Pc build for sims 4,please help!

[puzzlezaddict]

@chelsugar  The processor does matter a bit in terms of battery life and temperatures (not performance though).  The differences are small, so this would only be worth considering on the margins: maybe you do want to squeeze extra time on battery out of the laptop, or your usual gaming space gets hot and you've had trouble cooling a laptop in the past.  You could always buy a cooling pad or fan, but that would erase the price difference.  On the other hand, if these aren't a concern, then the cheaper model wouldn't be a problem.

The 3050 ti is something like 8% faster in games, on average.  I don't know exactly how that translates to Sims 4, but it's certainly not going to be slower than the regular 3050.  I tend to suggest laptops with a ti when the price is less than $100 USD more, all else being equal and the potential buyer's budget having room to accommodate the higher cost.  If it's cheaper, that's usually all anyone needs to hear.

Still, check the reviews to make sure there aren't any red flags, and check the product page to make sure you're not getting a slightly-damaged model.  I'd expect this configuration to be $100 more than the 5600H/3050 model, and while prices do fluctuate, this is the kind of situation where you really do want to read the fine print.

[chelsugar]

OK yes true I forgot about temperature, I do currently own a lap desk with two fans that plug into USB port so that could help, I've heard dell's run on the hotter side than other brands but I prefer the look of it to the others. I suppose "Ti" would be better suited for people who play first person type games with a higher demand etc?? So thanks yeah that makes sense and I think it's almost $170usd more cause its from a big chain store with high quality appliances and electronics here in nz. The cheaper option is from an online store where they sell remanufactured and refurbished laptops. I had to look into what exactly remanufactured meant because I was under the impression it meant refurbished. Thanks again for you help! And time! 

[so0307]

Hi @puzzlezaddict, I loved your insight on this thread and hope you can help me out.

I am looking to build a PC for roughly £600 to play the Sims 4. I'd like to run Reshade and run a lot of mods on top of all DLCS. I'm just not sure which specs to go for? So far i'm thinking:

CPU Ryzen 5 5600
GPU RTX 3060
RAM 16 GB (2x8GB)

Is this an overkill? I just want to enjoy the game without it lagging every time I install a bit of CC and the best price-performance ratio. 

I wouldn't mind upgrading in 2y or so as long as I can enjoy a smooth game now.

Hope you can help out  

[puzzlezaddict]

@so0307  That's definitely overkill for Sims 4, but not in a bad way.  If you can get all that for around £600, it's a very good deal too.  If not, an RTX 3050 would still run Sims 4, all current packs included, on ultra graphics settings with some room to spare.  Reshade does add to the game's demands, but not so much that a desktop 3050 would struggle at  1920x1080.  If you're looking to play at a higher resolution, the 3060 would be the better choice.

As far as upgrading goes, you can make sure you have options since you're building the system yourself.  Get a power supply that's a step or two higher than what you need, and you'll give yourself room for a newer, faster, more power-hungry GPU in the future.  I'm not saying spend an extra £50, but £20 is probably a good investment.  The CPU would have trouble keeping up with a top-tier GPU in the future, but then again it doesn't sound like you want to drop £1,200 on an RTX 5080 or whatever in two years.

On the other hand, if you do get an R5 5600 and an RTX 3060, you'll be set for the entire lifespan of Sims 4, provided nothing changes drastically in the next year or two.  (And all indications are that it won't.)  That goes for using Reshade too.  Plus, it's unlikely that Sims 5, whenever it shows up, would need more power than that in the first couple of years at least, since the developers want the game to run on lower-end computers too.

I don't know whether you've built a computer before, but if you haven't, consider a bigger case and an ATX motherboard to give yourself more room to maneuver.  Neither is necessary, and certainly not worth breaking the budget for, but both would make the process of building for the first time somewhat easier.

When you have a parts list, feel free to link it, and I'll look it over.

[so0307]

I can't believe I already have an answer. Thank you.

Here is the list: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/3mpd4s

I couldn't find an ATX...

If it's not too much oof a bother, if you also have pre-built PCs that would do the job just fine, I'm happy to look into them

[puzzlezaddict]

@so0307  For this build, I'd change a couple things.  First, two 8 GB RAM modules will give you significantly better performance than a single 16 GB stick.  The motherboard can run memory in dual-channel mode, and doing so will make a big difference in certain tasks.

Second, I'd spend a little more money to get a higher-quality SSD, for example this one:

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/zDhmP6/corsair-mp510-480-gb-m2-2280-nvme-solid-state-drive-cssd-...

PCIe (as opposed to SATA) SSDs are significantly faster (around six times faster for Gen. 3 PCIe, which is what this motherboard uses), which won't make any real difference to Sims 4 but will make your system feel faster and more responsive overall.  And they're cheap now, plus they're easier to install.

I do want to point out that 1 TB SSDs are cheap too, and if this computer is only for Sims 4 for now, dropping the HDD and going with a a single SSD might be the better solution.  You could always add more storage later.

Finally, and most crucially of all, spend the extra money for a better power supply.  If you get a bad one, or even one that's fine for a couple of years but starts to decay, it can and will affect your entire system.  A bad PSU can even damage other components.  This is the single most important decision you make when building a PC.

Corsair is the gold standard in PSUs, and Seasonic is the next-best option for those who don't want to pay for Corsair.  EVGA is creating good PSUs too but hasn't been a big player in the market for as long, so I can't tell you that their products will last the way the others will.  Corsair and Seasonic typically offer 10-year warranties, to give you an idea of how seriously they take this.

Given the components in this build, I think 80+ Bronze is good enough—it's not as power-efficient as Gold, but the components aren't power hogs and you won't be maxing them out with Sims 4.  This is one good option:

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/cY2bt6/corsair-cv650-650-w-80-bronze-certified-atx-power-supply-...

Even though it's a little more expensive than the one you picked out, consider it an investment in the overall health of your computer.

The included CPU cooler should be sufficient for the processor as far as Sims 4 is concerned.  If you upgrade to a faster GPU down the line, or start playing more CPU-heavy games, that's something to consider upgrading.  But you can check the temperatures you're getting under heavy load and make the decision then; it shouldn't be a problem now.

By the way, the motherboard you picked out is ATX.  That's a form factor, not a make or model.

---

I checked at least a dozen different U.K. sites for prebuilt gaming PCs, and I didn't find anything that was as good as what you've picked out in terms of hardware and price.  The cheapest systems I found with a 3060 are these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ADMI-Gaming-PC-3000MHz-Windows/dp/B077GS751Z/

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/cyberpowerpc-blaze-amd-ryzen-5-nvidia-geforce-rtx-3060-16gb-ram-1tb-...

Your build has a better processor, better storage options, and likely a better motherboard, although the product pages don't specify.  The same goes for the PSU if you pick out a higher-quality option.

Downgrading to an RTX 3050, a GTX 1660 of some kind, or an AMD RX 6000-series only brings the price down to about £650.  The 3060 is so much faster that if it's within your budget can accommodate it at all, I would definitely stick with it.

If you have more questions, feel free to keep asking.

[so0307]

Hi!

Think I made all changes you recommended: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/Qz2qKp

Glad the build is better than the pre-builds, I saw those but was wondering if they'd be better given the price. Do we have a winner? whoop!

[puzzlezaddict]

@so0307  I'd suggest spending the extra £4 to upgrade the RAM speed.  It's not strictly necessary, but AMD CPUs do love fast RAM, and there's a big difference between 3600 and 3000 megatransfers per second.

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/VNJtt6/corsair-16-gb-2-x-8-gb-ddr4-3600-memory-cmk16gx4m2d3600c1...

It looks like you went with the single 500 GB SSD, which should still be fine for Sims 4; I just wanted to mention it in case that's not what you meant to do.

Other than that, I think you have a winner and the components for an excellent gaming PC, especially for the budget.

It's always worth comparing prices between components and pre-built systems, and in this price range, the prebuilts are often significantly cheaper.  But as you're seeing, that's not always the case, and if you can build your own system or are willing to learn, you can guarantee you get the quality hardware you want.

[so0307]

Hello hello,

Just updated the RAM. Not sure about the SSD, should I go for more storage? 

Thanks for all the help again

[puzzlezaddict]

@so0307  In your position, if the extra cost wasn't a problem, I'd go with the 1 TB SSD rather than 500 GB.  It's a cheap upgrade, and your motherboard only has one M.2 slot, meaning you couldn't add a second one of these drives.  A SATA SSD is fast enough for most tasks, including running Sims 4; this is more about maximizing the usage of that faster M.2 connection, which uses PCIe lanes rather than a SATA port.  (That's the 6x increase in speed I mentioned before.)  Plus, it pushes the need for a storage upgrade further down the line, if you ever need it at all.

Still, if you don't want to spend the extra money now, it's perfectly fine to stick with the 500 GB drive.  You'll have more than enough storage now, and the motherboard has plenty of SATA ports if and when you're ready to add another drive.