Which computer is best to run most packs, CC/Mods, and ultra settings? [ Edited ]

[Spacemoney8100]

Hi! I'm looking to upgrade from my current MacBook Air (2017) and one of the reasons is because I can't currently play TS4 on it. I really want to use a good amount of CC and mods in my game and am not willing to compromise on my ultra graphics settings, and I don't want my game to slow down or have issues with frame rate most of the time. I also need to use my computer for school/work and I want it to last me a long time and not burn out.

I'm not sure if I should upgrade to one of the new MacBook Pros or Air (M1 or M2, and I could potentially upgrade to the 10-core GPU or 16 GB RAM if needed) (maybe with a cooling mat?), get an iMac M1 (which come with 8-core GPU and CPU at most), or get a non-Apple computer altogether. I don't know how much SSD I would need either. I am comfortable with Apple interfaces, but know they don't have the best reputation when it comes to gaming. I've done some research and see a lot of contradicting opinions. Some say the M1 is great for running all of the things I want, but others say there will be too much lag or the computer just simply can't handle it.

My budget is roughly around $800-1k, but could spare a couple hundred, if needed. I am partial to a laptop because it would be more convenient to bring my computer with me places, but I know lots of people prefer desktops when it comes to gaming. So, if someone could help me find options for both, that would be great!

I really don't know much about computers, so any help I could get would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

[puzzlezaddict]

@Spacemoney8100  If you would prefer to stay in the Mac ecosystem, an M1 MacBook Air plus a cooling fan or pad would be a good solution.  Someone else who helps here has one and plays Sims 4 on ultra graphics settings, and performance is good enough for her tastes.  It looks like the entry-level MBAs are currently $1,000 U.S. at various stores, and they might get a little cheaper when the M2 model comes out.

As for specs, it would be nice to have more than 256 GB storage, but it's not strictly necessary.  External hard drives are cheap and USB sticks even cheaper, and all of Sims 4 plus saves plus a decent amount of custom content might take up in the range of 100 GB, so you'd still have plenty of room for schoolwork and other small apps.  The eight-graphics-cores option is also nice to have, but it's not strictly necessary and probably not worth the extra $200 if it's going to strain the budget.

On the other hand, an entry-level M2 should perform even better than the M1, so if you're willing to pay the premium, you may be happier with the results.  I'd at least wait until the reviews come out though, just in case there's some issue with gaming on these chips that no one knows about yet.

If you'd like to see some options for Windows laptops, let me know what country you're in and any other details that matter to you.  For example, you might care about size or weight or how the laptop looks.  You could certainly get a good gaming laptop for $1,000 U.S. or even a bit less, but not a lightweight gaming laptop that looks like a non-gaming model.

[Spacemoney8100]

Thank you so much for helping me! I am kind of split between Mac and Windows, so if you could give me some options for both, that would be awesome! I’m in the US, and I’m not too bothered by weight as long as it’s not like anything ridiculous. I wouldn’t mind if it didn’t look like a non-gaming laptop, but I’d be open to either! I really just want a computer that can handle everything I want (school/work, ultra settings, most packs, good amount of cc/mods).

I probably will wait to see reviews on the M2 Air, too, just to see all the options.

Thank you again!

[puzzlezaddict]

@Spacemoney8100  There's not much point in trying to find the best options for Windows laptops right now if you're not yet ready to buy.  Unlike Apple, the various manufacturers of Windows laptops and the stores that sell them change prices all the time, sometimes week to week, so what's on sale now may be more expensive or completely unavailable next month.  Still, I can give you some idea of what you might be able to get.

These are the cheapest options I'm seeing at the moment with, respectively, an Nvidia RTX 3050 and 3060.  Both are more than capable of running all Sims 4 content on ultra graphics settings, and in fact the 3060 is overkill for the game, but given the price and that you also get 16 GB RAM, it's definitely worth mentioning.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-g15-15-6-fhd-gaming-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-8gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-r...

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/gigabyte-a5-15-6-fhd-laptop-ryzen-5-5600h-16gb-ddr4-nvidia-geforce-rtx-...

There are a lot of other slightly more expensive options with similar hardware, and if you were buying now I'd go through the pros and cons.  But like I said, there's not much point given that prices and availability change so quickly.

[Spacemoney8100]

Thank you so much for doing all of that research for me! You make a good point about waiting, so if it’s alright, I’ll come back next month once I’m ready to buy and we can see what my best options are then.

Again, thank you so much for your help!!

[Spacemoney8100]

Hi! I posted on here about a month ago.

This is that post:

"Hi! I'm looking to upgrade from my current MacBook Air (2017) and one of the reasons is because I can't currently play TS4 on it. I really want to use a good amount of CC and mods in my game and am not willing to compromise on my ultra graphics settings, and I don't want my game to slow down or have issues with frame rate most of the time. I also need to use my computer for school/work and I want it to last me a long time and not burn out.

I'm not sure if I should upgrade to one of the new MacBook Pros or Air (M1 or M2, and I could potentially upgrade to the 10-core GPU or 16 GB RAM if needed) (maybe with a cooling mat?), get an iMac M1 (which come with 8-core GPU and CPU at most), or get a non-Apple computer altogether. I don't know how much SSD I would need either. I am comfortable with Apple interfaces, but know they don't have the best reputation when it comes to gaming. I've done some research and see a lot of contradicting opinions. Some say the M1 is great for running all of the things I want, but others say there will be too much lag or the computer just simply can't handle it.

My budget is roughly around $800-1k, but could spare a couple hundred, if needed. I am partial to a laptop because it would be more convenient to bring my computer with me places, but I know lots of people prefer desktops when it comes to gaming. So, if someone could help me find options for both, that would be great!

I really don't know much about computers, so any help I could get would be greatly appreciated!"

My budget has since changed a little and I was being directed towards the 14" MacBook Pro M1 to fulfill everything I want. However, when I looked up reviews for gaming, many said not to get a Mac (even the MacBook Pro M1). I still want to be able to run almost, if not all, TS4 packs, a good amount of CC and mods. Like I said, I also really don't want to compromise on ultra graphics and I don't want any lag. I would also like to have the ability to play a couple more games, if I wanted. Would I need to upgrade to 24 RAM or 1TB of SSD?

I will also be using this computer for hopefully at least 7-8 years for school/career work as well. My work comes first so if spending this much on a laptop to run everything I want will make it burn out faster then I'd rather just save the extra money and buy a cheaper model just for work. Would the 14" MBP M1 be able to do everything I need while lasting me 7-8 years without slowing down too much or should I not bother?

Any help is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

[Spacemoney8100]

Hi! I posted on here about a month ago.

This is that post:

"Hi! I'm looking to upgrade from my current MacBook Air (2017) and one of the reasons is because I can't currently play TS4 on it. I really want to use a good amount of CC and mods in my game and am not willing to compromise on my ultra graphics settings, and I don't want my game to slow down or have issues with frame rate most of the time. I also need to use my computer for school/work and I want it to last me a long time and not burn out.

I'm not sure if I should upgrade to one of the new MacBook Pros or Air (M1 or M2, and I could potentially upgrade to the 10-core GPU or 16 GB RAM if needed) (maybe with a cooling mat?), get an iMac M1 (which come with 8-core GPU and CPU at most), or get a non-Apple computer altogether. I don't know how much SSD I would need either. I am comfortable with Apple interfaces, but know they don't have the best reputation when it comes to gaming. I've done some research and see a lot of contradicting opinions. Some say the M1 is great for running all of the things I want, but others say there will be too much lag or the computer just simply can't handle it.

My budget is roughly around $800-1k, but could spare a couple hundred, if needed. I am partial to a laptop because it would be more convenient to bring my computer with me places, but I know lots of people prefer desktops when it comes to gaming. So, if someone could help me find options for both, that would be great!

I really don't know much about computers, so any help I could get would be greatly appreciated!"

My budget has since changed a little and I was being directed towards the 14" MacBook Pro M1 to fulfill everything I want. However, when I looked up reviews for gaming, many said not to get a Mac (even the MacBook Pro M1). I still want to be able to run almost, if not all, TS4 packs, a good amount of CC and mods. Like I said, I also really don't want to compromise on ultra graphics and I don't want any lag. I would also like to have the ability to play a couple more games, if I wanted. Would I need to upgrade to 24 RAM or 1TB of SSD?

I will also be using this computer for hopefully at least 7-8 years for school/career work as well. My work comes first so if spending this much on a laptop to run everything I want will make it burn out faster then I'd rather just save the extra money and buy a cheaper model just for work. Would the 14" MBP M1 be able to do everything I need while lasting me 7-8 years without slowing down too much or should I not bother?

Any help is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

[Bluebellflora]

@Spacemoney8100

No one can tell you your Mac will last 7-8 years. The 14" MBP will be fine for running the game on highest settings, dependant on how well you maintain and look after the machine.

[Spacemoney8100]

No of course I know 7-8 years isn’t guaranteed. I just heard that usually you can get around 7 years out of a MacBook and this new computer is going to be quite a big investment for me, so I just wanted to make sure it wouldn’t be a waste!

Thank you for your response and all your help! Would it still be able to run just as smooth with added mods and cc while also being used for all of my school and work stuff? and would it be better to upgrade RAM or SSD? I just want to know because if it will be laggy or perform like a cheaper model, then I’d rather save the money and buy the cheaper model!

Thank you again!

[Bluebellflora]

@Spacemoney8100

I've had Macs that have lasted less than 3 years and ones that have lasted nearly 20.

You're asking questions which don't have definitive answers. Will it run smoothly with Mods and CC? Depends on the Mods and CC you use.

Do you need a lot of storage? Then upgrade the SSD.

Can you afford to upgrade the RAM? If yes then do it to help future proof performance.