The 5 Best Budget Laptops for The Sims 4
A nearly decade-old game, The Sims 4, is one of the most popular games even today.
With new content still being added to the game, usually in paid DLCs, players might want to come back and replay the game again. Or maybe you’ve never played The Sims 4 and want to check it out for the first time, that’s fine too.
Your old console from back in 2014 might be collecting dust in your attic, you might have sold it when funds were getting low, or maybe it just broke down after many years of gaming.
Laptops are always a solid option that can be used for more than just gaming.
In this blog post, we’re going over the 5 best budget laptops for The Sims 4.
1. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 Laptop
If you are looking for the best laptop budget option then look no further than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3.
The specs on this laptop are more than capable of running the game on the highest quality settings with no issue.
As a bonus, it even comes with Windows 11 installed, so you’ll have access to the latest Microsoft software and features.
The hard drive on this thing is pretty small, but don’t worry, The Sims 4 only needs about 20GBs of storage space. This laptop has 256GB which is more than enough, but if you want to play more games and use other applications then you’ll soon find yourself running out of storage in no time.
Overall, this is a great budget laptop if you just want something simple that can play The Sims 4, as well as other games too. This laptop is also great for school, work, and everyday use.
Pros:
- Great budget-friendly price
- Can run The Sims 4 at the highest quality
- Comes with extra features like Windows 11, webcams, and fan controls
Cons:
- Limited storage space
- Battery life is short
2. Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop
You might have looked at the price of the first laptop and thought this is a great option, but can you go lower?
The answer is yes, yes we can!
Introducing the Acer Aspire 5 slim laptop which is even more budget-friendly than the first option.
Keep in mind that the cheaper price does mean that its specs are a bit weaker than the previous option as well.
It also doesn’t come with Windows 11 installed if that was something you were interested in.
That being said, it can run The Sims 4 without issue. Fortunately, The Sims 4 is an older game, many cheap laptops, even those not primarily designed for gaming can run it easily.
This is also another great option if you want a laptop for college or office, or just need it for everyday use like online shopping and video streaming.
Pros:
- Even cheaper than the last option!
- Able to run The Sims 4 without issue
- Lightweight and easy to carry around
Cons:
- Even less storage space
3. Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop
Maybe after looking up some laptops to play The Sims 4 you realize you kind of want a laptop that can do more than that.
Perhaps you want to expand your gaming horizons beyond The Sims 4 and play other games as well.
Then we got you covered with the Acer Nitro 5. This gaming laptop can handle today’s popular games and even some of the latest ones at high quality with solid performance.
It features an Intel Core i5 processor coupled with an RTX 3050 with 4GB of dedicated VRAM. The laptop has 8GBs of RAM, you can upgrade it to a maximum of 32GBs if you want.
This laptop uses the Acer CoolBoost technology to adjust your fan speed during your gaming session so you don’t have to worry about it. It does its best to keep your system nice and cool so you can focus on your gaming.
So to answer the obvious question can this laptop run The Sims 4? Absolutely. You can enable all the high-quality options and your performance will not dip at all.
You also have the option to play many other games as well, as many games as your hard drive can fit. In this case, it isn’t much with a 256GB, we recommend an external hard drive if you want to fit more games.
4. Apple MacBook Air Laptop
First off, there is one thing you should know before you purchase a MacBook to play the Sims 4.
The Steam version of The Sims 4 is NOT compatible with any Apple laptops. You CAN still play The Sims 4 on a MacBook, just not on Steam.
You need to purchase the game on Origin, EA’s PC game platform. Here is a link to it if you are interested in purchasing it on Origin. (This is not an affiliate link).
We have no idea why Mac users can’t play it on Steam, this is something on EA’s end. We’ll update this blog post if anything changes in the future, but for now, Mac users have to use Origin to play The Sims 4. Origin is a PC gaming platform that is free to download just like Steam.
With that out of the way, let’s quickly go over this laptop’s features:
- This laptop has amazing specs for a nongaming laptop, it has more than enough power to play The Sims 4 as well as other games.
- MacBooks have a long battery life, letting you play anywhere all day long.
- Macs are easier to use than Microsoft laptops for their easy to use user interface
- MacBooks are also compatible with your iPhone’s apps and you can easily sync the data between the two devices.
Not every laptop is perfect, there are some downsides as we mentioned before:
- Expensive! Apple products in general tend to be a lot more expensive compared to other options.
- You need to purchase the Origin version of the game to play it on a Mac. Even if you already own it on Steam it simply won’t work. 🙁
5. ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15
Finally, we have a gaming laptop that makes the word “overkill” an understatement when it comes to running The Sims 4.
We figured we would end this laptop list with a grand finale. You might be wondering how in the world this is a “budget” option, it’s not. This is only a recommended option if you have the money to afford it.
This is something you would buy if you want the best of the best. This laptop can run ANY game you throw at it. You can crank up the quality and can still expect to have top-tier performance.
Without even going into the specs, all you need to know is that this thing is a beast. This laptop has a fancy feature called the MUX switch. It connects the GPU with your monitor for increased performance and reduced latency. This is something you would want for online competitive games.
We only recommend this laptop if your return to The Sims 4 has reawakened your inner gaming demon and now you want to play the latest and greatest video games on the market.
With that being said, with a laptop as good as this, you can bet that the price will make Apple look like the budget option in this scenario.
Pros:
- Powerful performance can even match the power of gaming Desktops
- Can run any game you throw at it. The latest games, popular games, even future games!
- Reduced latency between monitor and GPU gives you a competitive edge in online gaming
- Can definitely run The Sims 4
- A very solid cooling system stays cool even under extreme pressure.
Cons:
- So EXPENSIVE it makes Apple look cheap
FAQ
How Much is The Sims 4?
This is a complicated question to answer believe it or not.
You can purchase the base game for $20.
However, this game has over 50 pieces of DLC, extra content that is sold separately. On Steam, this can add up to $910 if you want to purchase all of the DLC without a sale price.
You can also subscribe to EA Play, a streaming service similar to Xbox Game Pass, but for EA games. This includes The Sims 4 for $5 a month.
Can I Play The Sims 4 on a MacBook?
Yes. But as we mentioned previously, you need the Origin version. The Steam version is not compatible with Apple computers. So even if you already own it on Steam, you cannot download it to your MacBook or other Apple computer.
What are the PC Requirements for The Sims 4?
As we mentioned you need Origin to play it on a MacBook, which is why it isn’t listed here as an OS.
The Sims 4 also works with Linux although we do not have a tutorial on how to do that here, unfortunately as we are unfamiliar with using Linux.
Does The Sims 4 Still get New Content?
Yes. They just recently announced more content coming in the summer of 2022.
Can The Sims 4 be Modded?
Mods work for both Steam and Origin versions, so yes it can.
Will There Ever be a Sims 5?
Probably. It could be in the works as I am typing this and while you are reading this.
Conclusion: The 5 Best Budget Laptops for The Sims 4
We hope you enjoyed reading up on our top 5 choices for laptops that can run The Sims 4.
The last option that was added in was sort of a joke since the first 3 options were budget-friendly enough.
Whether you want a cheap laptop that can still run the game optimally, or if you wanted to find your next gaming laptop, we hope there was something for everyone with any budget.
Our pick, if I were choosing a laptop from this list, would be #3, the Acer Nitro 5. It is a good mix of not being too expensive and still having solid gaming performance. This is because I would like to play more games than just The Sims 4.
If money is tight, the first two options will do just fine. If money is not so tight, then the MacBook or the ASUS ROG laptop are the best options.
Thanks for taking the time to read our blog post, if you want to see more recommendations for laptops, games, and other electronics check out some more related blog posts down below.
If you feel like we missed anything or have a laptop you would recommend for The Sims 4 and other games as well, leave a comment down below!
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