Buying a Desktop or Laptop for The Sims 3

[Naria]

I'm a slacker who only just woke up a few mins ago...

I'll have my "breakfast" (coffee and a fag) and then I'll have a look at the desktops for you. Something to consider though... you mentioned claiming disability. Would that have a serious impact on your ability to comfortably use a desktop?

I ask that because I have a minor disability myself, and when it decides it wants to play up, there is no way in HELL I can use my gaming PC... hence why I have a gaming laptop.

Good morning then! 

My disability is mental (severe depression, severe anxiety, ocd, bipolar... wasn't given the best chemical brain makeup ever known to mankind.) I have sciatica but truly makes no impact where I am, if its gonna hurt it's gonna hurt. So desktops are fine.

[KhaineGB]

I feel your pain on the sciatica! Literally!

Other half has the same problems on the mental health side. Ok, just wanted to make sure because I know that's something to consider. I'll start having a dig around at desktops, using the same budget, and see what I can come up with.

[KhaineGB]

Okay... here's a start...

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ibuypower-desktop-amd-fx-series-8gb-memory-1tb-hard-drive-120gb-solid-state-drive/5574118.p?id=1219143554715&skuId=5574118&st=categoryid$pcmcat212600050008&cp=1&lp=15 <--- Quad core 3.5ghz CPU, plenty to run Sims 3 and 4, nVidia 750Ti graphics card... this thing has been PROVEN to be able to run Titanfall at 1080p with a solid 60 frames a second, 8GB RAm and... most importantly... you have a 120GB SSD in there!

Obviously doesn't include a monitor at that price, but there's a start. You can always plug it into your TV as it has HDMI out.

As for the ones you found... I'm going to be honest here... stay AWAY from HP/Dell/Acer etc for desktops. The reason for that is the PSU's are usually crap and the case often cannot take new parts.

So if you want to upgrade, you'll be screwed. If I HAD to choose one of them, it'd be this one.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-pavilion-desktop-8gb-memory-2tb-hard-drive/5814032.p?id=1219194065876&skuId=5814032&st=categoryid

Here's another... bit cheaper...

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ibuypower-desktop-intel-core-i5-8gb-memory-500gb-hard-drive/6979823.p?id=1218818465504&skuId=6979823&st=categoryid$pcmcat212600050008&cp=2&lp=5 <--- downsides... no SSD, only 500GB drive and it's using an nVidia GTX650... which is an old card by todays standards. However, it has a 3.1ghz 4th gen Core i5, which is a VERY good CPU, and graphics cards are easier to replace than CPU's.

Ok... crazy idea...

Get the cheaper i5. The GPU is good enough for Sims 3 and 4. Hell, it's better than the one in my desktop and that can run Sims 3 EASILY on high!

Put this in it.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-840-evo-250gb-internal-serial-ata-iii-solid-state-drive-for-laptops/1902435.p?id=1219066876764&skuId=1902435&st=categoryid$pcmcat201300050005&cp=1&lp=3

500GB drive used for windows and documents files, 250GB drive used for Sims 3 and 4. That should run the game like a dream. Well... bad programming aside of course...

[Naria]

Okay, I am between these 3 now.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=cat13504&sellerId=&sName=&searchPromo=false&type=page&pageIdentity=searchDriven&useProductString=true&productString=1218818471270*1219143550897*1218818465504&unProductString=1219236789544*1219091217644*1219088675337*1219194065876*1219086171062*1219065403797*1219059643159*1219243033141*1219247544112*1218811215113*1219091219075*1219238021196*1218818472343*1219267037281*1219143553589*1219267042660*1219143553656*1219143553857*1219143552481*1219117031173*1219097501851*1219143553723*1219178692600*1219171881526*1219171879788*1219171882698*1219256830243*1218818470401*1219091559948*1219238021667*1219085426536*1219165147753*1219086172070*1219098559537*1219159703994*1219171882761*1219100307056*1219267042034*1219171880309*1219182330485*1219097501781*1219092112121*1219143554715*1219094930042*1219094120571*1219238020043*1219097502258*1219269303060*1219269300634*1219238019101*1219109722530*1219267040009*1219279725056*1219092115758*1219086172072*1219279718637*1219159703153*1219238018386*1219065406526*1219238017063*1219109722264*1219171876637*1219267042638*1219109720973*1218868676415&catId=&usc=All+Categories

Is it at all possible to get away with the 499 one? I am not too concerned about hard drive space, on my laptop I have 309GB free on 465GB and on my desktop 517GB of 917GB free. I don't really cram them full.

[KhaineGB]

Is it at all possible to get away with the 499 one? I am not too concerned about hard drive space, on my laptop I have 309GB free on 465GB and on my desktop 517GB of 917GB free. I don't really cram them full.

Only if you want to put a new graphics card in it immediately. The nVidia 610 is NOT a good card... it's absolute bottom end.

[Naria]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ibuypower-desktop-amd-fx-series-8gb-memory-1tb-hard-drive/5574049.p?skuId=5574049&sellerId=&id=1219143550897

This one has the same graphics card as the 829 one. Is it pretty much good as that one, just without the SDD? 

Also, am I right in assuming this is probably better than one of the MSI laptops?

[KhaineGB]

The desktop will be a LOT better than the laptop. The CPU's and graphics cards are just a lot more powerful.

That's not a bad little system. Personally I would recommend the i5 based computer, just because that CPU will keep you going for quite a while. It's a lot more powerful than the AMD offerings.

[Naria]

On the AMD core side, I found this. http://www.walmart.com/ip/iBUYPOWER-Gamer-WA583R7-Black-Desktop-PC-with-AMD-Eight-Core-FX-8320-Vishera-Processor-8GB-Memory-1TB-Hard-Drive-and-Windows-7-Home-Premium-Monitor/35119954  It has an improved core with AMD R7-260X Graphics.

Or there is this awesome option:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/iBuyPower-Build-Your-Own-Gaming-Desktop-Bundle-Select-Case-Processor-Memory-Hard-Drive-and-more/15374646

[KhaineGB]

You might actually get better value selecting a pre-built system rather than configuring, at least from the quick messing around I've just done.

That 8 core is ok. Probably slightly better than the i5, but not by much. The graphics card is also fine. It's a mid-range one.

[Naria]

I think I am sure on the $707 (scratch that it literally just went down to 699 LOL) one from Walmart, the one with the 8 core AMD FX and the Radeon R7 260X.

I would prefer an Intel core but the $759 one from Best Buy only has a GTX 650 and 1GB dedicated video memory. There's this one with an i5 core and a Radeon 250...

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ibuypower-desktop-intel-core-i5-8gb-memory-1tb-hard-drive/7358029.p?id=1219267042026&skuId=7358029&st=ibuypower&cp=1&lp=7

Otherwise the IBuyPowers with Intel CPU's are way more money.

[KhaineGB]

Believe it or not, the GTX650 is actually a TON faster than the R7 250 going by benchmarks... and we are looking at 30%-50% very roughly.

The 650 isn't a bad card, it's just old.

[Naria]

GTX 650 vs the R7 260 though? http://www.game-debate.com/gpu/index.php?gid=1865&gid2=1149&compare=radeon-r7-260x-vs-geforce-gtx-650-1gb

http://modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:TS3_System_Requirements#The_Sims_4_System_Requirements

Wondering why on earth MTS's recommended video card is R9 or up though. What'd the R7 do to them? 

[KhaineGB]

I have no idea why they're recommending the R9!

The R9 is the equivalent of a GTX770 or 780 depending on the model. That's way, WAY overkill for Sims 4!

[KhaineGB]

Okay... this is from Game Debate. It's not "official" recommended specs, but I've found them to be fairly accurate. It's for The Sims 4.

Recommended Requirements
CPU: Core 2 Quad Q8400 2.66GHz or APU A6-3600 Quad-Core
Graphics Card: GeForce GTS 450 or Radeon HD 7670
RAM: 6 GB
Operating System: Win Xp 32
DirectX: DX 9
HDD Space: 9 GB

That seems a lot more in-line with what I'd expect for Sims 4... and even then I'd say it's on the high side with the game only needing DirectX 9

[Naria]

I know one of the gurus said the recommended specs for 4 would be coming before the game releases. Crossing my fingers it's before Massachusett's state tax holiday weekend. Providing the recommended specs aren't way out of whack with what I assume they are, I am 90% sure of the 700 dollar one.

  You guys are the best, though. Seriously. Thank you tons.