I'm buying a computer. Help!

[Ramika]

Yes, I finally got fed up with my laptop and decided to buy a new computer. One of the most important things to consider when buying one though, is whether Sims 2 will run smoothly or not.
So... how does the following combination sound to you:
- Intel Core 2 Duo processor E6300 (1.86 GHz),
- 1024 MB RAM,
- 500 GB (2x250) hard disc,
- 256 MB ATI X1650SE graphic card.

(I have Uni, Nightlife and OFB. I'm also thinking about purchasing Seasons.)

I'd get that combo with a reasonable price (and a monitor, too!), but is it worth it? Thank you in advance, I totally suck when it comes to the technical stuff. :oops:

[miros1]

Processor, RAM and hard drive look good to me.  Some people hate ATI cards, some swear by them, I don't really have an opinion.

[kieren13]

Think about adding some extra memory, go for 2 gig if you can afford.
The rest seems fine for playing the Sims 2, but for anything else you may want a faster graphics card.
You really could do with going with either the X1650 Pro or XT rather than the SE.

[Ramika]

Thank you all for the comments.
I also think that there could be more memory, but since the computer comes with that exact combination, it would get really expensive to change it. ._. Right now I'll be paying about 800 dollars for that.
My other option was this combo:
- Intel Core 2 Duo processor E4300 (1,80 GHz),
- 2048 MB RAM,
- NVIDIA GeForce 7300 LE Turbocache graphic card.

Would that be better? It'll be a little more expensive, but I could still afford it I think.

I need to stick with these pre-made combinations, since I totally lack the skills to put anything together by myself. I'd probably end up making the whole thing explode. XD

[thrstonlovi]

Ramika, I would also recommend 2 gig of memory if you are planning to run the Sims 2.  I, however, had nothing but problems with ATI graphics cards.  I would recommend NVIDIA.

I wish you the best of luck in making your decision.

[miros1]

My nVidia card is working perfectly since I updated the drivers.  Was just a long wait for the updated drivers...

[trl]

I have had both ATI and GEForce. I had problems with my first NVidia card, after ten days NVidia techs decided that I should return the card, it was defective. I then purchased an ATI 9200 series card (not sure which) and it ran flawlessly and my sim pics were gorgeous but it was 256 mb, a bit slow but not too bad. I then got a GEForce 7300GT 512mb and again had nothing but trouble. It had the terrible crash problem until the new beta driver was released. Now I am very happy. The extra video RAM in the graphic card made a huge difference in how fast things moved for me during game play. So I am not sure what to tell you. I agree with all on the Processor RAM. I have found that with all the EP's loaded and Downloads I needed at least 1 gig of Ram for it to run smooth and am now getting ready to go up to 2 gigs. Get the best card you can afford. Good luck.

[lineman]

A couple of months ago I replaced my old Dell Pentium4, 80gb H.D.with a Visionman gaming computer. It uses a Pentium D935 dual core 3.2Ghz, 4MB cache, nVidia 7300 GS PCI express 256MB with Turo cache for 512MB. Also 500GB sATA II H.D.,8 channal audio and a 20X Lie-on dual layer DVD-RW, and Flash card reader. This is the best computer I've ever owned, it's price is probably more than you wish to spend, it was $1149. They do make gaming computers down to $500 or $600, ckeck them at visionman.com or tigerdirect.com.

[Ramika]

Thanks again everyone :worship:
It does seem that the nVidia card would be a better investment. So, I think I'll go for the second combination even though it's more expensive. At this point I'm willing to pay a fortune for smooth gameplay. XD
I'll go buy the computer next thursday. *nervous*