Re: Best UK laptop for Sims 4 with all packs, mods and cc?
@Spiz9792 First of all, I feel like I have to make it clear that both Sims 3 and Sims 4 will lag on any system. For Sims 3, the game engine simply has a difficult time keeping up with the demands of managing the content from all the expansions; for Sims 4, there are lots of bugs and other issues that may or may not be ironed out in the future. That's not to say that powerful hardware makes no difference at all, only that above a certain point, the games' limitations cannot be completely overcome. Stronger components do help buffer the lag though—in a given situation, you might see framerates drop into the 30s or 40s rather than the teens.
The minimum requirement for ultra graphics settings in Sims 3 is currently pretty much the same as the minimum requirement for ultra settings in Sims 4. (I'm not including Sims 2 in this because that game will basically run on a toaster at this point.) The two critical components here are the graphics card and the storage. For the GPU, any new dedicated card is good enough for ultra settings, although you may want to go one level up to help absorb the fps drops and account for future Sims 4 packs. For storage, you'll want at least 512 GB to fit both games, their saves, and however much custom content you feel like downloading. The other hardware matters too, but any current gaming laptop will have a strong-enough processor and at least 8 GB RAM.
On that note, these are the cheapest good options I'm seeing that meet those criteria:
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8841694?clickPR=plp:10:35
The graphics card in the last two is better than the card in the first three, and between the last two, I personally think the Dell is better because the MSI runs a bit hot and loud even for a gaming laptop. Still, none of these are bad choices. I also didn't do a thorough search, since I don't know whether this is the kind of laptop you'd want to buy, but I did see that there are plenty of other options for £800 or less. Let me know if you'd like something specific in this category, and I can take a closer look.
In terms of the best laptop, that's pretty difficult to say. Like I mentioned, hardware doesn't help as much past a certain point—it's not like you'd see any benefit from a £4,000 desktop replacement that weighs 4 kg and comes with a power brick that weighs more than most laptops. I guess if I were buying something, or rather if someone were buying it for me and I didn't have to think about price, I'd seriously consider this:
https://uk.store.asus.com/rog-zephyrus-g14-ga401-15204-ga401qm-k2023t.html
It gets great reviews from the experts, it has hardware that won't max out running either game, it pretty much maxes out the performance of its components, it's lightweight, and it runs cool and quiet. That's not to say it's perfect, just really good. I'd try to find a model with an Nvidia 3060 and a QHD (2560x1440) screen; the Asus site suggests they're out there but won't find any for me at the moment. But for a 14" screen, 1080p is still fine.
Just so you don't get caught overpaying, this option is £1,300:
One other excellent (and not as pricey) option is the Lenovo Legion. These laptops are the best quality among the laptops in the "normal" price range, as in, not premium-tier. They also run cool and quiet and perform very well for their given hardware. And maybe you'd prefer a 15" screen rather than the 14" one the Zephyrus has. There are a number of configurations available, including these:
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9308095?clickPR=plp:15:35
The second one is definitely overpriced; I'm only listing it because I mentioned the QHD screen, and as long as we're talking about the best available options, it's worth mentioning. The third laptop's graphics card is even faster than the one in the other two, to the point that you probably wouldn't see any benefit, but maybe you'll play something else in the future. The second and third also both have 16 GB RAM rather than 8, which is nice to have if not strictly necessary; the first can definitely be upgraded if it comes to that, and memory is cheap.
As for the M1 Mac, it will run Sims 3 and 4 on ultra settings, but not as well as these Windows laptops. For Sims 2, you'd be limited to the Super Collection in the App store since the Origin version is Windows only. The 64-bit Mac version of Sims 3 also has a number of bugs not present in the other versions, and it feels a lot choppier even when fps is relatively high. I wouldn't recommend it for people that have a choice between playing in macOS and Windows. That's not to say that you wouldn't enjoy it, just that it's not an ideal experience.
If you want more details about any of this, or have more questions, please feel free to ask.
