Gaming laptop recommendations

[scotjess]

Hello, 

I've had my laptop for years and it's starting to show. 

I use it mostly for Sims 4, some browsing and admin. The fps goes all the way down to 5 now (not always but more often). It's not a gaming laptop and I might want to change that (so I get dedicated graphics).

I'm in the UK,  I would look for between £700-1500 (wide range of price that will be determined soon due to other circumstances). I'm disabled so I need it light (current laptop is 1.6kg) and would like to avoid loud fans. 

There seem to be a few, but specs change even within  the same laptop names. 

Would you have any recommendations? I don't have all sims 4 packs yet, but getting there and I know I'll add more. Would like the laptop to last (mine is 7 or 8 yrs old),  so maybe enough for a potential Sims 5 (we'll have you see about that).

If you have ideas, let me know. Thank you all 💚 

[puzzlezaddict]

@scotjess  Are you looking to buy now?  I'd be happy to help you find good laptops whenever you're ready to buy, but it's not useful to try to find the best deals now if you're going to wait.  As you've seen, inventory changes quickly, and prices change even more quickly than that.

As far as the graphics card is concerned, any new-ish dedicated card other than Nvidia's MX series can run Sims 4, all packs included, on ultra graphics settings, with some room to spare.  Getting a 3060 would give the laptop more room to absorb future increases in the game's demands, or perhaps a more demanding Sims 5 when it shows up, although that may well be less demanding than Sims 4 when it's first released.  (That was the case for Sims 4 relative to 3.)  But even a 3050 ti should always be fine for Sims 4.  And I can't imagine the developers creating a Sims 5 that would require more power than that, at least in the first couple years—that would exclude a large portion of the current player base.

In terms of lightweight laptops, your options are more limited; it takes extra engineering work to fit all the components and proper cooling into a lighter chassis.  For the last few years, the best option among regular (not premium-priced) laptops, in terms of price and overall quality, has been the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14.  This is an example; it currently comes in at 1.7 kg:

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/asus-rog-zephyrus-g14-ga401qe-se-nvidia-rtx-3050-ti-16gb-14-qhd-120hz...

This is an alternate configuration that I'm mentioning because it might end up more reasonably-priced at some point:

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/asus-rog-zephyrus-g14-amd-radeon-rx-6800s-8gb-16gb-14-wuxga-144hz-amd...

The G15 model is slightly heavier (1.9 kg), with a larger screen, and a 3060 instead of a 3050 ti.

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/asus-rog-zephyrus-g15-nvidia-rtx-3060-16gb-15.6-qhd-165hz-amd-ryzen-7...

I don't know much about this laptop, as it's very new, but Asus does have the track record to suggest it knows what it's doing with this type of product:

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/asus-rog-flow-z13-nvidia-rtx-3050-ti-16gb-13.4-wuxga-intel-i9-12900h-...

Other manufacturers entered the lightweight gaming laptop market more recently, so they don't have the years of good reviews to back them up, but you do have more options.  For example:

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/msi-stealth-15m-nvidia-rtx-3060-16gb-15.6-fhd-144hz-intel-i7-1280p-ga...

https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/laptop-computers-2-in-1-pcs/inspiron-14/spd/inspiron-14-7420-laptop/...

https://store.acer.com/en-gb/acer-swift-x-ultra-thin-laptop-sfx14-41g-blue-nx-au5ek-003

I only checked a few sites since I'm not sure whether you're looking to buy right away or are just getting a sense of the market.  If and when you want help finding good sales, just ask.

And please feel free to keep asking if you have more questions in general.

[scotjess]

Hi puzzlezacddict, 

Thank you for your answer and the research. I'm starting to look into things. There are other non games circumstances at the moment, that might decide for me whether I can buy or not and the budget. 

I'm taking note of those laptops today. 

I'll take you up on the offer for more help when I decide it's go time. I'll reply to this thread again, which I think will be easiest. Configurations and sales seem to change fast indeed! 

Thanks again. I'll get back to you. 💚

[scotjess]

Hi @puzzlezaddict 

I think I'm gonna try to buy around Black Friday/Cyber Monday (if I miss cause I'm too unwell to go online, I'll try again after Christmas). I think I'll try not to go much over £1000 (less is great, a wee bit over might be OK for a confident purchase).

I've been checking out reviews. 

The Rog flow z13 won't work for me as it won't sit on my laptop stand (I need my laptop to be on the stand so I can use it laying down or reclined at least).

The Asus zephyrus g14 seems interesting as it gets good reviews, but I'm confused between the 2021 and 2022. Price is a difference, but also the fan noise seems to be either quiet or loud depending on reviews. 

I'm concerned if it's too loud, I end up not being able to use it. 

I wonder how hard would the fans work on sims 4 (they work on my HP Pavilion x360 13-u063na, but it's around 40db at worst - or so says the app I used on my phone).

I've looked into the Rog flow x13 but it's much dearer.

The Acer swift x also seems to have conflicting reviews on fan noise. 

The MSI though seems to be loud wherever I checked. 

• I can't find about the Dell.

As far as graphics, would you say the 3050 is good? Would it last?  I can't remember what AMD card is equivalent. 

Don't worry if it's too many questions. 

Thank you 

[puzzlezaddict]

@scotjess  This isn't too many questions, although I'm not sure I can give you a definitive answer for all of them.

The year listed for a laptop model generally doesn't matter.  The manufacturer may re-release a given model, or a website may fudge the details, to make the laptop look newer than it is.  What you should pay attention to is the model of processor.  That determines the chassis (along with screen size) as well as contributing to how much heat the laptop will produce.  If you find a revew that describes a laptop with exactly the processor in the one you're considering, that's data you can trust.

However, keep in mind that you won't be maxing out the processor while playing Sims 4.  So just because the fans are loud when both the CPU and GPU are at max capacity doesn't mean you'd see the same.  What you want to look for is how the laptop performs under medium CPU load and high (but not max) GPU load, which is what Sims 4 would produce.  Some laptops are tuned to send the fans into overdrive at the first sign of high temperatures; others let the components get hotter before ramping up fan speed.  There are also tools, often provided by the laptop manufacturer itself, that might allow you to tune the fan speed or curve, so look for a more in-depth review that describes the options available to adjust the settings.

MSI laptops do tend to run louder than others, nothing dangerous but the kind of noise that would make anyone wear headphones.  The Asys Zephyrus G14 used to be very quiet for a gaming laptop, and if that's changed, it's a shame.

I would also take the casual YouTube reviews with a grain of salt.  Trashing a product gets more clicks, and anyone can post just about anything.  The reviews to trust are those from serious sites that run rigorous tests and post the data.  Even if you can't or don't want to sort through most of that data, you'll at least know that the conclusions are accurate to the extent of the reviewers' abilities.

When you ask if a 3050 will last, what do you mean?  If you're asking whether it will keep up with Sims 4 and eventually run Sims 5, the answer is probably but we can't know for sure.  The developers are certainly incentivized to make Sims 5 accessible to people with lower-end computers than any of the ones you're considering, and Sims 4 wasn't even as demanding as Sims 3 for the first few years.  Beyond that, you'd probably be looking to buy a new computer again soon: a laptop can't really be expected to last longer than five years, even if many of them do.  And five or six years from now, laptops as fast as these should be much cheaper, with the equivalent gaming laptops easily being two or three times as fast.

[scotjess]

@puzzlezaddict thank you for such  detailed answer. 

I'll keep an eye on the exact CPU GPU you mentioned earlier. 

If you have see something you think would suit my needs in the next week (sales), would you mind popping it in here. 

I'll check gameradar out techradar. I'm not sure which are the best. 

Thank you. 

[scotjess]

@puzzlezaddict sorry, one more. Is 1TB overkill? The space on my laptop is going so quickly now I've got more packs. I'm planning on getting more. 

Ta

[puzzlezaddict]

@scotjess  A 1 TB SSD is not overkill at all if you need the space.  However, Sims 4 won't ever fill up a 500 GB drive no matter how much custom content you use—the loading times would be unbearable long before that.  So I wouldn't ignore options with only a 500 GB SSD unless you know you need that extra space for other games.  An external hard drive can be quite cheap, and most data can be stored there without any decrease in performance retrieving it.  The exceptions are games and other programs (e.g. Photoshop, video-editing software) that need to constantly access data in real time.

I'd also check out notebookcheck.net for reviews.  The articles can get quite technical, but they also give a more general overview, a grade per feature at the end, and (usually) a couple charts comparing the laptop's performance with similar ones.

[scotjess]

Hi @puzzlezaddict 

I want to thank you. Your leads on laptops and review site, your explanations, helped me to find what I think will be the best for me. I have several access needs that I would love to do without but can't. Your help has made a big difference.

I'm down to 2 models. Both light enough, quiet enough, without Pulse width modulation detected. Both come with Ryzen 9 or 7. Both Nvidua 3050ti. Both usually have 1TB.

Asus ROG Flow X13 GV301 (this one has soldered RAM only, so if I find s good price at 32gb, even better, but 16gb would be good too)

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Ga401 (older than the GA402, but quieter and No PWM on any reviews)

I'll be on the lookout for these. I hope to get a new one but I might look for second hand too. 

Again, thank you. You saved me potential headaches (both in searching and with the wrong machine).💚

[puzzlezaddict]

@scotjess  I'm glad I could help.  If you have any other questions, you know where to find me.  And good luck with your shopping; I hope you can find one or both computers at a great price.