Forum Discussion

puzzlezaddict's avatar
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
6 years ago

Re: Would this be a good PC for sims 4? (custom build)

@Elleaisy  You definitely picked the right build—the "basic" option has a graphics card that isn't quite as strong as you'd want for Sims 4, and the AMD processor is definitely a better bet for what you want to do.  Any of the processors on the list would handle TS4 just fine, but since you're looking to edit video, you'd want the 2600, which is also stronger than any of the Intel processors on the list except for the 8700.  (AMD CPUs are also better for image and video editing, in addition to being cheaper.)

I'm not seeing an option to customize the build on the site, aside from picking the processor you want, but the store itself might be more flexible.  I checked other Canadian sites, as much as I could, and I couldn't bring the price of a quality build below $1300 CAD, even without a monitor.  So it looks like you found about as good a deal as you're going to see in Canada.

However, there is one other option you could consider.  CyberpowerPC ships to Canada, and while there's going to be an import tax, it still might be cheaper than the equivalent local build.  I can't say exactly how much it would be, and the rate would depend on your province, but you could apparently call your post office to find out.

For example, the same processor and graphics card, 16 GB 3200 MHz RAM, a better motherboard, a 600W gold-certified power supply, and liquid cooling would, before the import tax, work out to under $1000 CAD with the current conversion rates.  (It's $736 U.S. today before tax, but Cyberpower changes its sales daily, so it's a matter of picking your build and then waiting for the best price.)  I don't know what monitor prices look like, but I'm sure you could find something suitable for what you had left over.  (Also, the newer Ryzen 3600 processor is an extra $26 U.S., and the other parts wouldn't need to be upgraded.)

If this isn't what you're looking for, that's fine; I just thought I'd toss out that option for you to consider.  Otherwise, definitely upgrade the power supply if you can, and the faster RAM would be nice too.

5 Replies

  • Elleaisy's avatar
    Elleaisy
    6 years ago
    @puzzlezaddict Thank you again for the info! I would definitely consider CyberPower PC, I'm checking out them out now! For the computer you're referring to, did you just find that on their website or did you have to customize something? I'm looking around their website now I can't seem to find exactly what you mentioned.

    I've found a few CyberPowerPC computers on amazon.ca like this one:
    https://www.amazon.ca/CyberpowerPC-GXiVR8060A7-i5-9400F-GeForce-802-11AC/dp/B07PKXQBHN/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1VL9PSK33RJCE&keywords=cyberpower+gaming+pc&qid=1562983690&s=gateway&sprefix=cyberpower+%2Caps%2C177&sr=8-1
    But I can't see the power source anywhere on the page and it's only 8GB RAM so I don't know if that would be enough.


  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    6 years ago

    @Elleaisy  The one you found isn't a bad choice at all, for that price.  You could add more RAM easily enough, and while the speed isn't listed, Intel processors don't need fast RAM the way AMD models do. The 9400F is a bit weaker than a Ryzen 2600, but the gap isn't substantial.  CyberpowerPC usually doesn't cheap out on the power supply, unlike other sellers, and if I had to guess, this one would have a 600W gold-certified PSU.  It's impossible to tell though.

    What I did was find a couple promising builds on Cyberpower's site and then tweak the configurations.  I started with this:

    https://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Battlebox-2019-Syber

    and swapped out these parts (all in USD, since that's what the site lists until you get to checkout):

    • changed the Ryzen 2700X to a 2600 for -$120; a 3600 (better than the 2700X by a significant margin) would be -$94
    • left the RAM as is, since today's deal is an upgrade from 8 GB 3000 MHz to 16 GB 3200 MHz (the deal will likely be available again soon)
    • changed the Nvidia 1660 ti to an AMD Radeon RX 580 8 Gb for -$144
    • upgraded the PSU to a Thermaltake 600W 80+ Gold for +$1
    • swapped the combo hard drive to a 512 GB Intel 660P NVMe SSD, a faster type of solid state drive with enough room for you to do your video editing, for no price change with the current sale

    (Note: you could upgrade to a 1 TB SSD for and extra $50, or you could also add a second hard drive to the build.  But unless you're going with one of the basic HDDs as a secondary drive, it's much cheaper to order and install it yourself.)

    The result costs $736 USD, today anyway; here's the configuration:

    http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/saved/1LKL43

    Of course it's easy to swap out parts as you please, and I'd be happy to reconfigure things for you if and when you're ready to buy.  Again, the key is to pick the parts and then watch the sales for a couple of days, but it's pretty much the same every week, so you wouldn't have to wait long.

  • Elleaisy's avatar
    Elleaisy
    6 years ago

    @puzzlezaddict 

    I just looked into importing a computer from CyberPowerPC into Canada, but now I'm kind of concerned about the duties/border charges and taxes I'd pay when it arrives. From browsing other forums it looks like it might add hundreds of dollars to the final price, so I might just be better off buying something already in Canada and not having to worry about that.

    So I'm thinking I'll end up going with Mega Computer, but I'll ask about upgrading the power supply to a gold-rated one and the RAM to at least 3000 MHz memory. 

    Do you think I should ask about upgrading the graphics card from the "RADEON RX 580 8G OC 8GB GDDR5 PCI-E" or would that be good? I just keep hearing about these NVDIA GTX cards and how great they are lol.

    Edit: Oh and another thing I'm realizing is that this PC doesn't say anything about wifi. Would it be okay to add some kind of wifi adapter to it or would I be better off connecting to the internet with a cable? For the location I want to set up my computer it would be easier to use a wifi adapter if that's as good as connecting with a cable. 

    I found this wifi adapter on Amazon, it has good reviews but I don't know what I should be looking for. 

    https://www.amazon.ca/Flenco-600Mbps-Wireless-Supports-10-4-10-11/dp/B078MMBBY4/ref=sr_1_7?crid=3KSSPGZLT7LFP&keywords=usb+wifi+adapter+for+pc&qid=1563030877&s=gateway&sprefix=usb+wifi%2Caps%2C172&sr=8-7

    Thank you again, you've been SO helpful! 

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    6 years ago

    @Elleaisy  The import tax is a percentage of the value of whatever you're importing, and it will depend on where you live.  I found a calculator for Canadians looking to import from other countries, but I didn't link it because I wasn't sure it was accurate.  Still, it said a computer that costs $800 U.S. would run anywhere from $1080 to $1180 CAD after taxes, depending on province.  That's why I suggested you ask your post office—it might be more expensive, or it might be the same price for better parts.

    Wired internet is better than wifi because it's more reliable and usually faster, unless you have an annoying provider (like mine) that caps download speeds.  But you might not need to buy a wifi adaptor at all; some desktops come with one already installed.  It's easy enough to check—turn on the computer and see if it picks up the wifi signal.  The adaptor you linked looks fine though, if you do need one.  Most of the options are cheap and interchangeable, so just get one that has good reviews and that you can return if necessary.

  • Elleaisy's avatar
    Elleaisy
    6 years ago
    @puzzlezaddict Ahh okay I guess I should make a call to the post office just in case it's worth it to import! Thanks again for all the advice, I feel a lot more more informed now 🙂

Recent Discussions