Game Help:TS4 System Requirements
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- This article is written for The Sims 4. For the equivalent Sims 3 article, click here.
Contents |
Graphics Card Compatibility and Recommendations
This chart uses benchmarks scores for the graphics card ONLY and does not take into account the rest of your computer. If you have an awesome graphics card but crappy everything else, your performance will suck. If you have a newer computer with a strong CPU and lots of RAM, but install a crappy graphics card, you will still likely have performance problems. The chart below assumes the graphics settings not set in 'Laptop' mode.
TS4 relies very heavily on the CPU and having a multi-core processor makes a huge difference in performance, but that does not mean just any graphics card out there will work. What it DOES mean, is that if you have a really strong quad, hexa, or octa core CPU, you may be able to get better performance. If you have an older or slow CPU (Penitum 4/D/Core 2 Duo, Athlons, ULVs), performance will be bottlenecked by the CPU and it reduces performance (If task manager detects 90-100% CPU usage while playing TS4).
Please note: It is not recommended that you attempt to play TS4 on an integrated video chipset. If you have a computer with integrated video, it is recommended you view this guide. If you have a laptop or a computer with low-end graphics card, it is recommended that you play this game in Laptop mode. Newer, on-die graphics (bult into the CPU) are fine for running TS4. It is not recommended to play TS4 on a tablet or a convertible PC in tablet mode.
The Sims 4 introduced a first-person view since Patch 1.47.49 but does not support VR (Virtual Reality) gameplay. Playing The Sims 4 in 4K resolution or higher is very demanding and requires the most powerful and latest graphics card to run fluently (60+ FPS).
To make this simple: If your computer can handle TS3, then you can play TS4! (TS4 is slightly less demanding than TS3 due to a non-open world) However, the game gets more demanding with each patch or EPs/GPs installed.
These CPUs will reduce TS4 performance:
- Intel Atom, Celeron M, Pentium M, Core Solo, Core Duo
- AMD Sempron, Turion, Turion64 X2, E-350, C-60
- Legacy processors including the Pentium 4, Pentium D, and K7/K8-based Athlons
- Intel processors with on-die or on-board graphics previous to Sandy Bridge
- AMD E-Series
- ULV CPUs (Exception is the latest CPUs from Intel and AMD)
- Any Single or Dual-core CPU with a clock rate 1.9 GHZ or less (Exception is the latest CPUs from Intel and AMD)
- Intel Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Duo-based Pentiums and Celerons (Since the July 2019 patch)
Laptop users click here to find out if your laptop graphics can run TS4 and see this article about playing the game on a laptop.
Mac Users: Scroll down to the bottom of the article for compatibility chart.
Check your graphics card or you can benchmark your own graphics card by installing 3DMark. (Graphics card chart on the UL website now shows 3DMark Time Spy scores used for DX12 benchmarking. However, TS4 is not programmed with DX12. You may want to search benchmark scores for your card here. Make sure it is set to "Fire Strike" and not "Time Spy" when searching to show 3DMark Fire Strike scores.)
For laptops, click here
Disclaimer: 3DMark Fire Strike is a synthetic benchmark that has no relation to any game so the benchmark may or may not represent performance when running TS4. TS4 does not have its own benchmarking mode. Although the benchmark charts are more accurate than the graphics card chart which can be subjective, it is not perfectly correlated. UL assumes no responsibility to the user when using these benchmarks as an indicator for potential game performance. Other computer components (CPU, memory, and storage) also influences performance. It is recommended to download TS4 CAS demo for free before purchasing the game to see if the game can run on your system.
| KEY | |
|---|---|
| Yes | Known to give good game play, little or no lagging is expected (Expected FPS: 45+) |
| Maybe | Performance is uncertain/unknown, or may still be mostly playable with expected lagging/reduced performance (Expected FPS: 25-45) |
| No | Not recommended/known problems/poor performance (Expected FPS: <25) |
| Graphics Setting | 3DMark Fire Strike Graphics Score | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra | 2500+ | 1500-2500 | <1500 | Add 200 for each EP installation, 100 for each GP installation |
| High | 2000+ | 1000-2000 | <1000 | Add 150 for each EP installation, 100 for each GP installation |
| Medium | 1000+ | 500-1000 | <500 | Add 100 for each EP installation, 50 for each GP installation |
| Low | 400+ | 200-400 | <200 | Add 50 for each EP installation, 20 for each GP installation |
| Low (Laptop Mode On) | 200+ | 100-200 | <100 | Add 20 for each EP installation, 10 for each GP installation |
The chart above is based on the chart from Notebook Check with a slight increase taken into account the latest patches and to provide some headroom for any EPs and GPs. (Note that Notebook Check benchmark TS4 on the latest patch when first system with the graphics card is released and tested and NOT the current patch.
Examples:
- An NVIDIA GTX 1650 dedicated graphics card has a graphics score of ~9000, so it can run TS4 smoothly with all EPs/GPs installed at the highest graphics setting.
- The Intel UHD 620 is an integrated graphics chip that scores a 1100 on 3DMark Fire Strike so it can play the game smoothly at medium settings, but may encounter reduced performance at high settings and will not get playable framerates at ultra settings. Adding EPs/GPs will increase the strain on the GPU and reduce performance.
Graphs
Below are two charts that related the 3DMark Fire Strike Score and TS4 FPS.
The Sims 4 System Requirements
A note on these requirements: The requirements listed below are taken directly from the official TS4 Site. These are the absolute bare minimums you need to get the game up and running. These are NOT the minimum requirements for a playable game experience! If you have just the bare minimum and a low-end graphics card, you will NOT be able to play the game! It will run... but it will not look good, run well, or run consistently without crashing.
In order to find the specs on your system, see: Game Help:System Specs. If you are looking to upgrade your system, please see Help: Computer & Software Help for lots of advice, recommendations, and a place you can ask questions on specific hardware.
If you want to check for yourself if your computer can run TS4 before buying, you can download the TS4 Create a Sim demo for free. Create a Sim demo (Note that the demo version of TS4 only has CAS features.)
Items marked in green are those which are also recommended by MTS for playing The Sims 4.
- REQUIRED: Internet connection required for product activation.
- OS: Windows XP (SP3), Windows Vista (SP2), Windows 7 (SP1), Windows 8, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10
- PROCESSOR: 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD Athlon 64 Dual-Core 4000+ or equivalent (For computers using built-in graphics chipsets, the game requires 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.0 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-62 or equivalent) (Core i3-3XXX or AMD FX or higher is recommended for earlier patches, i3-7XXX or AMD Ryzen or higher is recommended for later patches (Seasons onwards))
- MEMORY: At least 2 GB RAM (4 GB is recommended on Windows 7/8, 8 GB recommended on Windows 10)
- HARD DRIVE: At least 9 GB of free space with at least 1 GB additional space for custom content and saved games (SSD recommended for faster load times)
- DVD-ROM: DVD ROM drive required for installation only (Not required as the game can be downloaded from Origin)
- VIDEO CARD: 128 MB of Video RAM and support for Pixel Shader 3.0. (2 GB dedicated mid-range video card, or AMD Ryzen based APU, or higher is recommended at 1080 resolution, 4 GB high-end card for 4K resolution and above or 120+ FPS gameplay) A newer, better one (higher MIDDLE numbers = better. For example a Nvidia GTX 960 would be faster than the newer GT 1030. Newer does not necessarily equal better. Generally speaking, expect the previous series mid-range cards to perform similar to the current series low-end, and so forth.)
- Supported Video Cards: See benchmark chart above
- SOUND CARD: DirectX 9.0c Compatible
- DIRECTX: DirectX 9.0c compatible
- INPUT: Keyboard and Mouse
Standalone cards that are installed in legacy PCI slots (not PCIe or PCIx), such as some GeForce GT 610 variants, will perform poorly. Most AGP graphics cards, if not all, won't work at all. (performance would be bottlenecked by the CPU anyway as motherboards with AGP slots were introduced in the 1990s/early 2000s.)
Regardless of the performance potential of these cards all NVIDIA Quadro and AMD Firepro/Radeon Pro workstation graphics cards are unsupported in TS4 and TS3 as they are not made for gaming. Non x86-64 based systems, such as ARM-based Windows systems (Qualcomm Snapdragon CPUs), will have poor performance when running TS4 and TS3.
Intel's legacy GMA (Non-HD) integrated chipsets featuring underclocked parts will not perform adequately. Intel's Celeron n-series, Pentium n-series and Intel Core M graphic processors are ultra low wattage that also feature underclocked graphics processors. Integrated chipsets such as the ATI Xpress and the NVIDIA TurboCache variants may default to settings that are higher than what would be optimal for them. Graphics settings can be lowered to improve performance.
Please note that attempting to play the game using video hardware that isn't listed above may result in reduced performance, graphical issues or cause the game to not run at all.
Mac System Requirements
Below is the MINIMUM System Requirements for Macs. These specifications are equivalent to a 2010 model MacBook Pro. However, the 2010 Mac models are obsolete by Apple and will perform poorly when playing TS4.
It is not recommended to play TS4 on a MacBook Air, 12 Inch MacBook models or a Non-Retina Display MacBook Pro as the graphics hardware is not capable of running TS4 smoothly. It is also not recommended to play TS4 on a Mac Pro as it contains a workstation graphics card with the drivers not optimized for gaming.
REQUIRED: Internet connection required for product activation.
MINIMUM SPECIFICATION
OS: Mac OS® X 10.7.5 (Lion) (Latest version of Mac OS is recommended - currently Mac OS 10.15 Catalina)
PROCESSOR: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4Ghz Processor or better
VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA GeForce 320M, 9600M, 9400M,ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro or better. Video RAM of 256MB or better.
MEMORY: 4GB RAM
HARD DRIVE: 10 GB of Hard Drive space
INPUT: Keyboard and Mouse
Mac Compatibility and Recommendations
To find what Mac model and its release date you have, click on the Apple logo on the top-left corner > About This Mac.
| KEY | |
|---|---|
| Yes | Known to give good game play, little or no lagging is expected (Expected FPS: 45+) |
| Maybe | Performance is uncertain/unknown, or may still be mostly playable with expected lagging/reduced performance (Expected FPS: 25-45) |
| No | Not recommended/known problems/poor performance (Expected FPS: <25) |
| MacBook Pro | Sims 4 | Expansion/Game Pack | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  No EPs/GPs installed
|
1 EPs/GPs installed | 2 EPs/GPs installed | 3 EPs/GPs installed | 4 EPs/GPs installed | 5 EPs/GPs installed | 6 EPs/GPs installed | 7 EPs/GPs installed | 8 to 9 EPs/GPs installed | 10 to 11 EPs/GPs installed | 11 to 12 EPs/GPs installed | 13 to 16 EPs/GPs installed | All EPs/GPs installed | ||
| Late 2008 and earlier | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Early 2009 | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Mid 2009 | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Mid 2010 | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Early / Late 2011 13-inch | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Early 2011 15-inch and 17-inch | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Late 2011 15-inch and 17-inch | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Mid 2012 13-inch (Non-Retina) | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Mid 2012 15-inch (Non-Retina) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Mid 2012 15-inch (Retina) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Late 2012 13-inch (Retina) | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Early 2013 13-inch | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Early 2013 15-inch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Late 2013 / Mid 2014 13-inch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | |
| Late 2013 / Mid 2014 15-inch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | |
| Early 2015 13-inch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | |
| Mid 2015 15-inch (Intel Iris 5200 GPU) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | |
| Mid 2015 15-inch (Radeon R9 M370X GPU) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | |
| Late 2016 13-inch (No Touch Bar) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | |
| Late 2016 13-inch (Touch Bar) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | |
| Late 2016 15-inch (Touch Bar) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | |
| Mid 2017 13-inch (No Touch Bar) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | |
| Mid 2017 13-inch (Touch Bar) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | |
| Mid 2017 15-inch (Touch Bar) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | |
| Mid 2018 13-inch (Touch Bar) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | |
| Mid 2018 15-inch (Touch Bar) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | |
| 2019 13-inch (Touch Bar) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | |
| 2019 15-inch (Touch Bar) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Late 2019 16-inch (Touch Bar) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| MacBook | Sims 4 | Expansion/Game Pack | ||||||||||||
| No EPs/GPs installed
|
1 EPs/GPs installed | 2 EPs/GPs installed | 3 EPs/GPs installed | 4 EPs/GPs installed | 5 EPs/GPs installed | 6 EPs/GPs installed | 7 EPs/GPs installed | 8 to 9 EPs/GPs installed | 10 to 11 EPs/GPs installed | 11 to 12 EPs/GPs installed | 13 to 16 EPs/GPs installed | All EPs/GPs installed | ||
| Late 2008 and earlier | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Mid 2009 | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Late 2009 | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Mid 2010 | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Early 2015 12-inch | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Early 2016 12-inch | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Mid 2017 12-inch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| MacBook Air | Sims 4 | Expansion/Game Pack | ||||||||||||
| No EPs/GPs installed
|
1 EPs/GPs installed | 2 EPs/GPs installed | 3 EPs/GPs installed | 4 EPs/GPs installed | 5 EPs/GPs installed | 6 EPs/GPs installed | 7 EPs/GPs installed | 8 to 9 EPs/GPs installed | 10 to 11 EPs/GPs installed | 11 to 12 EPs/GPs installed | 13 to 16 EPs/GPs installed | All EPs/GPs installed | ||
| Early 2008 | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Late 2008 | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Mid 2009 | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Late 2010 | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Mid 2011 | Yes | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Mid 2012 | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Mid 2013 | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Early 2015 / Mid 2017 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Late 2018 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | |
| Mac Desktops | Sims 4 | Expansion/Game Pack | ||||||||||||
| No EPs/GPs installed
|
1 EPs/GPs installed | 2 EPs/GPs installed | 3 EPs/GPs installed | 4 EPs/GPs installed | 5 EPs/GPs installed | 6 EPs/GPs installed | 7 EPs/GPs installed | 8 to 9 EPs/GPs installed | 10 to 11 EPs/GPs installed | 11 to 12 EPs/GPs installed | 13 to 16 EPs/GPs installed | All EPs/GPs installed | ||
| iMac Early 2009 and earlier | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| iMac Late 2009 21.5-inch | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| iMac Late 2009 27-inch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| iMac Mid 2010 21.5-inch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| iMac Mid 2010 27-inch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | |
| iMac Mid 2011 21.5-inch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | |
| iMac Mid 2011 27-inch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | |
| iMac Late 2012 21.5-inch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | |
| iMac Late 2012 27-inch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | |
| iMac Late 2013 21.5-inch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | |
| iMac Late 2013 27-inch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| iMac Mid 2014 21.5-inch | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| iMac Late 2014 27-inch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| iMac Mid 2015 27-inch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| iMac Late 2015 21.5-inch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | |
| iMac Late 2015 27-inch (Retina) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| iMac Mid 2017 21.5-inch (Non-Retina) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | |
| iMac Mid 2017 (Retina) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| iMac 2019 (Retina) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| *iMac Pro Late 2017 | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | |
| Mac Mini Late 2009 and Earlier | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Mac Mini Mid 2010 | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Mac Mini Mid 2011 (Intel HD 3000) | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Mac Mini Mid 2011 (Radeon 6630M) | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Mac Mini Late 2012 | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Mac Mini Late 2014 | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Mac Mini Late 2018 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | No | No | |
| *Mac Pro Late 2013 | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | |
- The 2012 Mac Pro and earlier feature a user removable graphics card. Therefore, it is not included in the chart. The 2019 Mac Pro is also excluded for the same reason.
- * These Mac models contain a workstation graphics card which is known to have compatibility problems in TS4 due to its drivers.
Related Pages
| Sims 4 Game Help Categories: | |
|---|---|
|
Custom Content | Installation | Gameplay Guides | Technical & Graphics Issues | Miscellaneous Issues | |
| MTS Help Q&A Forums | |
