Welcome to our specialized laptop buying guide, focused on helping you find the best laptop for playing Sims 4. As a fellow Sims enthusiast, I've spent countless hours enjoying the intricate details and immersive gameplay of this incredible life simulation game. With a game as intricate as Sims 4, it's essential to have a laptop that can deliver smooth performance while also ensuring your sims' lives are as vibrant and detailed as possible.
To find the best laptop for Sims 4, I've meticulously reviewed an extensive laptop spreadsheet comprising recent releases, comparing specs and reviews from both professional and user-generated sources. After narrowing down the top laptops based on the game's specific requirements and various price ranges, I've curated this guide to help you make an informed decision. Factors like graphics performance, processing power, and display quality play a crucial role in determining the optimal laptop for your Sims 4 experience.
As an active participant in the Sims community, I understand the importance of having a laptop that can handle the game's expansions, custom content, and mods. Whether you're an avid builder, storyteller, or simply love to explore the many challenges and surprises that the game offers, this guide will ensure that you have the best laptop for Sims 4 tailored to your preferences and budget. So, let's dive in and find the perfect laptop to bring your sims' world to life.
Graphics
Nvidia continues to dominate the laptop GPU market. They recently released their RTX 40 series cards, however, these are not yet available on laptops and the latest notebook cards available are the RTX 30 series (such as RTX 3070 Ti). Desktop GPUs are now a lot more power-hungry, and so the gap between the power-limited notebook graphics and the desktop graphics cards has widened in recent years. Nvidia has also discontinued their Max-Q label for the RTX graphics cards, which means that an exact GPU wattage is determined by the laptop manufacturer (OEM) and this results in a wide variance in graphics performance even in laptops with the same GPU chipset.
The Sims 4 is playable on integrated graphics, however, it's not recommended. The game's requirements are also not too high, so any dedicated graphics card will be overkill. If you're looking for a gaming laptop that can also run The Sims 4 well, you'll need to consider the latest generation of Nvidia graphics cards, such as the RTX series. For example, a minimum recommendation would be a GTX 1650, while a recommended card would be an RTX 3050. If you're looking for a high-end gaming laptop, then an RTX 3070 should be sufficient.
It's important to know if a graphics card is suitable for gaming or not. To do that, I suggest looking at benchmarks such as 3DMark and Unigine, since these are more relevant than synthetic gaming benchmarks. If you want a gaming laptop that can handle other demanding titles well, look for one with a higher refresh rate display (144Hz or even 240Hz).
Below is a table of the recommended GPUs for different budgets and laptop sizes.
| Budget | Recommended GPU |
|---|---|
| Low | GTX 1650 |
| Mid | RTX 3050 |
| High | RTX 3070 |
Processor
The Sims 4 is one of the most popular games right now, and it's available on PC. If you're considering buying a laptop for playing the game, you'll want to know which CPU is best for the game. In this section, we'll take a look at what the current CPU market has to offer, and what you'll need for gaming versus working on your laptop.
How much Processor do you need for gaming?
The Sims 4 isn't too demanding on the processor, so you don't need to go for a top-of-the-line processor to get good performance. Single-core performance is more important than multi-core performance for this game, so you should look for a laptop with a CPU that has good single-core performance.
For gaming, Intel and Apple's silicon chips are the most popular. Intel has released their 13th-generation processors, while Apple has released their own ARM-based M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max and M2 system-on-chip modules which offer exceptional single-core performance and battery life. AMD has managed to take 20% of the CPU market with their 6th-generation Ryzen processors; they offer good performance, and are especially good if you need a good battery life in a PC laptop. All these chips have adopted a hybrid performance/efficiency core design based on big.LITTLE.
How to know which CPUs are best?
The best way to compare processors is to look at the benchmark scores for different models. We recommend using Cinebench R23 and PassMark scores, as they are more accurate than other benchmarks like 3DMark or PCMark.
Below is a table with recommended processors based on price bracket. All of them will perform well for The Sims 4, but for more intensive gaming, you may want to consider going for a higher-end H-series processor as these laptops usually have better cooling and can be overclocked.
Recommended Processors for The Sims 4
| Price Range | Processor |
|---|---|
| Budget | i5-1135G7 |
| Mid-range | i5-11300H |
| High-end | Ryzen 7 4800H |
Memory
When shopping for a laptop for Sims 4, RAM is one of the most important specifications to consider. While the game will run on virtually any laptop with at least 8 GB of RAM, if you want to make the most of the game’s graphics and sound, then you’ll want a laptop with more memory. For mid-range laptops, 16 GB of RAM is preferable, while high-end laptops should have 32 GB or more.
Most modern laptops, such as those equipped with the latest-gen Intel and AMD CPUs, support both DDR4 and DDR5 RAM. While DDR5 is still relatively new and expensive, it’s slowly becoming more common as it matures as a technology.
It’s important to remember that RAM is not the be-all and end-all for gaming performance. The amount of RAM doesn’t matter as much in Sims 4 as it does in other games because the game is single-threaded and can’t take full advantage of more threads available with more RAM. Latency and frequency also play a role in gaming performance and should be taken into consideration when choosing RAM for gaming.
At the end of the day, the amount of RAM you need depends on your budget and what kind of laptop you’re looking for. If you’re looking for a gaming laptop with a lot of RAM, then expect to pay a premium price. As a general guideline, here’s what to expect at each price point:
- Minimum: 8 GB
- Recommended: 16 GB
- High-end: 32 GB or more
FAQ
Which laptop is best for Sims 4?
It depends on your budget, but the ASUS TUF A15, the HP Victus 15t, or the GIGABYTE AORUS 15 XE4 are all great options for playing Sims 4. If you want the best of the best, go for the Acer Predator Triton 500.
What laptop do I need to play Sims 4?
You'll need at least a 7th or 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor, a GTX 1650 or better graphics card, and 8GB of RAM. For the best performance, we recommend a 11th generation Intel Core i5 processor, an RTX 3050 or better graphics card, and 16GB of RAM. Make sure you also have at least 256GB of SSD storage.
How to choose a laptop for Sims 4?
Start by looking at the laptop's specs. Make sure it has a 7th or 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor (or 11th generation if you're looking for the best performance), a GTX 1650 or better graphics card, 8GB of RAM (or 16GB if you want the best performance), and at least 256GB of SSD storage. After that, consider your budget and make sure you pick a laptop that's within your price range.
What are Sims 4 laptop requirements?
The minimum requirements for playing Sims 4 on a laptop include a 7th or 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor, a GTX 1650 or better graphics card, and 8GB of RAM. For the best performance, we recommend a 11th generation Intel Core i5 processor, an RTX 3050 or better graphics card, and 16GB of RAM. You'll also need at least 256GB of SSD storage.
What laptop specs do I need for Sims 4?
You'll need at least a 7th or 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor, a GTX 1650 or better graphics card, and 8GB of RAM. For the best performance, we recommend a 11th generation Intel Core i5 processor, an RTX 3050 or better graphics card, and 16GB of RAM. Make sure you also have at least 256GB of SSD storage.
Does Sims 4 work on a laptop?
Yes! Sims 4 is playable on a laptop provided it meets the minimum specifications (7th or 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor, GTX 1650 graphics card, and 8GB of RAM). However, for the best performance we recommend a laptop with a 11th generation Intel Core i5 processor, an RTX 3050 or better graphics card, and 16GB of RAM.
Is 8GB RAM enough to play Sims 4?
Yes, 8GB of RAM is enough to play Sims 4, but 16GB is recommended for the best performance.
What graphics card do I need to play Sims 4?
You'll need at least a GTX 1650 graphics card to play Sims 4. For the best performance, we recommend an RTX 3050 or better graphics card.
Is 1TB SSD enough for Sims 4?
Yes, 1TB of SSD storage is enough for Sims 4. However, you'll need at least 256GB of storage to install the game.
Can I run Sims 4 on a laptop?
Yes, you can run Sims 4 on a laptop provided it meets the minimum specifications (7th or 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor, GTX 1650 graphics card, and 8GB of RAM). However, for the best performance we recommend a laptop with a 11th generation Intel Core i5 processor, an RTX 3050 or better graphics card, and 16GB of RAM.
4 Best Laptops for Sims 4
Alternatives
ASUS Zenbook
- Excellent battery life
- Compact and lightweight
- Soldered RAM that cant be expanded
- Weak Wi-Fi
2.Lenovo Legion 5 Pro 16
Sims 4 laptop- Superb processor (Ryzen 9 6900HX)
- Solid graphics card (RTX 3070 Ti)
- Great display (16)
- Terrific memory amount (64GB)
- Bulky (5.48 lbs)
- No IPS Panel (inferior color reproduction)
Alternatives
HP Victus
- Easy serviceability
- Attractive design for a budget model
- Buggy battery life and fan behavior
- No Thunderbolt or USB-PD support
3.Lenovo Legion 5 Pro
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is a high-performance laptop with a bright display, good cooling performance, and a competitive price.- Bright display with good color reproduction
- Good cooling performance
- Easy to upgrade and replace modules
- Good battery life with hybrid mode activated
- Drab design
- Bulky chassis paired with hefty power brick
- Limited battery life without hybrid mode
- Noisy fans on balanced and performance profiles
Summary
The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is a solid gaming laptop that delivers powerful performance with its AMD Ryzen 7 and RTX 3070 graphics. It features a bright and colorful display, many connections, good cooling, and easy upgradability.
Reviews
Alternatives
ASUS ROG Strix G15
- High CPU and GPU performance
- Good workmanship and design
- Skimpy connectivity
- Coil whine in certain situations.
4.ASUS ROG Strix Scar
ASUS ROG Strix Scar laptop delivers excellent gaming performance but falls short on emissions and battery life.- Fast Wi-Fi 6E
- Unhindered Core i9-12900H and RTX 3070 Ti performance
- Sturdy construction
- High heat and noise emissions under load
- Battery backup could have been better
- Limited display angle
- No biometric login
Summary
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 G533 laptop delivers unbeatable gaming performance with a robust build and fast Wi-Fi, but it has some issues with overheating and power draw. The limited viewing angles and absence of biometric login also detract from the overall experience.
Reviews
Alternatives
HP Omen 17
- QHD display with 165 Hz
- Advanced Optimus
- High noise level
- Clattery case
Table of the Best Laptops for Sims 4
| Laptop | Price (approx) |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 | $280 |
| Lenovo Legion 5 Pro 16 | $700 |
| Lenovo Legion 5 Pro | $1,600 |
| ASUS ROG Strix Scar | $2,310 |
