Re: Desktop specs for Sims 3/4 + HDD vs SSD or both?
@MyCatsNameIsMax Any of these models would be great for both games. If you have the budget for it though, I'd definitely drop the first option in favor of the second or third. The graphics card in the first one is not as strong as the other two, although it would certainly run Sims 3 and all current Sims 4 packs on ultra settings. Whether it will run all future TS4 packs together on ultra is unclear; that card is right on the border of what we guess might be necessary. And while 8 GB RAM is more than enough for either game, having 16 GB will make multitasking much easier, especially if you like to browse the web, edit screenshots, etc. while you play.
The Ryzen 5 3600 is a significantly stronger processor than an i5-9400F, while the 1660 Super is significantly faster than the 580. (The gap in artificial benchmarks is around twice as large between the processors as between the graphics cards, but that doesn't mean a whole lot.) So the better option for you will depend in part on your personal preferences. In your position, I'd want the stronger processor, knowing it's a lot easier to install a new GPU in a few years with no other upgrades necessary. A new processor likely means a new motherboard and probably a new CPU cooler as well. But again, that's subjective.
As for storage, a 512 GB SSD will hold Sims 3 and 4 plus all of your saves, mods and custom content, screenshots, etc. without a problem. If you're thinking you might play other games at some point, a 1 TB SSD might be the better option. Any app will load much faster on an SSD than an HDD, although live play (between loading screens) will be the same on any kind of drive. The only good reason to get a large HDD is that it's so much cheaper than an equivalent SSD, and some people need the storage. But if you don't, you can skip it.
By the way, it's also easy to install an internal drive (SSD or HDD) later, if you want. The computer's motherboard might not have a slot for a second NVMe SSD (the fastest category), but I don't think there's currently a game out there that will load faster on an NVMe rather than a SATA SSD. And installing a SATA drive, SSD or HDD, takes a couple of minutes.
The bottom line is, you'll be fine with whatever you choose; just figure out what's most important to you.
P.S. When you do install Sims 3, you'll need to manually cap the in-game framerates, as the game's own fps limiter doesn't work. (This would be necessary with any halfway decent GPU.) How to do that will depend on which graphics card you get. If you'd like help with this, feel free to ask for advice in the TS3 section.
