Hi there! You are currently browsing as a guest. Why not create an account? Then you get less ads, can thank creators, post feedback, keep a list of your favourites, and more!
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#1 Old 26th Dec 2012 at 8:45 AM
Default $350-$500 Desktop That Can Play The Sims 3 Comfortably...
Yes, I know, it's another one of those damn "X computer good for playing The Sims 3 on" threads that we all love. But hey, I'm completely lost when it comes to this, so back off! Anyway, I have a Toshiba Satellite P105 that I bought in 2007 to play (at the time) all my Sims 2 games on, as well as store my artwork on. It was pretty hot-rod at the time, but alas, we all know how fast technology progresses. Now I use it to play all my Sims 3 games on -- all 7 EPs and 4 SPs. It can still play all this, but not without a great deal of lagging and overheating.

I'd like to converse my laptop and buy a new desktop PC for playing my Sims 3 games on comfortably. This is the ONLY PC game I play, so I do not need a hot-rod gaming PC with all the lights and crap like that on it. I'm specifically looking for a desktop priced between $350 and $530, a 500 GB to 750 GB HDD, 4GB to 8GBs of RAM, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, and a dedicated graphics card, preferably NVIDIA -- but I'll take an AMD one if necessary. I'm considering both DIY and pre-built, but am currently leaning towards pre-built as I don't know the first thing about building a computer (but know someone who does).

Is it possible to find a pre-built or DIY setup that fits into my budget? Suggestions are very much appreciated!
Advertisement
In the Arena
retired moderator
#2 Old 26th Dec 2012 at 10:52 AM
Since you're coming from the laptop-verse, you'd need a monitor + keyboard + mouse, don't you? Or do you have these spare items lying around?

That's in USD? USD500 without a monitor might be feasible; with monitor might be a tad iffy.
So, let me ask: how often do you purchase/upgrade your machines? How long do you forsee this US$500 DIY machine (sans monitor) to last you, on the assumption of course that the machine does not need any components to be upgraded in its lifetime? I mean, do you upgrade on the fly (as and when needs arise or budget allows) or would purchase brand new stuff each time you need a new and improved system?

And, if you need a monitor, what size monitor do you want? What resolution do you play on?
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#3 Old 26th Dec 2012 at 11:45 PM
The monitor I have, but I would have to purchase a keyboard + mouse. USD, yes. Well, I've never upgraded a machine before, so I can't say how often I upgrade. I would most likely upgrade when budget allows. On my laptop, I currently play on 1024 x 768 resolution. Anything higher and I have difficulty seeing.
Scholar
#4 Old 27th Dec 2012 at 8:52 AM
What size is the monitor? What is its native resolution?
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#5 Old 28th Dec 2012 at 3:16 AM
Well, it's fairly old and currently in the garage in a box with my mom'sold computer, but if I had to guess, it's probably between 15" and 17" inches, and 800x600 resolution.
In the Arena
retired moderator
#6 Old 28th Dec 2012 at 6:28 AM
VGA connector, I bet?
Confirm using that, then? Are you gonna be testing if the monitor still works by hooking it up to the laptop first...or...?
That would determine budget, no? If it no longer works, we need to include it in the shopping list and adjust your requirements.

On the purchase/upgrade cycle - the reason I ask is the length determines how good or baseline of a component to get for which parts. So we can allocate the correct amount of the budget to the proper parts that deserve it. If you're going to be upgrading everytime there's a new model out when budget allows (whether or not you need it), then we can settle for a weak part now to work within budget, since it is going to be replaced every six months when new models are released anyway. If you're the kind to only upgrade when the thing is on its last breath, then we need to get a good part that fits the budget so we can ensure it has longevity, and allocate less of the budget to other parts.

It all depends on your usage patterns and spending habits.
I know of folks who only has time to game on the weekends for @2-4hours, maybe like once a month and their machine last them 4-6 years with proper system maintenance. Well, in most cases, maintained by me.
I also know of folks who game everyday for 6hrs each and they wear out their machines every 12-24mths and get a new system every 2 years (or sooner).

So, how often do you play and how are you on machines? Do you
- abuse them : play 6-12hrs a day and keep up with Windows & driver & virus updates, do system maintenance consistently with virus scans and system checks or
- neglect them : hardly play other than web surfing with little or no system maintenance?

Just need to make sure, with the budget you stipulated, you have the correct level of expectations of the machine and its capability and longevity. US$500 (without monitor) may mean you troubleshoot more than you play Sims 3, is all I'm saying.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#7 Old 28th Dec 2012 at 8:14 AM
Well, to put the whole maintenance thing into perspective, I've had my Toshiba Satellite P105 for about 5 or so years now, and it still runs well for its age. I dust the inside of it every couple of weeks, clean up all the junk files and do general maintenance once a week, except for defragment, which I do every few months. So it still runs well. However, it lags a bit when I play The Sims 3 probably because of all the EPs, SPs and patches. If I didn't have all of the EPs, or just the base game and a few EPs, I think it would run better.

To answer your question, except for the 6 to 12 hrs a day thing, I'd say I "abuse" my laptop. I try to keep my Sims 3 playing sessions to about an hour, hour and a half at most, due to my GFX card overheating and Error code 12 issues upon saving if I play too long.

I tested the monitor and it works just fine
In the Arena
retired moderator
#8 Old 29th Dec 2012 at 4:38 PM
I can't get everything within $500, not without seriously compromising Sims 3 performance. The part list below is without the Casing, and the total is already US$527.87
I also believe casing is a personal choice and depends on your needs (how many USB ports you need, do they need to be at the top or the front, etc) that we have not yet discussed, so I'll leave that up to you to select.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($109.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B75M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($26.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7750 1GB Video Card ($96.97 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($22.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Other: Logitech MK120 Black USB Wired Slim Desktop ($20.99)
Total: $527.87
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-29 11:12 EST-0500)

Here are some links from other tech sites with a $500 budget and you should note that most of that state that it is not a gaming machine. For those that do state it is a mediocre gaming machine, the processor may not have the processing power and longevity that you hope for, but with your usage and maintenance habits, you could probably prolong its lifetime. The benchmark is as shown http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php...850+%40+2.90GHz

I use these websites linked below to check for hierarchy/benchmark to decide on a particular model, make comparisons. I use sites like Amazon and Newegg to read user reviews, which is better than the Tech Site's reviews as they may be biased for the manufacturer, if they get sponsorships and what not. And, of course, research, research, research! What I mean is to input the model number with the terms "issues", "problems", "callback", etc into a search engine and see what is returned. For example, is there a lot of user complaining or giving good feedback?
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#9 Old 31st Dec 2012 at 10:41 PM
Thank you for your recommendations. I'll keep them in mind
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#10 Old 28th Jan 2013 at 3:39 AM
Back again with another possible build. Have a looksie if you will:

CPU: AMD A8-5600K 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($98.99 @ Amazon)

Motherboard: Asus F2A55-M LE Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard ($74.99 @ Amazon)

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($27.98 @ NCIX US)

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Microcenter)

Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 6670 1GB Video Card ($56.97 @ Newegg)

Case: Cooler Master Elite 431 Plus (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 400W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)

Keyboard: Logitech MK120 Wired Slim Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($16.89 @ Amazon)
Total: $501.75

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-27 22:38 EST-0500)

How would this do?
In the Arena
retired moderator
#11 Old 2nd Feb 2013 at 2:14 PM
Do you have a lot of USB peripherals always plugged in? Printer, scanner, speaker, tablet, phone, external HDDs, etc?
Minimum PSU in requirements do state 400W, but having a bit extra also mean you don't have to upgrade the PSU, if ever you want to upgrade the GPU when next you purchase a bigger monitor or when your needs for better graphics kicks in...
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#12 Old 3rd Feb 2013 at 5:04 AM
Well, I guess I'd have to say no. I don't have my own printer, scanner, phone, etc. About the only USB devices I have and will have would be a flash drive, a wireless internet USB device and my Wacom tablet, which I don't use all that much anyway. Would a 500W or higher be a better choice? Because I know for Sapphire's 6670 card, they explicity state that a minimum 400W PSU is recommended for that particular card...
In the Arena
retired moderator
#13 Old 4th Feb 2013 at 4:01 AM
If it is a good PSU with good reviews, then I don't have a problem with meeting the exact recommended minimum. I don't have any experience with Antec PSUs, to have an opinion personally; just what I read on websites. And it cost $40 now (this 80 Plus certified model) on newegg, with about $5 more, you get the Corsair model (80 Plus Bronze) that more people buy, but have more % of failures due to the higher number of purchases and reviews submitted. Both offer 3 year warranties.
The Antec: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...N82E16817371029 - 15% 1 egg reviews out of 148 submitted (unless this is the wrong model?)
The Corsair: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...N82E16817139026 - 20% 1 egg reviews out of 539 submitted

The PSU is absolutely not the part to skimp on. It should be the most carefully selected part, as it is usually the part that you can bring across to other machines (if it is still working), when you next upgrade. And cheaper parts wear off faster. I mean, there's a reason the certification is just 80 Plus versus 80 Plus Bronze or 80 Plus Gold, right? Which is the reason I normally go a little extra on the wattage requirements - to give myself room if I ever want to upgrade my GPU - so I don't have to upgrade the PSU then too. Spend a tad more up front and save later.

There's also a reason my parts list does not include an APU. Sooner or later they turn up on these forums with issues. So, does the i3 actually, but I tried to work with the budget given.
- http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=482522
- http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=495435 & http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=496535
- http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=496279
The list by no means is limited to just these threads, there are lots more (Just enter the term "APU" in Sims 3 Help, and get 12 threads returned in the search results). Even more if you search outside of MTS.

I still say, save longer and raise the budget to $800ish, at least. You'll get less frustrations in dealing with issues when the game fails. Trust me!
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#14 Old 4th Feb 2013 at 9:26 PM
I've been reading up on the APUs and decided against one. Right now I'm interested in either an Athlon II X4 640, Athlon II X3 460, Phenom II X4 955 BE or an FX 4100. All of those have great reviews, are reasonably priced and good for not just gaming, but general everyday tasks as well. Also, I was looking into an HD 7750 or HD 7770, depending on what CPU I end up going with. The FX 4100 retails for about $104 on Newegg, which is the highest priced of my choices. At my local computer shop, they have the Athlon II X4 for $75, and the Phenom II X4 955 for only $5 more. And from what I've been able to find out, the Athlon II X3 460 is the same price as the A II X4, but has a higher clock speed but only 3 cores. If I end up going with one of these three, I can probably work an HD 7770 card into my budget. If I end up going with the FX-4100 though, I'll probably have to end up going with an HD 6670 and only 4 GBs of RAM. And, in addition to the Athlon II X3 or X4 and HD 7770 card, I might be able to work 8GBs into my budget, which is what I want.

I'm so confused, lol.
In the Arena
retired moderator
#15 Old 5th Feb 2013 at 8:20 AM
In terms of choosing a component, my take is
- get newer if possible (longer lifespan and support from manufacturers, in terms of downloads - BIOS, drivers, etc)
- get older, only if it still outperforms everything else that is new in the market today, but still at the same price point
- get the versatile, multi-function, multi-support one over any other (for future-proofing). This is especially for motherboards. For example, get an AM3+ motherboard that supports all those chipsets. Or get a motherboard that supports both Crossfire and SLI tech so you're not locked in to any one thing. If you care for such things, that is.
- it is OK not to get the highest benchmarked component (even if it is within budget), as that means you have a path to upgrade to. This is especially true for CPUs & GPUs.

Future-proofing is a good concept, but it is hard to achieve. And with how hardware gets cheaper and released faster these days, it is all a matter of what you need, when, and at what price. There's no point getting the biggest and baddest now if it is way too expensive as it won't remain the best for long. Also kind of defeats the purpose of getting the best if you're only using 10% of its full potential, and you're just paying that premium cost for nothing. If one tends to not upgrade withing 4-8 years, then future-proofing is essential. But like I said, this is kinda difficult. At some point, you just have to believe that this configuration is the best at this point of time, for this price.

Quote: Originally posted by Lady Aran
I'm so confused, lol.
Isn't this Fun? I love putting lists together as I'm not the one spending any $$$.
Main thing - choose something that meets the games'/apps' requirement and your requirement based on usage and upgrade habits, that meets your current needs now, while juggling everything within budget.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#16 Old 16th Feb 2013 at 6:23 AM
Back again, this time with wonderful news! I now have a $600 budget as opposed to a $500, yippee! That being said, I'm still sticking with AMD to run my build, preferably an FX-4300, Phenom II X4 965 BE, or FX-6300 -- both FX series chips are "Vishera" instead of "Zambezi". GFX card is either going to be a GTX 560 Ti, or HD 7750. Honestly, I'm a little nervous because I noticed in MTS System Requirements page, they suggest an i5 CPU or great for later EPs, and I really can't afford one of those, and don't particularly want anything Intel if I can help it.

Suggestions?
Field Researcher
#17 Old 20th Feb 2013 at 11:41 PM
Why do you not want an Intel chip? I have nothing against AMD and in fact for years every system I built had ONLY AMD motherboards and CPU. But then they started having some production/reliability issues and the customer service is more like customer abuse, so ... I'm not so fond of them anymore.

Well anyway...

I wouldn't settle for an i5 as the vast majority of them do not support hyperthreading and you almost might just as well stick with the i3s. You really want an i7 quad core with hyper-threading (which I think they ALL support). Or equivalent.

I'm partial to the ATI cards for no particular reason. Well, I've had a whole series of them actually and they've all been very reliable, even when other graphics cards were melting in their own heat, LOL! I have an ATI Radeon HD now and I'll be getting a system in a couple days with a better ATI Radeon HD which my son is replacing with a brand new rig with yet another ATI Radeon HD. We've had good experiences with them.

I know money's too tight to mention for just about everybody these days but if you have to hold on and wait awhile while you save up another $100 or so, it'll pay off in the long run. Don't skimp on the CPU, is what I'm trying to say. You really do need an i7-class processor running at something over 2.6-ish GHz. The closer you can get to 3.0 the happier you will be in the long run.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#18 Old 21st Feb 2013 at 3:40 AM
Well, AMD's FX-6300 is clocked at 3.5 GHz at stock, is six cores AND is unlocked, allowing for potential overclocking if I ever get the guts to do so. The FX-4300 is clocked at 3.8 GHz, is four cores and unlocked as well. Both cost around the same price point for the i3-3220, which is only a dual core. And honestly, I see dual core CPUs becoming obsolete within the next few years, especially when it comes to gaming. And as, I understand The Sims 3, unlike The Sims 2, actually does benefit from extra cores. To be completely honest, I can't see myself spending $250-$300 for an i7 for three very important reasons -- 1. I don't play a lot of PC games. 2. It's only The Sims 3 not Crysis 3. and lastly, compared with the i5, the performance gains from an i7 aren't enough to justify the insane price point.
Field Researcher
#19 Old 21st Feb 2013 at 2:30 PM
i7 OR EQUIVALENT.

They are quad core, where the i3s are dual core. The i5, which is what you had originally mentioned, is technically quad core but since most of them do not support hyperthreading, they operate about the same as dual core.

I have no particular opinion re brand of CPU chip, just make sure it operates at at least i7 level (whether it's actually an Intel chip or not).
 
Back to top