Re: Mini pc

@puzzlezaddict 

Thank you for the help! Ok I understand so it’s a bit useless to get anything since the issue is with how much mods I have.. what would be the ideal number so it runs smoothly ? Like average ? And is it better to organize them in sub folders ( hair , clothes etc) inside the mod folder or just leave them all together in the mods folder ?

@nadineabdoun  There's no ideal number of mods or cc items to allow the game to run smoothly.  Each (properly-made and working) item adds an imperceptible amount to loading times, and the total is what matters.  It's not like you can have X mods and Y cc items with no issues, but X+5 or Y+5 will introduce obvious problems.  The key is to find a balance between having enough content you like and avoiding unbearable loading times or performance issues.  This, in turn, is a highly subjective matter.  I can't tell you what the right answer is for you.

I will say that the faster a computer's processor and RAM, the faster the loading times, up to a point.  (Having the game on an SSD is also critical when dealing with this much content, but that's an either/or proposition; the game itself won't max out even a SATA SSD, let alone a faster model.)  So new hardware running at high speeds will be an improvement no matter how much third-party content you have, but it won't "fix" long loading times, only decrease them.

Organizing mods and cc into folders doesn't really help, other than to impose some order and therefore make it easier for you to keep track of your content.

If you do want a new system, there are plenty out there with 1 TB SSD storage as well as fast processors and memory.  I don't know whether you're in the market right now, but whenever you're ready to buy a new system, feel free to ask for advice or a second opinion here.

@nadineabdoun  That's a great option as far as external SSDs go.  An internal SSD would be even faster though, at least in theory.  Whether it's faster for Sims 4 would depend on whether the game is maxing out the speed of your current drive or its connection to your PC, whichever is slower.  The game has its own limitations, so it could be that your drive is already performing above the maximum for Sims 4, in which case an internal SSD wouldn't make a practical difference to the game.

The only way to figure this out would be with benchmark tests, and there's not much point if you're looking for a new computer anyway.  In that case, it's simple and cheap enough to get a model with a sufficiently large internal SSD so that you can sidestep the question entirely.  And while Sims 4 might not benefit from the extra speed, other games could in the future, not to mention other tasks your computer performs.

@puzzlezaddict 

Thank you for your answer !

i have a MacBook 2017 so am internal SSD is not an option I think. Currently I’m not on the market for a new laptop but I do have an HP Pavilion with the specifics in the photo attached. Which is better to use the sims 4 for the MacBook or the HP? And which will the SSD work better for the external one 🙂

@nadineabdoun  Without knowing the specs of your Mac, I can't say for sure whether the HP laptop would run Sims 4 better.  But if you have anything other than a 15" MacBook Pro (so a 13" Pro, or any Air or any plain MacBook), then the HP is likely faster for gaming.  Its graphics chip can run Sims 4 on medium-high to high settings, even with all current packs installed.

I will say that you'd be better off not running anything else alongside the game while playing on this laptop.  8 GB is enough for Windows and Sims 4, but not much else, at least not on a laptop with integrated graphics, as this one has.  But then you have your Mac for anything else you want to do at the same time.

When I wrote about internal storage, I meant in reference to a possible new computer, not upgrading your current one(s).  For the external SSD, it would work with either system, but you'd need to format or partition it to switch OSs.  If it's working now with the Mac, it's likely formatted as APFS or MacOS Extended (Journaled), neither of which Windows can use.  For Windows, only NTFS and possibly exFAT/FAT32 would work.  Macs can read exFAT, but Sims 4 .package files won't work on an exFAT drive, at least in macOS.

All of this is to say, you can't simply plug your external into your Windows laptop and expect the data to be read.  You'd need to either format the drive, thus erasing its data, and start over; or you'd need to partition it, if it has sufficient space to do so, and transfer the files.  That seems like a lot of effort given the current size of your cc collection.

@puzzlezaddict  Those are the information about my 2017 MacBook Air: 

macOS Monterey

Version 12.7.5

MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)

Processor 1.8 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5

Memory 8 CB 1600 MHz DDR3

Startup Disk Macintosh HD

Graphics Intel HD Graphics 6000 1536 MB

in your opinion which device is better for the game ? Or are both the same ?

@puzzlezaddict 

so do you think it’s worth the switch ? From my Mac to the HP or it won’t really make any difference loading time wise 

@nadineabdoun  Loading times should be better on the HP, but they'll still be long.  Performance in-game should be better too, meaning you could play on higher graphics settings and/or see higher framerates.

I can't tell you whether this is worth the effort for you.  But I'd suggest installing the game itself on the HP, with no mods or custom content, and comparing its performance to your Mac with no mods or cc.  (You can rename the Mods folder so it's not read.)  If you notice enough of a difference that you feel like switching is worth it, then that's your answer.