Hello! Just recently talks of getting a gaming computer has started and I've been searching around to find a good, but inexpensive, desktop, to run just the Sims 2, GIMP, BodyShop, SimPE, and many mods and CC. I initially plan to take out all the bloatware that comes with Windows 10 or possibly downgrade to Windows 7/8.1. Unfortunately I can't afford the $1k~ gaming computers so I have to stick in the $500~ range. I was thinking of building a desktop but I wanted to see if buying one would be a better alternative. I've found a few while scrolling through Best Buy, but I'm posting the links because copying/pasting would make this thread too long and I don't know how to put things under 'spoiler' yet:

1) https://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-i...p?skuId=6181800

2) https://www.bestbuy.com/site/cyberp...p?skuId=5712951

3) https://www.bestbuy.com/site/cybert...p?skuId=4848822

4) https://www.bestbuy.com/site/cybert...p?skuId=5024904

5) https://www.bestbuy.com/site/cybert...p?skuId=5122802

These all have a CD drive because I still plan on collecting the remaining Sims 2 discs in case something may happen with Origin and the Sims 2: UC. These desktops can be upgraded with more RAM and all of them have AMD graphics; I personally never had a problem with AMD because my first laptop had AMD and the Sims ran fine, but I'm not against suggestions for better graphics. What do you guys think?

Last edited by Primavera : 9th May 2018 at 2:06 AM.

The inspiron at $479.99 is the better deal of them. You should look into building your own though and compare prices.

It definitely is a better deal at the moment, and it can be upgraded to 32GB which is more than enough to run all the CC I want. I looked around different forums and most people said to not get a Dell to play Sims. I plan on only playing Sims 2, not 3 and 4, so maybe that'll be a huge difference. I never owned a Dell but I'll look more into it. And I'm looking up guides of how to build a computer, so I'm keeping my options open .

Yes it makes a huge difference. The sims 2 is a lot less demanding. Also you won't get a lot of performance out of a $500 machine, but you will get enough for the sims 2.

That's helpful . I can still afford the other desktops but the Dell is currently on the top of my list. I'm neutral about performance, so I don't think I'll be playing on ultra-high settings. I also found 3 HP Slimline desktops in Wal-Mart with the same price range as the Dell (one 4GB with 500GM hard drive, one with 8GB and 1TB hard drive, and another 8GB/1TB with a monitor included); I played Sims 2 on my first HP laptop and never had any major problems. Do you think they're capable of running the game? I know HP isn't favorable in the community but I'm just curious.

Without taking a closer look at the spec I wouldn't be able to tell for sure. In the past people didn't like slimline PCs because they had heat issues. I don't know if that's still true these days since CPUs use less power, but I wouldn't risk it. Also a slimline case hampers your ability to upgrade or replace parts.

Gotcha. And sorry for not including links. But duly noted!

Okay after I did some reading it seems like people have problems with the Dell Inspiron desktop. I found another Inspiron desktop and it has a AMD Ryzen 5 processor. It's more expensive than all the options I have ($700~) but I'll include the link anyway: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-i...p?skuId=6136602

They're both identical, except for the processor. I don't know if its worth an extra $220 when you're just going to be playing the sims 2. Where did you read people are having problems with it?

Yeah, that's true. I decided to look more into the reviews on Best Buy and most of the reviews aren't positive. I know I should take reviews with a grain of salt, but I still like that particular one. I just saw that the Ryzen processor got better reviews. While I did narrow my list down some, I still want to make sure I'm getting one that won't crash out of the box.

I'm marking this as solved; I went ahead and ordered the Dell Inspiron 5680 from HSN. I set it up so hopefully it'll work out for me .

EDIT: okay, the model I got is actually the Dell Inspiron 5675, although it was advertised on HSN as the 5680. Doesn't matter though, it runs fine thus far.

UPDATE: I had to call Tech Support because the computer went into Power Save mode and wouldn't wake up after I assembled it. Now it's updated but I'll have to find a way to stop the automatic updates because the computer shut down to update while I was in the middle of gameplay. I had to fix the resolution and graphics of the game but so far everything's running well. I'll have to find a little stand to sit the tower on because right now it's on the carpet under my desk. But the fans run quiet and everything's fast and smooth :D. Thank you for all your help @ajaxsirius!

Last edited by Primavera : 10th May 2018 at 5:07 PM.