Laptop graphics card help?

by Guest Sat 26 Jul 2014, 23:20

After using a low end pc for about 8 years, I'm finally getting a laptop! Unfortunately I can't get a new desktop. I have my eye on the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 128 gb/intel i5 version and I'm pretty sure it meets the Sims 4 system requirements except for the graphics card part. If I'm wrong please correct me. The graphics thing for the laptop is Intel HD 4400 and since I'm not good with computer stuff, I was wondering if anyone thinks it will run the sims 4? And if it doesn't that can anyone recommend a good laptop that most likely will? I would like it to be under $1000, something just reliable(?) as I will most likely use it for 8 years x) thanks in advance!
I'm soo excited to get a new laptop as I had to wait about 30 minutes for the sims 3 to load!! And I have only 2 expansion pack and the settings on low-medium..

by **The_gh0stm4n** Mon 28 Jul 2014, 00:17

flyingorangutans wrote:After using a low end pc for about 8 years, I'm finally getting a laptop! Unfortunately I can't get a new desktop. I have my eye on the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 128 gb/intel i5 version and I'm pretty sure it meets the Sims 4 system requirements except for the graphics card part. If I'm wrong please correct me. The graphics thing for the laptop is Intel HD 4400 and since I'm not good with computer stuff, I was wondering if anyone thinks it will run the sims 4? And if it doesn't that can anyone recommend a good laptop that most likely will? I would like it to be under $1000, something just reliable(?) as I will most likely use it for 8 years x) thanks in advance!
I'm soo excited to get a new laptop as I had to wait about 30 minutes for the sims 3 to load!! And I have only 2 expansion pack and the settings on low-medium..

Hello,

I may have misunderstood something, but...is this here what you are planning to buy ?

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Surface-Pro-3/productID.300190600

If so, then that's a very thin laptop ? I'm actually unsure if it's possible in that case to "upgrade" that laptop with a better graphics card. Also, that laptop seems expensive to me too. It's clearly not meant to be used for gaming purposes.

On the other hand, you don't need to have an expensive gaming desktop, if you "just" want to run The Sims 4. Get some "inspirational" ideas in this topic here:

https://games4theworld.forumotion.com/t16173-any-tips-for-building-a-gaming-pc

Or this here, which another user suggested on this forum:

http://pcpartpicker.com/

If you're new to this, it can be tricky to "compile" all the information about selecting the right configuration. And you may still have to do some research on your own, but I'll try and help you with that. If you feel you have found a "system configuration" or parts, just post them here. And we'll see what they're made of.

With $1000 you should definitely be able to build a pretty decent desktop; or if you feel to insecure, I'm sure you can find decent "ready-to-use" desktop computers for that money. It doesn't have to be a "high-end" system, but this laptop you were talking about is not the way to go. Sure it can "run" the Sims 4, but in the long run, you will encounter problems, and even hardware damage; these Intel HD chips are just not made for gaming purposes.

Good luck !

by Guest Mon 28 Jul 2014, 01:09

Carlos wrote:
flyingorangutans wrote:After using a low end pc for about 8 years, I'm finally getting a laptop! Unfortunately I can't get a new desktop. I have my eye on the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 128 gb/intel i5 version and I'm pretty sure it meets the Sims 4 system requirements except for the graphics card part. If I'm wrong please correct me. The graphics thing for the laptop is Intel HD 4400 and since I'm not good with computer stuff, I was wondering if anyone thinks it will run the sims 4? And if it doesn't that can anyone recommend a good laptop that most likely will? I would like it to be under $1000, something just reliable(?) as I will most likely use it for 8 years x) thanks in advance!
I'm soo excited to get a new laptop as I had to wait about 30 minutes for the sims 3 to load!! And I have only 2 expansion pack and the settings on low-medium..

Hello,

I may have misunderstood something, but...is this here what you are planning to buy ?

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Surface-Pro-3/productID.300190600

If so, then that's a very thin laptop ? I'm actually unsure if it's possible in that case to "upgrade" that laptop with a better graphics card. Also, that laptop seems expensive to me too. It's clearly not meant to be used for gaming purposes.

On the other hand, you don't need to have an expensive gaming desktop, if you "just" want to run The Sims 4. Get some "inspirational" ideas in this topic here:

https://games4theworld.forumotion.com/t16173-any-tips-for-building-a-gaming-pc

Or this here, which another user suggested on this forum:

http://pcpartpicker.com/

If you're new to this, it can be tricky to "compile" all the information about selecting the right configuration. And you may still have to do some research on your own, but I'll try and help you with that. If you feel you have found a "system configuration" or parts, just post them here. And we'll see what they're made of.

With $1000 you should definitely be able to build a pretty decent desktop; or if you feel to insecure, I'm sure you can find decent "ready-to-use" desktop computers for that money. It doesn't have to be a "high-end" system, but this laptop you were talking about is not the way to go. Sure it can "run" the Sims 4, but in the long run, you will encounter problems, and even hardware damage; these Intel HD chips are just not made for gaming purposes.

Good luck !

Yes that was the laptop I was thinking about.. I guess I have a lot more researching to do!! Also, thanks for the links! But I actually can't build my own pc because I need to get a laptop this time.. Going to college and my parents said they'll help pitch in for the cost.. Only if I get a laptop.. I'll keep on searching but do you know any good laptops or brands? Or do you think I can just get any laptop (that fits the requirements) then 'upgrade' the graphics card? Thanks for your help ^^

by **The_gh0stm4n** Tue 29 Jul 2014, 01:18

flyingorangutans wrote:Yes that was the laptop I was thinking about.. I guess I have a lot more researching to do!! Also, thanks for the links! But I actually can't build my own pc because I need to get a laptop this time.. Going to college and my parents said they'll help pitch in for the cost.. Only if I get a laptop.. I'll keep on searching but do you know any good laptops or brands? Or do you think I can just get any laptop (that fits the requirements) then 'upgrade' the graphics card? Thanks for your help ^^

I did some searching, and since the graphics cards tend to be weak points in "ready-to-use" computers, it's not that easy to find something suitable; but how about this one here ?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/ASUS-Dark-Gray-17.3-X750JB-DB71-Laptop-PC-with-Intel-Core-i7-4700HQ-Processor-8GB-Memory-2TB-Hard-Drive-and-Windows-8/31061987

That should be within the range of your budget, and performance-wise, it beats the "laptop" that you had in mind, originally. Of course, you might be able to get it even cheaper, somewhere else, if you do some googling. This laptop has, according to the information included, both an Integrated HD chip as well as a NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M, which should be more than capapble of running The Sims 4, and even more (graphically) demanding games like Battlefield 3...this means that in your "NVIDIA Control Panel", you can assign which graphic card to use for certain applications. Obviously, for applications like Microsoft Office, it's enough to choose the Intel HD chip, but for games, you choose the NVIDIA GT 740M.

But this laptop is just a suggestion from me, and you might be able to find cheaper ones, with comparable graphics cards. Or maybe someone else has a second opinion, too.

On another note...it seems that Microsoft are now trying to cater to the audience that seems to like "fancy" laptops, like Macbooks (did you notice the cute comparison between this "Surface Pro" and "Macbook Air", that Microsoft made on the site I linked to, in my previous post ?). The Surface Pro is certainly good enough for internet surfing and office applications. Plus, it's easier to carry around. But beyond that, I don't see much else noteworthy.

Maybe I can come up with something better/cheaper, but for now - good luck !

by Guest Tue 29 Jul 2014, 23:12

Carlos wrote:
flyingorangutans wrote:Yes that was the laptop I was thinking about.. I guess I have a lot more researching to do!! Also, thanks for the links! But I actually can't build my own pc because I need to get a laptop this time.. Going to college and my parents said they'll help pitch in for the cost.. Only if I get a laptop.. I'll keep on searching but do you know any good laptops or brands? Or do you think I can just get any laptop (that fits the requirements) then 'upgrade' the graphics card? Thanks for your help ^^

I did some searching, and since the graphics cards tend to be weak points in "ready-to-use" computers, it's not that easy to find something suitable; but how about this one here ?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/ASUS-Dark-Gray-17.3-X750JB-DB71-Laptop-PC-with-Intel-Core-i7-4700HQ-Processor-8GB-Memory-2TB-Hard-Drive-and-Windows-8/31061987

That should be within the range of your budget, and performance-wise, it beats the "laptop" that you had in mind, originally. Of course, you might be able to get it even cheaper, somewhere else, if you do some googling. This laptop has, according to the information included, both an Integrated HD chip as well as a NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M, which should be more than capapble or running The Sims 4, and even more (graphically) demanding games like Battlefield 3...this means that in your "NVIDIA Control Panel", you can assign which graphic card to use for certain applications. Obviously, for applications like Microsoft Office, it's enough to choose the Intel HD chip, but for games, you choose the NVIDIA GT 740M.

But this laptop is just a suggestion from me, and you might be able to find cheaper ones, with comparable graphics cards. Or maybe someone else has a second opinion, too.

On another note...it seems that Microsoft are now trying to cater to the audience that seems to like "fancy" laptops, like Macbooks (did you notice the cute comparison between this "Surface Pro" and "Macbook Air", that Microsoft made on the site I linked to, in my previous post ?). The Surface Pro is certainly good enough for internet surfing and office applications. Plus, it's easier to carry around. But beyond that, I don't see much else noteworthy.

Maybe I can come up with something better/cheaper, but for now - good luck !

Thanks for the recommendation! I decided to look for a laptop that was either 13" or 15" so I can also bring it to class without it being to big. I used the asus laptop's specs as a guide for what to look for and I found the Dell Inspiron 15 7000.
http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/productdetails/inspiron-15-7537
The one for $669.99. It's i5 not i7 but for the sims 4, I'm guessing it'll be okay? And for the graphics card it states: intel hd graphics 4400/optional: nvidia geforce gt 750m. By optional does it mean it comes with both??
What do you think of this laptop? It's on sale for $204 off so I am drawn to it lol

by **The_gh0stm4n** Tue 29 Jul 2014, 23:39

flyingorangutans wrote:Thanks for the recommendation! I decided to look for a laptop that was either 13" or 15" so I can also bring it to class without it being to big. I used the asus laptop's specs as a guide for what to look for and I found the Dell Inspiron 15 7000.
http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/productdetails/inspiron-15-7537
The one for $669.99. It's i5 not i7 but for the sims 4, I'm guessing it'll be okay? And for the graphics card it states: intel hd graphics 4400/optional: nvidia geforce gt 750m. By optional does it mean it comes with both??
What do you think of this laptop? It's on sale for $204 off so I am drawn to it lol

Besides being hard to navigate, I don't see anywhere mentioned that there is the Geforce GT 750M "optional" for the laptop you have in mind ? I see it with the most expensive model though, lol.

Anyways, unless the descriptions CLEARLY say that there is more in the laptop than just this integrated chip, then you shouldn't buy it. So, the Intel HD chip AND the Geforce GT card are perfect, but the Intel HD chip alone is bad.

And yes, many people want to carry the laptops around, but in the end, you'll have to compromise: if you also want to play games, there is no point in buying a laptop that just has an Integrated graphics chip. You might just as well buy a cheap(er) netbook then.

The laptop I showed you before, in my last reply, might be bigger and heavier, but you're *probably* not going to find offers like that so easily. I'm actually a bit surprised myself that you can't seem to get a laptop with a decent graphics card for under $800, lol.

In the end it's your decision, but I strongly discourage you from buying a laptop that only has this weak integrated graphics chip, and nothing else. I don't really get why manufacturers put in 6 - 8 GB of RAM in most "modern" computers and a bada$$ CPU too, but don't bother with graphics cards; I guess it mostly has to do with money: additional RAM modules are a lot cheaper than good graphics cards. Also, the target audience they have in mind for these computers doesn't really use these computers for gaming.

I can only emphasize: laptops are generally not made for "heavy-duty" gaming.

Or do some more searching, but it seems to be difficult to find something good, for a decent price...

by Guest Wed 30 Jul 2014, 02:29

Carlos wrote:
flyingorangutans wrote:Thanks for the recommendation! I decided to look for a laptop that was either 13" or 15" so I can also bring it to class without it being to big. I used the asus laptop's specs as a guide for what to look for and I found the Dell Inspiron 15 7000.
http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/productdetails/inspiron-15-7537
The one for $669.99. It's i5 not i7 but for the sims 4, I'm guessing it'll be okay? And for the graphics card it states: intel hd graphics 4400/optional: nvidia geforce gt 750m. By optional does it mean it comes with both??
What do you think of this laptop? It's on sale for $204 off so I am drawn to it lol

Besides being hard to navigate, I don't see anywhere mentioned that there is the Geforce GT 750M "optional" for the laptop you have in mind ? I see it with the most expensive model though, lol.

Anyways, unless the descriptions CLEARLY say that there is more in the laptop than just this integrated chip, then you shouldn't buy it. So, the Intel HD chip AND the Geforce GT card are perfect, but the Intel HD chip alone is bad.

And yes, many people want to carry the laptops around, but in the end, you'll have to compromise: if you also want to play games, there is no point in buying a laptop that just has an Integrated graphics chip. You might just as well buy a cheap(er) netbook then.

The laptop I showed you before, in my last reply, might be bigger and heavier, but you're *probably* not going to find offers like that so easily. I'm actually a bit surprised myself that you can't seem to get a laptop with a decent graphics card for under $800, lol.

In the end it's your decision, but I strongly discourage you from buying a laptop that only has this weak integrated graphics chip, and nothing else. I don't really get why manufacturers put in 6 - 8 GB of RAM in most "modern" computers and a bada$$ CPU too, but don't bother with graphics cards; I guess it mostly has to do with money: additional RAM modules are a lot cheaper than good graphics cards. Also, the target audience they have in mind for these computers doesn't really use these computers for gaming.

I can only emphasize: laptops are generally not made for "heavy-duty" gaming.

Or do some more searching, but it seems to be difficult to find something good, for a decent price...

Hmm that's odd.. I'm on mobile view and the laptop+sleeve version says it comes with an optional nvidia card yet it doesn't on a computer. I just sent an email to Dell Support so hopefully I get an answer soon. If it turns out that only the most expensive model comes with the graphics card then I won't get it. I have a month or two to search for a good laptop so hopefully I'll find a better one by then but if I don't then I'll get the asus one. The asus one does seem really good it's just I would like to find one lighter and cheaper.. Well I just feel like if I just buy it then I might miss out on something I could've found if I searched more.. Lol. Oh and I don't consider myself a heavy gamer.. Just want to play the sims 4 and maybe maplestory. The sims 4 requirements seem very low but I'm worried about the future with expansion packs, custom content and whatnot.
Thanks a lot for your help, I probably would've never noticed the error on the dell site. Now back to searching!!

by **The_gh0stm4n** Thu 31 Jul 2014, 01:47

flyingorangutans wrote:Hmm that's odd.. I'm on mobile view and the laptop+sleeve version says it comes with an optional nvidia card yet it doesn't on a computer. I just sent an email to Dell Support so hopefully I get an answer soon. If it turns out that only the most expensive model comes with the graphics card then I won't get it. I have a month or two to search for a good laptop so hopefully I'll find a better one by then but if I don't then I'll get the asus one. The asus one does seem really good it's just I would like to find one lighter and cheaper.. Well I just feel like if I just buy it then I might miss out on something I could've found if I searched more.. Lol. Oh and I don't consider myself a heavy gamer.. Just want to play the sims 4 and maybe maplestory. The sims 4 requirements seem very low but I'm worried about the future with expansion packs, custom content and whatnot.
Thanks a lot for your help, I probably would've never noticed the error on the dell site. Now back to searching!!

You're welcome, and just post here your results/suggestions, if you want and if you find anything suitable for you. Smile

by Guest Thu 07 Aug 2014, 22:48

Carlos wrote:
flyingorangutans wrote:Hmm that's odd.. I'm on mobile view and the laptop+sleeve version says it comes with an optional nvidia card yet it doesn't on a computer. I just sent an email to Dell Support so hopefully I get an answer soon. If it turns out that only the most expensive model comes with the graphics card then I won't get it. I have a month or two to search for a good laptop so hopefully I'll find a better one by then but if I don't then I'll get the asus one. The asus one does seem really good it's just I would like to find one lighter and cheaper.. Well I just feel like if I just buy it then I might miss out on something I could've found if I searched more.. Lol. Oh and I don't consider myself a heavy gamer.. Just want to play the sims 4 and maybe maplestory. The sims 4 requirements seem very low but I'm worried about the future with expansion packs, custom content and whatnot.
Thanks a lot for your help, I probably would've never noticed the error on the dell site. Now back to searching!!

You're welcome, and just post here your results/suggestions, if you want and if you find anything suitable for you.

Hello^^ What do you think about this one?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00IAA5BSS/ref=aw_d_pd_pc?vs=1
It is expensive but I feel like it has everything I want. Most laptops that were around $100-200 cheaper had bright colored keyboard lights which I didn't like. I was trying to find information on this graphics card and sims 3 but wasn't able to find much. Is this an okay graphics card?

by **The_gh0stm4n** Fri 08 Aug 2014, 01:58

flyingorangutans wrote:Hello^^ What do you think about this one?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00IAA5BSS/ref=aw_d_pd_pc?vs=1
It is expensive but I feel like it has everything I want. Most laptops that were around $100-200 cheaper had bright colored keyboard lights which I didn't like. I was trying to find information on this graphics card and sims 3 but wasn't able to find much. Is this an okay graphics card?

Yes, that one looks nice too. Smile

If you want to "stretch" your budget a bit, that is....it's basically what I hinted at before: you can't seem to find good laptops with decent graphics cards so easily, at least not cheaply. So yes, if you want, go for it !

by Guest Fri 08 Aug 2014, 02:29

Carlos wrote:
flyingorangutans wrote:Hello^^ What do you think about this one?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00IAA5BSS/ref=aw_d_pd_pc?vs=1
It is expensive but I feel like it has everything I want. Most laptops that were around $100-200 cheaper had bright colored keyboard lights which I didn't like. I was trying to find information on this graphics card and sims 3 but wasn't able to find much. Is this an okay graphics card?

Yes, that one looks nice too. If you want to "stretch" your budget a bit, that is....it's basically what I hinted at before: you can't seem to find good laptops with decent graphics cards so easily, at least not cheaply. So yes, if you want, go for it !

Alright! Thanks again for all your help! Very Happy

by **The_gh0stm4n** Fri 08 Aug 2014, 03:13

flyingorangutans wrote:Alright! Thanks again for all your help!

However, if your only point of concern are "bright colored keyboard keys" you may want to re-consider getting the cheaper ones (I didn't pay attention to that, but did the laptop from Walmart, that I linked to at first, have these bright colored keys ?).

$100-$200 is still a bit of money, and as for me personally, I wouldn't mind such keyboard keys, but then of course that's your decision. The graphics in that laptop from Amazon is slightly better than from the one I showed before, OK. But as for the other essential features, they both seem comparable.

Your call. Smile

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