. While i7s are pretty strong, the U-series ones are not. Nvidia is a brand name, they make weak cards (for lighter games and office type tasks), mid-range, and very strong ones at all different price points.
I'm going to assume I can tell a U-series processor by if the processor code has a ' U ' at the end?
If so, are you say I HAVE to buy a gaming laptop?
Because I looked online and it seems like pretty much all laptops with an i5 or i7 are a U series except for the gaming laptops which are very expensive. I was under the impression I didn't have to have a mad expensive gaming laptop to play sims 3
Or is it more the graphics card that will affect overheating?
Sorry - I literally don't know anything about laptops or computers or whatever hence all the questions.
U processors are dual core, HQ and MQ are quad core.
All your hardware counts. Processor, video card, amount of ram , hard drive space and having a windows 64 but.
Yes to play this whole game or the more heavy EPs like Pets, Seasons, ITF and IP you need a gaming computer . Everything in your computer needs to meet requirements. You also generate allot more heat while gaming than browsing the web. Gaming computers are designed with better cooling to take the heat. Your laptop for general use can not handle heat while gaming
. While i7s are pretty strong, the U-series ones are not. Nvidia is a brand name, they make weak cards (for lighter games and office type tasks), mid-range, and very strong ones at all different price points.
I'm going to assume I can tell a U-series processor by if the processor code has a ' U ' at the end?
If so, are you say I HAVE to buy a gaming laptop?
Because I looked online and it seems like pretty much all laptops with an i5 or i7 are a U series except for the gaming laptops which are very expensive. I was under the impression I didn't have to have a mad expensive gaming laptop to play sims 3
Or is it more the graphics card that will affect overheating?
Sorry - I literally don't know anything about laptops or computers or whatever hence all the questions.
U processors are dual core, HQ and MQ are quad core.
When I look at my laptop info on the site I bought it from, in the specs it says
Processor:
- Intel® Core™ i7-8550U Processor
- Quad-core
- 1.8 GHz / 4 GHz (Turbo Boost)
- 8 MB cache
If all U series are dual core then why does it say quad core in the specs? when looking for a laptop for sims I made sure to look for quad core only... is that an error that they've listed it as quad core instead of dual?
. While i7s are pretty strong, the U-series ones are not. Nvidia is a brand name, they make weak cards (for lighter games and office type tasks), mid-range, and very strong ones at all different price points.
I'm going to assume I can tell a U-series processor by if the processor code has a ' U ' at the end?
If so, are you say I HAVE to buy a gaming laptop?
Because I looked online and it seems like pretty much all laptops with an i5 or i7 are a U series except for the gaming laptops which are very expensive. I was under the impression I didn't have to have a mad expensive gaming laptop to play sims 3
Or is it more the graphics card that will affect overheating?
Sorry - I literally don't know anything about laptops or computers or whatever hence all the questions.
U processors are dual core, HQ and MQ are quad core.
When I look at my laptop info on the site I bought it from, in the specs it says
Processor:
- Intel® Core™ i7-8550U Processor
- Quad-core
- 1.8 GHz / 4 GHz (Turbo Boost)
- 8 MB cache
If all U series are dual core then why does it say quad core in the specs? when looking for a laptop for sims I made sure to look for quad core only... is that an error that they've listed it as quad core instead of dual?
It's not quad , it's dual but it is a newer coffee lake processor so your ok there for the sims 3. the problem is your video card. You need an Nvida GTX 1050 or higher . the other issue is since your laptop is not designed to run this game and is for general use, you will have heating issues. Gaming computer come with hardware for gaming and much better cooling.
Sorry to intervene here again, but I believe that technically that particular processor is quad core unlike its direct predecessors, which is why it does get listed that way. But it's a low-powered version. We might need chesterbigbird to explain the technicalities more fully. Agree though that the laptop as a whole is not a good match for these games with proper performance expectations. https://www.techspot.com/review/1500-intel-8th-gen-core-quad-core-ultrabooks
Sorry to intervene here again, but I believe that technically that processor is quad core unlike its direct predecessors. But it's a low-powered version. We might need chesterbigbird to explain the technicalities more fully. Agree though that the laptop as a whole is not a good match for these games with proper performance expectations. https://www.techspot.com/review/1500-intel-8th-gen-core-quad-core-ultrabooks
interesting that the newer is now a lower end quad. Their processor is not the issue for this game. Dual or quad does not matter. it needs to be 2.4 ghz or better. the video card and lack of cooling is the problem. Overall that laptop is not meant for gaming
@iEllaLouise I find that amazon uk has better deals. i don't know where your shopping for computers but look up Asus FX503VD-DM080T It's 689 pounds. It meets all requirements to run the sims 3 and 4. it has an i5 quad core gaming HQ processor. an Nvidia 1050 card, 1 tb and drive and 8 gb ram
If you can return the laptop you have and get the one on amazon uk you would be better off
@phoebebebe13 I can't return my laptop anymore because I've used it but I'm definitely planning on selling it even if it is just to buy a cheaper basic one and just stop playing Sims altogether. I was never happy with parting with so much money especially as my budget was £400-£500 but I found peace with it because I thought it would allow me to play all Sims games and it's a really light laptop and runs really really fast and the picture is great.
I'm not sure if I can be happy with a gaming laptop because they're too heavy for me..
Also my laptop is SSD not HDD - loading times for everything on my laptop are immediate, would having HDD instead make a difference on the loading times?
I get my laptops from PC world/Currys I prefer it to getting it from amazon as repairs and returns are so much easier with a physical store rather than online with Amazon.
But I'd be willing to consider it.
I'm also considering just doing away with laptops and getting my fiancee to build me a computer if that'll be cheaper.
@iEllaLouise You did not mention your hard drive space but 256 gb ssd is too small to game on if you have no other hard drive. The sims 3 takes advantage of an ssd but the sims 4 does not. These games"Require" gaming computer hardware. You need a gaming laptop or desktop. You have to game plugged in even if you have a laptop. If your gaming on battery will make the game even worse than just having low end specs. The battery is for light computer tasks or streaming a movie only. Not for gaming. you need extra power to game.
Desktop to build yourself with all modern hardware will not be cheaper, you will just have better hardware than buying something mass produced off the shelf. If you want an ssd you need one large enough to game on. You want at least 500 gb ssd. These are not cheap.
SSD is faster than HDD however only the sims 3 loads quicker on SSD. The sims 4 does not. SSD is good for booting windows and other programs quicker. Your SSD at the moment is too small to game on. Your video card is lower end and your laptop has no cooling. If you have a low end budget it's better to have hardware inside the computer that can run the game. SSD would be last on the list. Video card, processor , and ram are more important than the SSD. The more features you want in a computer, the more it will cost you.
@phoebebebe13 I’m so confused.. why will TS3 load faster on ssd but TS4 won’t? TS4 on my laptop loads ridiculously quickly, way more than it ever has on two previous laptops and a computer. Faster than TS3 loads on the same laptop.
I haven’t filled up my SSD either. I literally only use it for TS3/TS4 , iTunes, origin and a couple programmes related to sims.
Maybe I’m misunderstanding what SSD is and what it’s for then?
Doesn’t TS require a certain amount of hard drive space to be installed and exist on the device? And I have that right?
What am I misunderstanding? Please help me cause I’m confused... everywhere I looked online before buying the laptop said SSD will run TS4 faster and is fine as long as I don’t overload the SSD with things..
@iEllaLouise Some games load quicker and will take advantage of an SSD and some won't. The sims 3 loads 10 times quicker on SSD. The sims 4 has no effect on loading times with SSD. The SSD will boot windows quicker and some other programs you need for windows.
You have to leave at least 50 gb free hard drive space with the sims games. They not only use physical memory ( computer ram) but they also use virtual memory and you need free hard drive space for that. You will run out of hard drive space as your sims games get larger. As your saves get larger it will make your files bigger. If you use CC and mods that will take up even allot more space. We have had several people here have issues with having only one 256 gb ssd while trying to game just one of the sims games. You will have even more problems trying to game the sims 3 and 4 on one small 256 gb ssd. Again you need at least 500b ssd if you want to put the whole sims 3 and eventually a complete sims 4 game.
These games take up more hard drive space than stated by ea if you factor in saves, cc, mods etc.
You need enough hard drive space. 500 gb or more . You also need enough computer ram, a video card that meets requirements, a processor that meets requirements etc
@phoebebebe13 oh ok thankyou for explaining
I’m not planning to get any more EP or anything for sims 4 though.. the content is really lacking so it’s just not worth my money hence why I’ve been focusing more on sims 3
I feel like I’ve been lied to by EA lol thought what I had was good enough or better than what it turns out to be ..
Your welcome. Like I mentioned one has to know the difference between laptop and desktop hardware. The specs are for desktop. This goes for all PC games on steam , origin, etc.. they expect the customer to learn how to read the hardware requirements . There are many in here who will come in this forum and ask those of us who help in tech before purchasing a computer so they don't run into the problems you have on running the game. PC sales people will sell you a toaster as long as they make a sale.
You will even have issues playing the sims 3 on the 256 gb ssd without having a second hard drive. The game will just get larger and larger. You may have already done damage to that laptop if your having heat problems trying to run the game on that laptop. It has no cooling for the heat the game will cause from gaming. It will stress out your laptop
You will even have issues playing the sims 3 on the 256 gb ssd without having a second hard drive. The game will just get larger and larger. You may have already done damage to that laptop if your having heat problems trying to run the game on that laptop. It has no cooling for the heat the game will cause from gaming. It will stress out your laptop
If I get a cooling pad will that allow me to at least play sims 4? obviously not doing hours upon hours in one go but at least 1hr maybe of play? if I can get the Graphics Card to stay at around 50-60c ? I'm not sure how long it'll be before I can sell my current laptop or how much I can even get for it which I imagine won't be much. I actually love this laptop so much and really don't like the weight and look of gaming laptops so it's going to be annoying and upsetting getting rid of it...
Part of me just wants to get a desktop because imo if your laptop is as heavy as a gaming laptop, it's not really that portable at least not for me anyways.
I'm struggling not to play sims right now lol currently using an old laptop to attempt to play sims 3 and it is lagging like crazy - it's got an Intel Celeron Processor N2840 and 1000 GB HDD with a Intel HD Graphics card, so basically it's awful for playing sims but I guess it's better than potentially destroying my nice expensive laptop.
@iEllaLouise The laptop is not designed to play the sims 3 or 4. Can it get damaged by the sims 4? It's a possibility. Cooling pad is always good to have but your laptop is still not designed to run the sims 3 or 4. it would be fine for the sims 2. That game does not require computer specs like the sims 3 and 4.. Your celron, intel HD laptop might even be fine for the sims 2
There is a reason gaming laptops are thicker. They have much better cooling than your average laptop and are designed to take more heat while gaming. Gaming laptops are not really meant to be lugged around. If you want a lighter laptop for every day tasks, keep the one you have for that and get yourself a gaming desktop for at home.
Sorry to intervene here again, but I believe that technically that particular processor is quad core unlike its direct predecessors, which is why it does get listed that way. But it's a low-powered version. We might need chesterbigbird to explain the technicalities more fully. Agree though that the laptop as a whole is not a good match for these games with proper performance expectations. https://www.techspot.com/review/1500-intel-8th-gen-core-quad-core-ultrabooks
Thanks for the link! I enjoyed reading the benchmarking of the 8th gen i7 U-series quad core. Earlier this year, I read that the 'U' series quads might give more performance boosts in the future but didn't care to look further because to me the U series is instantly problematic. So this is the first I've seen of the benchmarking. For TS3, it's still not ideal (1.8 GHz base frequency) but there are going to be loads of these next generation U-machines tempting buyers now and in the future. OEM configurations as 8th gen progresses might include the higher end GPUs with variable performance. The low power in the U-series is typically represented with a TDP (Thermal Design Power/Point) in the 15–28 watt range, so Nvidia's adaptations to market better discrete GPUs for the U series will affect their performance even more. (More crashing TS3 games, here we come!)
Phoebebebe13 kindly pointed out to me that she'd seen (older) GTX Nvidia card paired with the U-series laptops. My thought at that point was "the horror!". But there IS a market and possibly things will improve for low end gaming laptops sooner than later.
@iEllaLouise - I'm so sorry this happened to you. I'm glad you're on the forum now and can get better perspective.
I know several simmers who tried for months to get less than ideal machines to run TS3 and completely failed. The hurt is palpable.
I've owned the TS3 Store since Feb 2015-thanks to the help of many other simmers ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ☆★☆My Page☆★☆ ᴼ -♞- ᴼ Ⅰ ❤ TS3❣
@phoebebebe13 I'd love to keep my laptop and get a gaming desktop but I just don't have the money. I just love being able to stay up all night in bed playing sims on a light laptop so having a desktop would be annoying as I wouldn't get as much usage from it or I would but then it would limit my ability to do much else while playing (like watching tv or talking to someone I'm with) I like to multitask..
I'll have to stick to sims 2 then until further notice - hopefully that satisfies my Sims cravings I'm having...
It's such a pain because on the surface it appeared to be suited - i7 processor, enough ghz , dedicated graphics card, SSD with enough space to install all 3 sims games and their expansion packs and still have enough space left over if I ever want to install more EP (which I won't unless they suddenly decide to give TS4 some EP worth having..)
Such a shame everywhere I looked online had info that wasn't correct. I should have just spent more time searching for how to be able to post on these forums rather than giving up in frustration I knew I'd get all the info I needed from here that's why I got so annoyed I couldn't post.
I have another laptop I used to use for TS4 and TS3 . It ran a lot better than the Celeron laptop but after a few years more than 1hr of play on TS4 would cause the game to lag so badly I had to exit the game for a while or it would just crash randomly, but the laptop didn't really heat up too much.
@iEllaLouise - a desktop can be ideal for playing the game from across the room. There are wireless bluetooth keyboards and mice you can drag around the room to a couch or to the bed. The desktop can be connected to the TV with an HDMI port. Several gamers I know including disabled gamers (I'm disabled with paraplegia, so I'm in these circles) do have powerful desktops that connect to their TVs.
These computers can also serve as DVR stations, so if you want to watch a movie, or listen to music from your own collection, you access your computer through the TV's applications.
I've owned the TS3 Store since Feb 2015-thanks to the help of many other simmers ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ☆★☆My Page☆★☆ ᴼ -♞- ᴼ Ⅰ ❤ TS3❣
@iEllaLouise reading all the different hardware out there for both laptop and and desktop is something people have to learn if they want to game. If you don't understand it, there are places like Tom's hardware and other webs that can help you with that. It's up to the customer who buys games to understand the hardware needed and the hardware they are buying.
If you want to game on laptop, you need a computer designed to handle the games you want to play. People who buy computers going strictly by looks is not a great idea. We have had people do that and the end result is the computer looks the way they want it to however it does not have the hardware to handle the games they want to play. This would be the same situation for you.
You must put your laptop on a hard surface. Blocking the cooling by putting the laptop on a bed can do serious damage to your laptop and could set your bed and laptop on fire. I hope you at least have a portable bed table to put the laptop on.
That HP you posted is also way below requirements to run the sims 3 and 4, why you eventually had problems.
Laptops that meet requirements, you need
Video card: Nvidia GTX 1050, 1050 ti or 1060
Processor, intel i5 or i7 quad core for gaming. They will end in HQ or MQ ( Not U)
@iEllaLouise - I'm so sorry this happened to you. I'm glad you're on the forum now and can get better perspective.
I know several simmers who tried for months to get less than ideal machines to run TS3 and completely failed. The hurt is palpable.
Aww thanks it's partially my fault tbh. I knew this would be the best place to get the right info and let my annoyance over not being able to start discussions ( and not knowing clearly how to be able to ) get in the way of investigating further how to become a full member.
Obviously the fact that I read advice online by misinformed people didn't help, and that the specs info from EA and tech store sites was misleading/ambiguous to an extent didn't help. But overall I could've done more to avoid this had I known more...
Just I literally spent days upon days upon days and sooo many hours and sleepless nights researching all this and the more I found out, the higher the cost was for the type of laptops I was directed to. I got so fed up and desperate I was willing to spend whatever to get the highest recommendation laptop while still having it be light like I wanted (not knowing I couldn't actually get what I needed AND what I wanted all in one! )
I guess I'll just have to take this as a very expensive and time consuming lesson that I most definitely will not forget...
@iEllaLouise - a desktop can be ideal for playing the game from across the room. There are wireless bluetooth keyboards and mice you can drag around the room to a couch or to the bed. The desktop can be connected to the TV with an HDMI port. Several gamers I know including disabled gamers (I'm disabled with paraplegia, so I'm in these circles) do have powerful desktops that connect to their TVs.
These computers can also serve as DVR stations, so if you want to watch a movie, or listen to music from your own collection, you access your computer through the TV's applications.
Oh my gosh thank you! I didn't even think of that. I'm so silly lol
I use a usb wireless mouse with my laptop and sometimes use a usb wireless mini keyboard touch pad thing (but it's quite fiddly so often don't bother)
Sometimes I use miracast to show Sims on my TV but tbh I'm not a fan of Sims on a large screen.
That's made my thoughts a lot clearer now thank you, I see now I have more options than I realised.
One of my TVs Isn't set up in a way that I could hook the computer up to the TV with a HDMI, is miracast something I could get on a computer or is it only for laptops? sorry I know that is a silly question probably, I don't know if laptops and computers can do the same things or not...
@iEllaLouise - a desktop can be ideal for playing the game from across the room. There are wireless bluetooth keyboards and mice you can drag around the room to a couch or to the bed. The desktop can be connected to the TV with an HDMI port. Several gamers I know including disabled gamers (I'm disabled with paraplegia, so I'm in these circles) do have powerful desktops that connect to their TVs.
These computers can also serve as DVR stations, so if you want to watch a movie, or listen to music from your own collection, you access your computer through the TV's applications.
Oh my gosh thank you! I didn't even think of that. I'm so silly lol
I use a usb wireless mouse with my laptop and sometimes use a usb wireless mini keyboard touch pad thing (but it's quite fiddly so often don't bother)
Sometimes I use miracast to show Sims on my TV but tbh I'm not a fan of Sims on a large screen.
That's made my thoughts a lot clearer now thank you, I see now I have more options than I realised.
One of my TVs Isn't set up in a way that I could hook the computer up to the TV with a HDMI, is miracast something I could get on a computer or is it only for laptops? sorry I know that is a silly question probably, I don't know if laptops and computers can do the same things or not...
You can hook a desktop tower up to a TV, use the TV as your monitor using a Hdmi cord. you use a wireless keyboard and mouse. Many of us do this. The tower can stay by the TV and your mouse and keyboard can be used on your bed.
You can hook a laptop up to a Tv with an Hdmi but you need to have the laptop close to you which means having a long HDMI cord. Laptops don't work well with using an external extra keyboard.
@iEllaLouise reading all the different hardware out there for both laptop and and desktop is something people have to learn if they want to game. If you don't understand it, there are places like Tom's hardware and other webs that can help you with that. It's up to the customer who buys games to understand the hardware needed and the hardware they are buying.
If you want to game on laptop, you need a computer designed to handle the games you want to play. People who buy computers going strictly by looks is not a great idea. We have had people do that and the end result is the computer looks the way they want it to however it does not have the hardware to handle the games they want to play. This would be the same situation for you.
You must put your laptop on a hard surface. Blocking the cooling by putting the laptop on a bed can do serious damage to your laptop and could set your bed and laptop on fire. I hope you at least have a portable bed table to put the laptop on.
That HP you posted is also way below requirements to run the sims 3 and 4, why you eventually had problems.
Laptops that meet requirements, you need
Video card: Nvidia GTX 1050, 1050 ti or 1060
Processor, intel i5 or i7 quad core for gaming. They will end in HQ or MQ ( Not U)
Hard drive space 500 gb or more
computer ram: 8gb
Windows 64 bit
The laptop I have at the moment is designed so when it is open, it's lifted upwards slightly so the base doesn't sit directly onto a surface and I also have tables I can use in bed for the laptop since I know putting a laptop straight on the bed is a big fat no no.
I get that to play sims properly I need something dedicated to gaming but until I get that I'm happy to play on something that'll run in a way that is less than ideal but will still be able to run without burning out.
Which is why I'm considering repairing my old broken laptop until I can get something new but ofcourse won't bother if I can't even play a bit of sims.
I think I'll just have to repair the old one, only play sims 2 and just wait till I have more money for a gaming laptop or gaming desktop.
My fiance builds computers so hopefully he can find all the parts I'd need for a reasonable price.
Thankyou for all your help. I'm going to browse for laptops meeting the requirements you've stated then try and shift my new laptop for as much as I can to put towards a desktop or laptop.
If I'm struggling with lack of knowledge further for laptoos or desktops for whatever reason I'll be sure to start a new discussion but I imagine I'll be fine since I've been given so much help here
If you have an old laptop, I doubt it can be repaired unless using used hardware which I would not advise. Laptops are throw away computers once the hardware breaks and they no longer make the hardware for the laptop. Average life span of a laptop is 3 to 5 years. Hardware moves so quickly and laptops especially become very outdated quickly.. they do not sell laptop hardware to the public either.
desktop with good hardware, a good tower case with good cooling and room for upgrades and replacement hardware is the best way to go for gaming. These will last longer and are not throw away computers like a laptop. they do sell desktop hardware to the public.
@SemaviLady
Can I use a computer to display an image on a laptop screen? or is that just not possible? does the HDMI thing only work for TVs and monitors?
@iEllaLouise - If your laptop has an HDMI port (you'll need to get an HDMI cable that is long enough) and if your TV has HDMI port available, you just connect them together. HDMI is bigger than a USB port. Not all laptops have them
There is wireless technology I'm not really familiar with, an iPhone or other device can stream movies and pix to a TV that has the same technology. This is out of my scope. Igazor and Phoebe will likely be much more helpful.
I'm just taking a break (from learning Gwent for another game). But you're at the right place to get help for things pertaining to TS3.
Comments
U processors are dual core, HQ and MQ are quad core.
All your hardware counts. Processor, video card, amount of ram , hard drive space and having a windows 64 but.
Yes to play this whole game or the more heavy EPs like Pets, Seasons, ITF and IP you need a gaming computer . Everything in your computer needs to meet requirements. You also generate allot more heat while gaming than browsing the web. Gaming computers are designed with better cooling to take the heat. Your laptop for general use can not handle heat while gaming
When I look at my laptop info on the site I bought it from, in the specs it says
Processor:
- Intel® Core™ i7-8550U Processor
- Quad-core
- 1.8 GHz / 4 GHz (Turbo Boost)
- 8 MB cache
If all U series are dual core then why does it say quad core in the specs? when looking for a laptop for sims I made sure to look for quad core only... is that an error that they've listed it as quad core instead of dual?
It's not quad , it's dual but it is a newer coffee lake processor so your ok there for the sims 3. the problem is your video card. You need an Nvida GTX 1050 or higher . the other issue is since your laptop is not designed to run this game and is for general use, you will have heating issues. Gaming computer come with hardware for gaming and much better cooling.
https://www.techspot.com/review/1500-intel-8th-gen-core-quad-core-ultrabooks
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interesting that the newer is now a lower end quad. Their processor is not the issue for this game. Dual or quad does not matter. it needs to be 2.4 ghz or better. the video card and lack of cooling is the problem. Overall that laptop is not meant for gaming
If you can return the laptop you have and get the one on amazon uk you would be better off
I'm not sure if I can be happy with a gaming laptop because they're too heavy for me..
Also my laptop is SSD not HDD - loading times for everything on my laptop are immediate, would having HDD instead make a difference on the loading times?
I get my laptops from PC world/Currys I prefer it to getting it from amazon as repairs and returns are so much easier with a physical store rather than online with Amazon.
But I'd be willing to consider it.
I'm also considering just doing away with laptops and getting my fiancee to build me a computer if that'll be cheaper.
So much to think about basically lol
Desktop to build yourself with all modern hardware will not be cheaper, you will just have better hardware than buying something mass produced off the shelf. If you want an ssd you need one large enough to game on. You want at least 500 gb ssd. These are not cheap.
SSD is faster than HDD however only the sims 3 loads quicker on SSD. The sims 4 does not. SSD is good for booting windows and other programs quicker. Your SSD at the moment is too small to game on. Your video card is lower end and your laptop has no cooling. If you have a low end budget it's better to have hardware inside the computer that can run the game. SSD would be last on the list. Video card, processor , and ram are more important than the SSD. The more features you want in a computer, the more it will cost you.
I haven’t filled up my SSD either. I literally only use it for TS3/TS4 , iTunes, origin and a couple programmes related to sims.
Maybe I’m misunderstanding what SSD is and what it’s for then?
Doesn’t TS require a certain amount of hard drive space to be installed and exist on the device? And I have that right?
What am I misunderstanding? Please help me cause I’m confused... everywhere I looked online before buying the laptop said SSD will run TS4 faster and is fine as long as I don’t overload the SSD with things..
You have to leave at least 50 gb free hard drive space with the sims games. They not only use physical memory ( computer ram) but they also use virtual memory and you need free hard drive space for that. You will run out of hard drive space as your sims games get larger. As your saves get larger it will make your files bigger. If you use CC and mods that will take up even allot more space. We have had several people here have issues with having only one 256 gb ssd while trying to game just one of the sims games. You will have even more problems trying to game the sims 3 and 4 on one small 256 gb ssd. Again you need at least 500b ssd if you want to put the whole sims 3 and eventually a complete sims 4 game.
These games take up more hard drive space than stated by ea if you factor in saves, cc, mods etc.
You need enough hard drive space. 500 gb or more . You also need enough computer ram, a video card that meets requirements, a processor that meets requirements etc
I’m not planning to get any more EP or anything for sims 4 though.. the content is really lacking so it’s just not worth my money hence why I’ve been focusing more on sims 3
I feel like I’ve been lied to by EA lol
You will even have issues playing the sims 3 on the 256 gb ssd without having a second hard drive. The game will just get larger and larger. You may have already done damage to that laptop if your having heat problems trying to run the game on that laptop. It has no cooling for the heat the game will cause from gaming. It will stress out your laptop
If I get a cooling pad will that allow me to at least play sims 4? obviously not doing hours upon hours in one go but at least 1hr maybe of play? if I can get the Graphics Card to stay at around 50-60c ? I'm not sure how long it'll be before I can sell my current laptop or how much I can even get for it which I imagine won't be much. I actually love this laptop so much and really don't like the weight and look of gaming laptops so it's going to be annoying and upsetting getting rid of it...
Part of me just wants to get a desktop because imo if your laptop is as heavy as a gaming laptop, it's not really that portable at least not for me anyways.
I'm struggling not to play sims right now lol
There is a reason gaming laptops are thicker. They have much better cooling than your average laptop and are designed to take more heat while gaming. Gaming laptops are not really meant to be lugged around. If you want a lighter laptop for every day tasks, keep the one you have for that and get yourself a gaming desktop for at home.
Thanks for the link! I enjoyed reading the benchmarking of the 8th gen i7 U-series quad core. Earlier this year, I read that the 'U' series quads might give more performance boosts in the future but didn't care to look further because to me the U series is instantly problematic. So this is the first I've seen of the benchmarking. For TS3, it's still not ideal (1.8 GHz base frequency) but there are going to be loads of these next generation U-machines tempting buyers now and in the future. OEM configurations as 8th gen progresses might include the higher end GPUs with variable performance. The low power in the U-series is typically represented with a TDP (Thermal Design Power/Point) in the 15–28 watt range, so Nvidia's adaptations to market better discrete GPUs for the U series will affect their performance even more. (More crashing TS3 games, here we come!)
Phoebebebe13 kindly pointed out to me that she'd seen (older) GTX Nvidia card paired with the U-series laptops. My thought at that point was "the horror!". But there IS a market and possibly things will improve for low end gaming laptops sooner than later.
@iEllaLouise - I'm so sorry this happened to you. I'm glad you're on the forum now and can get better perspective.
I know several simmers who tried for months to get less than ideal machines
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I'll have to stick to sims 2 then until further notice - hopefully that satisfies my Sims cravings I'm having...
It's such a pain because on the surface it appeared to be suited - i7 processor, enough ghz , dedicated graphics card, SSD with enough space to install all 3 sims games and their expansion packs and still have enough space left over if I ever want to install more EP (which I won't unless they suddenly decide to give TS4 some EP worth having..)
Such a shame everywhere I looked online had info that wasn't correct. I should have just spent more time searching for how to be able to post on these forums rather than giving up in frustration
I have another laptop I used to use for TS4 and TS3 . It ran a lot better than the Celeron laptop but after a few years more than 1hr of play on TS4 would cause the game to lag so badly I had to exit the game for a while or it would just crash randomly, but the laptop didn't really heat up too much.
support.hp.com/gb-en/document/c03734159
I'm still not great at understanding what will be ok and what won't.... can I use that to play TS3/TS4?
sorry I'm being such a pain.
These computers can also serve as DVR stations, so if you want to watch a movie, or listen to music from your own collection, you access your computer through the TV's applications.
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If you want to game on laptop, you need a computer designed to handle the games you want to play. People who buy computers going strictly by looks is not a great idea. We have had people do that and the end result is the computer looks the way they want it to however it does not have the hardware to handle the games they want to play. This would be the same situation for you.
You must put your laptop on a hard surface. Blocking the cooling by putting the laptop on a bed can do serious damage to your laptop and could set your bed and laptop on fire. I hope you at least have a portable bed table to put the laptop on.
That HP you posted is also way below requirements to run the sims 3 and 4, why you eventually had problems.
Laptops that meet requirements, you need
Video card: Nvidia GTX 1050, 1050 ti or 1060
Processor, intel i5 or i7 quad core for gaming. They will end in HQ or MQ ( Not U)
Hard drive space 500 gb or more
computer ram: 8gb
Windows 64 bit
Oh my gosh thank you! I didn't even think of that. I'm so silly lol
I use a usb wireless mouse with my laptop and sometimes use a usb wireless mini keyboard touch pad thing (but it's quite fiddly so often don't bother)
Sometimes I use miracast to show Sims on my TV but tbh I'm not a fan of Sims on a large screen.
That's made my thoughts a lot clearer now thank you, I see now I have more options than I realised.
One of my TVs Isn't set up in a way that I could hook the computer up to the TV with a HDMI, is miracast something I could get on a computer or is it only for laptops? sorry I know that is a silly question probably, I don't know if laptops and computers can do the same things or not...
You can hook a desktop tower up to a TV, use the TV as your monitor using a Hdmi cord. you use a wireless keyboard and mouse. Many of us do this. The tower can stay by the TV and your mouse and keyboard can be used on your bed.
You can hook a laptop up to a Tv with an Hdmi but you need to have the laptop close to you which means having a long HDMI cord. Laptops don't work well with using an external extra keyboard.
The laptop I have at the moment is designed so when it is open, it's lifted upwards slightly so the base doesn't sit directly onto a surface and I also have tables I can use in bed for the laptop since I know putting a laptop straight on the bed is a big fat no no.
I get that to play sims properly I need something dedicated to gaming but until I get that I'm happy to play on something that'll run in a way that is less than ideal but will still be able to run without burning out.
Which is why I'm considering repairing my old broken laptop until I can get something new but ofcourse won't bother if I can't even play a bit of sims.
I think I'll just have to repair the old one, only play sims 2 and just wait till I have more money for a gaming laptop or gaming desktop.
My fiance builds computers so hopefully he can find all the parts I'd need for a reasonable price.
Thankyou for all your help. I'm going to browse for laptops meeting the requirements you've stated then try and shift my new laptop for as much as I can to put towards a desktop or laptop.
If I'm struggling with lack of knowledge further for laptoos or desktops for whatever reason I'll be sure to start a new discussion but I imagine I'll be fine since I've been given so much help here
If you have an old laptop, I doubt it can be repaired unless using used hardware which I would not advise. Laptops are throw away computers once the hardware breaks and they no longer make the hardware for the laptop. Average life span of a laptop is 3 to 5 years. Hardware moves so quickly and laptops especially become very outdated quickly.. they do not sell laptop hardware to the public either.
desktop with good hardware, a good tower case with good cooling and room for upgrades and replacement hardware is the best way to go for gaming. These will last longer and are not throw away computers like a laptop. they do sell desktop hardware to the public.
Can I use a computer to display an image on a laptop screen? or is that just not possible? does the HDMI thing only work for TVs and monitors?
There is wireless technology I'm not really familiar with, an iPhone or other device can stream movies and pix to a TV that has the same technology. This is out of my scope. Igazor and Phoebe will likely be much more helpful.
I'm just taking a break (from learning Gwent for another game). But you're at the right place to get help for things pertaining to TS3.
Like Phoebe, I recommend TomsHardware site for general tech questions.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/
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