Will This Computer Play The Sims 3? «123...Next Go

xLunaSimsx

This is for my friend who wants to buy a laptop to play The Sims 3 at medium-high settings.
Will it run?
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-thinkpad-2-in-1-14-touch-screen-laptop-intel-core-i5-8gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-940m-256gb-solid-state-drive-graphite-black/4456400.p?skuId=4456400
Or do you know any better laptops at the same price range of 800-1000 dollars?

igazor

It could probably manage the base game plus a couple of the earliest EPs. I would worry about the potential for overheating and can't say even that would be a great experience on low graphics settings. It's good that it has a dedicated graphics card, but that one is not strong enough to expect much more than that out of it. These are lightweight devices that are best suited for portability, note taking, school and some light office type functions, not graphics intensive games.

Desktops will always be cheaper for stronger components, but yes there are much better choices in that price range for TS3. They will tend to weigh more, though. Paging some shopping and systems experts.

I take it your friend is in the US?

@phoebebebe13
@chesterbigbird

xLunaSimsx

igazor wrote: »

It could probably manage the base game plus a couple of the earliest EPs. I would worry about the potential for overheating and can't say even that would be a great experience on low graphics settings. It's good that it has a dedicated graphics card, but that one is not strong enough to expect much more than that out of it. These are lightweight devices that are best suited for portability, note taking, school and some light office type functions, not graphics intensive games.

Desktops will always be cheaper for stronger components, but yes there are much better choices in that price range for TS3. They will tend to weigh more, though. Paging some shopping a systems experts.

I take it your friend is in the US?

@phoebebebe13
@chesterbigbird

Thank you for the insight, she found the laptop, so I'll let her know what you said. And yes, she's in the USA

xLunaSimsx

https://www.ibuypower.com/Store/MSI-GE63VR-Raider-Pro-Gaming-Laptop-KBL--EZ
For anyone who sees this, this is for my personal interest, will this laptop play it as well?

phoebebebe13

LunaMikaelson wrote: »

igazor wrote: »

It could probably manage the base game plus a couple of the earliest EPs. I would worry about the potential for overheating and can't say even that would be a great experience on low graphics settings. It's good that it has a dedicated graphics card, but that one is not strong enough to expect much more than that out of it. These are lightweight devices that are best suited for portability, note taking, school and some light office type functions, not graphics intensive games.

Desktops will always be cheaper for stronger components, but yes there are much better choices in that price range for TS3. They will tend to weigh more, though. Paging some shopping a systems experts.

I take it your friend is in the US?

@phoebebebe13
@chesterbigbird

Thank you for the insight, she found the laptop, so I'll let her know what you said. And yes, she's in the USA

What is their budget ? @chesterbigbird may need to help you. I have allot of things to do today.

LunaMikaelson wrote: »

https://www.ibuypower.com/Store/MSI-GE63VR-Raider-Pro-Gaming-Laptop-KBL--EZ
For anyone who sees this, this is for my personal interest, will this laptop play it as well?

The video card is more powerful and you don't need to spend the money on a 1070 if your only playing the sims 3 . Are you playing other heavier games? A 1050 ti or a 1060 would be fine if your just playing the sims 3. This also has a very small SSD which is fine for booting windows on but not for gaming . The sims 3 loads allot quicker on ssd so you would be better off with a 500 gb ssd on c drive.

For just the sims 3

Video card Nvidia GTX 1050, 1050ti or 1060

Processor Intel i5 or i7 quad core which will end in HQ or MQ after the series number
8gb computer ram , 500 gb SSD, windows 64 bit

sstevie

Hi will this laptop play the sims 4 LENOVO IdeaPad 320 15.6" its from pc world

igazor

sstevie wrote: »

Hi will this laptop play the sims 4 LENOVO IdeaPad 320 15.6" its from pc world

Probably not; it might run the base game (only) but it will struggle. Processor is too weak, it's tight on RAM, and has no dedicated graphics card (if I'm looking at the correct model). I think you're going to have to up the ante on the specs if you expect any of the EPs to run.

But I would suggest asking for such advice on the TS4 section of the forum. This is TS3.

phoebebebe13

sstevie wrote: »

Hi will this laptop play the sims 4 LENOVO IdeaPad 320 15.6" its from pc world

No . None of the lenovo 320 ideapad on pc world meet requirements to play TS4 . There is only one 15.6 in. It has an A12 apu with r7 integrated graphics and will have issues running TS4. We have has several people with A12/ R7 who have issues running TS4

Createdtragedy

Hello, will the lenovo ideapad y510 be able to play sims 2 and 3? It has the dual nvidia Geforce GT755m graphic card, 16gb memory, 1tb hdd.

Or any recommendations for cheap laptops that can run sims 2 and 3?

igazor

Createdtragedy wrote: »

Hello, will the lenovo ideapad y510 be able to play sims 2 and 3? It has the dual nvidia Geforce GT755m graphic card, 16gb memory, 1tb hdd.

Or any recommendations for cheap laptops that can run sims 2 and 3?

Well, it depends. The Ideapad Y510 is a model from 2008 that couldn't possibly run TS3 as its processor was too weak. It might have issues with TS2, it was a very lightweight netbook type of device.

Stick a "p" on the end, and we have the Y510p that is more recent and in a much higher class of laptops. This is probably the one you meant given the RAM and graphics card mentioned. This model hasn't exactly been the bastion of reliability, but if it's holding together mechanically it should be able to run both games.

TS2 doesn't require much computing power to run by comparison. TS3 does, there really isn't any such thing as a "cheap laptop" that can run TS3 very well, at least not with all EPs.

Createdtragedy

> @igazor said:
> Createdtragedy wrote: »
>
> Hello, will the lenovo ideapad y510 be able to play sims 2 and 3? It has the dual nvidia Geforce GT755m graphic card, 16gb memory, 1tb hdd.
>
> Or any recommendations for cheap laptops that can run sims 2 and 3?
>
>
>
> Well, it depends. The Ideapad Y510 is a model from 2008 that couldn't possibly run TS3 as its processor was too weak. It might have issues with TS2, it was a very lightweight netbook type of device.
>
> Stick a "p" on the end, and we have the Y510p that is more recent and in a much higher class of laptops. This is probably the one you meant given the RAM and graphics card mentioned. This model hasn't exactly been the bastion of reliability, but if it's holding together mechanically it should be able to run both games fine.
>
> TS2 doesn't require much computing power to run by comparison. TS3 does, there really isn't any such thing as a "cheap laptop" that can run TS3 with all EPs very well.

Yes, that's what I meant, I didn't know there were two versions of it. The one that I'm interested in, has a 16GB of memory, 1TB, Intel Core i7 4th gen...Processor Speed 2.40GHz. NVidia GeForce GT 750M (dual). Would that be able to run sims 3? I'm not plannin to use all the expansions, just a maximum of 4, maybe 2.

igazor

@Createdtragedy - Interested in? Oh, I assumed you had it already. It's still nowhere near a current model, so you are seeing offered up for sale...perhaps used? The dual graphics (SLI) would be wasted on these games.

If you give us a budget and the country you are in, perhaps someone better at shopping than I am could help you find something a bit newer.
@phoebebebe13
@chesterbigbird

Createdtragedy

@igazor yes I am looking to buy it on ebay since they're pretty cheap right now compared to before, and since I will not be doing a lot of gaming, only for sims 2 and 3 (and a few of the expansions for sims3). So I don't need an expensive laptop since I already own a Macbook. As long as it can run sims 3 and a couple of its expansions in medium setting I'm good. Would that laptop suffice?

igazor

I would never recommend a used computer. I wouldn't even recommend a used graphics card (even if I were its former owner). I understand budget constraints, but if the thing falls apart after a relatively short time then the entire purchase is wasted. And this model is not at all known for aging well.

Hence my suggestion for providing a realistic budget and country for alternative suggestions.

Createdtragedy

@igazor Tbh, I really don't want to spend a lot of money on a laptop I will only use for a couple of games and won't even be my main one, I thought a refurbished laptop would work. If looking for a new one, something below $500 would be my best. The cheaper the better. Like I said, as long as it can play sims 3 in medium-high settings and a couple of its expansions it will be good.

Createdtragedy

@igazor I forgot to add that I live in the United States (Florida). Thinking about what you said, you're right. A new laptop would be better but realistically, I don't want to buy a high end gaming laptop. So the most I am willing to pay is $750 or a bit more, just less than 1K.

Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it.

puzzlezaddict

@Createdtragedy Why don't you ask if you can play TS3 on your macbook? Some people do, including me. It works pretty well with the less-demanding expansion packs. I used to play on a 2010 model, and while there were plenty of bugs (less my computer and more EA) and some lagging when I played with bigger households, it only crashed if I didn't save for a while or went in and out of Create a Sim too many times.

To be honest, though, the main reason I'm suggesting you use your mac is that I just want @igazor to sneak up behind you and stage-whisper bootcamp! before diving for cover.

chesterbigbird

Createdtragedy wrote: »

@igazor I forgot to add that I live in the United States (Florida). Thinking about what you said, you're right. A new laptop would be better but realistically, I don't want to buy a high end gaming laptop. So the most I am willing to pay is $750 or a bit more, just less than 1K.

Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it.

These will work nicely
https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Flagship-Performance-i5-7300HQ-Quad-Core/dp/B0788JTZFM/ref=sr_1_6?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1515460509&sr=1-6&keywords=gaming+laptop&refinements=p_36:50000-85000
https://www.amazon.com/Powerful-i5-7300HQ-Quad-core-Processor-FireCuda/dp/B076H6X5SS/ref=sr_1_20?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1515460509&sr=1-20&keywords=gaming+laptop&refinements=p_36:50000-85000
https://www.amazon.com/N855HJ-1920x1080-i7-7700HQ-Bluetooth-Warranty/dp/B01N4Q9C9J/ref=sr_1_26_sspa?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1515460758&sr=1-26-spons&keywords=gaming+laptop&refinements=p_36:50000-85000&th=1

Createdtragedy

@puzzlezaddict Did you play it using boot camp or was it on os x? I don't have boot camp installed on my macbook because I don't have a lot of space left :( also omg I just found out there's a mac version of sims 3 (lol late)...

Createdtragedy

@chesterbigbird Thanks! So far I'm liking Acer Nitro Flagship High Performance 15.6"...i might even be able to play oblivion as well. Thank you for the recommendations!

chesterbigbird

Createdtragedy wrote: »

@chesterbigbird Thanks! So far I'm liking Acer Nitro Flagship High Performance 15.6"...i might even be able to play oblivion as well. Thank you for the recommendations!

Your Welcome.
I'm fairly sure it will play oblivion since it's a older game.
For the price it's a good laptop.

puzzlezaddict

Createdtragedy wrote: »

@puzzlezaddict Did you play it using boot camp or was it on os x? I don't have boot camp installed on my macbook because I don't have a lot of space left also omg I just found out there's a mac version of sims 3 (lol late)...

@Createdtragedy I haven't bootcamped either my old or new macs. I'm sure I will... eventually, but in the meantime, I'm not struggling all that much to run the game. The mac experts on these forums (@igazor and if you're looking for instructions, read the posts from @BluebellFlora) will tell you that the main reason to bootcamp is that when you play on a mac, a program called cider "wraps around" the game to translate between your computer and the Windows-only TS3. The problem is that cider can only use 2GB RAM, while on a PC you can use most of the 4GB limit of a 32-bit program like TS3. What I'm saying is that if you're not playing with all of the EPs, at least not the demanding ones, 2GB might well be enough for you to enjoy playing (provided you save often and don't overtax the system). I recently asked which EPs were most demanding, and the answer I received (thanks again, @igazor and @TreyNutz) was Pets and Seasons, and then ITF and IP. So if you don't intend to run any of these you could be fine on your macbook. At the very least, it might be worth it to you to try playing on your mac. And as a bonus, the macs only get patched to 1.67, meaning you don't need to use origin to launch the game. If you don't know why this is so convenient, search these forums for all the complaints about Origin making gamers' lives so difficult for so long.

I'm definitely not the one to trust with technical advice, but I can tell you that I'm pretty happy with my own TS3 experience on a mac. I even liked playing on my 2010 macbook, although the lag was noticeable in high-resource situations, especially compared to now. Having said that, I recently bought a bunch of EPs during the Steam sale, and I expect that I'll end up bootcamping when the performance starts to falter.

igazor

The reason that I did not take this player down the TS3 for Mac or bootcamp roads is that we don't yet know anything about their Macbook other than it sounded like they preferred not to play on it. Some of them are just not going to be capable to run the game on either operating system at all, and yes bootcamp does require a considerable amount of hard drive space. I play on a bootcamped iMac, but my Mac has a sufficiently strong processor and graphics card. The Windows version of the game isn't going to be very happy with Intel Iris or other Intel HD integrated graphics.

On the Macbook Pros, currently only the very expensive ($2,400 and up USD) 15" models come with suitable graphics cards. On today's Macbooks full stop (the not-Pros), the game would be a total non-starter, literally. These are very different devices from what were once called MacBooks years ago. On MacBook Airs...ugh, well they really aren't made for this kind of use but in some cases on the newest higher-end models the base game alone can maybe run.

$750 and up USD sounds perfectly doable as a budget to me and I really like the ones that @chesterbigbird found. There's nothing wrong with having two capable computers for different purposes if one can afford them, especially if one really needs one of them to survive work/school, etc.

worekmed

I have recently purchased a new laptop to entirely dedicate to playing TS3 with the Pets and Seasons EPs, plus a large amount of cc.

The specs are: Lenovo IdeaPad 320, Memory: 12GB DDR4 1866 MHz, Hard Drive: 2TB 5400 RPM.

Will this laptop successfully play/load TS3 with high graphic settings in addition to the EPs and cc?

igazor

worekmed wrote: »

I have recently purchased a new laptop to entirely dedicate to playing TS3 with the Pets and Seasons EPs, plus a large amount of cc.

The specs are: Lenovo IdeaPad 320, Memory: 12GB DDR4 1866 MHz, Hard Drive: 2TB 5400 RPM.

Will this laptop successfully play/load TS3 with high graphic settings in addition to the EPs and cc?

The Lenovo IdeaPad 320 is a series of laptops, that not enough of a model number to be able to tell what you have (or will have) for a processor or graphics card. Generally speaking these are not suitable for graphics intensive gaming. Some of them are a bit higher end than others, some can be expected to run the base game plus maybe one or two of the earlier EPs on low settings, some won't be able to run the game at all.

Can we get a more complete model number and/or set of specs on the one you purchased? If you already have it in your hands, a full dxdiag report would also tell us what we need; if you provide one, you could send it up to pastebin.com and provide a broken up link (use "h.t.p.p.s." or something like that we can understand) so we can read it.
https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/pc/how-to-gather-dxdiag-information

phoebebebe13

@worekmed;c regardless of what idea pad you have , they are not designed to run this game. You need a gaming laptop if you want to play all eps and add cc etc. Can you return the laptop and get something else? You will need a much more powerful laptop to play all eps, cc on high settings

To play on high graphic settings and be able to handle all eps and cc, you need the laptop specs below

Video card: Nvidia GTX 1050, 1050 ti, or 1060

Processor: intel i5 or i7 quad core for gaming. These processors will end in HQ or MQ after the series number

8gb computer ram .

hard drive space at least 500 gb or more . They do sell gaming laptops with only one 256 gb ssd. This will be too small to game on so make sure you have a larger hard drive