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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 1st Aug 2013 at 9:18 AM
Default thoughts on building a computer for TS3?
So I've been happily playing TS3 with World Adventures and Ambitions on my MacBook Pro for a while now, but was curious about why I kept getting these graphics glitches and sometimes it would just crash unexpectedly... I figure it's because my graphics chip (and nVidia 320M) is seriously inadequate for the game (and of course I can't go and upgrade it). I spent today researching building your own computer and it actually seems like a neat project, so I think I'm going to try doing that. I'd really appreciate some opinions on parts I've picked out so far before I spend money on them:

Processor: either the AMD A6-5400K 3.6 GHz dual core, or the AMD A4-5300 3.4 GHz dual core- both of these have an integrated graphics chip (Radeon HD 7540D/7480D respectively) which are listed on this table as OK for the base game and World Adventures, and maybe OK for Ambitions and higher. If I went with this one I was going to see how well it fares and upgrade to a dedicated GPU if needed/when I can stomach spending even more money on electronics.

For a dedicated GPU I was eyeing the nVidia GeForce GTX 650 (like this one from Newegg. Does anyone have any experience with this graphics card (good or bad)? Is it worth it to spend twice as much for, for example, the GeForce GTX 660?

And for an OS, 64-bit Windows 7?

I'd welcome any and all suggestions/comments, including for many other parts of the computer that I haven't listed. I'm looking forward to playing the game in decent quality without the constant crashing. Thanks for taking time to read and help me out!
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Scholar
#2 Old 1st Aug 2013 at 9:28 AM Last edited by ajaxsirius : 1st Aug 2013 at 9:38 AM.
Do not get both a CPU with an integrated graphics chip and a dedicated GPU. Choose one or the other. Getting a GPU-less CPU and a dedicated GPU is in most cases the best option. I would also recommend Intel over AMD unless you're on a really tight budget. And yeah, Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit.

What other things do you want to do with the PC you'll be getting?
Do you plan on playing anything else besides the TS3?
What monitor/screen will you be using and at what resolution?
How much are you looking to spend? What is your absolute maximum?
How long do you expect the PC to remain relevant?

EDIT: Are you looking at getting a new laptop or desktop?
Test Subject
Original Poster
#3 Old 1st Aug 2013 at 10:17 AM
Default thanks
Thanks for the quick reply, ajaxsirius. I will look at CPUs and dedicated graphics card then.

I am planning to mainly use the new computer for Sims 3, definitely with World Adventures and Ambitions, hopefully with Pets (which I got today but have not wanted to install on my current macbook with its inadequate graphics) and I'd like the option to play more expansion packs if/when I have the inclination to get them. I might also want to play SimCity 4 on occasion. I was leaning toward desktops because they seem like a better value and are easier to upgrade in the future, and I don't need to play the Sims when I'm out around town.

This may be a really stupid idea, but I was hoping to use an HDMI connection to use our TV as a monitor. With the way we have our living room set up I think it would work. Our TV is 1368 by 768 pixels. We watch movies/TV shows from a laptop on it a lot and it looks pretty good. If that won't work, I'm not sure how viable a desktop is, because we're running out of horizontal places in our apartment to put things like computer screens.

My absolute cap on money for this would be about $1000. I don't think I can justify spending more on a computer for essentially one purpose, even if that purpose is really fun.

For another option, we have a Windows laptop that I could install TS3 on, but I'm not sure how well it would run (I'm guessing really poorly given its current specs). It's an Asus laptop running Windows 8 64-bit, the processor is an AMD E2-1800 1.70 GHz with an integrated Radeon HD7340 chip, 4 GB ram. If I could make that Sims-friendly, that seems like the easiest/least expensive way, although I'm not hoping for much on that front.
Inventor
#4 Old 1st Aug 2013 at 11:48 AM
$1000 dollars is a good budget and you should be able to build a pretty kick ass PC with that.

I suggest checking out PC Part Picker. It gives you the best deals and lets you know if there's any incompatibilities with hardware that you're looking at. I used it this summer to build my latest PC and it seriously saved me some cash.

I agree with ajax as well. If you can swing it, go for an Intel CPU (the i5 is good for gaming, the i7 might be overkill for what your purposes are -- unless you plan on video editing or something as well, of course). Good luck!

"Goonies never say die."
Scholar
#5 Old 1st Aug 2013 at 2:04 PM
Using your TV as a screen could be viable, I have done it myself, but I found that the downsides to that were:

You'd have to use a wireless keyboard and mouse. They are usually significantly more expensive than their wired counterparts and if you have a lot of wireless traffic where you live, signal connection may be spotty.
Even if you do have a wireless keyboard and mouse like I did, you need a flat surface at sitting height to use it. My TV is in my living room in front of the couch with no table anywhere near. I tried keyboard/mouse + couch and it really wasn't comfortable. I eventually abandoned the idea and returned to the table in another room. I only ever use the TV when I want to play stuff off Steam in Big Picture mode with a controller.

1368x 768 is pretty small. Your tv shows will look okay at that resolution because they are usually recorded at a similar resolution. Games however will look "zoomed in". It's hard to explain. However one advantage of playing at 1368x768 is that you won't need too powerful of a computer. We should be able to get you a good PC with $1000.

If you happen to have an Android phone in your household, you can use the Unified Remote app to make your phone act as a touch screen remote for your computer.

Here's a general idea of what you should shop for. Obviously what you can actually get and at what price depends on where you live and the stores you have available to you.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1n1r5
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1n1r5/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1n1r5/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H87M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($74.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.80 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($265.66 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case ($87.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer ($16.00 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: USD $872.39
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-01 09:03 EDT-0400)

You don't really need anything more powerful than that just to play TS3. I doubt you'll need anything more powerful to even play The Sims 4, but it isn't out yet and I can't say for sure. Before discounts the total comes to USD $939.90. That's the amount you can expect the above system to actually cost you. Mail-in rebates rarely work...
Test Subject
Original Poster
#6 Old 1st Aug 2013 at 9:19 PM Last edited by krdavis : 1st Aug 2013 at 10:15 PM. Reason: adding something I forgot
I was thinking of using the TV because I thought I already had a wireless keyboard/mouse that wasn't being used... turns out it went to Goodwill (oops.) So for a display I am thinking something smallish I can use on the coffee table and move if needed. I'm happy playing on my 13" laptop screen (1280x800) so my expectations aren't too high.

Is the GTX 760 video card worth the extra $150 versus the GTX 650? How does it compare to the GTX 660? Recently I've been playing the game on "medium" graphics settings and it looks fine to me. Will the more expensive video card be worth it because it will be better able to handle potential new expansions/Sims 4?

Also, this is probably a dumb question, but my saved games from my Mac will transfer to a new Windows computer with no problem, right?

(edited to add) : I will likely take a trip to Fry's electronics early next week. It's a bit of a trek from where I live, but not too bad.
Scholar
#7 Old 1st Aug 2013 at 10:18 PM
The GTX 650 is the weakest card that I feel someone should play The Sims 3 on. Once you go weaker with cards like the GT 640, they have problems even running the later expansions.

If you go a step up from the GTX 650 to a GTX 660 or a GTX 660 Ti then you start being able to run the game at High or max settings. The GTX 760 I recommended is one step above that, around the level of a GTX 670 (15%-30% more powerful than a GTX 660).

I went with the GTX 760 because it fits in your budget and gives you more power for the The Sims 4. Unfortunately I can't really say how demanding The Sims 4 will be since it's not out yet. It'll probably be out sometime in 2015. You definitely could go with a GTX 660 or a GTX 660 Ti now if you wanted to though and see later if you need a new card for The Sims 4. I wouldn't recommend getting a GTX 650 though.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#8 Old 2nd Aug 2013 at 12:51 AM
What about something like the Radeon HD 7770?
Scholar
#9 Old 2nd Aug 2013 at 5:25 AM
Take a look at this list:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews...iew,3107-7.html

It gives a list of AMD and Nvidia brand cards. The most powerful cards are at the top, the weakest at the bottom.

The HD 7770 is a little bit better than the GTX 650, but weaker than the GTX 660. It's 30%-50% slower than the GTX 660.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#10 Old 10th Aug 2013 at 7:24 AM
Thanks for all the help. I built the new computer on Wednesday and it's up and running great! The game loads and saves so fast, and no crashes or glitches yet. This is awesome!
Scholar
#11 Old 10th Aug 2013 at 9:47 AM
Glad I could help! What did you end up getting?
 
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