Help me buy a new gaming computer

[Beebo Brink]

Any recommendations for a custom gaming computer company that builds a box that runs SL (and the Sims 4). Any place I should avoid?

I'm treating myself, expense be damned, since this is one of the few pleasures left in my life. And after Trump gets in office, replacing my aging system will most likely be even more expensive.

ETA: Reviewing my computer specs, I currently have Windows 10 Pro on a computer with:

Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3570 CPU @ 3.40GHz 3.40 GHz
Installed RAM: 16.0 GB (15.9 GB usable)
System type: 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760

And to be fair, it works really well for me, both in SL and for The Sims 4. Maybe I just need to chill and appreciate the status quo.

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

Most local computer stores are great about this. I don't know what's near you, but I mostly recommend you steer clear of the big brands and big box stores like Alienware. Many of those brands have good hardware, but also huge markups.

Microcenter might be the biggest chain that is still kind of reputable for this.... (if you got one near you). You probably want a midrange computer to run SL and Sims. ...though if you are concerned about things like tariffs making it a lot more expensive later, it might make sense to just splurge on their top of the line system and take good care of it for a long while!

 

[Beebo Brink]

Most local computer stores are great about this. I don't know what's near you, but I mostly recommend you steer clear of the big brands and big box stores like Alienware.

I just browsed through a configuration chart for a custom build from Origin and I was so far out my depth.

AMD or Intel? Radeon or NVIDIA?

I have no clue what would suit my needs better, and they didn't even have an internal CD player. I'm soooo confused. SIgh.

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

I just browsed through a configuration chart for a custom build from Origin and I was so far out my depth.

AMD or Intel? Radeon or NVIDIA?

I have no clue what would suit my needs better, and they didn't even have an internal CD player. I'm soooo confused. SIgh.

NVIDIA is dominating the market for GPU's for good reason. If you ever want to play around with AI generation on your own machine, NVIDIA gives you a lot more options. But just to run SL and Sim's, it likely doesn't matter that much. I'm running an AMD processor on this machine and never really had an issue. But Intel is also just fine I think.

And yes! Internal CD players are Waaaaay out of style. It's all digital now. Everyone just downloads games and such with no disks needed. That shocked me too a few years ago. But you obviously want USB ports for flash drives sometimes.

 

[Anya Ristow]

What do you currently have?

 

[Beebo Brink]

What do you currently have?

I ninja edited my OP to include that info. Got in just after your question. Sorry about that!

 

[Anya Ristow]

You weren't kidding when you said it was aging!

Reason I ask is "expense be damned" has a very large range to different people, so it's important to know how much it would take to greatly improve your setup. You can do a lot better for not a lot of money.

But I'll leave specific recommendations to people who have more recent experience with SL. Last I signed in, in 2021?, the SL viewer was still locked to one core and refused to use anywhere near the full memory capacity of even a modest video card, and I'm betting those things are still true.

I understand SL has a new lighting scheme, and people are asking what it takes to make it work well, and it seems it did not launch in a good state, so it may be too soon to say what ultimately will be required to run it well, but a modern, modest card and processor is going to be a gigantic leap for you.

BTW you are on the **60 series NVIDIA cards, but so many generations old that anything in the current **60 series is going to be a gigantic leap. Let's see...760 -> 960 (there wasn't a desktop 860, was there?) -> 1060 (this is where budget **60 cards peaked in value) -> 1660 -> 2060 -> 3060 -> 4060.

I suspect a 4060 is going to be overkill for SL, but it's still a modest card. More expensive than **60 cards of the past, though! There isn't a 4050 as far as I know, but there is a 3050 and it probably costs about what you paid for your 760. I'll leave it to someone who knows better whether it's a good card for SL.

Something else to consider is your computer isn't going to upgrade to Windows 11, and Windows 10 support ends next year, so it's not a bad time to get a new machine.

 

[Beebo Brink]

You weren't kidding when you said it was aging!

I really appreciate the quick response and the review of my specs, as well as the warning for updating Windows. My how time flies. (And btw, Hello!! Good to see you around again.)

I'm comfortable spending up to $2,000 for a new computer, but could probably talk myself into bumping that up another $500 or so if my expectations are as outdated as my computer.

It's the program/content migration that gives me the most anxiety. Although, since retiring, I don't have nearly as much must-have software. And I'm really overdue for updating Microsoft Office (I'm still on 2013), so that's less of a migration problem since I'll just leave it behind. However, I somehow ended up activating OneDrive and have no idea whether that makes migration to another computer easier or more difficult.

 

[Anya Ristow]

Hello, and thanks!

You will easily find something for $2000. That will get you something in the neighborhood of 4070 ti, which is multiple generations newer and a step and a half up the product line from what you have. Memory is cheap these days, so 32G is standard and is plenty. Someone will chime in on what the point of diminishing return is for SL, and I suspect it will be a lot less than 4070 ti. It will be even less for Sims 4. Any processor the system builders are going to put in a $2000 computer will be a giant leap forward for you. AMD is winning in efficiency and the longevity of their platforms, and in the recent generation even beating Intel on performance, but mid tier they are comparable. You got this covered!

For PC builders, another big name is NZXT BLD, another is ibuypower, and another is cyberpowerpc. Origin is highly rated and probably a little more expensive. If you are into diving into rabbit holes, there are comparisons and secret shopper comparisons of these vendors available on youtube tech channels.

There are multiple levels of commitment you can have with OneDrive. I used it to transfer files between work and home, but it keeps wanting to know if I want to store everything there, and I don't. For one, that probably costs money.

You didn't say if your budget needs to include a new monitor. Even if it does, you're still going to find something for $2000.

 

[Beebo Brink]

You will easily find something for $2000.

Oh good! Glad to hear my budget is realistic.

I was hoping to find a local computer store that does custom builds, but the closest possibility I've found so far is a tech repair shop about a 30-minute drive to a neighboring state. If that doesn't pan out, I'll have to go online. Can't say I'm surprised that West Virginia isn't overflowing with custom computer nerds. We're not exactly a magnet for high tech. Sigh.

 

[Beebo Brink]

Most local computer stores are great about this. I don't know what's near you, but I mostly recommend you steer clear of the big brands and big box stores like Alienware. Many of those brands have good hardware, but also huge markups... Microcenter might be the biggest chain that is still kind of reputable for this.... (if you got one near you).

The only computer store around here, or anywhere within comfortable driving distance, is Best Buy. I've never owned an off-the-shelf PC. I went from an iMac directly to a custom-built PC that I put together, and then my current box which I also built almost ten years ago. But I'm not up to assembling my own box again, my eyesight can't handle the close work and my nerves can't handle the stress. I will happily pay someone to do it for me, if I can find anyone who does that.

Anyway, I have a possibly irrational distrust of buying an off-the-shelf system, even though I'm well beyond the point where I need to have a case that I can open up to repair. But I'm willing to be talked into it if it makes more sense?

 

[Anya Ristow]

Anyway, I have a possibly irrational distrust of buying an off-the-shelf system, even though I'm well beyond the point where I need to have a case that I can open up to repair. But I'm willing to be talked into it if it makes more sense?

You are on the right track looking into Origin PC and the like. Dell will sell you a system that will easily handle SL, and it may even be priced well if you catch their frequent sales, but it will have the least amount of cooling they can get away with one the case, the power supply, to processor and the video card. They are notorious for including video cards that skimp on cooling.

Micro Center will build you a computer, but I doubt there will be one near you. Look, though.

FWIW I watched this video so you don't have to lol. The money shot is at 12:53, where he has spec'd out a $1250 gaming PC for the DIY crowd, though he omitted an operating system because he likes to use sketchy licensing vendors for that. Windows adds about $120, if you buy it from traditional sellers. You used to be able to install WIndows 10 without paying for it and the only downside was a watermark in the lower right part of the screen and you can't customize as much. And I'm not sure you can still do that with Windows 11. But anyway, a PC builder (and the off-the-shelf PCs) will include Windows for you, so that goes a long way toward covering the premium they charge for building it for you. They tend to be $100-$300 more than building it yourself, though they often come in on the lower end of that.

$1250 gaming PC, youtube

BTW I really like Dell office PCs. They are small and quiet and easy to open up and swap parts, and parts become available on ebay once the model is old enough to hit the reseller market. But I wouldn't buy one with a video card in it. Some of them will take a card you add yourself, but you have to be careful because they don't always leave enough room for one, or have power available for it.

 

[Essence Lumin]

Can't say I'm surprised that West Virginia isn't overflowing with custom computer nerds. We're not exactly a magnet for high tech. Sigh.

I have no idea where you are in WV. I see it is a 3 1/2 hour drive from Morgantown to the nearest Microcenter in Fairfax VA which is a bit much!

 

[Beebo Brink]

I have no idea where you are in WV. I see it is a 3 1/2 hour drive from Morgantown to the nearest Microcenter in Fairfax VA which is a bit much!

I'm in the panhandle, but Fairfax is still about a 2-hour drive, ending with teeth-gritting traffic. My current aspiration is to never again go near the DC Metro area in what is left of my lifetime.

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

The only computer store around here, or anywhere within comfortable driving distance, is Best Buy. I've never owned an off-the-shelf PC. I went from an iMac directly to a custom-built PC that I put together, and then my current box which I also built almost ten years ago. But I'm not up to assembling my own box again, my eyesight can't handle the close work and my nerves can't handle the stress. I will happily pay someone to do it for me, if I can find anyone who does that.

Anyway, I have a possibly irrational distrust of buying an off-the-shelf system, even though I'm well beyond the point where I need to have a case that I can open up to repair. But I'm willing to be talked into it if it makes more sense?

Yeah, best buy is not high on my recommendation list. They'll sell you a good PC, but charge a bit too much. Anya seems to have the right idea.

 

[Anya Ristow]

Bumping this to see if someone can answer this:

What is the point of diminishing returns on a video card for SL (and Sims 4)?

You can easily spend 1/3 to 1/2 your budget on a video card, but does it make sense to do so for SL?

My experience, from dementia-compromised, three-year-old memory of the last I signed in...

I have a 2070 and an 8th-gen i7 (2018 vintage), and I was able to play with every setting maxxed, and my experience was more limited by server performance than my system performance, but there were STILL some settings I could reduce to improve frame rate, in some circumstances, so I can't say a 2070 was overkill. But it probably was. SL definitely didn't make use of the memory of modern cards. Has that changed?

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

I have a 3080 and a 12th gen i7. I moved up from a 1070 and a something something i7 from about 2018 as well. The 1070 was still performing Just Great! But what kicked its ass was my monitor crapped out and I replaced it with a 4K, something the 1070 was not ready for.

And now the 3080 is not ready for 4K and SL PBR.

Sigh.

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

To throw my hat into the ring:

CPU: AMD for the moment, period. Why? 1. because Intel has had series quality issues with 13th and 14th gen CPUs due to lousy quality assurance, and they didn't even had the courtesy to replace them. Instead you get some extended warranty only (Intel’s crashing 13th and 14th Gen CPUs get two additional years of warranty coverage). 2. AMD CPUs deliver also more bang for the buck, and are constantly eating at Intel's market share, also in the server area.

GPU: a mid range Radeon should do the job, like Radeon RX 7800 XT. Nvidia has the most performant graphics cards though which are charged highly though, 1500-2000$ for a Geforce 4090. Next generation is by the way right around the corner. If Nvidia, maybe something like the 4070 is a good fit.

If you got a soft spot for underdogs and want the best performance per dollar Intel ARC 770 is the way to go, which you can get around 300 bucks. It's got some quirks, like little bit higher power usage just in 2D mode and so. Next generation of Intels GPUs will probably presented soon named Battlemage. Issue is with Intel being Intel at the moment nobody really knows what Intel will do after that, it seems though so far they will continue to make them.

 

[Beebo Brink]

I would be more than happy with just modest gains in performance and graphic quality over what I have right now. So my main take away is that I can comfortably do that on my budgeted amount. As for the details, they are overwhelming and confusing, so I will take notes but present those to someone who can make sense of them and assemble the box for me. Still working on finding out who that someone will be.

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

I only really look at parts when I'm actively thinking about upgrading, so I don't know enough about what's going on right this moment to be able to make specific recommendations. What I will recommend though is that if you've set a budget that you're definitely comfortable with, then max it out. Like if you are willing to set aside $2000 and you find a really robust system that you think meets all of your needs for $1500 or so, then just start choosing upgrades from there until you reach $2000 and spend all of it, or as close as you can get. GPU tiers are insane but $150 or so might easily get you the next tier CPU. If you can't really upgrade the system components themselves any more without blowing past the budget or because the gain is so small as to not be worth it, then spend the balance on storage (if that's something you know you use) or peripherals. A new mouse, a monitor...UPS needs new batteries? Get them now while you can easily spare the cash. Like you said, you'll want to have to buy as little as possible for your computer over the next four years at least.