Hello,

I'm looking into buying a new desktop computer to play Sims 4. I have no idea were to start and what to get. At the moment I have a 2 year old Toshiba Qosmio laptop and I downloaded the Sims 4 CAS demo, but I can't run it because my graphic card doesn't meet the requirements.

Can anyone recommend a new desktop computer? I have no preference, it can be DELL, HP etc. I don't want to just meet the minimum requirements, I'm hoping to be able to use the new computer for a couple of years and hopefully with many Sims 4 add-ons

Thanks so much in advance!
Sandra

I think before anyone can help you, we need a price range.
Also, are you willing to try building your computer or buying a premade one and upgrading components? Or would you like something that just... works, and works well?

I do not know what kind of Qosmio model you have but my Qosmio x500 runs the demo with no problems whatsoever. Are you sure your laptop is not missing any driver updates or operating system updates (depening on the os you have)?

As for a desktop, I recently bought a mid-range desktop pc for my gaming needs (not for sims 4 though) for the price of 1k euros and it has the following: 8gb ram, i7 4770 3.4Ghz CPU, gtx 760 1.5GB vram and 1TB/64GB HDD/SSD. As I said, this is mid-range at the moment but it can run ANY game to date and am sure i can use it for the next few years.

As for Sims 4 and better, am sure you can find a way cheaper combo: any Intel I5 CPU, 4GB - 6 GB RAM, any 1-2GB vram GPU (nvidia 400 and above series) and a decent hard drive should be enough for any gaming needs that do not require fancy stuff.

If you wanna buy a gaming desktop, don't look at the requirements for Sims4 those are pretty low.

I think a premade desktop would be best. I have no idea how to build one. I would like something that works well for a couple of years. I only play sims, no other games.

I'm not sure how much a desktop is. Maybe around $700 or is that not enough?

I would order from amazon, best buy, target, dell etc if they have a premade computer that someone would suggest.
Thanks for the help!

[QUOTE=steveb]I do not know what kind of Qosmio model you have but my Qosmio x500 runs the demo with no problems whatsoever. Are you sure your laptop is not missing any driver updates or operating system updates (depening on the os you have)?

I have windows 7 on my laptop and I think I updated all my drivers. I will have to check what model I have later when I'm back at home.

Probably any new computer with an Intel Core processor, 8GB of RAM, and PCIe x16 slot would be sufficient. You don't really need an i5, the i3s are quite capable gaming processors. Need of a PCIe x16 slot is because if you plan to use a decent monitor, you'll want something like an nVidia Geforce 750ti card, which will be more than powerful enough for sims at high-resolution with all settings maxed, but low enough power consumption that the stock power supply can handle it.

If Dell is your preference, I think their Inspiron 3000 line should work, though you'll have to double check on the PCIe x16 slot. I think they have them though.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-desktop-8gb-memory-1tb-hard-drive/5958014.p?id=1219178692600&skuId=5958014&st=categoryid$abcat0501000&cp=1&lp=9

This one should be able to keep you going for some years to come If you play only sims... even for sims 5 whenever that comes. It has built-in WLAN so you'll connect to your network just like with a laptop. The only thing you need to get separate is a monitor and you're good to go!

Thank you all for the help!

Now that I know what I'm looking for I will do some more research and then decide what computer to buy! I'm glad to be part of this forum!

That lenovo desktop has a GT 720 graphics card which wasn't designed to play games. It was meant for HD movie playback.

If it does run the sims 4, expect performance to be poor.

While that card is on the low-end, it will run most games with no problems. It is not meant for movie playback as you claim. It's specs show that it can run games with an average FPS of 30-45 and those games are not Sims4. By comparison, the minimum requirements of Sims4 are well bellow of most current games. Keep in mind that there are also more than one version of the same card and they might be slightly different. The one in question (in the lenovo) has a dedicated 2GB of vram.

Of course, having a better graphics card is always a good thing but it is not necessary for the sims4 or other games in this low range of requirements.

By the way, that computer is just one example to show the OP what kind of parts she would be looking for. Based on her budget, she can ofc choose a better replacement.

Except its specs show that it can't run most games without problems... It's limited to 64bit memory interface... 40GB/sec if you get the right one, or 14.4 if lenovo decided to go cheap. Either way performance will be poor. And someone who doesn't understand cards, their limitations and what you should reasonably expect from them will crank up the settings and wonder why their game has slowed to a crawl. Or install a bunch of mods (especially like in the sims) and then come back here asking for help when their performance tanks. And I expect each additional expansion pack with for the sims 4 to increase demands on the computer, just like they did for the sims 3.

GT 720: http://www.geforce.com/hardware/des.../specifications
GTX 650: http://www.geforce.com/hardware/des.../specifications

It's even weaker than the GTX 650 and I've used the GTX 650 and I can tell you the GTX 650 can struggle running games at 1080p at 30-45fps even at the lowest settings. While it actually ran the games, performance wasn't great.

The GT 720 is even weaker. So I expect performance to be worse. I really really wish I could find a benchmark to show you, but no reviewers online are even bothering.

TechpowerUP recommends the GT 720 for gaming with highest details at resolutions up to, and including, 800x600. In other words going up to 1280x720 and watch performance drop. Go up to 1920x1080 and you can expect it to tank even more.

I don't think that's the kind of card one should be looking for and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I believe people are better off getting something better right from the beginning.

I wouldn't recommend the GT 720 either.

If I had a big brand pre-built PC, I'd shoot for the GTX 750Ti. Big box store PCs usually come with 300W power supplies and a 750Ti delivers performance while using minimal power.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews...ew,3750-21.html
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gt...e/1100-6417810/

Anything more powerful would probably need a new power supply, which I'm sure swapping that out would void any manufacturer's warranty. Not to mention for that much work, might as well build one.

Now I'm totally confused again with all the tech talk.

Any other suggestions for a pre-build desktop? I would order from Target, Walmart, Dell, HP, amazon.com, Staples, Office Max etc.

Thanks!

My computer, a Dell XPS 8700, cost me $1350 at Costco, including a (GIANT) monitor, keyboard and mouse. It has 24gb of ram, an Intel Core processor @ 3.4GHz or so, and the GTX 750Ti graphics card that was mentioned here before. It seems to be what you're looking for, if not for the high-end price.
Unfortunately, although everything about my computer impresses me, Sims 4 doesn't look too awesome even on the highest possible settings.

If you're just getting a computer to play TS4 you might not want to shoot too high.

Yeah the GTX 750 Ti or better is what you should be aiming for.

I usually recommend:

Cheapest 4th gen i5 you can find (or 4th gen i3 if budget is extremely tight)
A GTX 750 Ti or better
8GB of DDR3 RAM
A reliable power supply to power everything you picked.

I looked around for desktops in your probable price range ($500-$900ish), and the vast majority of them have really crappy graphics and seem to be made for mainly office work. Unless you're comfortable with building your own PC, I think you should expect to pay upwards of $1000.

I think you can be happy for well under $1000.

Any desktop with an Intel Core i processor and 8GB of RAM should work just fine. You'll also want a PCIe x16 slot so you can plug in a nice graphics card.
This computer would do the trick, for example:
http://www.dell.com/us/p/inspiron-3...on-3847-desktop
It has a PCIe x16 slot as you can see in the manual here (Page 11, item #19).
ftp://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/all-prod...anual_en-us.pdf

Plug one of these 750Ti cards into that PCIe x16 slot.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...orebbr=1&cm_sp=

Total about $700 and it'll run sims great without enough power to play about every other game you'd want to in High or Ultra settings.

EDIT: Just saw this.
http://slickdeals.net/f/7153452-asu...af9c29ed7d6d287

Add another 4GB stick of RAM and the 750Ti card I mentioned earlier, and you're good to go under $600.

I saw this computer today at Best Buy and I'm wondering if it is a good choice for Sims 4 and hopefully many more Sims Add-ons?

Asus
Processor Brand
AMD

Processor Speed
3.7GHz (with Turbo CORE up to 4.3GHz) How fast a computer processor carries out instructions. In general, faster is better, but processor speeds across brands may not be equivalent (i.e., a 3.0GHz AMD processor may not be the same speed as a 3.0GHz Intel processor).

Cache Memory
4MB on die Level 2 A small segment of memory that stores frequently used information for fast access by the processor, improving response time.

System Memory (RAM)
8GB The memory a computer uses to run its operating system, applications and active data files. Greater amounts of RAM improve speed and enable more applications to run at once.

System Memory (RAM) Expandable To
12GB Maximum amount of memory a computer can support (as opposed to the amount that comes preinstalled).

Type of Memory (RAM)
DDR3

Graphics
AMD Radeon HD 8670D Type of graphics (video) adapter (usually built into the motherboard), identified by manufacturer and model.

Video Memory
Shared Manages display functions, including screen refresh rates, resolution and color. The more video memory a computer has, the better graphics and video will look.

Price is $499

Thanks for the help!

The onboard graphics on that one is pretty weak for gaming. It might work, especially if you use a tiny monitor at low resolution, but you'll barely be scraping by at best. The CPU might be okay, but it's not going to perform as well as an Intel Core processor.

I'm going to stick to the recommendation of an Intel Core processor and a 750Ti add-in graphics card.