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Computer for all The Sims 3 content

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  • chesterbigbirdchesterbigbird Posts: 8,581 Member
    edited June 2018
    KIERSI wrote: »
    @chesterbigbird my max is probably 700 (which I know isn't a lot at all) because my tuition at my college just raised. Honestly, I'm really just looking for something that I just can buy, plug in, and use. Like I said, I know absolutely nothing about computers other than how to turn them on so there's no chance I'll be upgrading it lol.
    When i get to my pc i will have a look to see if there is anything better in that price range :)
    Ok i had a quick look and cannot find anything that is better spec wise then the acer.
    It will play the game perfectly fine but do watch out for any heating issues as it's not got the best cooling and ventilation.



    Post edited by chesterbigbird on
    i7 6700K
    16GB hyper X fury
    MSI GTX 1080
    MSI gaming M5 mobo
    Evga 750 supernova
    Corsair hydro h110i GT
    Corsair obsidian 750D
    500GB SSD
    6TB Seagate Barracuda Pro
    LG 34" ultra wide


  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited June 2018
    @chesterbigbird @phoebebebe13
    I am so out of my element when it comes to shopping for single units like this. As you both know, if there's no Apple logo front and center, I tend to run screaming (slight exaggeration).

    But at $40 more with an i5 and a better graphics card (arguably, although not Nvidia), may I ask why this one is out of the running?
    https://www.amazon.com/CYBERPOWERPC-GXIVR8020A5-Desktop-i5-8400-Processor/dp/B07B6H4GNY

    In case that link is garbage, "CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme GXIVR8020A5 Desktop Gaming PC (Intel i5-8400 6 Core Processor, AMD RX 580 4GB, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB 7200RPM HDD, WiFi, Win 10 Home 64-bit), Black - VR Ready" on Amazon.

    Just curious really, I'll go back to whatever I was supposed to be doing if this is of no help whatsoever. :)
    Post edited by igazor on
    o550pjoa47rpxo63g.jpg
    NRaas has moved!
    Our new site is at http://nraas.net
  • phoebebebe13phoebebebe13 Posts: 19,400 Member
    @igazor that computer you posted meets and exceeds requirements.
  • chesterbigbirdchesterbigbird Posts: 8,581 Member
    igazor wrote: »
    @chesterbigbird @phoebebebe13
    I am so out of my element when it comes to shopping for single units like this. As you both know, if there's no Apple logo front and center, I tend to run screaming (slight exaggeration).

    But at $40 more with an i5 and a better graphics card (arguably, although not Nvidia), may I ask why this one is out of the running?
    https://www.amazon.com/CYBERPOWERPC-GXIVR8020A5-Desktop-i5-8400-Processor/dp/B07B6H4GNY

    In case that link is garbage, "CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme GXIVR8020A5 Desktop Gaming PC (Intel i5-8400 6 Core Processor, AMD RX 580 4GB, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB 7200RPM HDD, WiFi, Win 10 Home 64-bit), Black - VR Ready" on Amazon.

    Just curious really, I'll go back to whatever I was supposed to be doing if this of no help whatsoever. :)

    That's actually better. I did the search on my phone with no stable wifi so i probably missed it LOL.
    It's better then the acer.
    i7 6700K
    16GB hyper X fury
    MSI GTX 1080
    MSI gaming M5 mobo
    Evga 750 supernova
    Corsair hydro h110i GT
    Corsair obsidian 750D
    500GB SSD
    6TB Seagate Barracuda Pro
    LG 34" ultra wide


  • KIERSIKIERSI Posts: 9 New Member
    @igazor @chesterbigbird @phoebebebe13 thank you so much! this really helps me. I'm going to start saving up for the better of the two! I really appreciate the help!
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited June 2018
    KIERSI wrote: »
    @igazor @chesterbigbird @phoebebebe13 thank you so much! this really helps me. I'm going to start saving up for the better of the two! I really appreciate the help!
    I think I just got lucky stumbling across that one.

    Note that both of those models were on sale so their prices might revert by the time you are ready to purchase. But Amazon almost always has sales like that going as does Newegg, so if you need to consider a slightly different model don't be afraid to ask about it later. Some of them tend to sneak weaker graphics cards into their configs, for example. :)
    o550pjoa47rpxo63g.jpg
    NRaas has moved!
    Our new site is at http://nraas.net
  • Simmerific94Simmerific94 Posts: 51 Member
    For all the expansions? Doubt there even is one, lol. A couple years ago I splurged on an MSI laptop, full souped up. It still would barely run the Sims 3 with all the expansions. The game was just optimized very poorly. Have had no such problems with Sims 2 or Sims 4.
    Find me on the Gallery! ID: ShinyTogepi94
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited June 2018
    For all the expansions? Doubt there even is one, lol. A couple years ago I splurged on an MSI laptop, full souped up. It still would barely run the Sims 3 with all the expansions. The game was just optimized very poorly. Have had no such problems with Sims 2 or Sims 4.
    Did you seek any assistance from us in tech with that souped up MSI? Running a 2009 game that by its nature tends to run away with computer resources on more modern hardware that it doesn't always recognize all by itself does take some extra steps in order to get decent performance out of it. For example, dual graphics have to be accounted for, frame rates need to be capped. More effort than it should perhaps, no argument there.

    TS2 and TS4 do not have open worlds in the same sense that TS3 does. Playing the entire town, or subsets of it, as many of us like to do means something very different in TS3 and the all of the time simulation of entire worlds of sims is quite a different set of tasks for a system to support.

    But what we can do is give the game the best environment in which to run that we can manage. Yes, it's poorly optimized and thus requires more power than it should to work well. Some aspects of the game are too buggy to deal with but can be avoided easily enough. Of course NRaas mods can help for those not averse to using them, as can taking great care to maintain one's ongoing game files and not rely on (the few) online features that don't always work right for everyone. But to say that there are no computers on the market, laptops or otherwise, that can provide a rewarding TS3 experience with all EPs in play is a bit far-reaching and does not match everyone's experiences with the game.
    o550pjoa47rpxo63g.jpg
    NRaas has moved!
    Our new site is at http://nraas.net
  • KIERSIKIERSI Posts: 9 New Member
    @igazor with your previous comment in mind, does that mean when I order this computer and download all the games that I will have to do some special tech stuff to get the game to run smoothly on it before being able to start it up and play it? If so, is it something particularly complicated that someone with zero computer knowledge would be able to figure out without screwing it up?
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited June 2018
    KIERSI wrote: »
    @igazor with your previous comment in mind, does that mean when I order this computer and download all the games that I will have to do some special tech stuff to get the game to run smoothly on it before being able to start it up and play it? If so, is it something particularly complicated that someone with zero computer knowledge would be able to figure out without screwing it up?
    The newer, more powerful graphics cards that we keep recommending need to have their frame rates capped. Unlike more modern games, TS3 has no built-in fps limiter. Unlimited fps can lead to graphics glitches, screen tears, lag, performance issues, and crashes. Which tool to use will depend on which graphics card you have, so there is no point in preparing for that until you install the game on what will be your new machine.

    The newer cards will also be unrecognized, but that isn't always a major concern as long as they are used properly by the game.
    o550pjoa47rpxo63g.jpg
    NRaas has moved!
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  • SulSulQueenSulSulQueen Posts: 156 Member


    I own all Sims 3 expansions, stuff packs, and have 15 GB CC and mods, every EA world and all EA premium content installed. I never experience lag or errors, I can't even remember the last time my game crashed, even after 4-6 hour gaming sessions.

    I included some game pictures so you can get an idea of the graphics (details, light, shadow, ...)

    41092737290_93340d6e04_h.jpg
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    42184808214_0732334604_k.jpg
    42902892081_3d096c2552_h.jpg
    42002476785_69c49a741f_h.jpg
    41092767980_15362885d0_k.jpg
    42184783394_cb5193e3d0_h.jpg
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    41092714840_029390cd7c_h.jpg
    29030725748_a1ede74113_h.jpg
    41092715230_960244f8da_h.jpg

    My set up:

    HP OMEN 870
    Intel Core I7 (4 GHZ)
    32 GB RAM
    Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060
    500 GB SSD
    2 TB HD
    2TB HD

    I personally do not like a laptop for gaming, because if you want your game to run smooth, that laptop will leave you poor. Go for a desktop setup and buy a low-end laptop for Sims 4. I never experienced the problems mentioned above with my newer graphics card.

    I hope this was helpful.

  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited June 2018
    I personally do not like a laptop for gaming, because if you want your game to run smooth, that laptop will leave you poor. Go for a desktop setup and buy a low-end laptop for Sims 4. I never experienced the problems mentioned above with my newer graphics card.
    As the more demanding EPs for TS4 continue to be released (slowly), I'm not sure that the low-end laptop for TS4 strategy is going to hold up for those who intend to play with most or all of them. But then this wouldn't be the right forum board for that particular part of the conversation. ;)
    o550pjoa47rpxo63g.jpg
    NRaas has moved!
    Our new site is at http://nraas.net
  • yoashmoyoashmo Posts: 528 Member

    I own all Sims 3 expansions, stuff packs, and have 15 GB CC and mods, every EA world and all EA premium content installed. I never experience lag or errors, I can't even remember the last time my game crashed, even after 4-6 hour gaming sessions.

    I included some game pictures so you can get an idea of the graphics (details, light, shadow, ...)

    41092737290_93340d6e04_h.jpg
    41092715230_960244f8da_h.jpg

    My set up:

    HP OMEN 870
    Intel Core I7 (4 GHZ)
    32 GB RAM
    Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060
    500 GB SSD
    2 TB HD
    2TB HD

    I personally do not like a laptop for gaming, because if you want your game to run smooth, that laptop will leave you poor. Go for a desktop setup and buy a low-end laptop for Sims 4. I never experienced the problems mentioned above with my newer graphics card.

    I hope this was helpful.

    I'm thinking of getting an Omen since I fried my graphics card on my old laptop so may I ask what your settings are on?
  • EvalenEvalen Posts: 10,223 Member
    dorcsyful wrote: »
    Off-topic question about gaming laptops: when they aren't used for playing (only internet, MS Office etc.) how loud are they and what's their battery life? Just asking because a few weeks ago I (totally accidentaly) stumbled upon an article about some new super laptop which can only handle 3-4 hours tops (not saying I even thought of buying that one).
    The reason I'm asking is because the universities (or at least some of them) where I'd like to apply next year wants a laptop to be brought to every class. And obviously, if they are really loud, I'd rather keep my current one too and take that with myself. (I'm pretty sure it's damaged to I won't sell it)

    True gaming laptops will be thicker for better cooling and also heavier than the average laptop.I have an Asus ROG gaming laptop. it's 8 pounds. It is very quiet even while gaming. Yes gaming laptops do not have a long battery life. About 3-4 hours. You are supposed to game plugged in and not use the battery. The battery can not handle gaming and is only good for light computer tasks.

    If you want to game and need a laptop for school, I suggest getting a cheap laptop with a long battery life for school. Have a desktop at home to game on. I use my gaming laptop like a desktop. I don't lug it around. I also have a desktop. Desktop is always better for gaming


    @phoebebebe13
    I have a Asus ROG gaming laptop and I love it. I have all of Sims 3 Exp except Supernatural, as I did not want it. I have all stuff pks except for a 1 or 2 I did not want. I am plugged in, and yes it is heavy. I do not have any CC or Mods and I have no lag or problems what so ever. I can play for hours and it does not heat up, I guess it is because the heat is in the back. I have tiny speakers attached to it with very good base, that I like. But like you said it is very heavy. But very nice.
  • SweetAndSaltySweetAndSalty Posts: 23 Member
    I have a Lenovo laptop and it runs like a charm! I have soooooo much CC and every expansion pack. Doesn't lag at all.
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