Question about laptop for Sims 4 [ Edited ]

[stephaniepyx]

I am wondering if this HP Omen gaming laptop would work for Sims 4 with all of the expansion packs and many mods: 

https://store.hp.com/us/en/pdp/omen-laptop-17t-gaming-3aw55av-1?jumpid=ma_gaming-deals_product-tile_...

specs are:

• Windows 10 Home 64
• 8th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor
• NVIDIA ® GeForce® GTX 1050 (2GB dedicated)
• 8 GB memory; 1 TB HDD storage
• 17.3" diagonal FHD display

Also any other recommendations of laptops or pcs are appreciated, thanks so much!

[puzzlezaddict]

@stephaniepyx  Yes, the Omen you linked would run TS4 with all current packs and plenty of mods.  But if you use a lot of custom content, particularly high poly count items (which take more resources to render), the Nvidia 1050 2 GB might not quite keep up.  And as the game adds more expansion packs, the demands of running the full game may increase as well.  For the sake of future proofing, I'd recommend getting a computer with at least an Nvidia 1050 ti; even if it's not listed, you'll know it by its 4 GB VRAM.

Also, for what it's worth, I've heard a couple of players say they had bad experiences with Omens.  But even without that consideration, I think you could get a better computer for less money.  A cursory look at one great site turned up several good options.

For example, this computer has a slightly weaker processor but a 1050 ti and the same memory and storage.  It's also from MSI, which makes high quality gaming computers, even at the entry level, and is on sale for $700.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834155024

For $750, you could get the same specs as above except for a hybrid SSHD, which will be faster than a mechanical hard drive.  ASUS also makes good gaming computers, especially at the entry level.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834235023

Or, for $830, you could get an MSI with an Nvidia 1060 3 GB, which is better than a 1050 ti, and a 128 GB SSD.  It would be too small for gaming—you'd install TS4 on the larger HDD—but Windows would start up faster.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834154830

Anyway, it's hard to make a good recommendation without knowing your budget; I just guessed based on the computer you linked.  But if you were willing to spend a bit more, I could probably find you a significantly better laptop.  Or a desktop, if you prefer.  Desktops will last a bit longer and have the advantage of allowing you to swap parts when you want; most laptops can't be upgraded beyond adding more RAM.

[stephaniepyx]

Thank you so much!!

I would love to hear about your recommendations for laptops/pc at a higher price. Also, for the 3rd recommendation you gave, does it mean that this laptop is too small for TS4? And does "installing TS4 on the larger HDD" needs the laptop to be opened up or it just means I need to download it on a specific location in the laptop? Sorry I am not tech savvy at all.

Thanks again!

[roberta591]

@stephaniepyx   The laptop itself may not be too small but the system storage device (hard drive or ssd) may be too small. Ssd storage was expensive (recently the prices have been coming down) and small density (like 128Gb) was popular because they were cheap. For a gaming computer I recommend a minimum of 500Gb for the system (Windows) - 1Tb would be better. Business/student computers don't need a lot of storage but games like the Sims with expansion packs could use much more storage then say writing a term paper. There are ways to make it work but these are advanced techniques I would not recommend for novice computer users. If you have a 1Tb system device (drive) you shouldn't have to anything special to install and run this game.

[puzzlezaddict]

@stephaniepyx  The third laptop I linked has a 128 GB SSD and a 1 TB HDD, so Windows would start up quickly, but you'd need to install TS4 and anything else on the HDD.  (1 TB is more than enough for several games and lots of save files and custom content.)

I'd be happy to find a better laptop or desktop for you, but I'd like to know what you're looking for in terms of parts.  Do you want a larger solid state drive so that other programs run faster as well?  It wouldn't make a difference for TS4, other than perhaps the initial loading time, due to the way the game is programmed.  Other games, like TS3, and many other apps do get a significant boost from an SSD.  Also, there are different types of SSDs; do you want to spend more money for a faster one?  Here's an article with some useful links, if you want to read more.

https://www.userbenchmark.com/Faq/What-s-the-difference-between-SATA-PCIe-and-NVMe/105

A few other questions:  Do you want 16 GB RAM for the sake of future proofing?  8 GB is more than enough for TS4, but not quite enough to properly multitask even now.  Do you want a laptop or a desktop, And, of course, what is your budget?  It might be better for you to order a custom build if you can afford it, especially if you want hardware that's harder to find.  On the other hand, you might find a stock model that already has everything you want.

[stephaniepyx]

@roberta591 I see, thanks a lot!! That makes a lot of sense.

[stephaniepyx]

@puzzlezaddict  Again, thank you so much for all the details!! I might prefer a laptop since I travel a lot, and my budget is around $1000. I think I might lean towards getting a built model instead of a custom-built one.

[puzzlezaddict]

@stephaniepyx  I poked around again, and I'm not really liking the prebuilt laptop options offered right now, at least not at your price point.  (Sales change, so maybe this is just bad timing.)  On the other hand, I could customize you a laptop from CyberpowerPC that the company would build and ship to you by next week.  For $959, you'd get:

• Intel i7-8750H processor (best choice for a laptop under $1500)
• Nvidia 1060 6 GB
• 16 GB RAM 2400 MHz
• 512 GB PCIe SSD (PCIe is the fastest category, but this particular drive is a slower model.  It's still faster than any non-PCIe drive, though.)

You could add or upgrade a number of parts for a bit more:

• $40 for a screen with a 144 Hz refresh rate, instead of 60.
• $30 for RAM at 3000 MHz
• $30 to upgrade either RAM option to a top brand
• $38 to upgrade the PCIe SSD to the 1 TB version
• mouse ($5) or keyboard ($5)

There are other options as well, like a secondary internal hard drive, but the cheapest option is the upgrade of the PCIe drive.

And one more note:  I believe CyberpowerPC only charges tax if you live in Califormia or Washington, although I can't confirm it myself.

[stephaniepyx]

@puzzlezaddict Can't thank you enough for all of your time! That sounds like a great option, but I am sorry that I didn't clarify that the purchase is likely to happen a couple of months later. Since I just got a laptop for working few months ago, I might wait a while before I get a new laptop/pc for TS4. Was trying to see which are the options, and I will definitely keep your recommendations in mind!!