Re: Whats the best laptop for sims4 and work?
Hi you left such a detailed response i hope you don’t mind if I ask you some questions as well. I had a mac book pro it crashed in the middle of doing and important project for work so i rushed and ...
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@Player_njlrsklo I've split your post into its own thread, since your issues are quite different (and it's easier for me to keep track of this way).
First of all, macOS is very good at throttling performance to protect the hardware. The major reason gaming can damage a computer is through excessive heat, but your OS should prevent that. It's still possible though. If you want to monitor temperatures, iStat is probably the best tool for Macs, at least among those that offer a free version.
The CPU temps (including the graphics chip integrated into the processor) should ideally stay below 80º C, although you don't really have a problem until you get into the 90s. You can also get a cooling pad to help, which would obviously be much cheaper than a new laptop.
By the way, the other major source of damage to a graphics card is maintaining excessively high framerates over a long period of time, but your integrated graphics chip probably isn't going to maintain high enough framerates for that. Still, if you're playing on lower settings, it's best to enable vertical sync in the graphics options, and make sure the framerates don't go over 60. To see fps in real time, bring up the cheats console (ctrl-shift-C) and enter "fps on" without quotes. The number will apper in the lower left corner. ("fps off" makes it go away.)
By the way, it's normal for your processor to turbo and for the fans to rev up while you're playing. The processors in my computers start running at their max turbo clock as soon as I launch Sims 4, even though their load is low enough that it's totally unnecessary. To be fair, I haven't paid close attention in macOS, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the same result.
Your graphics chip is about equal in gaming performance to an Nvidia MX130 or MX150 in gaming, although it's hard to be sure since so many games don't run at all in macOS. If temperature isn't a factor, you should be able to play on medium-high settings as it is, so I'm not sure you'd want to buy a new laptop just to get the same performance, at least not without seeing whether you can play effectively on this one. Again, as long as temps are under control, you really don't have to worry too much.
If you do want a new laptop just to play, you could one that would run all Sims 4 packs together on ultra graphics settings for $700:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1542057-REG/msi_gf63_thin_9scx_005_gf63_i5_9300h_8gb.html
The hard drive is small, but it's more than enough for the game, your saves, and all the custom content you could ever download. If you wanted to save a bit of money, you could get an open-box version of this one, with the same hardware (other than a larger hard drive); the option that's not sold out is $607.
Or you might be able to find a used laptop with an Nvidia 1050 (regular or ti), if you trust the seller enough to take that risk. But the next class of laptop down is going to be almost as expensive and only provide a marginal improvement in performance, if any.
If you would in fact like a laptop that would handle only medium graphics, something like this would work:
https://store.hp.com/us/en/pdp/hp-laptop-14t-7ax33av-1
Let me know if you want to see similar options. And please feel free to ask more questions.
Okay thank u so much.
me looking for another computer possibly wasn’t due to anything graphics related it was just for the fact that i was scared by the noise the computer makes the second i start playing the game and also the heat that starts coming from the laptop and lastly the fact that i read i should be playing sims 4 with the computer charging the whole time - i’m worried about how those things will affect the longevity of my mac. i want it to last long term and not be ruined by sims 4 game. i figures even tho i spent a lot already throwing it all away years from now if the mac isnt well performing due to those three factors listed that it may be better although painful to spend another 5-700 now and play separate instead of slowly damaging a 2000$ device overtime
But if i understand you correctly as long as i get the temp under control and maybe adjust the setting to medium high but do the fps cheat i should be ok? no slow damage done at all ? Can you address my worry about the mac being plugged during gameplay for like 3 -5 hours at a full charge . I always thought that was bad for devices ? like they say not to overcharge your iphone overnight and it causes damage to the battery but not to the mac while playing sims 4 simultaneously?
next, if i’m playing at medium / medium high i don’t need to enable vertical sync? only if i’m playing low? if i keep playing on my mac can you tell me exactly how i should configure my gameplay graphic settings? with mac preservation in mind but still wanting a clear picture
Also is the fps cheat a one time thing or it needs to be continuously checked?
@Player_njlrsklo I have a 15" MacBook Pro and played almost exclusively on it for over a year, always with the laptop plugged in. I also normally use it with it plugged in. A couple of months ago, when the computer was more than two years old, I did some hardware monitoring and noticed that the wear level on the battery read as 8.5%, and the battery still read as having 60Wh when fully charged. That's not much more than I'd expect with light use and no gaming. Besides, batteries can be replaced. You should definitely keep the laptop plugged in while you play anyway, for better performance.
As long as temperatures are fine, and framerates aren't too high (even 100 fps wouldn't be an issue), you don't need to worry about Sims 4 doing any damage to your Mac. What I meant about the graphics settings and fps is that the lower the settings, the higher the framerates your graphics chip will generate. I don't think the chip could generate high fps on high or even medium settings anyway, just based on its overall speed, but you should check no matter what.
Some people like to play with fps constantly showing, but it's not necessary. Start a new save and send a sim to Newcrest in good weather, then see what framerates you get. You shouldn't ever see anything higher than you do there, in a world full of nothing, unless you lower the graphics settings. Lower framerates are common in certain worlds (e.g. Del Sol Valley) or when the game isn't running well for other reasons, like there are too many sims around or the weather is bad or something else demanding.
If your fps is consistently below 60 (the refresh rate of your monitor), you don't need to enable v-sync. You can still try it and see whether the game runs better if you want. But if you're getting higher than 60 fps, that just means you can turn up the settings a bit.
By the way, one other very helpful step to make the game run better is lowering the in-game resolution. The fewer pixels your graphics chip has to render, the easier it is. On the other hand, very low resolutions don't look as good. A good compromise might be playing at 1680x1050 or even 1440x900; your screen supports both resolutions.
Feel free to experiment until you get something you like. Again, as long as temps are good, you should be fine.
Hi again, Thank you!
ok i think i few better. so if you were me , you would not go and purchase another laptop just to play sims 4?
you would just get a cooling pad -( which one is best by the way?) check the fps, toggle with resolution, adjust graphic settings and keep the game plugged in and i should be fine? You can replace mac book batteries?
i didn’t know that.
i don’t know much about this stuff
do you use virus and computer protection software on your macs. should i get one? especially with cc downloads i’m thinking that may be a good idea. what do you think.
I think i’m going to take the idea of getting a new laptop just for sims out of my head. I love this mac book. i just want to protect it , but if i have nothing to worry about then yes , i’d obviously rather play on here. no lagging, nice display , i’m happy with everything i just want to take every precaution.
have we discussed all the precautions i should take? or are there anymore ?
Hi I am have been looking for a laptop to play Sims 4 and basic Microsoft office and internet browsing. I live in the UK and would be looking to spend from £500 to £800.
I have been looking at the following laptops with research but I’m not sure if they meet the recommended criteria.
https://uk-store.acer.com/aspire-e-15-notebook-e5-575-red
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7296415I would be open to any suggestions.
thanks
@loneill293 The second laptop is better than the first one, but you could still do better for under £800. An Nvidia 1650 graphics card will run Sims 4, all packs included, on ultra graphics settings, with some room to spare. That may not quite be true by the time the game is out of development—we don't know how demanding future expansion packs will be—but at the very least, a 1650 should always be able to handle a mix of high and ultra settings.
I checked a few different sites, and these two are the cheapest options I saw, at £750. The processors are equivlent, and they both have 8 GB memory. The Asus has twice the storage, but the 256 GB drive in the Lenovo will still be able to accommodate all of Sims 4 and however much custom content you want to use, with plenty of room left over for documents, spreadsheets, etc. If you're planning on handling multimedia presentations though, you may want the larger hard drive.
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7318984
https://www.box.co.uk/81LK010TUK-Lenovo-IdeaPad-Gaming-L340-15_2834990.html
If you really need a lot of storage, this Lenovo has a combination 256 GB solid state drive and 1 TB mechanical drive, which is more than enough for almost anyone.
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7890017
If you're looking for something more portable, this laptop should run all Sims 4 content on high settings. The MX350 is significantly slower than the 1650, but it's much faster than the integrated graphics chips in most laptops, including the ones you found. This one is £700.
https://uk-store.acer.com/acer-aspire-5-laptop-a515-54g-silver-1
If you have more questions, please feel free to ask.
That is so helpful, thank you.
I just want to double check, would all of those laptops also be able to handle a few expansion packs?
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