New Laptop

[Elune]

I'm getting ready to buy a new computer. I'm leaning toward a laptop because of the convenience but I need to make sure I can play Sims 3 & all the expansions. I'm a graphic designer so I need very good graphics anyway and I have a budget of around $2000.

My current laptop is HP Pavilion dv7 with an Intel Core i7 CPU Q720 @ 1.60Ghz. It has 4GBs of installed memory and a 64-bit Operating System. It was supposed to be good but it gets hot and runs slow when I work too much or for too many hours straight. I haven't been able to play Sims 3 since the first expansion.

So with my budget which computer would you recommend to play Sims 3 and all the expansions?

[whiterider]

HPs aren't a good choice for laptops - as you're aware, they have heat issues, and that one you have is very weak on processing power (which is really more important than graphics card when it comes to most graphics work).

We have several suggestions as far as brands go in the sticky at the top of this forum - notably Lenovo, Asus, MSI, and Sager. The actual model numbers in that sticky are out of date.
So, I suggest you take a look at some good retailers (which ones will depend on where you live; again, there are suggestions for some countries in the sticky), input those brands, and adjust the price range until you start seeing things that fit your needs. The system requirement for TS3 are here: Game Help:TS3 System Requirements - add to that whatever you need for your work. Your budget should be fine for a good gaming computer.

[Elune]

Thanks for the help.

According to your recommendations and after reading through the system requirements and searching my computer provider/seller. I've come up with two possible notebooks. The first is Asus 15,6" G53SX-S1217V and the second is MSI 15,6" GE620DX-681NL. I just want to double check here that either of these choices would play Sims 3 with all the expansion packs and ask which is the better buy, in your opinion?

Specs below:

Asus:

Specificaties
Productbeschrijving Asus G53SX-S1217V
Beeldscherm 15,6" LED Backlight
Resolutie 1920 x 1080
Processor 2e generatie Intel Core i7-2670QM - 2.2GHz / Boost 3.1GHz
Chipset Intel HM65
Geheugen 8GB DDR3 SODIMM - 4 slots waarvan 2 beschikbaar
Opslag (HDD) 500GB + 500GB 7200rpm SSH
Opslag (SSD) 8GB SSD
Grafische kaart NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M - 2GB
Optische drive Dual Layer DVD±ReWriter
Kaartlezer 4 -in-1 card reader - SD/ MS/ MS Pro/ MS Duo/ MMC
Netwerk Gigabit Ethernet
Draadloos netwerk Wireless-N, Bluetooth V2.1 +EDR
Webcam Ja
Kleur Zwart
Aansluitingen HDMI, VGA, 1 x USB3.0, 3 x USB2.0, RJ45 LAN
Afmetingen (BxDxH) 39,1 x 29,7 x 6 cm
Gewicht 3,92 kg
Accu 8 cells - 5200 mAh
Besturingssysteem Windows 7 Home Premium NL 64 bit
Overige software Office 2010 Starter
Garantievorm 2 jaar Pick-up & Return


And for MSI:
Specificaties
Productbeschrijving MSI GE620DX-681NL
Beeldscherm 15.6" LED-achtergrondlicht
Resolutie 1920 x 1080
Processor 2e generatie Intel Core i7 2670QM - 2,2 GHz
Chipset Intel HM65
Geheugen 8GB DDR3 SODIMM
Opslag (HDD) 750GB - 7200rpm
Grafische kaart NVIDIA GeForce GT555M - 2GB
Optische drive Dual Layer DVD±ReWriter
Kaartlezer Ja - SD(XC/HC)/MMC/MS(PRO)/xD
Netwerk Gigabit ethernet
Draadloos netwerk Wireless-N, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR
Webcam Ja
Kleur Zwart
Aansluitingen HDMI, VGA, 2 x USB3.0, 1 x USB2.0
Afmetingen (BxDxH) 38,3 x 25 x 3,8 cm
Gewicht 2,5 kilo
Accu 6 cel
Besturingssysteem Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
Overige software Office Starter 2010
Garantievorm 2 jaar pickup&return

[ellacharmed]

Price? What's the difference?
Which is the newer machine?
Is weight a concern?
The MSI is lighter but the Asus has an SSD (although size is pitiful, the slot being there means you can upgrade to a bigger SSD later) and a better GPU, but weighs a KG++ more.

Would also be nice to have a link to the OEM's site for the actual products, so I don't have to search for it myself. Just sayin'... :heyhey:

Have you googled reviews of the two models?
With terms like the modelno + "problems" and "issues", etc? Which has more problems/issues/complains from users?
Have you searched for videos with modelno + "sims 3" and "performance", etc? Which shows smoother gameplay?

Although the 555M has one "Yellow" Maybe already for Pets EP, it might have more for future addons. Not saying the 560M would be "Green" forever either across all future addons...but the 555M has thrown its towel earlier, so to speak.

[Elune]

Sorry, here are the links I used for the previous specs.

http://www.norrod.nl/15_t_m_16_inch/20130361/msi_15_6_ge620dx_681nl_i7_2670qm_8gb_750gb/details.aspx
http://www.norrod.nl/15_t_m_16_inch/80003598/asus_15_6_g53sx_s1217v_i7_2670_8gb_1tb%2b8_gb_ssd/details.aspx

Price is not an issue. Both of these are within my budget and weight is not much of a concern as I won't be moving it around too much. I want the most powerful computer that will last the longest and play Sims 3 the best. I know it's a lot to ask for. LOL! I'll do those searches you mentioned.

Thanks!

[ellacharmed]

I didn't ask about the price to learn if you can afford it.
I asked about the price to learn which model is the better investment - has the better bang for your buck.

If the better one cost US$2500 but the other only US$900-$1200, that's a tough decision to make. But now, with the links you just provided, I can see there's only a €300++ difference, so the increase is not too much of a heartburn. :)

[ajaxsirius]

Ouch, €260 to upgrade from a 555M to a 560M is still kinda hefty imo. But if price and weight is not an issue, I guess that's the better option of the two. Otherwise the two are really similar.

[whiterider]

Hmm. If you want lots of power and aren't that interested in portability, have you considered a desktop? Would be a hell of a lot cheaper - to the point where you could throw in a normal laptop for portability for basic tasks, and the desktop and laptop would still come to less than one of those beasts. If the money isn't a concern, there's no particular reason not to go for one of those - I'm just presenting the option. :)

[ellacharmed]

You're forgetting the other difference - the 8GB SSD and the 1TB HDD (other has 750GB HDD only), ajaxsirius.
And the difference of the 555M vs 560M is quite considerable when you look at the numbers - 560 has almost double the graphics processing units. Which is why it performs better for Pets.
http://thumbs2.modthesims2.com/img/1/5/1/5/0/0/2/MTS_ellacharm3d-1275613-ss991.png
Although, I can't find the retail market value of a 8GB SSD anymore :) (a 16GB SSD cost @ US$40 at Newegg now), the Dual HDD slots and support would come in handy for future upgrades.
Desktop versions of these cards differ by @ US$60 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007709+600030348+600007782+600094002&QksAutoSuggestion=&ShowDeactivatedMark=False&Configurator=&IsNodeId=1&Subcategory=48&description=&hisInDesc=&Ntk=&CFG=&SpeTabStoreType=&AdvancedSearch=1&srchInDesc=). So only you can decide, Elune, if the price difference of the 2 models are justified by the value of the price differences in the different hardware components.

For me - personally - the drawback of the Asus is its weight and looks. And price, of course. ;)

If you cannot decide, I'd also check which OEM has a bigger local presence in your area. Do they have a local Help Support desk, not just a local line number? If you need to do RMA returns, which one would incur higher costs / further distance / lengthier times, etc? Also helpful is to visit the local forums of these 2 OEMS and see what the netizens say about the support staff in each company. Not forgetting if the Warranty policy and terms are the same for both? As supplied by the Online Retailer and the OEM?

[Elune]

Hmm, you've all given me a lot to think about. And now that I'm thinking, I wonder if whiterider isn't right in suggesting I try a desktop. I was only leaning towards a laptop for portability but as I don't plan on moving it unless absolutely necessary (I tend to move every two to three years) then maybe a desktop would be a better option.

I've been looking on the same website and found this tower which has a similar price to the MSI laptop but is much stronger & faster I think. Would this be a good choice to play the game?

http://www.norrod.nl/computers/80005207/asus_cg8350_nl001o_i7_2600_12gb_2tb%2b64gb_gtx550/details.aspx

Specificaties
Productbeschrijving Asus CG8350-NL001O
Behuizing Midi-Tower
Processor Intel Core i7 2600 - 3,4GHz
Aantal cores 4 (Quad-Core)
Chipset Intel H67
Geheugen 12 GB DDR3
Opslag (HDD) 2 TB
Opslag (SSD) 64 GB
Grafische kaart NVIDIA GeForce GTX550 - 1 GB DDR5
Optische drive Dual Layer DVD±ReWriter DVD speler
Voeding 500 Watt
Kaartlezer 16-in-1
Netwerk Gigabit Ethernet
Draadloos netwerk Wireless-N
Kleur Zwart
Aansluitingen videokaart HDMI, DVI, VGA
Aansluitingen achterkant 2 x USB 3.0, 4 x USB 2.0, 1x S/PDIF, 1 x PS/2, 1 x 8 channel Audio I/O
Aansluitingen voorkant 4 x USB 2.0, 1 x Koptelefoon, 1 x Microfoon
Afmetingen (BxDxH) 20,6 x 46 x 53 cm
Gewicht 13 kg
Besturingssysteem Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit
Overige software Office 2010 Starter, Nero 9 Essentials
Toebehoren Inclusief toetsenbord en muis

[ellacharmed]

Didn't I just go on and on about how 550 might not be good for Pets? And that appears to be the most expensive desktop available on that site, can you swap out the GPU to one preferably that has all Green entries on the SysReq page??

Perhaps if money is no object, go to a site where you can configure a PC to your specific preference of components?

[Elune]

Oh Gosh. You're right. I didn't look close enough. I found another opinion on Komplett.com which I think fits all the criteria.

http://komplett.ie/Komplett/product/ZKB_02PC/01_DESKTOP/01_COMPUTE/productdetails/80004608/Medion_Akoya_P5385D_i7_2600_8GB_2TB_GTX560/P5385D/default.aspx

Specifications
Product Description Medion Akoya P5385 D
Form Factor Midi Tower
Processor 2nd Generation Intel Core i7 2600 to 3.4 GHz
Number of Cores 4
Chipset Intel
RAM 8GB DDR3
Hard Drive 2TB
Graphics Card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 - 1280 MB DDR5
Optical Drive Dual Layer DVD±ReWriter
Card Reader 4 - in - 1 (SD, MMC, MS, xD)
Network Gigabit Ethernet, Wireless-N
Card connections 1x DVI-I, 1x HDMI
Rear Connections 4x USB 2.0, 2x PS/2
Front Connections 2 x USB 3.0, 1x Mic, 1x Headphone
Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium NL 64 bit
Other Software Microsoft Office Starter 2010, Cyberlink Power2Go
Accessories Keyboard & Mouse included