Sims 4 Specs / Minimum Requirements PC ?

That's basically what I implied with my last statement. Good hardware sets up a higher bar but it ins't everything. An excellent machine can be bogged down depending on what kind of tasks are left operating in the background and how many. Just like certain applications, like Skype, can cause slower start-ups and a general sluggish feeling for lower-end machines. The computer's condition and maintenance is also important. There's a reason why its suggested to format our PC at least once a year - because over that year the crap we install, uninstall, move and juggle around crap that is bound to make our machine way slower than it used be after leaving the store.

You really don't need to format your hard drive once a year. You just need to know how to uninstall programs and have a good virus scan so that you don't get viruses and other malware that will slow a computer down. There is no reason why your computer should run the same programs at a noticeably slower speed today than it would run a year down the line if it is running the same programs.