Do you recommend this particular computer for sims 4 high settings gameplay?

[FlyTransGuy]

I am very seriously considering getting the ASUS - 15.6" Touch-Screen Laptop  (Intel Core i7 - 16GB Memory - 1TB Hard Drive + 128GB Solid State Drive)  I don't do much gaming other than Sims 4, but I desperately need a new computer and if I have to buy one anyway it would be amazing to have one where I could actually play the sims with ultra-high graphics settings and no lag.  I also thought that it might be cool to actually play with a touchscreen instead of used a keyboard and mouse.  I'm happy to post any other specs that you may need. 

Thanks in advance for any help

[puzzlezaddict]

@FlyTransGuy  Most touchscreen laptops are lightweight and portable, which is great for some purposes but not for gaming.  These models generally don't have a dedicated graphics card, at least not until a much higher price range than a comparable gaming laptop.  (To play on ultra graphics settings, you'd need at least an entry-level gaming graphics card.)  Touchscreen laptops generally don't have great cooling either, so running demanding applications on them can cause them to throttle performance to avoid overheating.

Having said that, I don't know from your description what particular laptop you're considering.  It would be a lot easier if you linked the specific laptop, so we could see all its specs and give you a better idea of how it might handle Sims 4.

If you'd like other suggestions as well, just post your budget and country, as well as any other details that matter to you, for example whether having a touchscreen, or a lightweight laptop in general, is important enough to make compromises in other areas.

[FlyTransGuy]

@puzzlezaddict Here is the link to the laptop itself https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-15-6-touch-screen-laptop-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-1tb-hard-drive-...

I would definitely be open to any and all recommendations.  I live in the USA and can spend up to around $1200 USD.  I'm opening to spending more if really necessary but certainly won't complain about spending less.   

[puzzlezaddict]

@FlyTransGuy  The graphics chip in the laptop you're looking at would only really handle medium settings, and perhaps only barely if you had all packs enabled.  (Some of that depends on play style and whether you want high framerates.)  Even though the other hardware is fine for Sims 4, the graphics chip is the limiting factor, and it would be a significant limit on performance.

If you'd really like a touchscreen, I found exactly one with a graphics card that could handle ultra settings and that wasn't at least $1,600.  The base price on this HP Envy is $1,100, but adding a touchscreen is $80, and although you could technically get away with a 256 GB hard drive, it would be a lot better to spend the $70 to upgrade to a 512 GB SSD.  The other components are all fine or more than fine for Sims 4.  The Nvidia 1650 ti can easily handle ulgra graphics now, and it may be able to for the entire run of Sims 4, depending on how demanding future expansion packs turn out to be.

https://store.hp.com/us/en/pdp/hp-envy-laptop-15t-ep000-8rg48av-1

To be honest, I don't know for sure whether you could use the touchscreen while you played.  I think you probably could, but I'm not totally sure.  I've asked someone who I think has a touchscreen laptop, although I don't remember the exact model, and I'll let you know what they say.  But if you've heard from other people that they can play with their touchscreens, that's probably true.

For comparison's sake, you could get an equally powerful laptop but without a touchscreen for about $900, although the exact configuration is unusual.  You could get a faster graphics card for less as well—laptops with a 1660 ti,16 GB RAM, and the same or a similar processor start around $1,000.  If you want, I'll look for a few examples in the morning.

[FlyTransGuy]

@puzzlezaddict Maybe you're right and I should look at non touchscreen options as well. I was hoping to make some digital art, but it's not really a must-have. Do you have any recommendations? (Not from HP if at all possible, I've had bad experiences with them)

[puzzlezaddict]

@FlyTransGuy  Are you planning to play other games too, or run other demanding apps, or would you at least like to have the option in the future?  Digital art can be created on a tablet, so the question is more about what programs you'd want to use.  Plenty of other games are more demanding than Sims 4, but not always in the same ways, for example Cities Skylines and Planet Zoo are much more processor-intensive than most, relative to their graphical demands.

If this is really just about Sims 4 and some light or medium graphics apps, you could get an overpowered graphics card for $1,000, or perhaps a bit less.  For $1,200, you could get the kind of power that would run almost any game out there on high or ultra settings.  These aren't necessarily the best options, just examples to give you an idea.  If you let me know what exactly you're looking for, including any other details that matter (screen size or weight, battery, not an HP...), I'll do a more thorough search.

This is a quality laptop with a very fast graphics card and a processor that's more than good enough for Sims 4.  It does only have 8 GB memory, but it's only $950, so adding another 8 GB for $50 or so wouldn't be a big deal.

https://www.newegg.com/black-asus-rog-strix-g-gaming-entertainment/p/1TS-001A-00RB9?Item=1TS-001A-00...

This one has 16 GB RAM and a graphics card that would be slightly faster for Sims 4, not that it's necessary, and a lot faster for games with Raytracing.  It's $1,000.

https://www.newegg.com/obsidian-black-acer-nitro-5-an515-54-547d-gaming-entertainment/p/N82E16834316...

This would be an equally viable option at $1,000 if it were currently in stock, but if you really like it, you might be willing to wait a few weeks.  (It also might be available elsewhere; I didn't check.)

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1558021-REG/asus_tuf506iu_es74_tuf_a17_gaming_laptop.html

This one has the same specs as the first laptop except for a much stronger processor, and it's $1,050.

https://www.newegg.com/black-msi-gf-series-gf65-thin-9sd-837-gaming-entertainment/p/N82E16834155587?...

Or, if you like MSI laptops, this one is on sale for a couple more hours for $1,200, but with an additional $100 rebate.  It has an Nvidia 2060, 16 GB memory, and the same strong processor as the one above.

For comparison's sake, this is a premium gaming laptop, with a 2060, 16 GB memory, and the fastest processor for games of any of these.  The only real knock on it is its mediocre battery life, but you wouldn't want to play on battery anyway.  This is all more power than you'd ever need for Sims 4; I'm just mentioning it so you can see what's out there.  It's $1,300.

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16834725086?Item=N82E16834725086

Let me know what you think, and I'll do a more thorough search later, and check reviews too.

[FlyTransGuy]

@puzzlezaddict The Sims is really the only game that I regularly play, and even if I get the money to head to grad school none of the programs that I would need would require much computing power. (Microsoft office, spss etc.) I would like it to have a webcam since we're living in a world with a lot of zoom meetings. I'm going to be buying it through BestBuy so that I can use up a gift card but they have the brands that you are recommending.

Is this more in the direction that you're recommending? https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-15-6-laptop-amd-ryzen-7-8gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-2060-512gb-s...

[puzzlezaddict]

@FlyTransGuy  Yes, that laptop is in the same category as the others, and it should handle Sims 4 just fine.  The only reason I didn't link it is because I thought the configuration with the 1660 ti and 16 GB RAM was slightly more convenient.  A 2060 is only a little faster than a 1660 ti, unless the game includes Raytracing, which Sims 4 definitely does not.  But it's not like the 2060 is a bad choice, it's just more power than you need.

If you do get this particular model, you'll probably still want to add another 8 GB memory.  Sims 4 and Windows together usually don't quite use a full 8 GB, even in well-progressed saves.  But that's not including any other apps you might have running in the background.  This is something you could do yourself—get another module that's exactly the same as what comes installed in the laptop, or check the manual for compatible RAM.  Or you could get Best Buy to do it for you, but that might be more expensive than it's worth.

Best Buy doesn't have a lot of selection right now, and I think in the performance category you're looking for, the laptop you linked is probably the best option.  One other to consider though is this Dell.  Its graphics card is a bit slower than a 1660 ti but still more than fast enough for ultra settings in Sims 4; it otherwise has the same specs as the Asus you linked.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-g5-15-6-gaming-laptop-144hz-amd-ryzen-7-8gb-memory-amd-radeon-rx-5...

Both laptops are generally highly rated.  If you'd like to compare the two, here are a couple in-depth reviews from the same site:

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-TUF-A15-with-AMD-Renoir-and-Nvidia-Graphics-in-Review.469570.0.ht...

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Going-all-in-on-AMD-Dell-G5-15-Special-Edition-Radeon-RX-5600M-Laptop-...