentally kill a critical process and it doesn't restart on its own, just reboot your computer again.

    Sign into the EA App and put it in offline mode, then take your computer offline: disable wifi and/or disconnect the ethernet cable.  Don't open anything other than Sims 4 and the EA App while testing.

    If this helps in a significant way, you can try again while online, then selectively reenable services until you find one that's tanking performance.  If it doesn't help, you're likely running up against the game's inherent limitations.

    That's not to say that a very new, very fast PC would make no difference at all.  I just don't think it should, under ideal circumstances, make a substantial difference, given the inherent issues of Sims 4.  And I also think it's worth making sure you're getting the most out of your current setup before deciding to spend a lot of money on a new one.

  • emz_20_02's avatar
    emz_20_02
    4 months ago

    Thank you!!

    I am running through the process now.

    I would still like to consider newer options as this computer will be going to my partner, so I am happy to upgrade.

    I do think there is a lag with this computer, even with the upgrades. I am basing my comparison on when I saw his laptop run the sims 4 (with mods and all expansions) it was just so much smoother and faster.

    I know my mods slow it down a little, but I want to be able to play the game with them. And I check them every day for out of date mods and update accordingly so I don't think it's bad mods or cc per say.

    Like right now, even with the clean boot and not connected to the internet it's taking ages to load. When I see his run it, it's so much faster ☹️

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    4 months ago

    @emz_20_02  That does seem odd, unless you have a giant pile of mods and custom content on this machine that you don't on the other one.  (In that case, the logical next step would be to test without your Mods folder.)  It's at least worth checking CPU and GPU temperatures to make sure the hardware isn't throttling.  There are plenty of free apps out there if you want to look around; the one I prefer is hwinfo.  It picks up almost every sensor it can find, which can make the info a bit overwhelming, but you can focus on only the temperature readings to keep things simple.

    For reference, your graphics card shouldn't go above 60-65º C when running Sims 4, depending on the cooler it has and the room's ambient temperature, but anything below 80º on the chip itself is fine.  (The hotspot will be hotter, naturally, which is also fine unless it's approaching 100º.)  The processor's temperatures can be more variable depending on the cooler you're using and how you've arranged the case fans, but it should still never go beyond the low 90s.  If it's higher, it's probably throttling to protect itself and thereby tanking performance.

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