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puzzlezaddict's avatar
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
6 years ago

Re: Which Graphics Card Would Work Best For Sims 4?

@autosweetsim  I've moved your post to the Sims 4 PC tech section.

The 3500U and 8565U are processors, not graphcis cards.  The confusion may step from the fact that they have graphics chips integrated into the processors, and most laptops with these processors will not have a separate dedicated graphics card, so any game you play would run on the chip.

As far as performance goes, the i7-8565 is a stronger processor than the Ryzen 5 3500U.  But the graphics chip in the 3500U is faster.  For Sims 4, you'd likely get better performance overall with the 3500U because the graphics chip would be the limiting factor.  Although neither processor is particularly powerful, both should be able to run Sims 4 quite well, especially if you don't have anything else open (besides Origin) on the laptop at the same time.

If you're planning to do other activities on the laptop, like work with Photoshop, you might benefit from the extra power and speed of the 8565U.  But purely for Sims, the 3500U is a better answer, all other specs being equal.

If you'd like help selecting a laptop, or you want an opinion on particular models, feel free to post here.  Please include links if you're looking at specific laptops.

5 Replies

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    6 years ago

    @autosweetsim  That would work fine: the game would run on medium settings with no trouble, and you might be able to turn up one or two settings to high.  The better screen isn't going to impact performance much, but you'd certainly like looking at it more.  If you're only using it for Sims 4, upgrading the storage wouldn't be necessary and might actually be counterproductive, depending on which option you selected.

    A single 256 GB hard drive could hold the game, all its packs, and your user-generated content, plus plenty of small apps like browsers.  But with a combination 128 GB SSD/1 TB HDD, you'd need to install the game on the HDD, or else you might run out of storage on the SSD.  Windows needs a significant amount of free space to operate.  As for the more expensive upgrade, $140 is kind of ridiculous.  You could find a 4 TB external hard drive for less (mine was $110) and transfer your extra files to that—data like music and photos would play back just the same on an external drive as on an internal one.

    If you'd like, I can look around for other options for you.  Just let me know what your budget is, as well as any other features you want.

  • autosweetsim's avatar
    autosweetsim
    6 years ago

    Thanks, this really helped. My budget is in the $500 range. Maybe you could find something a little better from what I suggested.

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    6 years ago

    @autosweetsim  For $530, you could get a proper gaming laptop with a dedicated graphics card.  This HP is offered through Amazon by a third-party seller, but it has the "Fulfilled by Amazon" tag, so you'd have that guarantee if something went wrong.  Its processor is also stronger than the one you saw.  The graphics card could likely handle ultra settings right now, although maybe not with a lot of room to spare if you own all packs.  It's still going to perform a lot better than an integrated card though.  This laptop does only have 256 GB storage, but again, that's enough for Sims 4 and all your content.

    https://www.amazon.com/HP-Pavilion-Premium-Quad-Core-Keyboard/dp/B0814QQW56/

    This $535 version is probably the same laptop, except the screen is listed as SVA rather than IPS.  IPS is the best type, but SVA is also high quality.  Again, you can get it from a third party but "Fulfilled by Amazon."

    https://www.amazon.com/HP-Pavilion-Gaming-15-ec0751ms-Laptop/dp/B081D1HHP6/

    I couldn't find much else within your price range with a dedicated card.  This is the next cheapest offering ($580; click "available from these sellers), with a slightly stronger processor and a slightly faster graphics card.

    https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Display-Backlit-Keyboard-i5-8300H/dp/B07S7LNXYJ/

    If you'd like to stay in a slightly lower price range, then the HP you found is a good option.  The next one better I saw is this $470 model, with a slightly better integrated graphics chip and a stronger processor.

    https://www.amazon.com/HP-15-15-6-inch-Touchscreen-Quad-Core/dp/B082FYKCSQ/

    Other than this one, the equal or better options are all over $500, and if you're willing to pay that, the best way to spend that money, at least as far as playing Sims 4 is concerned, is to get one of the laptops with a dedicated card.

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

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