Thanks I'm looking in to them but its going to around fall now before I get one my sibling pulled out on the deal so I'm saving by myself now how nice right?but it will be all mine.
I looked but did not see anything better and 6GB of Ram is fine for running Sims 3 and fine in general.
That Graphics card is amazing in my opinion and you can upgrade the HD to a 7200 RPM drive for less then 100 on Newegg as well as the Ram.
Windows 8 is decent, at first I was cautious about Win 8 but after trying it and playing with it I rather like it an you might to. Or if you really don't like it you can put on Windows 7 when you upgrade the HD.
Anyway you can upgrade the Ram and Hd for about 130 to 150 bucks when your ready that's my plan. I just bought some Ram Thurs for my new Laptop and it will be here Mon.
I would go with that Laptop and don't worry about the HD and Ram both are fine for Sims 3 and you will be able to easily run the game on all High to Very High settings, I think it's a decent deal myself. An if you do get it can you post images? I would love to see the graphics in Sims 3 with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M.
I know I said no more than $800, but this deal was just too good to pass up. It has all the upgrades I'd want to make in the other choice (cache SSD, 8gb RAM, better screen), plus it has a backlit keyboard (which I've been wanting but was prepared to live without) and a GT 750 instead of the 730. It should also (hopefully) be able to run Sims 4 well when that comes out. Unfortunately, I have to wait until mid-May to get it, but such is life, I guess. Anyway, thanks again for the help.
I know I said no more than $800, but this deal was just too good to pass up. It has all the upgrades I'd want to make in the other choice (cache SSD, 8gb RAM, better screen), plus it has a backlit keyboard (which I've been wanting but was prepared to live without) and a GT 750 instead of the 730. It should also (hopefully) be able to run Sims 4 well when that comes out. Unfortunately, I have to wait until mid-May to get it, but such is life, I guess. Anyway, thanks again for the help.
That's a pretty good deal. The specs look great and 750M is a good choice, quite similar in performance to the 660M which someone did the survey on. Also the 1920x1080 screen is really nice, everything looks perfect. And yes, you'll be set for Sims 4.
Hi all! It has been a LONG time since I've played my Sims and I miss them! But my current laptop just can't handle it.
So I've looked through this thread as much as I can and have narrowed down my laptop search to what I hope will work for me.
If someone would be so kind as to let me know what they think I'd be forever grateful
Here are the specs:
Processor - Intel® 3rd Generation Core™ i7
Processor Speed - 2.4GHz (with Turbo Boost up to 3.4GHz)
RAM - 8GB
Graphics - NVIDIA GeForce GT 635M, 2GB dedicated
If yins need anymore info please let me know! I'm trying not to just buy the first thing I see that's shiny and pretty (like with the current laptop) so your help is really appreciated!
Hi all! It has been a LONG time since I've played my Sims and I miss them! But my current laptop just can't handle it.
So I've looked through this thread as much as I can and have narrowed down my laptop search to what I hope will work for me.
If someone would be so kind as to let me know what they think I'd be forever grateful
Here are the specs:
Processor - Intel® 3rd Generation Core™ i7
Processor Speed - 2.4GHz (with Turbo Boost up to 3.4GHz)
RAM - 8GB
Graphics - NVIDIA GeForce GT 635M, 2GB dedicated
If yins need anymore info please let me know! I'm trying not to just buy the first thing I see that's shiny and pretty (like with the current laptop) so your help is really appreciated!
Hey there! Everything looks great. Do you mind sharing the price and link? Just in case there might be a nice deal within your budget to get something better than the 635M.
I've got my new laptop and I've only installed a few games but my FPS seems really low (19~25) when my settings are high. Should I reduce my game settings or is there something I can do to increase the FPS? I'm hoping it's the latter because I'm sure my laptop is capable of running all the game on high.
EDIT: Nevermind! I downloaded the Nvidia Experience and now it's working perfectly. Once I finish playing, I'll take pictures and post my settings.
Hi all! It has been a LONG time since I've played my Sims and I miss them! But my current laptop just can't handle it.
So I've looked through this thread as much as I can and have narrowed down my laptop search to what I hope will work for me.
If someone would be so kind as to let me know what they think I'd be forever grateful
Here are the specs:
Processor - Intel® 3rd Generation Core™ i7
Processor Speed - 2.4GHz (with Turbo Boost up to 3.4GHz)
RAM - 8GB
Graphics - NVIDIA GeForce GT 635M, 2GB dedicated
If yins need anymore info please let me know! I'm trying not to just buy the first thing I see that's shiny and pretty (like with the current laptop) so your help is really appreciated!
Hey there! Everything looks great. Do you mind sharing the price and link? Just in case there might be a nice deal within your budget to get something better than the 635M.
I don't mind at all, here's the link, my problem is that I'm kind of limited to Best Buy because I already have credit with them, which I'll need to use. The upside is that I have like $30 off on a future purchase because of past purchases, it's not much but every little bit helps right
I've got my new laptop and I've only installed a few games but my FPS seems really low (19~25) when my settings are high. Should I reduce my game settings or is there something I can do to increase the FPS? I'm hoping it's the latter because I'm sure my laptop is capable of running all the game on high.
EDIT: Nevermind! I downloaded the Nvidia Experience and now it's working perfectly. Once I finish playing, I'll take pictures and post my settings.
That's good to hear! I'd really appreciate if you could do the survey on the first page sometimes soon
Hi all! It has been a LONG time since I've played my Sims and I miss them! But my current laptop just can't handle it.
So I've looked through this thread as much as I can and have narrowed down my laptop search to what I hope will work for me.
If someone would be so kind as to let me know what they think I'd be forever grateful
Here are the specs:
Processor - Intel® 3rd Generation Core™ i7
Processor Speed - 2.4GHz (with Turbo Boost up to 3.4GHz)
RAM - 8GB
Graphics - NVIDIA GeForce GT 635M, 2GB dedicated
If yins need anymore info please let me know! I'm trying not to just buy the first thing I see that's shiny and pretty (like with the current laptop) so your help is really appreciated!
Hey there! Everything looks great. Do you mind sharing the price and link? Just in case there might be a nice deal within your budget to get something better than the 635M.
I don't mind at all, here's the link, my problem is that I'm kind of limited to Best Buy because I already have credit with them, which I'll need to use. The upside is that I have like $30 off on a future purchase because of past purchases, it's not much but every little bit helps right
The 635M will be able to play on medium-high settings with all expansion packs. I completely understand your limitation to only Best Buy, I just want to inform you that there are laptops out there around the same price, if not cheaper with much better graphics cards that'll be able to play on all high settings. Such as this. All the specs are the same as yours except it comes with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M which is significantly better than the 635M, it's also $900, free shipping, and no tax. Just my opinion, I feel like you'll be able to go far in gaming experience with the 730M while saving at least $50 since Best Buy charages tax. However, you will not go wrong purchasing the Best Buy laptop. If possible, you should also consider this laptop from there. It comes with the 660M which is much, much more powerful than the 635M or the 730M. It might be 1.9" smaller but your game will have a stronger card.
Hello! I was wondering which of these laptops would be good for all Sims expansions, future sims 4 etc. also good enough to do all of my college course work on...Which is the best out of all of them..
Also, if you have a different suggestions. Thanks!!
1. Nvidia Geforce GT 650M (2GB)
2. World Adventures, Ambitions, Late Night, Generations, Seasons, University Life, Pets, Showtime and Supernatural
3. Outdoor Living, Master Suite
4. No intro, Pose Player
5. 1.6GB of Store Content
6. 32-90
7.
A big thanks to summermistx3 for all your help. :thumbup:
I've got my new laptop and I've only installed a few games but my FPS seems really low (19~25) when my settings are high. Should I reduce my game settings or is there something I can do to increase the FPS? I'm hoping it's the latter because I'm sure my laptop is capable of running all the game on high.
EDIT: Nevermind! I downloaded the Nvidia Experience and now it's working perfectly. Once I finish playing, I'll take pictures and post my settings.
That's good to hear! I'd really appreciate if you could do the survey on the first page sometimes soon
Hi all! It has been a LONG time since I've played my Sims and I miss them! But my current laptop just can't handle it.
So I've looked through this thread as much as I can and have narrowed down my laptop search to what I hope will work for me.
If someone would be so kind as to let me know what they think I'd be forever grateful
Here are the specs:
Processor - Intel® 3rd Generation Core™ i7
Processor Speed - 2.4GHz (with Turbo Boost up to 3.4GHz)
RAM - 8GB
Graphics - NVIDIA GeForce GT 635M, 2GB dedicated
If yins need anymore info please let me know! I'm trying not to just buy the first thing I see that's shiny and pretty (like with the current laptop) so your help is really appreciated!
Hey there! Everything looks great. Do you mind sharing the price and link? Just in case there might be a nice deal within your budget to get something better than the 635M.
I don't mind at all, here's the link, my problem is that I'm kind of limited to Best Buy because I already have credit with them, which I'll need to use. The upside is that I have like $30 off on a future purchase because of past purchases, it's not much but every little bit helps right
The 635M will be able to play on medium-high settings with all expansion packs. I completely understand your limitation to only Best Buy, I just want to inform you that there are laptops out there around the same price, if not cheaper with much better graphics cards that'll be able to play on all high settings. Such as this. All the specs are the same as yours except it comes with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M which is significantly better than the 635M, it's also $900, free shipping, and no tax. Just my opinion, I feel like you'll be able to go far in gaming experience with the 730M while saving at least $50 since Best Buy charages tax. However, you will not go wrong purchasing the Best Buy laptop. If possible, you should also consider this laptop from there. It comes with the 660M which is much, much more powerful than the 635M or the 730M. It might be 1.9" smaller but your game will have a stronger card.
Thanks so much for the help, it turned out that the Asus ran out of stock (perhaps a sign from above?) and I had to find something else anyways. What I ended up going with was this one a little more heavy then I had hoped for but it's also bigger (which I do like) and cheaper, and has a 650M (better yes? it was higher up on your list on PG1 lol) When it arrives I'll be happy to post some pictures!
Just popping in to say thank you for everyone's help!!!
I ran into an issue because my card charged me a small amount when buying the laptop, which meant I couldn't buy a £499 laptop because the charge took me over the £500 limit. So I had to drop down to a lower spec than I'd hoped for. I got this one in the end:
I'm a bit annoyed because it was listed under the 'dedicated graphics card' filter but then it turned out to be discrete! :roll: Which I know I should have avoided *kicks self* I made the mistake because the same laptop is listed on Save on Laptops too and that website didn't make it clear. It ha two cards, an Intel HD and a Nvidia 630M. I don't know how to make sure the game is using the NVidia one though?
I'm still getting used to it but it's doing very well so far and I would recommend it to those with a low budget. I tested it will all high settings and object hiding off last night and it runs well with just a teeny tiny bit of lag. I could turn the settings down to make it run smoother but it's not too noticeable. I'm going to post some screens when I've tested it a bit more.
Thanks again!!!
(By the way, I couldn't post without 'quoting' first.)
Oh my goodness this thread is super helpful! I need some laptop help. I don't really have a budget since it's going to be a graduation gift and my parents said for me to choose which laptop I want ( probably go with the cheaper one)
Toshiba Qosmio X870-BT3G23 Laptop
Intel® Core™ i7-3630QM Processor (6M Cache, up to 3.40 GHz) with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology
Windows 8
12GB DDR3 1600MHz SDRAM (4GB + 4GB + 4GB)
1TB (5400rpm, Serial ATA)
No Secondary Hard Drive Installed
3GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 670M with Optimus™ Technology
Blu-ray Disc™ RE with SuperMulti DVD±R/RW Double Layer drive
Glossy Black LED Backlit Tile keyboard
17.3" diagonal widescreen TruBrite® TFT LCD display at 1920 x 1080 native resolution (FHD)
WiFi® Wireless networking (802.11b/g/n)
1 month trial for new Office 365 customers
Norton™ Internet Security 2013 (30-day trial subscription)
1 Year Standard Limited Warranty (1 Year on Battery)
I'm not computer savvey but which one do you guys think is better? I originally was going to go with the Qosmio but it's really expensive and te acer for $800.00 isn't too bad the only thing is it comes with 8GB of memory and I'm going to be a college student. I currently have a 2010 Macbook pro and I'm ready to go back to Windows!
I live in the Washington DC area
I have Ambitions, Latenight, Generations, Pets, Supernatural and Seasons. I'll also be buying University soon.
Hello! I was wondering which of these laptops would be good for all Sims expansions, future sims 4 etc. also good enough to do all of my college course work on...Which is the best out of all of them..
Also, if you have a different suggestions. Thanks!!
Since you will be using this laptop for college, batterly life is a huge concern. The 650 SLI will drain a lot of battery, especially combined with an i7 processor. Also there's been complaints that the 650 SLI from Lenovo Y500 series doesn't have the switchable HD Graphics 4000 working probably which will greatly affect you since you only need to use the Nvidia for gaming while using HD Graphics 4000 for surfing on the web and doing your college work to conserve battery life. For the complaints see here and here.
You should also consider buying 650M instead of the 730M because it is significantly better, you'll also more likely be able to play Sims 4 on it smoother. Since you'll be taking it to college, will size be a problem for you? As in a 15.6" vs 17.3"? If not I highly suggest this laptop: http://store.acer.com/store/acerna/en_US/pd/ThemeID.30483300/productID.258956600 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834215672
They're the same laptop but are sold on different sites. I suggest buying it on newegg as it's cheaper. On the Acer store, they'll charge tax so it'll be over $860.
Its battery life is up to 4 hours. It also comes with suitable graphics to Intel HD Graphics 4000.
Thanks so much for the help, it turned out that the Asus ran out of stock (perhaps a sign from above?) and I had to find something else anyways. What I ended up going with was this one a little more heavy then I had hoped for but it's also bigger (which I do like) and cheaper, and has a 650M (better yes? it was higher up on your list on PG1 lol) When it arrives I'll be happy to post some pictures!
I can't believe I missed that laptop. Yes, it's great! Another simmer & I have that graphics and it's really beautiful. And if you do share pictures that'd be really great!!
Just popping in to say thank you for everyone's help!!!
I ran into an issue because my card charged me a small amount when buying the laptop, which meant I couldn't buy a £499 laptop because the charge took me over the £500 limit. So I had to drop down to a lower spec than I'd hoped for. I got this one in the end:
I'm a bit annoyed because it was listed under the 'dedicated graphics card' filter but then it turned out to be discrete! :roll: Which I know I should have avoided *kicks self* I made the mistake because the same laptop is listed on Save on Laptops too and that website didn't make it clear. It ha two cards, an Intel HD and a Nvidia 630M. I don't know how to make sure the game is using the NVidia one though?
I'm still getting used to it but it's doing very well so far and I would recommend it to those with a low budget. I tested it will all high settings and object hiding off last night and it runs well with just a teeny tiny bit of lag. I could turn the settings down to make it run smoother but it's not too noticeable. I'm going to post some screens when I've tested it a bit more.
Thanks again!!!
(By the way, I couldn't post without 'quoting' first.)
Hey there! Thanks for stopping by! I'm sorry you had a bad transaction with the first laptop! I see what you mean by the "discrete" issue but I think it's a site error, the 630M is dedicated, I think it can be confirmed by one of the reviews also. So no worries about that! To make sure the game is using Nvidia, you can take these steps:
Instructions for setting Sims 3 to use your Nvidia card!
Open up the Nvidia Control Panel and click on Manage 3D settings. Then click on the Program Settings tab if its not already selected. Under step 1, you'll need to select TS3W.exe. You'll have to use the Add button to get it as it usually doesn't show up in the dropdown list on its own (the launcher does but not the game executable itself.) If your games are downloaded from Origin, the executable will be located in C:\Program Files x86\Origin Games\The Sims 3\Game\Bin. If they're disc copies the path will be C:\Program Files x86\Electronic Arts\etc. Click on TS3W.exe and click open. In step 2, select High-Performance Nvidia Processor. Under step 3, scroll down to Vertical Sync and select on-- this will limit the framerate and then you won't need to use a 3rd party program. I also turn Triple Buffering on and in Power Management Mode I select Prefer Maximum Performance.
To ensure that its using the Nvidia card, open Nvidia Control Panel, click on Desktop in the top left corner, and make sure that there is a check mark next to "Display GPU Activity Icon in Notification Area". Then when the game is running, look to the right side of the taskbar and there should be an Nvidia icon there (it looks like a square). Scroll your mouse over it and it should say Nvidia GPU Activity: 1 Program. Click on it and it should pop up a box with the Sims 3 icon in it.
Also, it would be a wonderful addition if you could do the survey on first page for your Nvidia 630M anytime soon since we don't have that yet
Oh my goodness this thread is super helpful! I need some laptop help. I don't really have a budget since it's going to be a graduation gift and my parents said for me to choose which laptop I want ( probably go with the cheaper one)
Toshiba Qosmio X870-BT3G23 Laptop
Intel® Core™ i7-3630QM Processor (6M Cache, up to 3.40 GHz) with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology
Windows 8
12GB DDR3 1600MHz SDRAM (4GB + 4GB + 4GB)
1TB (5400rpm, Serial ATA)
No Secondary Hard Drive Installed
3GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 670M with Optimus™ Technology
Blu-ray Disc™ RE with SuperMulti DVD±R/RW Double Layer drive
Glossy Black LED Backlit Tile keyboard
17.3" diagonal widescreen TruBrite® TFT LCD display at 1920 x 1080 native resolution (FHD)
WiFi® Wireless networking (802.11b/g/n)
1 month trial for new Office 365 customers
Norton™ Internet Security 2013 (30-day trial subscription)
1 Year Standard Limited Warranty (1 Year on Battery)
I'm not computer savvey but which one do you guys think is better? I originally was going to go with the Qosmio but it's really expensive and te acer for $800.00 isn't too bad the only thing is it comes with 8GB of memory and I'm going to be a college student. I currently have a 2010 Macbook pro and I'm ready to go back to Windows!
I live in the Washington DC area
I have Ambitions, Latenight, Generations, Pets, Supernatural and Seasons. I'll also be buying University soon.
First of all, I'm so glad this thread was helpful! Second, hello there fellow student of '13! I'll be graduating in a few months as well My graduation gift was supposed to be a laptop too but decided on a new car instead lol.
As a college student, are you worried about carrying around a 15.6" vs. 17.3"? As I mentioned to someone else, battery life is very important! You don't want to be working on a term paper with only 1.5 hours left.
The Toshiba Qosmio is said by some users to only run 1 hour & 15 mins! That's no surprise since the 670M is quite powerful and combined with the i7 processor, it'll drain your battery life like there's no tomorrow.
I would've recommended you this laptop: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152384
But its battery life is 2.5 hours...
So your best bet is the Acer Aspire V3-771G-9809 Notebook, however I would suggest you buy it from newegg instead of the Acer store: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834215672
Because it's cheaper on newegg than the total amount with added tax on the Acer store site. It would be roughly over $860 on the Acer store.
As for the size, if you can find a 15.6" with a 650M with a similar price that would be helpful to your shoulders, I had a hard time finding one without it being over $900, if you want I can keep an eye out for it.
Thanks so much guys, you have no idea how much I appreciate this. I was going to buy a laptop for the exact same price as this one and it wouldn't have worked at all, so thanks for saving me that money! My PC has god awful specs that worked for the base game but has gotten INSANELY, UNPLAYABLY Laggy since I got more EPs and its driving me insane. i haven't played Sims 3 properly in MONTHS.
but I should be able to get a Laptop for my birthday in July, so Ill Finally be able to play! Once again, Thanks a million. Also, @ summermistx3 that screenshot looks amazing! Can you post more? Thanks again for the time you guys put into helping me <333
Since you're online, just wanted to say I updated my first post by adding more screenshots
Just popping in to say thank you for everyone's help!!!
I ran into an issue because my card charged me a small amount when buying the laptop, which meant I couldn't buy a £499 laptop because the charge took me over the £500 limit. So I had to drop down to a lower spec than I'd hoped for. I got this one in the end:
I'm a bit annoyed because it was listed under the 'dedicated graphics card' filter but then it turned out to be discrete! :roll: Which I know I should have avoided *kicks self* I made the mistake because the same laptop is listed on Save on Laptops too and that website didn't make it clear. It ha two cards, an Intel HD and a Nvidia 630M. I don't know how to make sure the game is using the NVidia one though?
I'm still getting used to it but it's doing very well so far and I would recommend it to those with a low budget. I tested it will all high settings and object hiding off last night and it runs well with just a teeny tiny bit of lag. I could turn the settings down to make it run smoother but it's not too noticeable. I'm going to post some screens when I've tested it a bit more.
Thanks again!!!
(By the way, I couldn't post without 'quoting' first.)
Hey there! Thanks for stopping by! I'm sorry you had a bad transaction with the first laptop! I see what you mean by the "discrete" issue but I think it's a site error, the 630M is dedicated, I think it can be confirmed by one of the reviews also. So no worries about that! To make sure the game is using Nvidia, you can take these steps:
Instructions for setting Sims 3 to use your Nvidia card!
Open up the Nvidia Control Panel and click on Manage 3D settings. Then click on the Program Settings tab if its not already selected. Under step 1, you'll need to select TS3W.exe. You'll have to use the Add button to get it as it usually doesn't show up in the dropdown list on its own (the launcher does but not the game executable itself.) If your games are downloaded from Origin, the executable will be located in C:\Program Files x86\Origin Games\The Sims 3\Game\Bin. If they're disc copies the path will be C:\Program Files x86\Electronic Arts\etc. Click on TS3W.exe and click open. In step 2, select High-Performance Nvidia Processor. Under step 3, scroll down to Vertical Sync and select on-- this will limit the framerate and then you won't need to use a 3rd party program. I also turn Triple Buffering on and in Power Management Mode I select Prefer Maximum Performance.
To ensure that its using the Nvidia card, open Nvidia Control Panel, click on Desktop in the top left corner, and make sure that there is a check mark next to "Display GPU Activity Icon in Notification Area". Then when the game is running, look to the right side of the taskbar and there should be an Nvidia icon there (it looks like a square). Scroll your mouse over it and it should say Nvidia GPU Activity: 1 Program. Click on it and it should pop up a box with the Sims 3 icon in it.
Also, it would be a wonderful addition if you could do the survey on first page for your Nvidia 630M anytime soon since we don't have that yet
Thanks summermistx3! you are a superstar!!!
It's good to know about the card being dedicated (thank you so much for checking that for me). Also, it might be interesting for some people to know this: I use CAW a lot and I have a HUGE world that I've been working on for a while, it used to load quite slowly on my old laptop, but on this one the camera flies around! It's brilliant!!!
I'm short of time at the minute but I'll get it done as soon as I can! I've taken some pics already but I wanted to see if I could get a variety.
Also, I'm trying to decide which laptop to get. I own all of the eps except for Supernatural (not getting) and University (will get once I get a laptop). I only own about 4 stuff packs. I play with mods, but not much cc because I didn't want to overtax my laptop. I want to be able to play on a high setting without any lag. Which one would you choose? Thanks.
@ summermistx3: So I decided to get that Acer that I showed you earlier! I was wondering what it means when it says " 2.2 GHz with turbo boost to 3.2 Ghz" Does that mean the processor speed will increase if I play The Sims on it ? Also I was wondering if with the Nvidia GT 650 if pets have fur. And last but not least I was wondering what kind of laptop do you have and how many gigs. Sorry I'm not really computer savvy but thank you for all your help!
It's good to know about the card being dedicated (thank you so much for checking that for me). Also, it might be interesting for some people to know this: I use CAW a lot and I have a HUGE world that I've been working on for a while, it used to load quite slowly on my old laptop, but on this one the camera flies around! It's brilliant!!!
I'm short of time at the minute but I'll get it done as soon as I can! I've taken some pics already but I wanted to see if I could get a variety.
Awwh thanks!! I'm glad I reassured you I'm really glad you seem content with your new lappy! And no need to rush, you're welcome to stop by and post it any time!
Also, I'm trying to decide which laptop to get. I own all of the eps except for Supernatural (not getting) and University (will get once I get a laptop). I only own about 4 stuff packs. I play with mods, but not much cc because I didn't want to overtax my laptop. I want to be able to play on a high setting without any lag. Which one would you choose? Thanks.
Hi there! First of all, the Nvidia GeForce GT 730M ranks slightly below the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M. You will be able to play on all high settings with all expansion packs.
Both are pretty much the same but offer little perks that might better suit your needs. For instance, will you be travelling with it? Battery life and size would then be a concern to you. Would an additional 150GB of hard drive space make a difference to you?
1st link:
- Intel Core i5-3230M (up to 3.2GHz)
- 17.3"
- 750GB
- 1600 x 900
- 4 hours battery life
2nd link:
- Intel Core i7-3630QM (up to 3.4GHz)
- 15.6"
- 500GB
- 1366 x 768
- 4.5 hours battery life
I personally would go with the first one since I mostly use my laptop at home & would prefer the 1600 x 900 resolution better. It might however be a bit of a problem for those that have trouble reading smaller fonts (however I struggle with small fonts and have the 1920 x 1080 resolution [more tiny font] and just always have to zoom in pages.) Also I wouldn't mind having the extra hard drive space. You won't go wrong with either. As for one having 4GB video memory and the other 2GB, any amount after 2GB will make no difference to your game.
@ summermistx3: So I decided to get that Acer that I showed you earlier! I was wondering what it means when it says " 2.2 GHz with turbo boost to 3.2 Ghz" Does that mean the processor speed will increase if I play The Sims on it ? Also I was wondering if with the Nvidia GT 650 if pets have fur. And last but not least I was wondering what kind of laptop do you have and how many gigs. Sorry I'm not really computer savvy but thank you for all your help!
That's a really great choice for the price! When I clicked on the link it said it was out of stock so did you order it before then?
And yes, turbo boost pretty much means that if your laptop needs extra compute power and it isn't too hot it will overclock itself in small increments. 2.2GHz to 3.2GHz turbo boost means that the initial clock speed is 2.2GHz, but it can go all the way up to 3.2GHz.
Actually, I'll have to double check that, I haven't thoroughly played Pets to notice. I know I've read a couple threads with Nvidia cards were having trouble with fur but also read certain solutions in various threads. You might want to do a little research on that and get back to us.
This is the exact laptop I have. I bought it back in December 2012. Believe me, HP was my last resort. Laptop hunting for me was really tough during that time since practically EVERY site was trying to force sell Windows 8 by having the same exact specs with it cheaper while having the Windows 7 version hundreds of dollars more expensive. I was desperate to find a laptop with nice graphics card AND Windows 7 that was under $1,000. It was shockingly impossible during that time and my old laptop broke so I had no choice. I love my laptop though, it has a beautiful screen, a lovely graphics card, and a backlit keyboard. The RAM & hard drive can always be upgradable. My only complaint is HP's horrible cooling. The Acer offers improving specs for a lower cost & no tax. Even newegg during that time had horrible offers. You got a nice deal!
@ summermistx3: So I decided to get that Acer that I showed you earlier! I was wondering what it means when it says " 2.2 GHz with turbo boost to 3.2 Ghz" Does that mean the processor speed will increase if I play The Sims on it ? Also I was wondering if with the Nvidia GT 650 if pets have fur. And last but not least I was wondering what kind of laptop do you have and how many gigs. Sorry I'm not really computer savvy but thank you for all your help!
That's a really great choice for the price! When I clicked on the link it said it was out of stock so did you order it before then?
And yes, turbo boost pretty much means that if your laptop needs extra compute power and it isn't too hot it will overclock itself in small increments. 2.2GHz to 3.2GHz turbo boost means that the initial clock speed is 2.2GHz, but it can go all the way up to 3.2GHz.
Actually, I'll have to double check that, I haven't thoroughly played Pets to notice. I know I've read a couple threads with Nvidia cards were having trouble with fur but also read certain solutions in various threads. You might want to do a little research on that and get back to us.
This is the exact laptop I have. I bought it back in December 2012. Believe me, HP was my last resort. Laptop hunting for me was really tough during that time since practically EVERY site was trying to force sell Windows 8 by having the same exact specs with it cheaper while having the Windows 7 version hundreds of dollars more expensive. I was desperate to find a laptop with nice graphics card AND Windows 7 that was under $1,000. It was shockingly impossible during that time and my old laptop broke so I had no choice. I love my laptop though, it has a beautiful screen, a lovely graphics card, and a backlit keyboard. The RAM & hard drive can always be upgradable. My only complaint is HP's horrible cooling. The Acer offers improving specs for a lower cost & no tax. Even newegg during that time had horrible offers. You got a nice deal!
Oh Hp I simply cannot stand them! My house is full of them and the processors and graphics cards arent up to the sims 3. Althought it could just be my dad since he has no idea how to buy computers and buys whaeever xD You got a great laptop though! I would even grab that Hp but sheesh its expensive. I haven't ordered the Acer yet I'll probably do it in May or June ( around my graduation time) awwwh if its out of stock I'll just order it off the Acer website. I just hope the price doesn't increase *fingers crossed*. Your laptop is 10x better then mine! I'm using my mom's old Macbook pro and the graphic card isn't all that good ( Nvidia Geforce 320M) and on top of that Mac is definately not used to play the sims. Ugh its such a headache running on this thing! I can't wait to have this Acer in my hands!
Hello! I was wondering which of these laptops would be good for all Sims expansions, future sims 4 etc. also good enough to do all of my college course work on...Which is the best out of all of them..
Also, if you have a different suggestions. Thanks!!
Since you will be using this laptop for college, batterly life is a huge concern. The 650 SLI will drain a lot of battery, especially combined with an i7 processor. Also there's been complaints that the 650 SLI from Lenovo Y500 series doesn't have the switchable HD Graphics 4000 working probably which will greatly affect you since you only need to use the Nvidia for gaming while using HD Graphics 4000 for surfing on the web and doing your college work to conserve battery life. For the complaints see here and here.
You should also consider buying 650M instead of the 730M because it is significantly better, you'll also more likely be able to play Sims 4 on it smoother. Since you'll be taking it to college, will size be a problem for you? As in a 15.6" vs 17.3"? If not I highly suggest this laptop: http://store.acer.com/store/acerna/en_US/pd/ThemeID.30483300/productID.258956600 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834215672
They're the same laptop but are sold on different sites. I suggest buying it on newegg as it's cheaper. On the Acer store, they'll charge tax so it'll be over $860.
Its battery life is up to 4 hours. It also comes with suitable graphics to Intel HD Graphics 4000.
Thanks so much for your help! I haven't gotten the laptop yet, but I showed my parents, cause they offered to help a bit with paying for it, but I was wondering...
Since I already have an external hard drive of 1TB, should I just go for the $699 laptop with 750GB? I really too much don't care for the storage, just moreso the graphics card. Is there a way for me to still be slightly satisfied with the 730m? or it really a huge difference in graphics? I seen someone else posted about where the 730m stands on the graphics card level and I do want it to be as beautiful as yours but if it is still standable then Idk..If there is I will try my hardest to get the extra money lol. Also, no size really doesn't matter to me, but I know that if I am going to be carrying my laptop around on campus, I probably don't want it to be too heavy. But if it is..no biggs.
Comments
Thanks again for the help, but I came across a great deal on slickdeals.
http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/93046/lenovo-lenovo-ideapad-y500-laptop-core-i7-3630qm-2.4ghz-8gb-ddr3-1tb-hdd-16gb-ssd-15.6-1920x1080-led-2gb-geforce-gt750m-win-8
I know I said no more than $800, but this deal was just too good to pass up. It has all the upgrades I'd want to make in the other choice (cache SSD, 8gb RAM, better screen), plus it has a backlit keyboard (which I've been wanting but was prepared to live without) and a GT 750 instead of the 730. It should also (hopefully) be able to run Sims 4 well when that comes out. Unfortunately, I have to wait until mid-May to get it, but such is life, I guess. Anyway, thanks again for the help.
So I've looked through this thread as much as I can and have narrowed down my laptop search to what I hope will work for me.
If someone would be so kind as to let me know what they think I'd be forever grateful
Here are the specs:
Processor - Intel® 3rd Generation Core™ i7
Processor Speed - 2.4GHz (with Turbo Boost up to 3.4GHz)
RAM - 8GB
Graphics - NVIDIA GeForce GT 635M, 2GB dedicated
If yins need anymore info please let me know! I'm trying not to just buy the first thing I see that's shiny and pretty (like with the current laptop) so your help is really appreciated!
I've got my new laptop and I've only installed a few games but my FPS seems really low (19~25) when my settings are high. Should I reduce my game settings or is there something I can do to increase the FPS? I'm hoping it's the latter because I'm sure my laptop is capable of running all the game on high.
EDIT: Nevermind! I downloaded the Nvidia Experience and now it's working perfectly. Once I finish playing, I'll take pictures and post my settings.
I don't mind at all, here's the link, my problem is that I'm kind of limited to Best Buy because I already have credit with them, which I'll need to use. The upside is that I have like $30 off on a future purchase because of past purchases, it's not much but every little bit helps right
The 635M will be able to play on medium-high settings with all expansion packs. I completely understand your limitation to only Best Buy, I just want to inform you that there are laptops out there around the same price, if not cheaper with much better graphics cards that'll be able to play on all high settings. Such as this. All the specs are the same as yours except it comes with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M which is significantly better than the 635M, it's also $900, free shipping, and no tax. Just my opinion, I feel like you'll be able to go far in gaming experience with the 730M while saving at least $50 since Best Buy charages tax. However, you will not go wrong purchasing the Best Buy laptop. If possible, you should also consider this laptop from there. It comes with the 660M which is much, much more powerful than the 635M or the 730M. It might be 1.9" smaller but your game will have a stronger card.
Also, if you have a different suggestions. Thanks!!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834312439
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834314004
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834314016
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834314005
2. World Adventures, Ambitions, Late Night, Generations, Seasons, University Life, Pets, Showtime and Supernatural
3. Outdoor Living, Master Suite
4. No intro, Pose Player
5. 1.6GB of Store Content
6. 32-90
7.
A big thanks to summermistx3 for all your help. :thumbup:
Thanks so much for the help, it turned out that the Asus ran out of stock (perhaps a sign from above?) and I had to find something else anyways. What I ended up going with was this one a little more heavy then I had hoped for but it's also bigger (which I do like) and cheaper, and has a 650M (better yes? it was higher up on your list on PG1 lol) When it arrives I'll be happy to post some pictures!
I ran into an issue because my card charged me a small amount when buying the laptop, which meant I couldn't buy a £499 laptop because the charge took me over the £500 limit. So I had to drop down to a lower spec than I'd hoped for. I got this one in the end:
http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Acer_Aspire_V3-571G_Windows_8_Core_i5_Laptop_-_Black_NX.RZJEK.008/version.asp
I'm a bit annoyed because it was listed under the 'dedicated graphics card' filter but then it turned out to be discrete! :roll: Which I know I should have avoided *kicks self* I made the mistake because the same laptop is listed on Save on Laptops too and that website didn't make it clear. It ha two cards, an Intel HD and a Nvidia 630M. I don't know how to make sure the game is using the NVidia one though?
I'm still getting used to it but it's doing very well so far and I would recommend it to those with a low budget. I tested it will all high settings and object hiding off last night and it runs well with just a teeny tiny bit of lag. I could turn the settings down to make it run smoother but it's not too noticeable. I'm going to post some screens when I've tested it a bit more.
Thanks again!!!
(By the way, I couldn't post without 'quoting' first.)
Toshiba Qosmio X870-BT3G23 Laptop
Intel® Core™ i7-3630QM Processor (6M Cache, up to 3.40 GHz) with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology
Windows 8
12GB DDR3 1600MHz SDRAM (4GB + 4GB + 4GB)
1TB (5400rpm, Serial ATA)
No Secondary Hard Drive Installed
3GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 670M with Optimus™ Technology
Blu-ray Disc™ RE with SuperMulti DVD±R/RW Double Layer drive
Glossy Black LED Backlit Tile keyboard
17.3" diagonal widescreen TruBrite® TFT LCD display at 1920 x 1080 native resolution (FHD)
WiFi® Wireless networking (802.11b/g/n)
1 month trial for new Office 365 customers
Norton™ Internet Security 2013 (30-day trial subscription)
1 Year Standard Limited Warranty (1 Year on Battery)
http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/cdetland.to?poid=2000044488
Price: $1399.99
Acer Aspire V3-771G-9809 Notebook (Windows 8 )
OS - Windows 8
Processor - 3rd Generation Intel ® Core ™ i7-3632QM Processor 2.2GHZ with Turbo Boost Technology up to 3.2GHz
Storage - 1TB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with dual hard drive support
Memory - 8GB of DDR3 system memory
Memory Card Supported - Secure Digital ™ (SD) Card, MultiMediaCard ™ (MMC), Memory Stick ™ (MS), Memory Stick PRO ™ (MS PRO), xD-Picture Card ™ (xD)
Display - 17.3" HD+ Widescreen CineCrystal ™ LED-backlit Display
Video - NVIDIA ® GeForce ® GT 650M with 2 GB of dedicated DDR3 VRAM
Optical Drive - 8X DVD-Super Multi Double-Layer Drive
WiFi / Bluetooth - 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ™ / Bluetooth ® 4.0+HS
Webcam - 1.3 Megapixel HD Webcam (1280 x 1024)
Interfaces - USB 3.0 (2) / USB 2.0 (2) / HDMI ™ Port with HDCP Support (1) / VGA (1), Ethernet (RJ-45) port (1)
Battery - 6-cell Li-ion Battery (4400 mAh)
Dimensions (System) - 16.33 (W) x 10.83 (D) x 1.22/1.36 (H) inches
Weight - 7.05 lbs. | 3.2 kg. (system unit only)
Color - Midnight Black
Warranty - 1-year limited warranty
http://store.acer.com/store/acerna/en_US/pd/produc...600/parentCategoryID.60063300/
Price: $799.99
I'm not computer savvey but which one do you guys think is better? I originally was going to go with the Qosmio but it's really expensive and te acer for $800.00 isn't too bad the only thing is it comes with 8GB of memory and I'm going to be a college student. I currently have a 2010 Macbook pro and I'm ready to go back to Windows!
I live in the Washington DC area
I have Ambitions, Latenight, Generations, Pets, Supernatural and Seasons. I'll also be buying University soon.
Since you will be using this laptop for college, batterly life is a huge concern. The 650 SLI will drain a lot of battery, especially combined with an i7 processor. Also there's been complaints that the 650 SLI from Lenovo Y500 series doesn't have the switchable HD Graphics 4000 working probably which will greatly affect you since you only need to use the Nvidia for gaming while using HD Graphics 4000 for surfing on the web and doing your college work to conserve battery life. For the complaints see here and here.
You should also consider buying 650M instead of the 730M because it is significantly better, you'll also more likely be able to play Sims 4 on it smoother. Since you'll be taking it to college, will size be a problem for you? As in a 15.6" vs 17.3"? If not I highly suggest this laptop:
http://store.acer.com/store/acerna/en_US/pd/ThemeID.30483300/productID.258956600
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834215672
They're the same laptop but are sold on different sites. I suggest buying it on newegg as it's cheaper. On the Acer store, they'll charge tax so it'll be over $860.
Its battery life is up to 4 hours. It also comes with suitable graphics to Intel HD Graphics 4000.
I can't believe I missed that laptop. Yes, it's great! Another simmer & I have that graphics and it's really beautiful. And if you do share pictures that'd be really great!!
As a college student, are you worried about carrying around a 15.6" vs. 17.3"? As I mentioned to someone else, battery life is very important! You don't want to be working on a term paper with only 1.5 hours left.
The Toshiba Qosmio is said by some users to only run 1 hour & 15 mins! That's no surprise since the 670M is quite powerful and combined with the i7 processor, it'll drain your battery life like there's no tomorrow.
I would've recommended you this laptop:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152384
But its battery life is 2.5 hours...
So your best bet is the Acer Aspire V3-771G-9809 Notebook, however I would suggest you buy it from newegg instead of the Acer store:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834215672
Because it's cheaper on newegg than the total amount with added tax on the Acer store site. It would be roughly over $860 on the Acer store.
As for the size, if you can find a 15.6" with a 650M with a similar price that would be helpful to your shoulders, I had a hard time finding one without it being over $900, if you want I can keep an eye out for it.
Thanks summermistx3! you are a superstar!!!
It's good to know about the card being dedicated (thank you so much for checking that for me). Also, it might be interesting for some people to know this: I use CAW a lot and I have a HUGE world that I've been working on for a while, it used to load quite slowly on my old laptop, but on this one the camera flies around! It's brilliant!!!
I'm short of time at the minute but I'll get it done as soon as I can! I've taken some pics already but I wanted to see if I could get a variety.
Where does the Nvidia GeForce GT 730M rank?
Also, I'm trying to decide which laptop to get. I own all of the eps except for Supernatural (not getting) and University (will get once I get a laptop). I only own about 4 stuff packs. I play with mods, but not much cc because I didn't want to overtax my laptop. I want to be able to play on a high setting without any lag. Which one would you choose? Thanks.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834314004
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834314017
Hi there!
Both are pretty much the same but offer little perks that might better suit your needs. For instance, will you be travelling with it? Battery life and size would then be a concern to you. Would an additional 150GB of hard drive space make a difference to you?
1st link:
- Intel Core i5-3230M (up to 3.2GHz)
- 17.3"
- 750GB
- 1600 x 900
- 4 hours battery life
2nd link:
- Intel Core i7-3630QM (up to 3.4GHz)
- 15.6"
- 500GB
- 1366 x 768
- 4.5 hours battery life
I personally would go with the first one since I mostly use my laptop at home & would prefer the 1600 x 900 resolution better. It might however be a bit of a problem for those that have trouble reading smaller fonts (however I struggle with small fonts and have the 1920 x 1080 resolution [more tiny font] and just always have to zoom in pages.) Also I wouldn't mind having the extra hard drive space. You won't go wrong with either. As for one having 4GB video memory and the other 2GB, any amount after 2GB will make no difference to your game.
And yes, turbo boost pretty much means that if your laptop needs extra compute power and it isn't too hot it will overclock itself in small increments. 2.2GHz to 3.2GHz turbo boost means that the initial clock speed is 2.2GHz, but it can go all the way up to 3.2GHz.
Actually, I'll have to double check that, I haven't thoroughly played Pets to notice. I know I've read a couple threads with Nvidia cards were having trouble with fur but also read certain solutions in various threads. You might want to do a little research on that and get back to us.
This is the exact laptop I have. I bought it back in December 2012. Believe me, HP was my last resort. Laptop hunting for me was really tough during that time since practically EVERY site was trying to force sell Windows 8 by having the same exact specs with it cheaper while having the Windows 7 version hundreds of dollars more expensive. I was desperate to find a laptop with nice graphics card AND Windows 7 that was under $1,000. It was shockingly impossible during that time and my old laptop broke so I had no choice. I love my laptop though, it has a beautiful screen, a lovely graphics card, and a backlit keyboard. The RAM & hard drive can always be upgradable. My only complaint is HP's horrible cooling. The Acer offers improving specs for a lower cost & no tax. Even newegg during that time had horrible offers. You got a nice deal!
Oh Hp I simply cannot stand them! My house is full of them and the processors and graphics cards arent up to the sims 3. Althought it could just be my dad since he has no idea how to buy computers and buys whaeever xD You got a great laptop though! I would even grab that Hp but sheesh its expensive. I haven't ordered the Acer yet I'll probably do it in May or June ( around my graduation time) awwwh if its out of stock I'll just order it off the Acer website. I just hope the price doesn't increase *fingers crossed*. Your laptop is 10x better then mine! I'm using my mom's old Macbook pro and the graphic card isn't all that good ( Nvidia Geforce 320M) and on top of that Mac is definately not used to play the sims. Ugh its such a headache running on this thing! I can't wait to have this Acer in my hands!
Thanks so much for your help! I haven't gotten the laptop yet, but I showed my parents, cause they offered to help a bit with paying for it, but I was wondering...
Since I already have an external hard drive of 1TB, should I just go for the $699 laptop with 750GB? I really too much don't care for the storage, just moreso the graphics card. Is there a way for me to still be slightly satisfied with the 730m? or it really a huge difference in graphics? I seen someone else posted about where the 730m stands on the graphics card level and I do want it to be as beautiful as yours but if it is still standable then Idk..If there is I will try my hardest to get the extra money lol. Also, no size really doesn't matter to me, but I know that if I am going to be carrying my laptop around on campus, I probably don't want it to be too heavy. But if it is..no biggs.