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Re: is this laptop suitable for sims 4

@xoxleahnmxox  No, sorry, that's not a good option in several ways.  The most pressing issue is the storage: 64 GB wouldn't even be enough for all of Sims 4 and Windows, let alone anything else you might want to install (or your saves and other game-related files, for that matter).  Beyond that, the processor and its graphics chip are quite weak for the game, although they could probably manage to run at least some expansions on low settings.  4 GB RAM is also not ideal, although I don't think that would be as limiting as the other components in this particular case.

There are unfortunately not a lot of good options in this price range; many of them have the same low storage, and most if not all have similarly weak processors.  If this is all you can afford right now and your goal is to enjoy Sims 4, you'd be better off saving up for a little while to get a significantly better computer.  If you buy this one, you might not be able to play at all, and then you'll have spent your money with nothing to show for it.

6 Replies

  • xoxleahnmxox's avatar
    xoxleahnmxox
    5 years ago
    Spoiler
     

    Thank you for the reply!

    I was playing the sims on a 32gb laptop which was not ideal because it kept forcing me to delete my saves. Is 64gb enough for the sims though? I have a hard drive that I plug in that the 20gb the sims requires will

    be on. It’s probably hard to impossible to find a laptop in my price range that will work i’ll keep looking though. 

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    5 years ago

    @xoxleahnmxox  Installing Sims 4 on an external hard drive will address the storage problem, sure, but not the issue of the processor and its graphics chip being weak.  To give you context, the Celeron N4000 was weak even when it was released in 2017, and at its base clock speed and with only two cores, it's actually below the minimum requirement for Sims 4.  It does have a higher "burst" speed, but it's not designed to be able to maintain these speeds for any length of time, much less a long play session.  The graphics chip is even slower relative to the game's requirements.  And again, having 4 GB RAM can be a serious limitation, especially with the graphics chip needing to borrow from that for its own workload.

    All this is not to say that you definitely wouldn't be able to play the base game on this laptop, just that it might not be a good experience.  If the only major issue with your current setup is that you keep needing to delete your saves, you could instead store them on the external hard drive as well, as described here:

    https://crinrict.com/blog/2020/02/moving-windows-documents-folder-to-external-drive-via-symbolic-link.html

    As long as the hard drive has enough space overall, it should be okay.  Just make sure you're not trying to put two "The Sims 4" folders in the same location.

    That way, you could still play and wait to buy a new laptop until you find something that would work better.

    The other option of course is to look for a used laptop.  You might be able to get something a couple levels better than the new options in your price range, and a laptop from 2019 should still be in excellent condition as long as it's been taken care of properly.

  • xoxleahnmxox's avatar
    xoxleahnmxox
    5 years ago

    I was looking around and would an acer aspire 5 be a better choose it is over my price range but I’m willing to save up for it

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    5 years ago

    @xoxleahnmxox  That depends on the specs of the Aspire.  Some are good enough for medium graphics settings; others wouldn't be any better than the one you linked.

    If you're shopping around, you could also look at U.K. stores.  Some of them ship to Ireland, and if you set your credit card to pay in pounds, you may get a better exchange rate than if you let the site convert for you.  (This is especially true of amazon.com, although there may be other offenders.)  And if you can hold out until Black Friday or close enough, you may see a somewhat better option drop into your price range as well.

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    5 years ago

    @xoxleahnmxox  You're not being a pain, and anyway I only answer questions when I have time and can walk away from a thread if I feel like it.  Which I don't.

    Anyway, yes, this would be better by a significant margin, although for that price I think you could find something more powerful.  Look for a Ryzen 3 4000 or 5000 series, or better yet a Ryzen 5; the 3500U is not nearly as fast as the 4th or 5th gen but would still be a very good choice, and considering that the processor is a bit older now, you might find one at a significant discount.  If you can, look for a model with at least 8 GB RAM too.  The memory in many models can be upgraded later, but some lightweight laptops don't have a free slot at all.  128 GB storage is not ideal but can be enough if you manage it carefully.

    If you're not going to buy now though, it's not worth choosing the model you want.  Inventory turns over quickly, and prices change even more quickly, so by the time you're ready to buy, the laptop you like today could be 100€ cheaper or 100€ more expensive, or totally unavailable, or replaced by a newer and better version.  It's a lot easier if you go in knowing what kind of laptop you want and how much you're willing to spend, then choose whatever is available and has decent reviews.

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