PC Specs for lots of mods

[1CordeliaRose1]

Hi everyone, I'm getting a new PC soon and I wanted to make sure I get one that can run the Sims 4 at a nice rate with good graphics as well as a load of mods that I have.

My current PC meets the specifications for the game and copes pretty well, but it lags here and there and the graphics are set to medium, so I've found a PC I can afford with higher specs, I was hoping somebody more tech-savvy might be able to give me a good estimate about how it would cope.

Here are the specs for the new PC:

Processor - 8th Gen Intel Core i3-8100 Processor (6MB Cache, up to 3.6Ghz)

Operating System - Windows 10 Home 64bit

Memory: 8GB, DDR4, 2666MHz

Hard Drive: 3.5" 1TB 7200 rpm Hard Drive

Video Card: Intel UHD Graphics 630

Thanks!

[puzzlezaddict]

@1CordeliaRose1  This computer still only has an integrated graphics chip, not a dedicated card, and so it won't be able to run TS4 on the highest settings, even without any mods or custom content.  I'm not sure what kind of hardware you have now, but this model might not do much better.

If you'd like some help finding a more capable system, I can look around a bit for you.  Just post your budget and country, as well as anything you'd like to do with it besides play TS4.  For a computer that runs the game on the highest graphics settings, you might need to spend at least $700 on a desktop (monitor not included), although sales can bring the price down a bit.

[1CordeliaRose1]

Thanks for your reply! I'm a student so my budget is around the £600 mark, I'm in the UK. I will say that graphics are not my top priority, and it's more of a bonus - if I'd have to pay loads and loads for it then I'm fine going without, the main thing I want is for it to run the game smoothly with decent graphics

[puzzlezaddict]

@1CordeliaRose1  I checked a few different U.K. sites, and the prebuilt computer you're looking for really isn't out there right now.  There are cheaper options that wouldn't run TS4 very well, and some very nice models that probably cost more than you want to spend.  So I think you'd have better luck customizing your own and having it built for you.  Or rather, I could customize the system, making sure it had everything you wanted, and send you the link.

For example, I poked around a couple of custom build sites and put together a system that would cost exactly £600, including VAT.  The site is CyberpowerPC UK; the American version of the company has a very good reputation.  The computer's specs:

• AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
• 8 GB RAM (1x8, so you could add more later)
• AMD Radeon RX 560 graphics card
• 1 TB Seagate FireCuda SSHD (hybrid hard drive—just a bit slower than a solid state drive)
• Corsair 650W 80+ Bronze power supply

This particular configuration would run TS4 very well.  I could adjust the specs a bit, adding more RAM or storage (i.e. the hard drive), swapping out a better graphics card, etc. if you want, or I could look for other models.  This will depend on how much you're willing to spend.  For example, the first thing I'd do if you had the money is upgrade the graphics card to an AMD RX 580, for an extra £43.  But it's not strictly necessary; I know someone who runs TS4 on a Pro 560 (a bit weaker than the RX 560) on high settings.  The better card is more for futureproofing.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.  One question you should look into is if CyberpowerPC or Overclockers UK offers student discounts.  (The Overclockers configurations I liked started around £650, which is why I wound up at Cyberpower.)  If so, let me know, and I can upgrade the parts a bit.  Here are the sites:

https://www.cyberpowersystem.co.uk/

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/

[1CordeliaRose1]

oh wow, thank you so much! what would be the best graphics card to run the game with the settings on high rather than very high?

[puzzlezaddict]

@1CordeliaRose1  The RX 560 would be absolutely fine now, even on very high settings; the question is how TS4 will develop, specifically whether it will need more graphics power in the future.  But I would expect the RX 560 to always be fine on high settings, if not ultra.  I don't think you should go lower than that though.  The next model down (the RX 550) is only £10 cheaper in the configuration I was playing with, and it's weaker in a couple of respects, including VRAM, the card's built-in memory.  The equivalent Nvidia cards are more expensive with Cyberpower, so the only way you'd save money is with a model (a 1030) that's not going to run the game all that well now, let alone in a couple of years.

One other thing I saw with the custom builds is that you could get a significantly better processor for something like £13 more, depending on which model you started with.  (There are so many variables, I hadn't noticed when I wrote the previous message.)  This is definitely the way to go—you'd have more room for multitasking with multiple demanding apps, and you'd be able to keep the computer longer, swapping out parts rather than getting a new system.  Since a new processor would mean a new motherboard, CPU cooler, and maybe power supply, it's always better to get the strongest one you can when you have the chance.

If you're looking to buy now, I can put together the configuration you want and send you the link.  If you'd rather wait, just let me know when you're ready.  Sales can change, so there's not much point in picking the parts until it's time to buy.