budget desktop for playing the sims 2 and expansion packs

[lodore]

Hello,
im trying to select componants for pc budget £300 that can plays the sims 2 and expansion packs.
im thinking amd based.
my parents old pc can play it fine with the following specs.
amd 3200 single core.
1gb of ddr ram.
agp all in wonder 9800 radeon.
so roughly the same spec with todays kit.
i know you cant get single core processers anymore so cheap dual core say 3800 amd should do.
im ok working out most things for the specs but im kinda stuck on power supply and graphics card.
its likely i will be building it.
the pc is for my sister.
thanks for any help
lodore

[staffsMike]

How about this.

Antec NSK 3480 Micro ATX Case + 380W Earth Watts PSU ~£55
This Motherboard ~£55
this cpu ~£60
dirt cheap good RAM ~£30
320GB Western Digital AAKS ~£50
Optical Drive ~£20

That's £260 and honestly I would try the integrated graphics before buying a graphics card. It's essentially a shrunk ATi HD4350pro which is by no means a decent gaming card but should handle SIM's etc..

[lodore]

thanks,how much is oem windows these days?
hopefully xp is still avaliable...
if not vista and i will install sp1 first.
so it will be able to meet these specs for graphics card fine?
TheSims2.com - Help - Detail
im not used to budget graphics cards im more intune with hi end graphics cards.

[staffsMike]

The integrated would be more than enough for that

XP home there for £50
Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK

[j.o.s.h.1408]

homestly i would invest on a core 2 or quad core cpu because sims2 is cpu bound just as gpu bound

[Agent]

homestly i would invest on a core 2 or quad core cpu because sims2 is cpu bound just as gpu bound

Quad core for Sims 2?
You're having a laugh Josh

[Hicks12]

also the mentioned cpu is a dual core.

Youll spend more on the sims 2 expansions then anything else xD theres like 10 of them .

intergrated should be fine for sims

[Parm]

Apologies for hijacking this thread but I've a slightly related question.

I'm thinking about picking up Sims 2, never played it and I rather enjoyed the first Sims game. But, where do I start? I've looked and there's about a gazillion Sims games and expansion packs! Are you supposed to have them all for the complete experience or something or are they all individual games?

[Hicks12]

Apologies for hijacking this thread but I've a slightly related question.

I'm thinking about picking up Sims 2, never played it and I rather enjoyed the first Sims game. But, where do I start? I've looked and there's about a gazillion Sims games and expansion packs! Are you supposed to have them all for the complete experience or something or are they all individual games?

its not necessary too have all the expansions its ea's(still made by them?) way of making tons of money as they all sell for the same price as the original and it takes little effort in adding a few things into the coding. Its like the original were you can buy all the expansions and it will normally be best but having some isnt so bad. Imo id say wait til sims 3.

[TheVoice]

Some of the expansions add more than others; EuroGamer had a good article about The Sims up the other day, which briefly mentioned which ones were good and which ones were cash-ins.

[j.o.s.h.1408]

Quad core for Sims 2?
You're having a laugh Josh

try running this property mod the sims 2 - Majestic European Castle on a single core and see if u can get over 10fps

have you ever played the sims 2 with properties like this?

[Bounty_Bam]

bare in mind the sims 2 is CPU greedy..

[j.o.s.h.1408]

exactly what i tried to tell people

[Hicks12]

not extremely hungry. DUal cores are more aimed at multi tasking, a single core @ same speeds and somehow the same amount of cache will most likely beat it in gaming. 3ghz should be plenty for this game and that dual core is plenty.

[Bounty_Bam]

not extremely hungry. DUal cores are more aimed at multi tasking, a single core @ same speeds and somehow the same amount of cache will most likely beat it in gaming. 3ghz should be plenty for this game and that dual core is plenty.

On my P4HT 3GHZ, it would be fine as long as you had 1-2 Exp packs on (Max) and a small - moderate sized house....oh and no more than 4 guests at a party



if you went out to a nightclub with every exp pack on.. you may as well send your sim to the bar then go for a bath yourself :/

[Hicks12]

On my P4HT 3GHZ, it would be fine as long as you had 1-2 Exp packs on (Max) and a small - moderate sized house....oh and no more than 4 guests at a party



if you went out to a nightclub with every exp pack on.. you may as well send your sim to the bar then go for a bath yourself :/

O.o, i had a amd 3000+ barton and it ran sims 2 flawlessly, sims 1 ran with every single expansion on my dads amd 2400(sister used it). Guess that was when amd was best now intel back xD.