What Specs Do You Need to Run The Sims 4 With All Packs in 2024/2024?

To comfortably run The Sims 4 along with all current expansion, game, stuff, and kit packs in 2024, you‘ll need at least the following PC specs:

• CPU: 6-core/12-thread Intel Core i5/i7 or AMD Ryzen 5
• GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3060 or AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT
• RAM: 16GB
• Storage: 150GB+ SSD

Let‘s break down why this combination of modern mid-range specs provides a smooth 60fps Sims 4 experience even with heavy custom content and mods…

Detailed PC Specs for The Sims 4 + All DLC

Storage Needs

First, to handle every The Sims 4 DLC pack released so far plus future expansions, your PC needs sufficient storage capacity:

So in total, you‘ll need around ~116GB free solid state drive space to fit the base game and all current packs. Plus extra room for future expansions, custom worlds, mods, saves, and recordings if you‘re a streamer or YouTuber.

I recommend a 500GB SSD at minimum, but ideally 1TB or larger is best for hardcore Sims players. The game loads significantly faster from an SSD vs old school hard drive.

For example, Redditor u/SimsPlayer2765 says: "I have the game and all the packs installed on an M.2 SSD and my load times are between 15-25 seconds. The longest being when I load my main save that has all packs activated. My specs are i9-10850k, 64GB RAM, RTX 3070 on Win 11."

CPU: Go Multi-Core for Physics/Simulation

In terms of processor, The Sims 4 utilizes the CPU more heavily than GPU for all its background calculations like AI behavior, weather simulation, etc.

Having more cores/threads helps handle these workloads efficiently so gameplay stays smooth. An ideal pick is a modern 6-core/12-thread Intel i5/i7 CPU (10th gen or newer) or AMD Ryzen 5 model:

• Intel Core i5-10400F
• Intel Core i5-12400F
• AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

Laptop processor options like the Ryzen 7 5800H or Intel i7-11800H are also plenty powerful for seamless Sims gaming.

Digital Foundry analyzed Sims performance on various CPUs and found at least 6 cores delivered a big jump from cheap quad cores, allowing for 60fps gameplay even with multiple Sims on busy lots.

Many longtime players like Anhrathe agree: "TS4 favors high single core clock speeds, but it does also benefit from having more cores too. So a decent six core CPU released in the last couple of generations is what I recommend."

GPU: Mid-Range Cards Are Ideal

When it comes to graphics cards, The Sims 4 is not a very demanding title. However it does benefit from having a dedicated GPU over weak integrated graphics.

Here are the best value picks recommended for buttery smooth 60+ fps gameplay at 1080p resolution on high settings:

• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 / 3060
• AMD Radeon RX 6600 / 6600 XT
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (used)

Laptop GPUs like the mobile RTX 3060 or RX 6600M provide similar performance.

Digital Foundry found virtually no visual difference between ultra and high settings in The Sims 4. So dialing back to high can provide extra headroom for better frame rates if needed.

RAM: More = Better

EA recommends just 4GB system RAM as the bare minimum to boot up The Sims 4. But in reality you‘ll want at least 16GB (and ideally 32GB) to prevent stuttering as the game loads assets from storage during gameplay.

The Sims constantly swaps new textures, objects, audio clips, and more from your drives into RAM as needed. So when RAM gets full, severe lag can happen as the game waits for assets.

Having ample RAM essentially acts as a cache so everything loads instantly the moment it‘s required. For comparison:

• 4GB RAM: Easily overwhelmed resulting in heavy stutter
• 8GB RAM: Playable but occasional stutters likely
• 16GB RAM: Smoothest experience for most gamers
• 32GB+ RAM: Ideal for heavy modders

YouTuber Crispy utilized RTSS to monitor RAM usage and found The Sims 4 demanded up to 13.5GB while gaming on an intensive lot with Ultra graphics enabled.

So spring for 16GB or better to future-proof and avoid upgrades for years. DDR4-3200 CL16 RAM provides the best performance for the money.

CPU Cooling: Budget Air Coolers Are Fine

You won‘t need liquid cooling or high-end air coolers to run The Sims 4 unless aesthetics are important to your build. Even budget coolers like the Hyper 212 EVO or Deepcool Gammaxx 400 will keep affordable CPUs like the Ryzen 5 5600X or Core i5-12400Fice cold under load.

Sims gameplay is not intensive enough to push temperatures up drastically. And background simulation means bursts of high usage rather than a sustained 100% load on all cores which is easier to cool.

According to Hardware Unboxed‘s stress testing, the 12600K hit just 66°C peak with an inexpensive air cooler while the Ryzen 7 5800X3D topped out at 81°C under extended 100% load. So expect even cooler temps around 50-60°C during actual Sims sessions.

The Best Bang for Buck Sims 4 Gaming PC Builds

Here are couple of sample PC builds I recommend that provide excellent Sims 4 performance per dollar at different budgets:

$800 "Best Value" Sims 4 PC

PCPartPicker Part List

This build is based around the incredible value Ryzen 5 5600 CPU combined with a 1440p-capable RTX 3060 GPU, 500GB NVMe SSD, 16 gigs of fast 3200 RAM, and a high quality 650W gold PSU.

It will crush The Sims 4 at 60+ fps across multiple expansion packs, plus leaves room to add more mods and custom assets over time. Well under $800 too making it a price/performance winner.

$1300 High-End Sims Build

Here‘s an example high budget build centered around Intel‘s Core i7-12700F that‘s total overkill for The Sims 4 but provides extra power for streaming and video editing:

PCPartPicker Part List

With the 12-core i7-12700F, 32GB DDR4 RAM, RTX 3070 Ti, and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD – this PC overpowers the Sims 4 even heavily modded, while giving you extra capacity for streaming, video editing, rendering, etc at the same time.

And a $1600 budget also allows you to pick some premium RGB components and a nice white case/PSU theme for aesthetics.

Let me know if you have any other questions!