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What's the best laptop to play Sims 3 on?

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  • miniriedyminiriedy Posts: 15 Member
    My old non-gaming Asus ran it fine and my current Acer medium laptop allows me to use high graphic settings as well.

    In my opinion, unless you need the portability just invest in a normal PC and upgrade it when needed. Sims 3 runs fine on laptops, but it's a very demanding game and if it's the only one you're playing day in day out you do need the better ventilation. Otherwise the game will only work for a month.

    If you're a moderate gamer who's willing to take breaks once the game gets slow, an affordable laptop will be just fine. I've had Sims 3 since 2009 and my two non-gaming laptops have done the trick.
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited July 2018
    miniriedy wrote: »
    My old non-gaming Asus ran it fine and my current Acer medium laptop allows me to use high graphic settings as well.

    In my opinion, unless you need the portability just invest in a normal PC and upgrade it when needed. Sims 3 runs fine on laptops, but it's a very demanding game and if it's the only one you're playing day in day out you do need the better ventilation. Otherwise the game will only work for a month.

    If you're a moderate gamer who's willing to take breaks once the game gets slow, an affordable laptop will be just fine. I've had Sims 3 since 2009 and my two non-gaming laptops have done the trick.
    I'm very sorry, but recommending that other players purchase what could be a very expensive (to them) piece of equipment in the hopes of running a complicated resource intensive game that they really want to run and then see how it turns out is, although meant well, poor advice. "Affordable" can mean a lot of different things and this advice could, I'm afraid, lead players to wasting a lot of money on a computer that will never do what they need it to and can possibly sustain damage if it is forced to keep trying.

    TS3 does not run fine on all laptops or even desktops. On many, even new ones today, it cannot run at all or not much more than the base game and one or two of the earliest EPs, and that especially includes the lower-end laptop and desktop categories. The program does have some basic and recommended needs on which, if not met, it will not be at all forgiving. The OP on this thread months ago had a budget of £100-200, which would have been impossible to work with.

    If all EPs and a decent, mid-range level of performance are required here in the US on a laptop we are talking about at least $900 (USD), maybe down around $800 if one can find good occasional sales. Prices are higher in other countries even after taking the differences in currency into account. Desktops do run cheaper for stronger components, and some desktops are upgradable in ways that laptops almost never are.

    In my opinion, it's really best if one is in the market for a new computer and has a realistic budget, or wants to know how well one they already have can be expected to handle either TS3 or TS4 (or both), that they ask those who are very familiar with the game, how it runs on different hardware sets, and with experience in tech in general, for such an assessment. But they do have to provide us with enough information to go on in order for such a conversation to be helpful.
    Post edited by igazor on
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  • SephardicSephardic Posts: 251 Member
    igazor wrote: »
    Really sorry if this sounds cranky, haven't had my coffee yet this morning (so why am I posting instead of making coffee?? :s ) but is anyone actually reading the responses we are providing here?

    We cannot make any kind of prediction nor give guidance on how well the games will run, if they will run at all, and with how many and which EPs unless we know the computer's specs. Not its brand name only or its birthday, its specs. Processor, hard drive (with space free), memory (RAM), graphics card. That's why we keep asking for dxdiag reports, they provide all of that information and more so we can make an informed prediction and give some guidance where it's needed.

    A 3 year old HP with lots of stuff (apparently) on its hard drive gives us no useful information to go on. Zero. It could be expected to run the games brilliantly with all EPs and everything on high settings, or it could be a total non-starter and TS3/TS4 shouldn't even be attempted on it for fear of damaging the device beyond use. Or, usually and more likely, somewhere in between.

    Neither does a Lenovo Ideapad 320, that's a range of laptops that run all over the place on specs so that's not enough information at all. On some models under that line the games would never run, on others they should but how well and how far one can take them will depend on other factors. All EPs on a 320 would likely not work or not for very long, these are not high end machines designed for that kind of stress, I believe that none of them have dedicated graphics cards, and they do not have adequate cooling systems.

    Sorry about this all! I just have never had a laptop before, only desktop. Making a change with a laptop is very confusing! I've just recently found that my TS3 DVD is not working. It won't show up on the computer's file homepage. Yet, I have tried my TS2 DVD and I can get it on my file homescreen. I'll have a look tonight at the specs of the laptop, as I am very busy today.

  • AuroraskiesAuroraskies Posts: 1,834 Member
    *Gives :cookie: and coffee to igazor :hushed:

    I have all EP:s except Showtime and Into The Future. My computer specifications (found in Windows 10 by clicking the window icon in left corner of the screen, choosing "settings", then "system" - computer icon, then in the list choose "about" /
    or: in the search glass in the left corner of the screen write "computer" / "memory" etc in the language that you have as the computer's setting):

    Processer Intel (R) Core ( TM ) i5-8400 CPU @ 2.80GHZ 2.81GHz
    RAM memory 16GB (15,9 usable)
    Systemtype: 64-bit operative system, x64-based processor

    and storage (found by clicking the window icon anew, choose 'document' - the paper icon, and in the list to the left choose "This computer" and see the status of the "units" / or in the search glass write "storage":

    Windows (C:) 107 GB free of 232 GB
    Disk-2 (D): 1,81 TB free of 1,81 TB

    (I have the sims 3 installed in windows C).

    and graphic card (found by clicking around a lot :smiley: for example look for "screen". I find that a good search frase when looking on the net for information is:
    "How to .. " - 'find out what graphic card your computer has' - for example, and that english gives more and better search hits than languages that fewer people speak):

    Nvidia geforce gtx 1050Ti

    My question:
    I want to buy the remaining EP:s, is my computer system okey with that? :)
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    @Auroraskies - Your system meets requirements to run TS3 with all EPs. On a practical note, although the drive space remaining free on C is fine right now, you will need to keep an eye on that. Many of us find 256 GB and smaller drives will fill up with our saved games and content too easily and we constantly have to shift things over to another drive for storage. Both Windows and the game require at least 15% or around 35 GB free space, whichever is higher, to maneuver properly.
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  • AuroraskiesAuroraskies Posts: 1,834 Member
    igazor:

    Thank you!
    Should/could I install The Sims on Disk D instead? I asked the computer company when I bought it, but they did not know. EA-personell said that the game should be on C.
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    If C and D are both internal drives, then the game can be installed on either one. If C is a Solid State Drive (SSD), it is common for systems to have a second much larger drive as well except that one is a standard Hard Disk Drive (HDD). TS3 can benefit from being installed on an SSD and you would lose that benefit by installing it on D if this is the structure you have, but it's not fatal. What you might want to consider is shifting your Documents folder in its entirety, so that would include your TS3 user game folder and its content, over to D at the Windows level.

    https://www.dummies.com/computers/operating-systems/windows-10/how-to-change-the-location-of-user-folders-in-windows-10
    (sorry for the dummies link, but they do provide some good illustrations)

    If D is an external drive plugged into your computer, then none of this should be attempted as the game should not really be run from an external drive.
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  • AuroraskiesAuroraskies Posts: 1,834 Member
    igazor:

    They are both internal drives, C is SSD, D is HDD. I am very grateful for all the help I get here, and I am the type for which the "For dummies..." are made :) I will check it out.
  • CororonCororon Posts: 4,275 Member
    @Auroraskies Just be sure that you have enough space on the SSD (C: in your case). Installing the game on a HDD is fine, but the game will take longer to load, especially if it's a 5400 rpm one (that is common in laptops).
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  • AuroraskiesAuroraskies Posts: 1,834 Member
    edited September 2018
    Cororon:

    Thank you for answering! I have a desktop, the HDD has 7200 rpm. I just talked to the computer company I bought it from, they advised against moving the game itself from the Windows C to D. I think I need to read more about this, and might just buy a bigger SSD, in case it is needed in the future.
    Thanks for all the advices :)
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited September 2018
    I just talked to the computer company I bought it from, they advised against moving the game itself from the Windows C to D. I think I need to read more about this, and might just buy a bigger SSD, in case it is needed in the future.
    Thanks for all the advices :)
    Did they happen to say why?

    I mean, the game does benefit from being installed on the SSD but until you get a larger one, which is a very good idea if you can afford it, it and/or the Documents folder can be on D. You may not be able to actually "move" the game install, but if you uninstall it, clean the Windows Registry, and create your own Program Files folder on D, then programs can be installed on it in that location. We have been telling players with small C drives (critical when they are 128 GB or smaller, not entirely critical in your case) this for many years.
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  • AuroraskiesAuroraskies Posts: 1,834 Member
    igazor:

    No, he did not say why, only that it should not be done. I was calling them to help me make the sims 3 recognize my graphic card, and it was in the end of a long call I asked about it, I felt that I had pestered him enough :)

    I have read some about it already, and there are lots of posts in several forums etc on how to do it in different ways, both with Origin and with Steam (as I use).
    But I am not at all technically knowledgeble, and really do not want to do something to my computer that I don't, at least, grasp the idea of, hence my hesitation. I mean no disrespect to you of course :)
  • AuroraskiesAuroraskies Posts: 1,834 Member
    I will just keep readin', just keep readin'
    :smiley:
  • AuroraskiesAuroraskies Posts: 1,834 Member
    (Sorry for that reference, my sim-traits would be 'childish' and 'neurotic')
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited September 2018
    Guess I'm more surprised that a computer vendor would agree to help the customer get TS3 to recognize a video card and know what they are doing with the game. That's very unusual.
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  • AuroraskiesAuroraskies Posts: 1,834 Member
    igazor:

    Oh, I got a tip on this forum (by SimplyJen), to a page with a description, that I gave the computer company guy (since I just shut down from to much tech). And yes, they are very kind at this company, and I am kind to them. It helps that I paid good for the computer and that it is new and mainly bought to play The sims 3 on, which they knew, it is a company that assembles on demand.
  • AuroraskiesAuroraskies Posts: 1,834 Member
    edited September 2018
    I guess I just not did my research properly, when it comes to the size of the boot drive/C/SSD.
  • AuroraskiesAuroraskies Posts: 1,834 Member
    edited September 2018
    Gives coffee pot to igazor:

    This is not important, but this is the dummies-thread anyway, so I hope it is ok. :tongue:

    I am very curious to know exactly how the sims 3 benefits from ssd. I am now at a loss for searchwords, and the message so far is that ssd greatly reduces load times: launching as well as in-game loading, but what that actually means I don't understand. It seems to mainly effect new, 1-person shooting games, and games that have 'levels', or possibly new games with open world, to improve draw distance, even if that seems to mostly be inherent in the game's 'visual engine'. And anyway, that is up to the graphic settings in sims 3. There are a lot of people posting about ssd, but with not so much substance or words, and the articles I have found just states the same thing: loading time, or a critic of the hausse. I even tried to ask at EA, it was entertaining but not enlightening.

    Does the benefit to sims 3 mean that launching, CAS, and Edit Town etc would be faster; or does it mean that everything in gameplay would be effected, like the computer company guy said when I got back to them.

    When it comes to the absolutism with which he stated my c/ssd as game installation place, I think the explanation is to be found in categories 'gamer' versus 'simmer' and the different demands there seems to be attached.

    (For the lack of space on my c:drive: I will just run it like it is and buy a new ssd if/when I need to, and install the steam client with games on that one and keep the OS on my 'old' ssd/c.)
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited September 2018
    @Auroraskies - Thanks for the coffee pot, although I already have a very nice one. Sometimes though I'm a little slow to drag myself into the kitchen and actually have it make something. :)

    An SSD makes a difference whenever intensive disk seek and read/writes during which nothing else can happen are called for. A standard HDD spins to get these things accomplished and how quickly it can move (measured in rpms, standard laptop HDDs tend to be 5400 rpms, desktops and higher end laptops 7200, on the much higher end and server quality HDDs we would see 10,000 rpms and higher). SSDs do not spin, there are chips and circuits in there rather than a round platter spinning around fast. Because of their being Solid State, much like flash drives only higher capacity and more durable, seeks, reads, and writes happen much, much faster. Also, SSDs cannot become fragmented.

    TS3 runs mostly from RAM, once the game is actually up and running, and nothing is faster than RAM access. So the startup process that gets a saved game into RAM in the first place, saves that copy it to the hard drive back down from RAM, quits, caching, anything that involves catalogs like CAS, Build/Buy, and CASt with its patterns, and travel transitions between worlds, these are the things that require intensive disk access, will be remarkably faster. Ordinary gameplay once the game is actually loaded up will not be expected to feel any different because by then almost everything is running from RAM.

    Games like TS4 that do not involve intensive and exclusive disk reads and writes during which time nothing else can possibly happen, due to them being programmed and structured differently, will see no benefit from running on an SSD.

    Does that help demystify things a little? :)
    Post edited by igazor on
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  • AuroraskiesAuroraskies Posts: 1,834 Member
    Thank you, that was very kind, and yes.
  • SephardicSephardic Posts: 251 Member
    I'm literally so busy with hospital appointments, school, etc. I'll get the computer specs tonight but I'm pretty sure it means I'll have to clear out loads of space for it, because I've tried downloading Roblox onto my laptop as a test to see if Sims could go on it and Roblox needed loads of space just for the actual games.
  • jillbgjillbg Posts: 4,600 Member
    I don't know why I've been reading this, probably some kind of procastination... Just kidding, my computer crashed before the holidays and I'm looking for information wherever I can, so not to make any mistakes buying a new one. @phoebebebe13 gave me very good advice when it came to buying my gaming laptop, and @igazor you'd make a wonderful teacher, so much patience... :p
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  • DagDag Posts: 12 New Member
    Hi, guys! I'm bumping this thread as I plan to buy a laptop (preferably tomorrow :smiley: ) and I don't know which one to choose. I have no idea about specs and all of this. I don't want to buy something crap again.

    Please, can anyone give me any models which will be good to play SIMS 3?

    It must be laptop and price range is around 1000£ but I can spend a little bit more if needed :D
  • DagDag Posts: 12 New Member
    @igazor thank you so, so, so much for all these awesome mods! :heart:

    Maybe you could help me with picking up the right laptop? :blush:
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited March 2019
    Dag wrote: »
    @igazor thank you so, so, so much for all these awesome mods! :heart:

    Maybe you could help me with picking up the right laptop? :blush:
    I can provide the best specs to look for or share with a salesperson and if you find or have a model in mind, explain if it meets/exceeds the suggested requirements or not. If there is any confusion, you may want to not rush into the purchase.

    All EPs and a moderate to high collection of content, at medium to high graphics settings:

    Processor: i5 or higher (or the AMD equivalent), running speeds at 2.4 GHz or higher. Avoid the ultra low power U- and Y-series processors at all costs. Some of the newest H- and other letter prefix i5s and i7s run at speeds just under 2.4 GHz but those are okay because they will turbo slightly as needed to make up the difference.

    RAM: At least 8 GB. With 16 GB or higher you can more seamlessly run other applications like a web browser alongside of the game.

    Graphics Card: Must be dedicated, in the current series Nvidia GTX 1050 or higher (or the AMD equivalent). A 1050Ti or 1060 would be stronger but will drive up the price tag. The also current MX 130s and 150s should be avoided, they don't have the required throughput. Higher end cards are fine too and would be great for more modern game titles, but TS3 can't use any more graphics power than this.

    Drive Space:
    At least 500 GB to work with. Solid State Drives (SSDs) are great and TS3 can take advantage of those on startup, saves, caching, and Build/Buy and CAS catalog building, but they are not entirely necessary and again will drive up the price of the unit.

    Corners can be cut on much of the above to save on the total price, but at the expense of not really being able to run the game as well or take it as far, have the heavier EPs in play (Pets, Seasons, to an extent IP and ITF), or on medium to high graphics settings.
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