Really? I thought they stopped making 32-bit 'anything' ages ago, especially now that more and more games are going 64-bit only. My mistake then.
Not yet but moving forward the requirements will be changed, more and more developers are now working in 64 bit.
I dont even know why 32-bit games are still a thing in todays age, because if their PC is 32 bit I doubt they can run most new games anyways 32 bit or not.
Cale I explained the difference somewhere in this thread (i think on the first page) about 32 bit windows vs 32 bit version of the game. A 32 bit version of windows can only use 3.5 gb ram total for everything running on their computer. A 64 bit version of windows can access more than 3.5 gb ram . A game programmed at 32 bit can only use 3.5 gb total for the game. If someone has integrated gpu/cpu , 8gb ram and a 64 bit version of windows it's better for them to play the 32 bit version of the game. The game will cap it's ram at 3.5 gb on a 32 bit version of the game. This leaves 4.5 gb ram for windows, origin, processor, video card and other programs to run while still running the game
32-bit computers are old computers XP they stopped making the XP 32 bit back around 2005.
Cats and Dogs Need to have a 64-bit computer because you will need to run EA, 64-bit version of Sims 4
It does not matter what type Windows VISTA or Windows XP you have you can not run Cats and Dogs on a Windows VISTA or Windows XP
EA has two versions of Sims 4
32 bit
64 bit
This is not something new they already had this. 2015 I think.
Whats new is the New EP, Cats & Dogs
Cats & Dogs will not be able to run on the 32-Bit version of Sims 4
Keep in mind they are giving you the MINIMUM requirements meaning specs shouldn't drop lower ( 4 GB RAM? look next to that number to see your actual RAM)
(On Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 and 10)
MINIMUM OS: 64 Bit Required. Windows 7 (SP1), Windows 8, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10
CPU: 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD Athlon 64 Dual-Core 4000+ or equivalent (For computers using built-in graphics chipsets, the game requires 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.0 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-62 or equivalent)
RAM: At least 4 GB RAM
DISC DRIVE: DVD ROM drive required for installation only
HARD DRIVE: At least 3 GB of free space (14 GB if installing with The Sims 4) with at least 1 GB additional space for custom content and saved games
VIDEO: 128 MB of Video RAM and support for Pixel Shader 3.0. Supported Video Cards: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 or better, ATI Radeon X1300 or better, Intel GMA X4500 or better
DIRECTX: DirectX 9.0c compatible
SOUND CARD: DirectX 9.0c Compatible
INPUT: Keyboard and Mouse
ONLINE REQUIREMENTS: Internet connection required for product activation.
************************************************************************************
Mac
MINIMUM OS: Mac OS® X 10.7.5 (Lion)
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz Processor or better
RAM: At least 4 GB RAM
HARD DRIVE: At least 3 GB of free space (14 GB if installing with The Sims 4) with at least 1 GB additional space for custom content and saved games
VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA GeForce 320M, 9600M, 9400M, ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro or better. Video RAM of 256MB or better.
INPUT: Keyboard and Mouse
ONLINE REQUIREMENTS: Internet connection required for product activation.
we'll give you a full refund. Just make sure you make your request within 24 hours after you first launch the game, within seven days from your date of purchase, or within seven days from the game's release date if you pre-ordered, whichever comes first.
Who said EA doesn't have a sense of humor
@Stormsview They did not stop making 32 bit OS They still make 32 bit windows . Windows 10 has a 32 bit . We get a few of them in tech now and again. [Edited: Removed]
[Edited: Removed]
Again anyone reading this who wants to know if they meet requirements to run cats and dogs , please come into tech and we will read your computer specs.
This way you can get the help you need
Came back and saw this LOL but yes they do make 32 bit Windows still for tablets and low end computers and I suppose for TS4 32 bit is useful for igpu but going forward I would like to see all games make a full transition to 64 bit as more machines will probably come with more than 8gb of RAM in the future (5 years or so)
And secondly, agreed with luthenrising above.
PC Specs:
Asus ROG GL753VE-BS71 17.3 inch
Intel Core i7 7700HQ 2.8-3.8GHz
16GB DDR4 RAM
128GB SSD
1TB 7200RPM HDD
NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1050 TI 4GB
Some of the comments had to be removed from this thread because they got heated. This is not cool, so I'm asking you to be mindful of each other going forward.
The thread has now been moved to the tech section.
I'm hoping my computer will run it ok... The only thing I'm worried about is RAM. It has 4 GB installed but says only 3.8 GB usable... Do you guys know if it will do? How to change that used bit? XD
I'm hoping my computer will run it ok... The only thing I'm worried about is RAM. It has 4 GB installed but says only 3.8 GB usable... Do you guys know if it will do? How to change that used bit? XD
Your processor and video card count too not just the ram. If you have an integrated processor video card you will have even more issues. We would need to know all your computer specs to give you a better answer. The game alone needs 4gb ram to run. You need extra ram to run windows, origin and other programs. You really need 8gb computer ram If your computer only have 4 gb total you will probably have issues running this ep and going forward with add ons to this game
Hi. I installed Cats/Dogs early Saturday afternoon. Worked fine, spent 3 hours or so with it. After returning to it after my evening meal, the laptop is completely dead. Not even a light to show that power is connected. The charge lead works fine with another (Sony) laptop. I've tried removing the battery, holding the power button etc. I strongly suspect the motherboard is gone.
[quote="luthienrising;c-16054945"]Hi @Stormsview - Just as a head's up, in the Technical forums, we have seen plenty of people with technically above minimum spec laptops end up with dead computers in Sims 4, from game launch on. While undoubtedly there are people who [i]haven't[/i] ended up with dead computers, that doesn't undo the fact that there are many people who have, and many, many others with [i]terrible [/i]game performance. And that's an expensive problem to end up with! I would [i]never[/i], given that experience, actually advise anyone that they will be fine playing at or not far above minimum specs for this game. There is a history of people [i]not[/i] being fine that way, no matter what technical specs are meant to be possible. It would be irresponsible on my part, and not at my expense either. My advice could end up costing someone a [i]lot[/i] of money, someone who for all I know can't just throw money around. When that happens, morally, as far as I'm concerned, I am at fault.
When people ask me if they'll be fine but show me low specs, I will tell them that while technically they're above specs, there is a history of people on low specs having hardware failure and serious game problems and that they should be prepared that that could be [i]them.[/i] If someone is below minimum, I will tell them so and that they are serious risk of having to replace a laptop. I would strongly advise that you not tell people they'll be fine when there's plenty in similar situations who have [i]not[/i] been. Please consider this advice seriously. It comes from having read the tech forum on here for the last 3 years.[/quote]
What does the game do to cause this? I'm new to the forum. The reason I'm here is that I installed Cats/Dogs and three/four hours later my 'decent' i5 Sony laptop is totally dead.
Hi @Stormsview - Just as a head's up, in the Technical forums, we have seen plenty of people with technically above minimum spec laptops end up with dead computers in Sims 4, from game launch on. While undoubtedly there are people who haven't ended up with dead computers, that doesn't undo the fact that there are many people who have, and many, many others with terrible game performance. And that's an expensive problem to end up with! I would never, given that experience, actually advise anyone that they will be fine playing at or not far above minimum specs for this game. There is a history of people not being fine that way, no matter what technical specs are meant to be possible. It would be irresponsible on my part, and not at my expense either. My advice could end up costing someone a lot of money, someone who for all I know can't just throw money around. When that happens, morally, as far as I'm concerned, I am at fault.
When people ask me if they'll be fine but show me low specs, I will tell them that while technically they're above specs, there is a history of people on low specs having hardware failure and serious game problems and that they should be prepared that that could be them. If someone is below minimum, I will tell them so and that they are serious risk of having to replace a laptop. I would strongly advise that you not tell people they'll be fine when there's plenty in similar situations who have not been. Please consider this advice seriously. It comes from having read the tech forum on here for the last 3 years.
What does the game do to cause this? I'm new to the forum. The reason I'm here is that I installed Cats/Dogs and three/four hours later my 'decent' i5 Sony laptop is totally dead.
I'm so sorry to hear about your laptop!
Sims 4 is doing a whole lot of two things, all the time. One is making constant calculations about who's where, what's where, what interactions are happening, what interactions could happen next, which ones will happen next, whether it has available Sims for something or needs to generate more... The more possible interactions, the more calculations - and adding any add-on but especially pets EPs (this was true in the past as well!) adds a lot more things to calculate. So much so for Cat & Dogs that the minimum requirements are higher than the basegame.
The other kind of "whole lot" happening is that the game is making animations happen and rendering all the onscreen visuals. Many people add CC and mods as well, which can add even more calculation and rendering. Both of those use a lot energy and system memory, and the harder you make a computer work, the hotter it gets. Desktop computers and high-end gaming laptops have the ability to do a lot more of both kinds of work, plus cooling systems to keep things under control when they get hot (my son has his eye on gaming laptops with water cooling!). Everyday laptops don't have either of those, especially on the graphics and cooling side. It's common for an everyday or "business" laptop to have a great processor but nothing at all serious in the way of a graphics card and no cooling.
In Technical here, we're super happy to help people find machines that will do what they need as economically as possible, but we don't recommend putting money into something at or just above minimum requirements to play Sims on - and obviously not below. Sometimes spending more up front means getting twice the lifetime out of a purchase, and saving in the long run.
EA CREATOR NETWORK MEMBER — Want to be notified of patches, new Broken Mods threads, and urgent Sims 4 news? Follow me at https://www.patreon.com/luthienrising.
Thank you for the time you spent with that reply. Just for information, the specs for my laptop are: - Sony Vaio F1521F4E - 4GB memory - GeForce GT 740M Graphics - Windows 10 Is it the graphics that are not good enough and caused the problem?
I will be taking it to a local repair shop tomorrow, but am expecting that it's a motherboard issue and not repairable. That being the case, I'll need a new laptop, but as now SIMS is the only game I will play on it. Do you have a suggestion for a suitable replacement?
Thank you for the time you spent with that reply.
Just for information, the specs for my laptop are:
- Sony Vaio F1521F4E
- 4GB memory
- GeForce GT 740M Graphics
- Windows 10
Is it the graphics that are not good enough and caused the problem?
I will be taking it to a local repair shop tomorrow, but am expecting that it's a motherboard issue and not repairable.
That being the case, I'll need a new laptop, but as now SIMS is the only game I will play on it.
Do you have a suggestion for a suitable replacement?
This laptop is below recommended requirements but above minimum . You biggest issue would be your ram. The game alone needs 4gb of ram to run , You need more ram to run windows , origin and other programs. Ideal is to have 8gb computer ram . If you can fix your laptop having more ram might save you some money. Eventually you might need a new laptop. The 700 nvidia series is getting older.
If you buy a new laptop you should invest in one that meets the recommended requirements so you don't fall behind with game add ons
Video card GTX 960m, 970m 1050, 1050 ti, 1060. The 1000 series is newer and better than the 900 series
processor i5 or i7 intel quad core. the intel quad core will have HQ or MQ after the processor series number. You don't want a "U" processor, they are dual core
Thank you for the information, I shall bear it in mind in the unlikely event that the laptop is fixable. Meanwhile I shall keep reading/posting and hope it may stop someone else from losing a near £600 device, even when it meets the minimum specs.
Thank you for the information, I shall bear it in mind in the unlikely event that the laptop is fixable.
Meanwhile I shall keep reading/posting and hope it may stop someone else from losing a near £600 device, even when it meets the minimum specs.
Your welcome. laptop Hardware gets outdated more quickly . Once they brake and they no longer make replacement hardware, your laptop becomes a throw away computer. Desktop is more powerful, some can be upgraded unlike a laptop. desktop overall is the better investment unless you must have a laptop
The SIMS is the only game I use the laptop for, otherwise it's a general purpose device ... well was a general purpose device which I take with me to various places. I sought advice at the time and was advised with the i5, 4GB ram and dedicated graphics I was pretty decently placed for the medium term anyway. I naively thought a game would run or not, rather than running but burning the machine out as suggested above. I've had a quick look for suitable laptops to meet the spec above ... I better get saving!
The SIMS is the only game I use the laptop for, otherwise it's a general purpose device ... well was a general purpose device which I take with me to various places.
I sought advice at the time and was advised with the i5, 4GB ram and dedicated graphics I was pretty decently placed for the medium term anyway.
I naively thought a game would run or not, rather than running but burning the machine out as suggested above.
I've had a quick look for suitable laptops to meet the spec above ... I better get saving!
Did you add cats and dogs? It's that ep that just might be giving you issue. You should be able to run the game prior to adding C & D unless your laptop just gave out completely. As i mentioned to you in the other thread. Average lifespan of a laptop is 3-5 years. Your video card is 4 years old.
> @phoebebebe13 said: > Ellie0701 wrote: » > > The SIMS is the only game I use the laptop for, otherwise it's a general purpose device ... well was a general purpose device which I take with me to various places. > I sought advice at the time and was advised with the i5, 4GB ram and dedicated graphics I was pretty decently placed for the medium term anyway. > I naively thought a game would run or not, rather than running but burning the machine out as suggested above. > I've had a quick look for suitable laptops to meet the spec above ... I better get saving! > > > > > Did you add cats and dogs? It's that ep that just might be giving you issue. You should be able to run the game prior to adding C & D unless your laptop just gave out completely. As i mentioned to you in the other thread. Average lifespan of a laptop is 3-5 years. Your video card is 4 years old.
SIMS 4 ran fine. C&D ran fine for three hours or so. Yes, four years is a normal period for a corporate refresh, although I do have an IBM that does just one job for me which is now 14 years old. I'm a careful user but not one who has money to waste so this experience is troubling.
> @phoebebebe13 said:
> Ellie0701 wrote: »
>
> The SIMS is the only game I use the laptop for, otherwise it's a general purpose device ... well was a general purpose device which I take with me to various places.
> I sought advice at the time and was advised with the i5, 4GB ram and dedicated graphics I was pretty decently placed for the medium term anyway.
> I naively thought a game would run or not, rather than running but burning the machine out as suggested above.
> I've had a quick look for suitable laptops to meet the spec above ... I better get saving!
>
>
>
>
> Did you add cats and dogs? It's that ep that just might be giving you issue. You should be able to run the game prior to adding C & D unless your laptop just gave out completely. As i mentioned to you in the other thread. Average lifespan of a laptop is 3-5 years. Your video card is 4 years old.
SIMS 4 ran fine. C&D ran fine for three hours or so.
Yes, four years is a normal period for a corporate refresh, although I do have an IBM that does just one job for me which is now 14 years old. I'm a careful user but not one who has money to waste so this experience is troubling.
You don't have enough ram for cats and dogs EP. As your saves get larger it becomes more demanding. Have you tried uninstalling C & D to see if your game will run better? Is the computer now not working at all? Anytime you game it generates more heat . Heat can do permanent damage to a computer . Cooling is very important while gaming
My laptop is completely dead. It doesn't even light the little LED that shows a power pack is connected.
My point here is that I meet the minimum spec for the expansion (RAM) and exceed for others. If the expert community here 'knows' that there will be problems even when meeting the minimum published spec, what is the point of the spec?? Does EA really expect people to join expert forums to find that out? SIMS is used as a casual game by many people, not PC experts. As I mentioned, it's the only PC game I play(ed).
My laptop is completely dead. It doesn't even light the little LED that shows a power pack is connected.
My point here is that I meet the minimum spec for the expansion (RAM) and exceed for others. If the expert community here 'knows' that there will be problems even when meeting the minimum published spec, what is the point of the spec?? Does EA really expect people to join expert forums to find that out? SIMS is used as a casual game by many people, not PC experts. As I mentioned, it's the only PC game I play(ed).
Your don't meet the minimum for ram. The game alone needs 4gb ram. You need extra ram to run windows , origin and other programs while running the game at teh same time. You stated you only have 4gb ram total. That is not enough ram to run cats and dogs along with windows, origin and other programs. You need a computer with 8gb ram
EA puts out the computer specs for the game. It's up to the purchaser of that game to know how to read computer spec requirements. This means doing research before buying a computer. Knowing the game requires desktop hardware. Desktop hardware is different than laptop hardware and laptop hardware is weaker than desktop hardware.
Wow. EA is making a lot of money from people who don't know that's a fact. And people like me buying from Amazon read pages like the below IF we are more diligent than some others and copy/paste it. WWW.THESIMS.COM/CATS-AND-DOGS-FAQ ... which says 4GB minimum, not 'you need a computer with 8GB' because ... This is game often played by people who don't play PC games regularly and are not computer experts or forum dwellers. I'll bet the majority of people buying the game don't even check the spec, and just expect it to work with the SIMS because the SIMS already works.
Will we get refund for digital copies? Or just physical copies?
You can get a refund on digital copies . That's why I said try it out. If it does not work for you , ask for a refund.
IIRC, unless things have changed, the refund guarantee is available only for the base game not for add-ons.
really. @AmySims09 luthienrising thinks you can't get a refund. @rosemow input Thanks
Might need to contact EA before buying to double check
Hello
You are unable to get a refund for expansions . This is what is written on the site
Return and Refund Policy for Third-party Games, Packaged Goods and Game Expansions/DLC/Add-Ons
Purchases from the Origin Store for all other third-party content, as well as packaged goods, game expansions, downloadable content, time cards, virtual currency and add-ons are not subject to the Great Game Guarantee. Please see the Terms of Sale and the Returns and Cancellations FAQ for further information regarding any potential returns and/or refunds for these items.
Aww
So there is no way to refund a digital pack? I remember purchasing The Sims Medieval Pirates & Noble and I was able to return it so maybe it's changed since then.
PLEASE FIX TEENS IN TS4! I NEED YOUNGER TEENS NOT YA TEENS! (^_^)Please add Music Bands with lead singers! Please add vehicles and garages! Vehicles have always been part of The Sims.
I was able to purchase C&D and return it (digital copy). I had talk to CS before I purchased it and they said I could return it if I didn't like it within 24hours after launching.
PLEASE FIX TEENS IN TS4! I NEED YOUNGER TEENS NOT YA TEENS! (^_^)Please add Music Bands with lead singers! Please add vehicles and garages! Vehicles have always been part of The Sims.
Comments
Cale I explained the difference somewhere in this thread (i think on the first page) about 32 bit windows vs 32 bit version of the game. A 32 bit version of windows can only use 3.5 gb ram total for everything running on their computer. A 64 bit version of windows can access more than 3.5 gb ram . A game programmed at 32 bit can only use 3.5 gb total for the game. If someone has integrated gpu/cpu , 8gb ram and a 64 bit version of windows it's better for them to play the 32 bit version of the game. The game will cap it's ram at 3.5 gb on a 32 bit version of the game. This leaves 4.5 gb ram for windows, origin, processor, video card and other programs to run while still running the game
32-bit computers are old computers XP they stopped making the XP 32 bit back around 2005.
Cats and Dogs Need to have a 64-bit computer because you will need to run EA, 64-bit version of Sims 4
It does not matter what type Windows VISTA or Windows XP you have you can not run Cats and Dogs on a Windows VISTA or Windows XP
EA has two versions of Sims 4
32 bit
64 bit
This is not something new they already had this. 2015 I think.
Whats new is the New EP, Cats & Dogs
Cats & Dogs will not be able to run on the 32-Bit version of Sims 4
Why? Because they have upped the Specs and Sims 4 Cats & Dogs requires a 64-bit operating system to run smoothly
EA help Links
https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/the-sims/the-sims-4/the-sims-4-cats-and-dogs/
https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/the-sims/the-sims-4/when-to-use-the-sims-4-64-bit-or-32-bit-version/
https://www.thesims.com/en_GB/cats-and-dogs-faq
Keep in mind they are giving you the MINIMUM requirements meaning specs shouldn't drop lower ( 4 GB RAM? look next to that number to see your actual RAM)
(On Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 and 10)
MINIMUM OS: 64 Bit Required. Windows 7 (SP1), Windows 8, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10
CPU: 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD Athlon 64 Dual-Core 4000+ or equivalent (For computers using built-in graphics chipsets, the game requires 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.0 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-62 or equivalent)
RAM: At least 4 GB RAM
DISC DRIVE: DVD ROM drive required for installation only
HARD DRIVE: At least 3 GB of free space (14 GB if installing with The Sims 4) with at least 1 GB additional space for custom content and saved games
VIDEO: 128 MB of Video RAM and support for Pixel Shader 3.0. Supported Video Cards: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 or better, ATI Radeon X1300 or better, Intel GMA X4500 or better
DIRECTX: DirectX 9.0c compatible
SOUND CARD: DirectX 9.0c Compatible
INPUT: Keyboard and Mouse
ONLINE REQUIREMENTS: Internet connection required for product activation.
************************************************************************************
Mac
MINIMUM OS: Mac OS® X 10.7.5 (Lion)
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz Processor or better
RAM: At least 4 GB RAM
HARD DRIVE: At least 3 GB of free space (14 GB if installing with The Sims 4) with at least 1 GB additional space for custom content and saved games
VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA GeForce 320M, 9600M, 9400M, ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro or better. Video RAM of 256MB or better.
INPUT: Keyboard and Mouse
ONLINE REQUIREMENTS: Internet connection required for product activation.
Who said EA doesn't have a sense of humor
Again anyone reading this who wants to know if they meet requirements to run cats and dogs , please come into tech and we will read your computer specs.
This way you can get the help you need
And secondly, agreed with luthenrising above.
Intel Core i7 7700HQ 2.8-3.8GHz
16GB DDR4 RAM
128GB SSD
1TB 7200RPM HDD
NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1050 TI 4GB
Rogers Ignite 70u internet
Some of the comments had to be removed from this thread because they got heated. This is not cool, so I'm asking you to be mindful of each other going forward.
The thread has now been moved to the tech section.
Cheers!
Your processor and video card count too not just the ram. If you have an integrated processor video card you will have even more issues. We would need to know all your computer specs to give you a better answer. The game alone needs 4gb ram to run. You need extra ram to run windows, origin and other programs. You really need 8gb computer ram If your computer only have 4 gb total you will probably have issues running this ep and going forward with add ons to this game
When people ask me if they'll be fine but show me low specs, I will tell them that while technically they're above specs, there is a history of people on low specs having hardware failure and serious game problems and that they should be prepared that that could be [i]them.[/i] If someone is below minimum, I will tell them so and that they are serious risk of having to replace a laptop. I would strongly advise that you not tell people they'll be fine when there's plenty in similar situations who have [i]not[/i] been. Please consider this advice seriously. It comes from having read the tech forum on here for the last 3 years.[/quote]
What does the game do to cause this? I'm new to the forum. The reason I'm here is that I installed Cats/Dogs and three/four hours later my 'decent' i5 Sony laptop is totally dead.
I'm so sorry to hear about your laptop!
Sims 4 is doing a whole lot of two things, all the time. One is making constant calculations about who's where, what's where, what interactions are happening, what interactions could happen next, which ones will happen next, whether it has available Sims for something or needs to generate more... The more possible interactions, the more calculations - and adding any add-on but especially pets EPs (this was true in the past as well!) adds a lot more things to calculate. So much so for Cat & Dogs that the minimum requirements are higher than the basegame.
The other kind of "whole lot" happening is that the game is making animations happen and rendering all the onscreen visuals. Many people add CC and mods as well, which can add even more calculation and rendering. Both of those use a lot energy and system memory, and the harder you make a computer work, the hotter it gets. Desktop computers and high-end gaming laptops have the ability to do a lot more of both kinds of work, plus cooling systems to keep things under control when they get hot (my son has his eye on gaming laptops with water cooling!). Everyday laptops don't have either of those, especially on the graphics and cooling side. It's common for an everyday or "business" laptop to have a great processor but nothing at all serious in the way of a graphics card and no cooling.
In Technical here, we're super happy to help people find machines that will do what they need as economically as possible, but we don't recommend putting money into something at or just above minimum requirements to play Sims on - and obviously not below. Sometimes spending more up front means getting twice the lifetime out of a purchase, and saving in the long run.
Just for information, the specs for my laptop are:
- Sony Vaio F1521F4E
- 4GB memory
- GeForce GT 740M Graphics
- Windows 10
Is it the graphics that are not good enough and caused the problem?
I will be taking it to a local repair shop tomorrow, but am expecting that it's a motherboard issue and not repairable.
That being the case, I'll need a new laptop, but as now SIMS is the only game I will play on it.
Do you have a suggestion for a suitable replacement?
This laptop is below recommended requirements but above minimum . You biggest issue would be your ram. The game alone needs 4gb of ram to run , You need more ram to run windows , origin and other programs. Ideal is to have 8gb computer ram . If you can fix your laptop having more ram might save you some money. Eventually you might need a new laptop. The 700 nvidia series is getting older.
If you buy a new laptop you should invest in one that meets the recommended requirements so you don't fall behind with game add ons
Video card GTX 960m, 970m 1050, 1050 ti, 1060. The 1000 series is newer and better than the 900 series
processor i5 or i7 intel quad core. the intel quad core will have HQ or MQ after the processor series number. You don't want a "U" processor, they are dual core
8gb computer ram
at least 500 gb hard drive space or more
windows 64 bit
Meanwhile I shall keep reading/posting and hope it may stop someone else from losing a near £600 device, even when it meets the minimum specs.
Your welcome. laptop Hardware gets outdated more quickly . Once they brake and they no longer make replacement hardware, your laptop becomes a throw away computer. Desktop is more powerful, some can be upgraded unlike a laptop. desktop overall is the better investment unless you must have a laptop
I sought advice at the time and was advised with the i5, 4GB ram and dedicated graphics I was pretty decently placed for the medium term anyway.
I naively thought a game would run or not, rather than running but burning the machine out as suggested above.
I've had a quick look for suitable laptops to meet the spec above ... I better get saving!
Did you add cats and dogs? It's that ep that just might be giving you issue. You should be able to run the game prior to adding C & D unless your laptop just gave out completely. As i mentioned to you in the other thread. Average lifespan of a laptop is 3-5 years. Your video card is 4 years old.
> Ellie0701 wrote: »
>
> The SIMS is the only game I use the laptop for, otherwise it's a general purpose device ... well was a general purpose device which I take with me to various places.
> I sought advice at the time and was advised with the i5, 4GB ram and dedicated graphics I was pretty decently placed for the medium term anyway.
> I naively thought a game would run or not, rather than running but burning the machine out as suggested above.
> I've had a quick look for suitable laptops to meet the spec above ... I better get saving!
>
>
>
>
> Did you add cats and dogs? It's that ep that just might be giving you issue. You should be able to run the game prior to adding C & D unless your laptop just gave out completely. As i mentioned to you in the other thread. Average lifespan of a laptop is 3-5 years. Your video card is 4 years old.
SIMS 4 ran fine. C&D ran fine for three hours or so.
Yes, four years is a normal period for a corporate refresh, although I do have an IBM that does just one job for me which is now 14 years old. I'm a careful user but not one who has money to waste so this experience is troubling.
You don't have enough ram for cats and dogs EP. As your saves get larger it becomes more demanding. Have you tried uninstalling C & D to see if your game will run better? Is the computer now not working at all? Anytime you game it generates more heat . Heat can do permanent damage to a computer . Cooling is very important while gaming
My point here is that I meet the minimum spec for the expansion (RAM) and exceed for others. If the expert community here 'knows' that there will be problems even when meeting the minimum published spec, what is the point of the spec?? Does EA really expect people to join expert forums to find that out? SIMS is used as a casual game by many people, not PC experts. As I mentioned, it's the only PC game I play(ed).
Your don't meet the minimum for ram. The game alone needs 4gb ram. You need extra ram to run windows , origin and other programs while running the game at teh same time. You stated you only have 4gb ram total. That is not enough ram to run cats and dogs along with windows, origin and other programs. You need a computer with 8gb ram
EA puts out the computer specs for the game. It's up to the purchaser of that game to know how to read computer spec requirements. This means doing research before buying a computer. Knowing the game requires desktop hardware. Desktop hardware is different than laptop hardware and laptop hardware is weaker than desktop hardware.
All 3d games require desktop hardware
Wow.
EA is making a lot of money from people who don't know that's a fact.
And people like me buying from Amazon read pages like the below IF we are more diligent than some others and copy/paste it.
WWW.THESIMS.COM/CATS-AND-DOGS-FAQ
... which says 4GB minimum, not 'you need a computer with 8GB' because ...
This is game often played by people who don't play PC games regularly and are not computer experts or forum dwellers.
I'll bet the majority of people buying the game don't even check the spec, and just expect it to work with the SIMS because the SIMS already works.
Aww
So there is no way to refund a digital pack? I remember purchasing The Sims Medieval Pirates & Noble and I was able to return it so maybe it's changed since then.