The Best Laptops to Play The Sims 4 on in 2024

Discovering the right laptop for playing The Sims 4 can be the difference between building a virtual utopia and experiencing pixelated disappointment. This guide focuses on the best laptops to play The Sims 4 on, scrutinizing their capabilities, performance, and features. Enthusiasts and casual gamers will both find laptops that meet their Sims needs and exceed their expectations in this comprehensive Game Rant rundown.

Searching for additional gaming gear on a budget? Check out the Best Gaming PCs Under $1000, and for those looking to elevate their auditory experience, the Best Gaming Headsets Under $75 in 2024 guide offers amazing options.

The Sims 4: PC Requirements Breakdown

The Sims 4 is a title that has been out since 2014 and most of its officially recommended specifications pertain to hardware that is already outdated and very difficult to source. The team at Game Rant helps users by picking more modern alternatives to the suggested specifications by EA as listed below:

Minimum

• Operating system: 64-bit required. Windows 10
• Processor (CPU): 3.3 GHz Intel Core i3-3220 (2 cores, 4 threads), AMD Ryzen 3 1200 3.1 GHz (4 cores) or better
• Memory (RAM): At least 4 GB RAM
• Hard drive (free space): At least 25 GB of free space with at least 1 GB additional space for custom content and saved games.
• Disc drive: DVD-ROM drive required for installation from disc only, for physical copies of the game.
• Graphics card (video): 128 MB of Video RAM and support for Pixel Shader 3.0
• Supported Graphics cards: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 or better, ATI Radeon X1300 or better, Intel GMA X4500 or better
• DirectX version: DirectX 11 Compatible
• Input: Keyboard and mouse
• Internet connection online requirements: Required for game activation and optional for game updates

Recommended

• Operating system: 64-bit Windows 10
• Processor: Intel Core i5 (4 cores) or faster, AMD Ryzen 5 or better
• Memory (RAM): 8 GB RAM
• Hard drive (free space): At least 50 GB of free space with at least 1 GB additional space for custom content and saved games
• DVD drive: DVD-ROM drive required for installation from disc only
• Graphics card (video): 1 GB of Video RAM, NVIDIA GTX 650, AMD Radeon HD 7750, or better
• Direct X version: DirectX 11 Compatible
• Input: Keyboard and mouse
• Internet connection: Required for game activation and optional for game updates

Playing The Sims 4 On A Laptop In 2024

There have been some changes since the title’s release. It is now available extensively online even as physical DVDs have become a rarity with little to no support in modern computers, making them a moot point. The Sims 4 runs smoothly on Windows 11 even as all modern builds of Windows 10 continue to support it and all current-generation processors on gaming PCs and laptops have at least 4 physical cores, making its CPU requirements an easy-to-meet affair.

With modest GPU requirements and 8GB of RAM recommended most users should be more than able to meet the requirements for The Sims 4 without any issues. Those with an extensive amount of DLC purchases, both expansion packs and add-ons alike, might want to add to their storage, especially since the base game recommends 25GB without accounting for these while pushing its recommendations up to 50GB once they are in play. Using a modern SSD is recommended by the team at Game Rant to have a better experience versus the recommended HDD space on offer for the Sims 4.

When choosing a laptop to play The Sims 4, even with its somewhat limited hardware requirements, it helps to keep the following things in mind to ensure one has the best possible experience in 2024:

• Performance: Ensure the laptop has a decent CPU and GPU to handle the game smoothly without either being a significant bottleneck for the other. As a rule, most laptop CPUs, gaming or otherwise are slower than their equivalent desktop counterparts, and poor performance can result in sluggish gameplay and longer loading times.
• Display Quality: A laptop with a high-resolution screen enhances the visual experience, making the intricate details of the Sims world come alive. The default refresh limit for The Sims 4 is 200Hz so having a high-end display that provides accurate colors while having the ability to push 200Hz or higher refresh rates is beneficial for gamers on the go.
• Battery Life: Gaming can be time-consuming; opt for a laptop with robust battery life to avoid the need to recharge during longer gameplay sessions. Laptops tend to consume more battery when gaming or performing CPU and GPU intensive tasks so the standard battery life claims for most laptops might not hold while playing The Sims 4.
• RAM and SSD/HDD Space: While The Sims 4 has modest storage and memory requirements, adding a plethora of DLC add-ons and 3rd party mods can quickly increase the hardware requirements of the title, sometimes tremendously so. It might be good practice therefore to aim for at least twice the minimum/recommended hardware specs as stated by EA for The Sims 4.

These are the Best Laptops to play The Sims 4 on

For those Sims 4 players who want nothing less than the best, the Acer Nitro 17 Gaming Laptop is the quintessential option. Right out of the box, its AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS Octa-Core Processor delivers a gaming experience that is fluid, responsive, and remarkably quick. This processor is designed to handle modern games and ensures that Sims 4 runs with its graphical settings cranked to the max without any bottlenecks thereby unlocking the full potential of the game’s visual capabilities.

The Acer Nitro 17, however, is not just a one-trick pony focusing solely on processing speed. The accompanying NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU brings efficiency and performance to the table allowing users to truly enjoy The Sims 4 the way it was meant to be played on a laptop display. The 165Hz QHD display ensures that gameplay can be rendered, offering a level of responsiveness that complements the laptop’s internal horsepower.

With components like 16GB DDR5 Memory, a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, and Wi-Fi 6E support on offer, this is truly a laptop that leaves no stone unturned in delivering a great experience to users looking for something that can hold its own for years to come.

The 15.6-inch MSI Katana 15 is a powerful gaming laptop that can handle most, if not all of a user’s needs when it comes to gaming in 2024. As a result, it is also a compelling candidate for playing the Sims 4 with all its expansions, 3rd party mods, and even some RTX-enabling 3rd party add-ons. Its secret sauce is simply a beefy CPU and GPU combo at a price point that makes it a significantly alluring alternative to most of its competition in the market.

At the same time, it packs a respectable 1TB of PCI-E 4.0 SSD space and the requisite 16GB of RAM for other titles, even as it offers double the recommended RAM for EA’s title, making it exceed requirements on both counts while it ships with the latest Windows 11 OS out of the box.

Users might, however, feel that the display on offer on the Katana 15 could be better, and significantly so, with most of its peers either offering better display tech, a higher resolution, or a higher refresh rate. The first 2 of these should somewhat impact a user’s Sims 4 sessions, but given the price point, it seems to be a somewhat necessary sacrifice in 2024.

This, coupled with its battery life constraints does pull the Katana back despite it offering plenty of power under the hood, making it a strong performance-centric candidate for users looking to do more than the basics when it comes to play Sims 4 on the go.

For gamers on a tighter budget, the MSI GV15 15.6″ 144Hz Gaming Laptop is a great option that costs just over $600 while meeting all of their needs for The Sims 4 going into 2024 with relative ease. It houses a decent Intel Core i5 CPU and a DLSS-capable RTX 3050 GPU along with 512GB of storage which is adequate for the game itself even as it offers excellent value for money while cutting corners to keep within a certain price range.

This also means that gamers might find the limited SSD storage somewhat insufficient for other titles along with Windows and a completely decked out The Sims 4 install, making it, along with its lower battery life, one of the few complaints users could have at the price point it currently offers.

For the Sims 4 aficionado seeking a laptop that offers top-tier performance, look no further than the ASUS ROG Strix G16. With a 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13980HX processor, this machine effortlessly handles complex simulations, ensuring that your virtual lives run as smoothly as possible. The laptop also boasts a powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, offering excellent frame rates and vibrant visuals. When it comes to display, the 240Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time elevate gameplay to professional levels. Adding to the spectacle, the QHD 240Hz panel offers 100% sRGB color accuracy and features Dolby Vision support for users looking to do design work on the side.

Despite its power, the Strix G16 also takes care to manage heat effectively, thanks to the ROG Intelligent Cooling system. Featuring Thermal Grizzly’s Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal on the CPU and a third intake fan, the laptop ensures sustained performance over extended gaming sessions. The laptop comes with a 1TB M2 PCI-E 4.0 high-speed SSD that can be easily extended further if the need arises thanks to an addition.

In summary, for those seeking an exceptional Sims 4 experience, the ASUS ROG Strix G16 offers outstanding performance, solid build quality, and thermals that should keep things humming for those long sessions that The Sims 4 is notorious for.

The HP Victus 15.6″ Gaming Laptop emerges as a solid contender for those keen on enjoying Sims 4 without splurging. It’s powered by an Intel Core i5-12450H processor that performs exceptionally well for mainstream gaming titles. Alongside that, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card ensures that users can play Sims 4 on medium settings without any hitches. Its 512GB SSD offers ample storage space for game files, expansions, and even other titles. The backlit Chiclet Keyboard with Num-key adds a functional flair, allowing for more comfortable gaming in dimly lit environments.

However, there are a few aspects where the HP Victus shows its budget nature. For instance, the 8GB of RAM might not offer the best multitasking capabilities, especially for those who like to run multiple applications or browser tabs alongside their gaming sessions. Additionally, the device comes with Windows 10 Home meaning that users might have to spend time upgrading to the latest OS down the line (The Sims 4 works with both, Windows 10 and 11). Despite these minor drawbacks, it’s hard to find a more balanced laptop for Sims 4 at this price range.

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (RTX 4060) Gaming Laptop is a powerful gaming laptop that can handle the demanding needs of gamers looking to play both new and old games like The Sims 4 on demand in 2024. It offers an excellent HDR display with a sharp 2K resolution coupled with a powerful Ryzen 9 CPU and a decent RTX 4060 GPU which means it can easily max out The Sims 4 on PC without any issues.

As a compact and lightweight laptop that offers plenty of storage and decent battery life, it will appeal to users looking to game on the go or in a variety of situations that its display-capable USB-C port and the HDMI 2.1-specced hardware enable with ease. Some users might not like the fact that the G14 is a compact gaming laptop unlike most of its peers and might want to consider getting a gaming monitor or display to go with it.

The G14 happens to trade with a significantly large discount in tow currently at Best Buy, making it a significantly better option versus its competition, especially with a large $600 discount at the time of writing that means users can pick up a premium compact gaming laptop for a deep price cut that can not only handle the Sims 4, its expansions but also host a variety of mods without having any performance issues whatsoever.

How to Choose the Ideal Laptop for Playing Sims 4

Selecting the perfect laptop for playing The Sims 4 hinges on several critical specifications and performance metrics. Consider these key points:

• Processor and Graphics: Sims 4 may not be the most graphically intensive game, but a fast processor coupled with a decent GPU can enhance gameplay and reduce stuttering in the game especially when gaming on battery.
• Display and Resolution: A Full HD display should be considered the baseline in visual immersion for 2024. For those interested in more detailed and vibrant graphics, consider a laptop with a higher-resolution display.
• RAM: The game itself recommends at least 4GB, but recommends 8GB or more to provide more seamless gameplay especially when expansions are in play.
• Storage: A Solid State Drive (SSD) is recommended over a Hard Disk Drive (HDD). SSDs offer quicker load and save times, which is a bonus for games like Sims 4 that involve frequent loading of different game states and scenarios.

Focusing on these key specifications makes it so that anyone can make an informed choice when selecting a laptop for Sims 4, ensuring an enjoyable gaming experience for all.

FAQ

Q: Can a regular laptop run Sims 4?

Absolutely. Sims 4 is designed to be accessible and can run on regular laptops with moderate specifications. However, a gaming laptop will offer a smoother, more immersive experience.

Q: Can I play Sims 4 on HP laptop?

Yes, many HP laptops, including budget options like the HP Victus, are capable of running Sims 4 smoothly. Always check the laptop’s specifications against the game’s requirements for the best experience.

Q: Is a desktop or laptop better for The Sims 4?

While desktops generally offer higher performance capabilities, modern gaming laptops have significantly narrowed the gap. The choice between a desktop and laptop for Sims 4 largely depends on personal preferences for mobility and setup space.