Looking to buy this laptop; Will it run Sims 4?

[heatherld91]

Hello,

I am looking into buying this laptop and wanted to know if it will allow me to play Sims 4 with a couple of expansions packs. I am very new to this, I looked up the recommended specs for Sims 4 but I am concerned on the graphics on this laptop. If you could shed some light on the subject I would love the input. 

Thank you.

HP 17.3" HD+ Laptop, Intel Core i5-8265U, 24GB Memory: 16GB Intel Optane + 8GB RAM, , 1TB Hard Drive, TrueVision HD Webcam, Optical Drive

Hard Drive and Multimedia DrivesGraphics and AudioDisplay, Keyboard, Mouse, and WebcamConnectivity

Processor Type:	8th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-8265U processor, Quad-core
Processor Speed:	1.6 GHz base frequency, up to 3.9 GHz with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology
Cache:	6MB Cache
Memory (RAM):	8 GB DDR4-2400 SDRAM (1 x 8 GB), 16 GB Intel® Optane™ memory
Maximum Memory Expansion:	memory slot not accessible
Hard Drive:	1TB 5400 RPM Serial ATA hard drive
Optical Drive:	DVD-Writer
Multimedia Card Slot:	Multi-Format Digital card reader
Graphics:	Intel® UHD Graphics 620
Audio:	HD Audio with stereo speakers
Display Size:	17.3" diagonal
Display Type:	HD+ SVA BrightView WLED-backlit Display
Display Resolution:	1600 x 900
Keyboard:	Full-size island-style keyboard with numeric keypad
Backlit Keyboard:	No
Mouse:	Touchpad supporting multi-touch gestures without on/off button
Webcam:	Front-facing HP TrueVision HD Webcam with integrated digital microphone
Ethernet:	Integrated 10/100/1000 GbE LAN
Wi-Fi:	Realtek RTL8821CE 802.11b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth:	Bluetooth® 4.2
Modem:	N/A

https://www.samsclub.com/p/hp-17-hd-laptop-intel-core-i5-8265u-24gb-memory-16gb-intel/prod22890465?x...

[puzzlezaddict]

@heatherld91  That laptop would run the entire game on medium settings, although maybe only barely.  It would do better if you only wanted to install a couple of expansions, but even so, medium graphics, with maybe one or two settings on high, would be about the limit.

You could probably do better for your money though.  If you'd like, I can look for other options for you.  Just let me know your budget as well as any other features that matter to you.

[heatherld91]

@puzzlezaddict I would love some options. I am stressed out looking for a laptop. I don't like to spend a lot of money. I am a chepo lol even though I know I can spend up to $1,000. But if i can save money I would love that. I am not planning on having this laptop for anything else really and I haven't even got to look at the expansion packs. I have been playing on Sims 3 for years and I want to upgrade. I only have 3 expansion packs with Sims 3.

[puzzlezaddict]

@heatherld91  You don't need to spend anywhere near $1,000 to get a good laptop.  How much you need to spend depends on what kind of play experience you want out of this computer, but whatever your choice, you could do better than the initial system you found.

On the high end, $700-750 would get you a laptop that would run Sims 4, all packs included, on ultra graphics settings.  It would also run all Sims 3 packs together on ultra settings, if you're still playing.

These two (the first two links are for the same computer, just different sites) have the same specs, except that the Acer has twice the storage of the MSI.  While a 256 GB hard drive would fit Sims 3 and Sims 4, your user data, and all the small apps you wanted, it wouldn't have room for much else.  512 GB is more than enough for most people.

https://www.newegg.com/black-msi-gf-series-gf63-thin-9scx-005-gaming-entertainment/p/N82E16834155354...

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1542057-REG/msi_gf63_thin_9scx_005_gf63_i5_9300h_8gb.html

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/acer-nitro-5-17-3-gaming-laptop-intel-core-i5-8gb-memory-nvidia-geforce...

If you'd rather keep the price under $500, you'd be limited to an integrated graphics chip that would run Sims 4 on medium settings, or medium-high if you only installed a few packs.  The AMD Radeon Vega 8 in these models is still significantly faster than the Intel UHD 620 in the one you found.  The second one has 12 GB RAM, which, while not strictly necessary for either game, would help if you wanted to multitask while playing.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Lenovo-Ideapad-330s-15-6-Laptop-Windows-10-AMD-Ryzen-5-2500U-Quad-Core-Pr...

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-15-6-touch-screen-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-12gb-memory-256gb-ssd-natural-s...

This HP laptop (in either of two colors) has an equivalent graphics chip.  The Optane memory is kind of useless here, but it's not doing any harm.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hp-14-Laptop-Intel-Core-i5-1035G1-8-GB-SDRAM-256GB-SSD-16GB-Optane-14-dq1...

https://www.walmart.com/ip/HP-14-Laptop-Intel-Core-i5-1035G1-8GB-SDRAM-256GB-SSD-16GB-Intel-Optane-m...

These slower graphics cards wouldn't handle Sims 3's most demanding packs (Pets, Seasons, then Island Paradise and Into the Future) very well, but you should still be able to play most of the other packs together.

If you have more questions, or want to see different options, please feel free to ask.