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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 14th Jun 2013 at 1:22 AM
Default Thinking about this laptop for TS3...thoughts?
I had another thread but it's a bit pointless since I think I've narrowed it down.

I found this laptop over at TigerDirect, and it seems fantastic. An Intel i5 processor and according to my Googling, the graphics card can run the game very well. I'd really like to hear from Sims players, though, on whether this will be any good before I go ahead and order it.

MODS: Please delete my other thread, it wouldn't let me for some reason.

"Just once, can you two behave like grown ups?" "We solve crimes, I blog about it, and he forgets his pants. I wouldn't hold out too much hope."
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Lab Assistant
#2 Old 14th Jun 2013 at 11:45 AM Last edited by napoleonwrasse : 14th Jun 2013 at 11:58 AM.
The specs look decent. An i5 is all you need for gaming. The 7650 is a good card, but probably not going to last you as long as other cards, given it's age and the upcoming AMDs. You might have to upgrade at some point. Ram looks good.

Something to consider is how long you want the laptop to last. If you want it just for now and have to buy a new/upgrade one later, go for it. If you are looking for a laptop that is more future proof you might want to keep looking around.

The other thing to remember is gaming is designed for desktops.

And what budget are you looking at?
Test Subject
Original Poster
#3 Old 14th Jun 2013 at 5:14 PM
If I can spend around 600 dollars that would be perfect.

"Just once, can you two behave like grown ups?" "We solve crimes, I blog about it, and he forgets his pants. I wouldn't hold out too much hope."
Lab Assistant
#4 Old 14th Jun 2013 at 7:22 PM
I think, finding a solid computer that will work for long term gaming in your budget would be near impossible (I did some digging), unless you look into desktops.

I think the computer you found is good.

I think though with that card you will probably need to replace it down the road. Especially if you want Sims 4 which I presume will have higher spec requirements.

But if you want something that'll last you for right now, that's a good option.

If you want something that's actually more set up for gaming and will last you longer, I suggest either upping your budget or looking into desktops. Or be willing to upgrade your computer at some point (which is cheaper than buying a new one). With that model you could add 8GB more RAM (cheap) and upgrade the graphics card (not so cheap). And it already has a processor that should last you while.

As for the game being good....
It's max resolution is not as high as other models (1366 x 768 vs 1920 by 1080)
You probably will need to run it at medium specs I suspect, but you'd have to try and see when you get it.
The Sims 3 would be fine on that model I presume, but if you are hoping to play Sims 4 too...my guess is the current specs wouldn't be enough.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#5 Old 20th Jun 2013 at 12:57 AM
Sorry this took so long for a reply!

I have a higher budget of around 800 dollars but if I could spend around 700 that'd be great. I'd prefer Windows 7, and actually...
I'm going to Best Buy tomorrow to talk to some people in person and look at some laptops. What should I be asking? I know, no integrated graphics (I've read nVIDIA is better than AMD but I don't know if that's actually the cast), i5 processor, etc. But is there more I should tell them besides that it needs to be able to play Sims (and handle a lot of college crap in the future)?

"Just once, can you two behave like grown ups?" "We solve crimes, I blog about it, and he forgets his pants. I wouldn't hold out too much hope."
Test Subject
#6 Old 20th Jun 2013 at 7:35 AM
make sure that it has 8.00 or higher Ram(memory) if u want your game to run fast
source:
my brothers laptop(gaming laptop) has no more place for anything to be installed
but the games still run fast thanks to the ram
Test Subject
Original Poster
#7 Old 20th Jun 2013 at 7:44 PM
OK guys, I'm back and I think I've found THE ONE.

It does have integrated graphics, and I know those are not that great, but I can't afford a laptop with a dedicated graphics card, and it's apparently not a horrid card for Sims.

Here it is.

"Just once, can you two behave like grown ups?" "We solve crimes, I blog about it, and he forgets his pants. I wouldn't hold out too much hope."
Site Helper
#8 Old 20th Jun 2013 at 8:29 PM Last edited by Mootilda : 20th Jun 2013 at 9:07 PM.
If you can't afford a laptop with a dedicated graphics card, then you should consider buying a desktop instead. There's a good chance that playing the game on an inadequate laptop will destroy the laptop.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#9 Old 20th Jun 2013 at 10:12 PM
I would definitely buy a desktop if it fit what I needed.

I have brittle bone disease and it's hard for me to sit in my wheelchair for extended periods of time; plus, if I break a bone, I'd be stuck in my room (or the hospital) and computerless, whereas if I have a laptop, I can have it with me.

"Just once, can you two behave like grown ups?" "We solve crimes, I blog about it, and he forgets his pants. I wouldn't hold out too much hope."
Site Helper
#10 Old 21st Jun 2013 at 1:00 AM
Unfortunately, it sounds like you can't afford a laptop that is powerful enough to play the game. My understanding is that you should expect to spend over $1000 if you want to play on a laptop. There's nothing that we can do to make a cheap laptop powerful enough.

I just hate to see you buy an underpowered laptop, only to destroy it so that you have to buy a new one.

The Sim Stories were written for inexpensive laptops, and the Sims 1 also has lower requirements. If you can't afford a better laptop and you can't use a desktop, then would you consider reducing your requirements by playing an older less-demanding game?

Have you read this FAQ about onboard graphics? There are other things that you can do to reduce the strain on your computer:
http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title...nboard_Graphics
Test Subject
Original Poster
#11 Old 21st Jun 2013 at 1:18 AM Last edited by FennecFox : 21st Jun 2013 at 1:19 AM. Reason: Forgot some stuff
I just read through the wiki page, and am very pleased to say I do several of those things already:
1. I ALWAYS play in windowed mode.
2. My laptop that I currently own is on a stand and remains fairly cool.
3. None of my settings are on high, nor do I plan to turn them up much for my new laptop.

My current laptop has a VERY weak graphics card (it, too, is an integrated card) and is able to run the game fine, and has been running both TS2 and TS3 with expansions (all but OFB and FT for TS2 and several for TS3) with none of the issues I read about since I got it four years ago.

I'm sorry if I seem defensive or a little stubborn, I'm just trying to explain myself to help you all understand a bit more.

"Just once, can you two behave like grown ups?" "We solve crimes, I blog about it, and he forgets his pants. I wouldn't hold out too much hope."
Site Helper
#12 Old 21st Jun 2013 at 2:41 AM
No need to feel defensive. Obviously, it's your decision. We're just trying to be helpful, but you're the one who makes the final decision.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#13 Old 21st Jun 2013 at 6:37 PM
Here's the one I'm actually getting. A 1 terabyte hard drive is going to be MORE than enough. Now I just need to actually go and obtain it from Costco.

"Just once, can you two behave like grown ups?" "We solve crimes, I blog about it, and he forgets his pants. I wouldn't hold out too much hope."
Lab Assistant
#14 Old 21st Jun 2013 at 9:23 PM
That's a good choice. 1TB HD is awesome, 8GB RAM.

You still might run into issues with that graphics card, but if you keep what you are doing you should be alright.

Though I will mention, those specs might not be enough later down the road (sims 4).

But if works for you, that's awesome.
In the Arena
retired moderator
#15 Old 26th Jun 2013 at 4:19 PM
That's not a good choice, that has an onboard graphics only! (The $600 HP ENVY dv6t)

The $700 dollar laptop at least has a dedicated GPU, albeit an entry-level one. The Desktop HD 76xx already has one yellow starting from Seasons (SysReq in my signature), so its "future-proofing" is not that great. And you may not be able to play with ALL EPs + SPs (when the Sims 3 franchise is complete) or even great gameplay with Seasons EP onwards.
Test Subject
#16 Old 2nd Jul 2013 at 6:51 PM Last edited by 0ojoyo0 : 2nd Jul 2013 at 7:16 PM.
This thread is a few days old, so I hope you haven't jumped on one yet. Have you tried looking at the Lenovo outlet? Try looking for a refurbished or scratch & dent model. They have the same one year warranty as a new model and returns are hassle free. This seems like a good choice for your budget (http://outlet.lenovo.com/SEUILibrar...&Code=59RF0240). It is $594.16 on sale + tax. Shipping is free. This graphics card should be future proof as well, so you can keep the laptop for a while. If you don't already have one, I would open an Ebates account before ordering to recover the cost of taxes.

ETA - for some reason the link won't take you right to the product. Just click on Laptops & Notebooks, narrow your search on the left side to Y-Series, and then sort from least expensive. The model number for the one I'm talking about is 59RF0240. Good luck in your search.
 
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