New laptop

[bornfromaplumbob]

Hi all!

I am looking around for a new laptop as my current one cannot run TS3 with 5 expansion packs, some store content and CC on high settings (I find the game really ugly on medium or low settings which takes away the enjoyment). I'd like to add another expansion pack but I'm not that bothered as I only really use 5 (Pets, Seasons, Generations, Late Night, Ambitions).

Anyway, while looking for laptops that aren't too pricey I came across this. This really is not my area of expertise - do you guys think this oculd run TS3 with my expansion packs on high settings? At the very least I want to run the game without it crashing, I can handle a bit of lag or slow loading times.



I also came across this one, which is a little cheaper:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

CPU, Memory and Operating System:

Intel Core i5 i5-6200u dual core processor.
8GB RAM.
1TB .
Microsoft Windows 10.
Display features:

15.6 inch screen.
High definition display.
Resolution 1366 x 768 pixels.
DVD optical drives:

DVD plus RW/DVD-RW (read/write).
Graphics:

Intel HD Graphics520 graphics card.
Dedicated graphics card.
Interfaces and connectivity:

SD media card reader.
1 USB 2.0 port.
2 USB 3.0 ports.
1 HDMI port.
Bluetooth.
Wi-Fi enabled.
Multimedia features:

HD webcam.
Built-in mic.
HD Audio sound system.
General features:
W38.16, D25.9cm.
Weight 2.23kg.
EAN: 4713392585746.

Thanks for your help!

[MrsFlynn]

We wouldn't recommend either of these laptops as they both have U processors in them and aren't designed to play games. They're more made for office/homework, watching videos, listening to music and other light tasks. Again, not so much for gaming.

We can't recommend something that will give poor gaming experience, as we want other simmers to have a better gaming experience.

Without getting too technical, they make the U (Ultra-low-voltage or UVL) processors to save energy/electricity to help save battery life. But they do this at the expense of the processing power games need. So it makes for a not so good gaming experience.

The Sims 3 game is very demanding of system resources and requires more of a gaming laptop or desktop for better gaming experience.

This is what we recommend for laptops.

Laptop Specs:

Processor : i7 HQ or MQ quad ~ 2.4 GHz
Video card : Nvidia GTX 960m or better
computer ram 8gb
hard drive space at least 500 gb
windows 64 bit

Here's an example:

Dell 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop = Price: $739.99
https://www.amazon.com/Dell-15-6-Inch-Quad-Core-i5-6300HQ-Processor/dp/B015PYYDMQ

- Intel Quad-Core i5-6300HQ Processor up to 3.2GHz
- 8GB DDR3 System Memory
- Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M

This should run the game on Med/High settings.

Please keep in mind that due to the game engine's quirks, and the game being poorly optimized the game still suffers from micro-stutters and periodic slow downs. There is not a lot you can do to fix this.

Also the more content you add to the game, like custom content, game mods and store content the more the game will lag. This is due to the way the game handles additional content. Again, not much can be done to speed that up unfortunately.

A cooling mat is very much recommended due to playing games makes the laptop heat up and could fry components in the laptop.

Mobility Laptop Cooling Pad = Price: $21.99
https://www.amazon.com/Mobility-Laptop-Cooling-Pad-Adjustable/dp/B01FR3QNV4

[bornfromaplumbob]

Thank you for your reply MrsFlynn - I'm happy I checked on here before committing to anything. I'm only concerned about the game crashing to the desktop so occasional lag isn't a problem for me.