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Is it in any way to properly play sims on a laptop with these specifications?

GITTE2001GITTE2001 Posts: 2,638 Member
Hello,

A friend of mine wants to play sims. Because I know from my own experience you can't just play sims on any pc, I asked her to send me her requirements.
She sent me this:
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I immediately said it probably wasn't a good idea to play sims 3 on a laptop with those requirements. She only 'has' to play the basegame as a start with possibly some store items and simple pieces of custom content, and not required on the highest settings. She's also willing to tweak her laptop a bit but isn't able to just buy a true gaming laptop - those things cost € 1000 + here. So, my question is, is it possible? Is it possible to tweak some stuff or set certain settings and play sims 3 on a system with these specifications in an 'acceptable' way ?


edit: and, coudl you also teel the min. system requirements to play sims 3 basegame + perhaps one or two eps, some stuff, just not too much, in an acceptable way?


Comments

  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited November 2017
    Okay, so we're looking at a 1.8GHz Celeron with 4 GB of RAM and Intel HD (integrated) graphics. She may be able to get the base game only running on that, all low graphics settings in Game Options, possible less than an ideal resolution set. One or two of the very early EPs, maybe -- LN or anything released after it may well refuse to load at all and get stuck on a black screen at startup because of the processor. Things will get more iffy right around there. The prospects for long running, multi-generational games that keep going, even with NRaas mods in play, would be very low. Whether it would be any fun to play that way would be up to the player.

    Honestly, I think that TS2 would be a better choice for that computer.

    Back on TS3, let's start with the recommended requirements for all 11 EPs on a laptop and work backwards.
    Processor: 2.4 GHz, but over 2.6 GHz would be better. Quad core i5 or higher.
    RAM: at least 6 GB, though at least 8 GB would again be better especially on Win 10.
    Graphics Card: Must be dedicated, Nvidia GTX 960M or higher within that series, 1050 mobile or higher within that one. Older cards are fine too if they are strong enough, but they don't make new laptops with the older series cards in them. AMD also makes cards of suitable strength within their various series.

    Desktops are typically less expensive and can get away with slightly less strength on the components.

    If we take away the heaviest hitting EPs (Pets, Seasons, IP, ITF), then we could start cutting some corners here and there on the processor and maybe even the graphics card but on a laptop once you get beyond the base game you can't really cut things back too far.

    Does that help at all?
    o550pjoa47rpxo63g.jpg
    NRaas has moved!
    Our new site is at http://nraas.net
  • GITTE2001GITTE2001 Posts: 2,638 Member
    Yes, it does. I play with a Nvidia GeForce 950m and my game is well-playable (not great, but with a good experience) on highest settings, with all EP's and lots of other stuff. I just have to care the world I play in isn't too big. I found a laptop with 940m for only 700 euros and showed it her, thinking it would do well enough for what she wants. Will it?
  • phoebebebe13phoebebebe13 Posts: 19,400 Member
    edited November 2017
    The 940m is ddr3 vram , it will run the game. I don't know how well especially with the more demanding eps. like pets, seasons, ip and itf. We have seen people with game issues and the 940m. I can't say if your friend will get lucky with it

    @GITTE2001 is it you that has a 950m that is ddr5 vram ?

    Finding a 950m card that has ddr5 vram is not common though they did make them. We usually advise GTX 960m which is ddr5 vram
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited November 2017
    Those are grades of memory, video memory in this case, actually referring to data flow rates. DDR5 has much higher throughput, bandwidth if you will, than DDR3.

    Regardless, I would not recommend a GT 940M card. Far too many players have reported varying experiences with TS3 and that one. Even if it runs the base game well enough, your friend might be very disappointed let's say a year later if they can't have more EPs than originally planned for. If it were the only computer around for 100 miles and someone wanted to play TS3 or if they really had no other viable choices then...maybe, but with some reduced expectations. ;)
    o550pjoa47rpxo63g.jpg
    NRaas has moved!
    Our new site is at http://nraas.net
  • GITTE2001GITTE2001 Posts: 2,638 Member
    Of course there can be better, and it surely won't be the best. But it is the best I can find within a relatively cheap price - under 800, that is. The problem in this case really is the budget. She's a classmate, and therefore also a teenager, and pc's are quite expensive in Belgium. If I go with what you guys recommend, it's more than € 1000 right away and a 17 years old simply can't get that easily.

    By the way, with this one I recommended to her, there are two ddrx's said: ddr4 (under 'werkgeheugen' or 'workmemory' and ddr5, under 'grafisch geheugen' or 'graphic memory'.
  • phoebebebe13phoebebebe13 Posts: 19,400 Member
    GITTE2001 wrote: »
    Of course there can be better, and it surely won't be the best. But it is the best I can find within a relatively cheap price - under 800, that is. The problem in this case really is the budget. She's a classmate, and therefore also a teenager, and pc's are quite expensive in Belgium. If I go with what you guys recommend, it's more than € 1000 right away and a 17 years old simply can't get that easily.

    By the way, with this one I recommended to her, there are two ddrx's said: ddr4 (under 'werkgeheugen' or 'workmemory' and ddr5, under 'grafisch geheugen' or 'graphic memory'.

    Computer ram is different than vram ( video ram) , The computer ram is ddr4 , the vram is ddr 3.

    I have helped several people with a 940 mx card. The sims games ( both 3 and 4) don't do well with this card overall. Especially if you want to play Pets, IP, Seasons and ITF.

  • dorcsyfuldorcsyful Posts: 851 Member
    If budget is the problem: if your friend can wait, wait at least until the Christmas sale. Or Black Friday. I don't know about Belgium, but I once read that the best sales for laptops are the ones in August. I'm waiting for one of those too ;)
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