2013-12-31 02:07 AM
OK, aborted the Vista route. Found some other ops. What are your thoughts about this one:
Processor Brand -AMD
Processor -AMD A8-Series
Processor Speed -2.1GHz
System Memory (RAM)-4GB
System Memory (RAM) Expandable To 8GB
Type of Memory (RAM) - DDR3 SDRAM
Hard Drive Type SATA (5400 rpm)
Computer Hard Drive Size 750GB
Graphics -AMD Radeon HD 8550G
Video Memory -Up to 2158MB (total)
2013-12-31 02:33 AM
Don't hate me. Here are three more. That gives me a total of four to consider:
Opt 2
Processor Type: Intel Celeron B877 Processor
Processor Speed: 1.50 GHz
System Ram: 4 GB
Maximum Memory Expansion: 8 GB
Hard Drive Size: 500 GB
Laptop Screen Size: 14.0 inch
Screen Type: LED Backlight, BrightView HD Touchscreen Display
Resolution: 1366 x 768
Graphics Card: Intel HD Graphics with 1664MB of dedicated system memory
Opt 3
Processor
AMD A4-1200 1.00 GHz
Memory
2 GB DDR3L 1066 MHz
Hard drive size
320 GB 5400 RPM HDD
Operating system
Windows 8. Update to Windows 8.1 for free through the Windows Store.
Video
AMD HD 8180 Graphics with shared graphics memory
Opt 4
Processor Brand: AMD
Processor Type: AMD E-300 Accelerated Processor
Processor Speed: 1.3 GHz, with a Max Turbo Speed of 3.20 GHz
System Ram: 4 GB
Maximum Memory Expansion: 8 GB
Hard Drive Size: 320 GB
Laptop Screen Size: 15.6 inch
Screen Type: LED Backlight, Full HD Display
Resolution: 1366 x 768
Graphics Card: AMD Radeon HD 6310
2013-12-31 03:32 PM
op 1 - The graphics chip is integrated with the cpu much like the Intel I series. These video system commonly lack the power for demanding video games like TS3.
op2 - Celeron processor is very slow (below TS3 minimum requirement) and Intel HD Grphics (integrated) frequently has problems with expansion packs.
op3 - processor is way under powered and looks more like a netbook rather then a laptop.
op4 - cpu clock slow (turbo to 3.2ghz?) and the 6310 has no dedicated video memory which seems to be a big problem for Sims 3.
What you are looking at are student/business laptops. You can not skimp here as more demanding expansion packs like PETS and Seasons will run run very well (if at all).
2013-12-31 10:00 PM
ok, the laptops i'm looking at don't discern student or business use. They are merely listed throughout sites I am looking at. A few of my friends who play the sims have something similar to a couple of these models with most of the expansion packs and haven't incurred any issues, so my guess is that they figured I wouldn't either. I was just posting to get an idea from folks on this board because I am having to replace one of my machines and figured it made sense to get something that I can move my game to and play without the same issues I am experiencing now. I don't know what to actually look for as it seems opinions truly run the gammit on various boards. Each person tends to feel one way about their particular machine, but nothing is at all consistent.
2014-01-01 12:24 AM
13.3 inch gaming laptop with dvd drive AMD E450 Dual Core 1.65Ghz Netbook 4G DDR3 640G
Visionman WNBI-2SGR20 Visionman 15.4 Gaming Notebook
Specifications:
15.4WXGA (1200x800) w/Super Clear Screen
Intel Core Duo T8100 2.1Ghz Processor
Dual Core / 64-bitSupport
4GB of Blazing Fast DDR2-667
160GB SATA-II 5400RPM 2.5 Hard Drive
4-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/SD/MMC)
Microsoft XP Professional 32-bit
Slim 8X DVD-RW
nVidia 8600GT 512MB DirectX10 Video
Processor & Chipset
Processor Manufacturer Intel
Processor Type Core 2 Duo
Processor Model P8400
Processor Speed 2.26GHz
Processor Core Dual-core
Memory
Standard Memory 4GB
Maximum Memory 4GB
Memory Technology DDR2 SDRAM
Memory Standard DDR2-800/PC2-6400
Storage
Hard Drive Capacity 250GB
Solid State Drive Capacity Not Included
Optical Drive Type DVD-Writer
Optical Media Support DVD-RAM/R/RW
Display & Graphics
Screen Size 15"
Graphic Mode WXGA
Display Screen Type Active Matrix TFT Color LCD
Widescreen Yes
Graphics Controller Manufacturer nVIDIA
Graphics Controller Model GeForce 9600M GT
Graphics Memory Capacity 512MB
2014-01-01 03:23 AM
Found another option?
Processor Brand
AMD
Processor
AMD A8-Series
Processor Speed
1.9GHz
Cache Memory
4MB on die Level 2
System Memory (RAM)
4GB
System Memory (RAM) Expandable To
8GB
Type of Memory (RAM)
DDR3
Hard Drive Type
SATA II (5400 rpm)
Computer Hard Drive Size
500GB
Digital Media Reader or Slots
Yes, select memory card slots
Graphics
AMD Radeon HD 7640G
Video Memory
Shared
Operating System Platform
Windows
Operating System
Windows 8
Graphics Chip
AMD/ATI
Drive Capacity
500GB
Graphics Card
AMD Radeon HD 7640G
2014-01-01 04:11 AM
OK, disregard everything else I have posted. I think I have narrowed it down to two options. What is the difference between these and is one better than the other?
AMD A6-4455M Accelerated Processor with AMD Radeon HD 7500G discrete-class graphics
For efficient performance
AMD E-300 Accelerated Processor with AMD Radeon HD 6310 discrete-class graphics
For efficient performance.
2014-01-01 07:52 AM
ok, i lied. added one more
AMD Quad-Core A8-4500M Accelerated Processor with AMD Radeon HD 7640G graphics
For efficient performance.
2014-01-01 03:30 PM
While those laptops you list may play the base game some more demanding packs like PETS may have problems. Descrete-class graphics IS NOT dedicated graphics. It is best to have a dedicated graphics chip with al least 512mb (the more the better) DEDICATED memory (not shared memory). TS3 requires a 2.4GHZ processor or higher (higher is better). Most gaming computer today are in the 3GHZ range. TS3 is a DX9 32 bit application. As such it will run on one core of your processor. You may see activity on other cores but this is probably other system processes running. Some processors actually slow down when there is activity on other cores. TS3 being a 32 bit applications means it can't use more then 4gb of main memory. TS3 seems to be a very hardware demanding game - both processor and graphics. You need to be careful buying a laptop because there is usually no upgrade path. If you buy a laptop and TS3 does not run on it your only path is to replace the laptop with a more powerful laptop so care is required when you purchase the laptop. While TS3 base game and some packs may run well on a basic laptop packs like PETS and Seasons may have trouble (probably). It is nice to enjoy the game rather then be frustrated with it. Laptops typically have low power processors and low power graphics chips to claim long battery life. TS3 requires a gaming class computer to play all the packs. A lesser laptop may play the base game and some of the packs but again packs like PETS, Seasons, IP may (probably) have trouble. If you feel that getting a laptop like your friends will play the game then acquire the same make and model as they have. You say "i'm not going to play PETS". You have no idea how many times I have heard that as I am a consumer computer consultant only to return to an irate customer because the computer crashes with PETS. Mostly I get people who buy a student laptop and they can't play games on it. Then I show them the difference between a student laptop and a gaming laptop. Unless the laptop can play the whole game I can not recommend anything less.
hth
a good place to start looking for gaming laptops is ibuypower or cyberpower
2014-01-01 08:25 PM - edited 2014-01-01 08:31 PM
So these laptops would not be good options, even if they are only used to play the sims? I have four different machines. I damaged one and am replacing it by way of my home insurance coverage. That said, I figured I would get a laptop that I would use to play my game and remove my games from my other machines. I don't have the Pets EP but am not against it. There are a few EPs and SPs that I have yet to have an interest in purchasing, but that's not to say I won't in the distant future. I definitely wouldn't say I won't play it (you might have meant that generically as a statement that people say alot, right?). Since I am not likely to play many other games and the sims is all I have played over the past four years, would any of these that I have posted suffice? EA sent me their basic specs and I found other forums with recommendations. I'm just interested in buying a decent machine that would play the game well with it only running the game.