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Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#1 Old 20th Jan 2021 at 1:10 PM

This user has the following games installed:

Sims 2, University, Nightlife, Open for Business, Pets, Seasons, Bon Voyage, Free Time, Apartment Life
Default Bying new laptop - can I play the Sims 2 on it?
Hey guys

It's time that I get a new laptop, and I think I made my choice however thought to check with you first.

I am interested in this HP Envy with the following specs below, do you think it will work fine? (I am adding another 8GB RAM though) I am playing TS2 full HD mode

Display:13.3" (39.6cm)
Resolution1920x1080) FHD IPS multitouch
Processor® Core™ i5-1035G1 (1.0 GHz base frequency, up to 3.6 GHz with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology, 6 MB L3 cache, 4 cores)
Graphics:Intel® UHD Graphics
RAM:8 GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM
Memory:512GB SSD
Windows 10 Home 64
Thunderbolt™ 3 (40Gbps signaling rate) with SuperSpeed USB Type-C® 10Gbps signaling rate (USB Power Delivery, DisplayPort™ 1.4, HP Sleep and Charge)
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 20th Jan 2021 at 4:07 PM
I think this one could be a can VS should. It's not a gaming laptop, so it would probably be a good idea to not treat it as such (maybe not use reshade or all settings on high and that sort of things).

It's a small laptop so cooling could be a potential problem. The processor will most likely kick in the turbo whenever you're playing (minimum requirement for AL/M&G is over 2 GhZ). As for the SSD, it depends how much storage you need, but 512 goes pretty fast if you have other games too (and an SSD does need some free space to run properly if you both run programs and use it for storage). It can work fine if you don't have a lot of files outside of Sims, or use an external harddrive for larger files.

Whether the Intel UHD graphics are any good may depend on which number, but using intel chips for gaming can be a bit iffy - it can work fine at least for a while, but the life of the chip might depend on how much you play and how high graphic settings you use. It's often recommended to lower some settings if you play with a chip.

8-16 GB RAM is okay (with Win10, 8 GB is the minimum you should be aiming for if you want to play TS2, and the more the merrier if you want to play other games or do other things than TS2).
Lab Assistant
#3 Old 20th Jan 2021 at 5:14 PM
I have asus laptop with same processor, graphics, RAM and i have no problem with game at all but everything is fine for me but your laptop can run it as well.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#4 Old 20th Jan 2021 at 7:49 PM
Thank you so much, really helpful!
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#5 Old 20th Jan 2021 at 7:50 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Alex5
I have asus laptop with same processor, graphics, RAM and i have no problem with game at all but everything is fine for me but your laptop can run it as well.


Awesome! Do you play the game in full HD as well?
Lab Assistant
#6 Old 20th Jan 2021 at 8:10 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Matt_Y
Awesome! Do you play the game in full HD as well?


Yes, i play with resolution 1920x1080 and high settings on UHD Graphics and nvidia too.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#7 Old 21st Jan 2021 at 1:17 AM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
I think this one could be a can VS should. It's not a gaming laptop, so it would probably be a good idea to not treat it as such (maybe not use reshade or all settings on high and that sort of things).

It's a small laptop so cooling could be a potential problem. The processor will most likely kick in the turbo whenever you're playing (minimum requirement for AL/M&G is over 2 GhZ). As for the SSD, it depends how much storage you need, but 512 goes pretty fast if you have other games too (and an SSD does need some free space to run properly if you both run programs and use it for storage). It can work fine if you don't have a lot of files outside of Sims, or use an external harddrive for larger files.

Whether the Intel UHD graphics are any good may depend on which number, but using intel chips for gaming can be a bit iffy - it can work fine at least for a while, but the life of the chip might depend on how much you play and how high graphic settings you use. It's often recommended to lower some settings if you play with a chip.

8-16 GB RAM is okay (with Win10, 8 GB is the minimum you should be aiming for if you want to play TS2, and the more the merrier if you want to play other games or do other things than TS2).



Hey!

Since I'm still undecided lol, what do you think about this laptop - below

DELL G3 15 3500

Display:15.6" (39.6cm)
Resolution:1920 x 1080
Processor: Intel Core i7-10750H
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 1650Ti 4GB
RAM: 8GB
Мemory: 512GB SSD
Alchemist
#8 Old 21st Jan 2021 at 1:38 AM
The Dell's better for gaming, since it has the dedicated graphics card.
Field Researcher
#9 Old 21st Jan 2021 at 2:11 AM
Dell one is much better, Sims 2 should run on that like a breeze!
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#10 Old 21st Jan 2021 at 3:07 AM
Quote: Originally posted by mate54
Dell one is much better, Sims 2 should run on that like a breeze!


Thanks!

Tough decision now haha, on one hand the HP is more premium look and build, it's all alluminum and strong, but not best for gaming

On the other hand the DELL is great for the sims, but poor build - plastic and the hinge is kinda suspicious. Hopefully I'll make the right choice :D

Do you think I could play the sims 2 smoothly on the HP as well? I mean ofcourse I don't play every single day, but I would say 2-3 times a week for sure, sometimes 4 depending on how much free time I have
Field Researcher
#11 Old 21st Jan 2021 at 11:12 AM
My laptop has Intel UHD Graphics + GTX 1050. When the game switched to Intel, it was ok, but there was a drop in the framerate just enough to be noticeable. Like, it felt off, it wasn't as smooth as usual. I haven't tested CC on Intel, so I don't know how much it can handle.
Mad Poster
#12 Old 21st Jan 2021 at 2:58 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Matt_Y
Hey!

Since I'm still undecided lol, what do you think about this laptop - below

DELL G3 15 3500

Display:15.6" (39.6cm)
Resolution:1920 x 1080
Processor: Intel Core i7-10750H
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 1650Ti 4GB
RAM: 8GB
Мemory: 512GB SSD
That sounds exactly the same as my new laptop that I got for my birthday at the start of October. I love it! There were some initial problems, but, with the help of various people here they were quickly resolved. The only remaining issue is that a few CC outfits show too bright in CAS, but they're OK in the game itself. There are a few of us with the bright CAS problem -- hopefully we'll fix it one day.

[EDIT] Slight correction: your one seems to have a slightly upgraded processor. Mine is Intel Core i5. I doubt if that will make much difference in practice -- it will probably make it slightly faster.

All Sims are beautiful -- even the ugly ones.
My Simblr ~~ My LJ
Sims' lives matter!
The Veronaville kids are alright.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#13 Old 21st Jan 2021 at 7:09 PM Last edited by Matt_Y : 21st Jan 2021 at 9:18 PM.
Thanks for all the help guys, really appreciate it!

I went today to check out the laptops in person, the HP is REALLY tiny lol, not buying that one for sure...

Now I'm torn between the DELL I mentioned yesterday and another HP I found, please check the specs below and let me know your thoughts

Laptop HP Pavilion x360

Display: 15.6" (39.6cm)
Resolution: (1920x1080) FHD IPS multitouch
Processor:Intel® Core™ i7-10510U (1.8 GHz base frequency, up to 4.9 GHz with Intel® Turbo BoostTechnology, 8 MB L3 cache, 4 cores)
Graphics:AMD Radeon™ 535 graphic
Memory:8 GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM
512GB SSD
Audio by B&O; Dual speakers; HP Audio Boost 1.0
Batery:3-cell, 41 Wh Li-ion

I am concerned about the hinge on the DELL though, seems like it can snap pretty easy (image attached)... and I've had a couple of bad experiences with plastic laptops/hinges breaking so I'm considering everything at this pont. The HP on the other hand has a mixture of alluminum and plastic and seems pretty solid.

I have also found this AMAZING Huawei, you think it's okay for Sims? ( not sure yet if it can fit my budget though haha )

HUAWEI MateBook X Pro
Display:13.9" (35.3cm)
Resolution3000x2000) UHD LED Touchscreen
Processor:Intel Core i7-10510U (1.8GHz up to 4.8GHz 8M Cache)
Graphics:NVIDIA® GeForce MX 250 2GB
Memory:16GB
1TB SSD

Any advices would be appreciated.
Screenshots
Forum Resident
#14 Old 30th Jan 2021 at 3:28 AM
Just for the record,having a dedicated graphics card in your laptop is absolutely mandatory. I didn't know this, and burned out two laptops before I wised up.
Lab Assistant
#15 Old 3rd Sep 2021 at 2:05 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Sims2Maven
Just for the record,having a dedicated graphics card in your laptop is absolutely mandatory. I didn't know this, and burned out two laptops before I wised up.


Really? Ah man, that sucks. Was looking forward to buying this one, do you think it's worth it? It doesn't have a DEDICATED graphics card, and I plan to upgrade its memory to the max, 20GB.

Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-72KU

Intel Core i7 10510U (8MB cache)
Intel UHD Graphics 620
512 GB (NVMe Gen3 x4) SSD
8 GB DDR4 2133 MHz

Any other specs I should list here? Thanks in advance
Alchemist
#16 Old 3rd Sep 2021 at 4:28 PM
I think you should try and get one with a dedicated card, but if it's not possible, you can still play the game (speaking from experience), but you'll need to recognize the limits of your computer. I kept my graphics on medium and neighborhood view to one of the lower settings and just turned them up for screenshots. Don't pile in a bunch of CC that will strain the laptop. Don't have the game running for hours on end, and keep an eye on the temperature of the laptop, making sure it gets good airflow (which is a good idea no matter what sort of laptop you have). I saw you ask about reshade in another place, and I'm not sure about that. You'll need to think about how many years you hope to get out of this computer. That laptop can run Sims 2 on high settings with a lot of CC, but it probably won't end well, and if it dies a couple years before it would've otherwise, you may be better off getting something else.
Scholar
#17 Old 3rd Sep 2021 at 8:07 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Sims2Maven
Just for the record,having a dedicated graphics card in your laptop is absolutely mandatory. I didn't know this, and burned out two laptops before I wised up.


emm... just out of curiosity, what have you done? :D


favorite quote: "When ElaineNualla is posting..I always read..Nutella. I am sorry" by Rosebine
self-claimed "lower-spec simmer"
Lab Assistant
#18 Old 4th Sep 2021 at 10:18 PM
Quote: Originally posted by ElaineNualla
emm... just out of curiosity, what have you done? :D

Curious too, it could be of help for everyone
But you might wanna tag @Sims2Maven, for a better chance of them checking this out
Inventor
#19 Old 31st Oct 2021 at 4:11 PM
@omglo and @Sims2Maven what kind of graphic cards do you consider as "dedicated"? Is Intel (U)HD Graphics 620 not powerful enough?
Alchemist
#20 Old 31st Oct 2021 at 6:43 PM
@Softlism, here's a link on the difference. The card you're looking at is integrated. You can play Sims on it, but all the stuff I said earlier applies.
https://www.gpumag.com/dedicated-vs...graphics-cards/
Forum Resident
#21 Old 4th Nov 2021 at 3:04 AM
Dedicated graphics card: NVidia or Radeon (I've heard the former works better). Do NOT try to run The Sims 2+ full-blast if you don't have one or the other.

Running The Sims 2 at the higher resolutions on Intel integrated chips generally causes the laptop to overheat and burn out the motherboard. Be warned. (If you try it anyway, and you start seeing weird terrain effects, STOP!!!)
Inventor
#22 Old 4th Nov 2021 at 9:01 AM
@Sims2Maven thanks for the heads up! What resolutions do you consider as too high for TS2 on an Intel graphics card? And can you give me examples of "weird terrain effects" caused by a burnt-out motherboard?
Field Researcher
#23 Old 4th Nov 2021 at 9:31 AM
I have a laptop with Intel UHD 620 Graphics and it actually runs The Sims 2 well. Frame rates are a bit lower (around 40 FPS maybe, the last time I tried it) and it’s noticeable if you compare it to something like Nvidia GTX 1050, but the game runs completely fine, without any issues. That was in 1920x1080 resolution, so lower resolution could probably have slightly higher frame rate.
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