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Re: Re: Can these laptops run sims 4 and 3 with most DLC + CC and mods?

@Rjmontez  Given your budget, there are two categories of gaming laptop for you to consider.  One is the minimum required to run Sims 4 on ultra graphics settings, and the other is the next tier up: a bit more expensive and somewhat faster.  You don't need to upgrade, but doing so would mean higher framerates and more room to absorb the effects of high poly custom content, Reshade, or whatever other non-EA content you decide to add to the game.

For the lower tier, there are lots of options, but only a few I'm seeing that are reasonably-good quality and also cheaper than the cheapest good options the next tier higher.  If you're going to spend $850, you might as well get the upgraded graphics card.  Since you asked about significantly cheaper options though, this is the only one cheaper than the cheapest good option in the higher tier:

https://newegg.com/black-msi-gf-series-thin-gf63-12uc-851us-gaming/p/N82E16834156563

It should be able to handle Sims 4, all current content included, on ultra graphics settings, with some room to spare.  It also has a full terabyte of storage, although realistically, you're not going to be able to use up even 500 GB with just Sims 4 no matter how much of a custom content hoarder you are.

For the next tier up, these all have the same or equivalent hardware, including 16 GB RAM and at least 500 GB storage, and are good quality overall:

https://www.newegg.com/black-msi-gf-series-thin-gf63-12ve-849us-gaming/p/N82E16834156562

https://www.newegg.com/obsidian-black-acer-nitro-5-an515-58-56ch-gaming/p/N82E16834360248

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/gigabyte-15-6-gaming-laptop-1920x1080-fhd-intel-i5-12450h-with-16gb-ddr4-nvidia-geforce-rtx-4050-512gb-ssd-black/6541292.p?skuId=6541292

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/gaming-laptops/g16-gaming-laptop/spd/g-series-16-7620-laptop/gn7620frqch

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-rog-zephyrus-g14-14-165hz-gaming-laptop-qhd-amd-ryzen-7-7735hs-with-16gb-ddr5-memory-nvidia-rtx-4050-6g-512gb-ssd-moonlight-white/6535497.p?skuId=6535497

The first two are significantly cheaper but also run hotter and noisier than the others, nothing dangerous, but worth noting.  The last two have higher-resolution screens than the others, which is definitely a benefit if you like crisp and clear images, in-game or otherwise.  Note that the last one is 14", which is a bit small for some people.

If none of these are exactly what you want, let me know why and I'll find some other options.  There are actually a lot of laptops with an RTX 4050 graphics card available for $900 or less; these are just the ones I thought were the best combination of quality and price.

And if you have more questions in general, please feel free to ask.

8 Replies

  • Rjmontez's avatar
    Rjmontez
    2 years ago

    @puzzlezaddictI see what you mean about getting one with a upgraded graphics card. I definitely want that, i might as well. I don't want anything that will overheat. The noise is not a big deal to me. id rather get my moneys worth if i need to spend more. i see some good options. definitely want a bigger screen as well. what are some other options that may cost a bit more that you recommend.

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    2 years ago

    @Rjmontez  I don't think you need to go higher in price than the laptops I linked unless you're looking for something specific.  Sims 4 won't benefit much, and perhaps not at all, from a faster graphics card: I don't have enough info on how the RTX 4050 runs the game, but the slightly faster 3060 is a bit of overkill.  You could of course upgrade to a 4060 if that's what you want; I'm just saying you won't see much benefit in-game.

    And just to be clear, the higher performance tier I was talking about is the RTX 4050 (or the older 3060), with the lower tier being the 3050 the first laptop has.  I wasn't suggesting you look for something even faster than that.

    If you do want a feature not present in the laptops I listed, whether it's a faster graphics card or a certain screen size or something else entirely, let me know what that is, and I'll see what I can find.

  • Rjmontez's avatar
    Rjmontez
    2 years ago

    @puzzlezaddict Got it understood! so out of all that you linked no matter the price. from your expertise! which would be the best option. I seem to not be able to decide.

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    2 years ago

    @Rjmontez  Just to be clear, what graphics card do you want, what screen size do you want, and what's your preferred price?  If you only have two answers, that's enough; I just want to make sure I'm suggesting the laptop that best fits your personal preferences.

    All of the ones I linked are good quality, so this is more about what you want out of the computer rather than what's objectively the best option.

  • Rjmontez's avatar
    Rjmontez
    2 years ago

    @puzzlezaddict It doesn't matter to me as far as graphics card goes. From what you said they all those links seem to have a good enough picture/graphics which I'm fine with that. Screen size preferably 15inch or more. Price wise no more than $1000. I don't know much about game systems, But my main care is that the game runs smoothly and good memory for the mods etc. Hopefully this answers your question 🙂 

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    2 years ago

    @Rjmontez  Well, good thing I checked prices again, because this is an excellent laptop and has dropped to $950:

    https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-legion-slim-5-16-gaming-laptop-wuxga-ryzen-5-7640hs-with-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-4060-8gb-512gb-ssd-storm-grey/6534469.p?skuId=6534469

    The Legion series is probably the best of the "budget" gaming laptops and has been for a few years now.  As you can see, it's become less "budget" lately, but the sale price brings it back down into the reasonable range.  To be clear, it's overkill for Sims 4, but if you want the best sub-$1,000 laptop, that's it.

    If you'd like a 16" laptop, which is a noticeable difference even if it doesn't seem like it would be, this is an excellent alternative.  The 16:10 resolution is great for multitasking too: you get a bit more space vertically without sacrificing width.  It "only" has an RTX 4050, but as we discussed, that's more than enough to max out Sims 4 and then some.  ROG Strix laptops are also high quality, just usually not in the budget tier either.

    https://www.newegg.com/eclipse-gray-asus-rog-strix-g16-g614ju-ns54-gaming/p/N82E16834236429

    If you want to save money without getting a low-end laptop, this is the best alternative I'm seeing right now:

    https://www.bestbuy.com/site/gigabyte-15-6-144hz-gaming-laptop-fhd-intel-i7-12650h-with-16gb-ram-nvidia-geforce-rtx-4060-512gb-ssd-black/6554836.p?skuId=6554836

    It's still high quality, not quite at the level of the other two, but still great and should last you as long as you want.

    All of these are excellent options, and frankly I'm surprised they're so cheap right now.  (The ones from Best Buy won't be for much longer if you believe the sale countdown, which is hit or miss.)  The question is what you want, and I can't tell you that.  I will say that I love my 16:10 screen and that if the screens were equal, I'd buy a Legion without thinking about it.  But it's not my extra $200.

  • Jadey678's avatar
    Jadey678
    2 years ago

    Sorry to jump on the thread (and happy to create my own!) but would you know of any laptops on the UK under £400 that would be good enough for Sims 4? I’d like to get back into it again but my current laptop is extremely old, loud and heavy! Not to mention it doesn’t work unless plugged in.

    If I could, my preference would be £200-300, but I’ve got a feeling it would be worth a bit extra for a better experience! 

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    2 years ago

    @Jadey678  You're right that going above £300 will give you much better options, at least for new laptops.  These are the best I could find, in terms of hardware, for less than £400:

    https://ao.com/product/x1400eaek2134w-asus-vivobook-14-laptop-black-99122-251.aspx

    https://www.johnlewis.com/asus-vivobook-15-x1500-laptop-intel-core-i5-processor-8gb-ram-512gb-ssd-15-6-inch-full-hd-silver/p109521944

    They have the same internal hardware, but the first has a smaller screen, although neither is top-tier in terms of brightness or colors.  The processor and graphics chip should be able to run Sims 4, all packs included, on medium-high to high graphics settings, 8 GB RAM is enough for the game (although not for much multitasking), and 512 GB is plenty.

    If you'd like a better screen, consider one of these:

    https://www.currys.co.uk/products/acer-aspire-3-15.6-laptop-intel-core-i5-256-gb-ssd-silver-10239515.html

    https://ao.com/product/nxaddek00m-acer-aspire-3-a31558-laptop-silver-98375-251.aspx

    https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3343173?clickPR=plp:22:40

    All have the same graphics chip as the others.  The first two have the same processor, while the third has a slightly faster one, but that won't make much difference, if any, to Sims 4.  The first only has 256 GB storage, which is more than enough for the game (~60 GB including all current packs) and a moderate amount of custom content, but you might run into trouble if you wanted to install another large game or store a significant amount of data as well.

    If you want to keep the price down further than those, I wouldn't go any lower than £300, below which the performance drops off significantly.  These laptops should be able to handle low-medium settings, or maybe higher if you don't install all the expansions:

    https://www.johnlewis.com/lenovo-ideapad-3i-laptop-intel-core-i3-processor-8gb-ram-256gb-ssd-15-6-inch-full-hd-abyss-blue/p110968419

    https://www.currys.co.uk/products/asus-vivobook-15-x1500ea-15.6-laptop-intel-core-i3-256-gb-ssd-black-10240145.html

    https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4375690?clickPR=plp:8:40

    https://www.hp.com/gb-en/shop/product.aspx?id=8R523EA&opt=ABU&sel=NTB

    These do also have lower-end screens and only 256 GB storage, understandably at this price point.

    Please note that if you get a laptop with Windows S installed, you'll need to "upgrade" (for free) to the Home version of Windows in order to install apps not found on the Microsoft Store.  This only takes a couple of clicks and is not a reason to avoid any particular model.

    Some of these laptops could be upgraded to 16 GB RAM in the future, if it became necessary or convenient.  It's not always straightforward to figure out which ones, but let me know if you want me to double-check any of the models.

    If you have more questions, please feel free to ask.