What laptop for Zwift

Hi There

Being a newbie to Zwift and not IT savvy (or IT interested truth be told) I am looking for either a simple recommendation for a “value” laptop to run Zwift or a shopping list of specs I can walk into Currys with please.  Looking for mid range recommendation – if anyone has some thoughts on this it would be much obliged – ps I wont be carrying the laptop around for work use so it doesnt need to be slimline.

Thanks

If you only want it for zwift, and already have some sort of screen, apple TV

Zwift is odd. Its core requirements are pretty modest and by ramping up the equipment all you ever improve is the graphic detail. This makes laptop advice without further info awkward.

You don’t need a mid-range laptop to run zwift, and one won’t do a better job than a low end one. But you’ll need to spend a lot of money to get mid-range zwift graphics (which is the only thing that varies) out of a laptop.

If you buy a mid range laptop for some other reason, it’ll run zwift fine. But if your aim is fancy graphics in zwift, start again from the beginning – in particular why a laptop and how keen on good graphics are you?

What sort of budget do you have?

I would have a look at the recommended specs on the Zwift website & go from there. Compare laptop specs to the recommended specs & go from there.
I used a 10 year old laptop for ages, until they withdrew the support for the massively outdated onboard graphics.
When I started using Zwift, the laptop was actually below the min spec, but it worked for several years, so can’t really grumble.

I think unless you spend a decent amount, you will be stuck at the lower graphics settings & will probably find the frames/second drop during busy rides while will result in a bit of stuttering.

It depends how bothered you are by this, as to whether it will be a problem. I had this with my old laptop & didn’t really care – so long as it was stable & stayed connected to the wi-fi.

But – having said all that – once my laptop was no longer supported I spend £200 on a PC built specifically for Zwift. The difference is night & day. It will run the highest graphics setting at 1440p.
There is a FB page devoted to all things Zwift on PC and people are frequently selling builds. If you are interested & use FB, look for the ZPCMR – Zwift PC Masters group.

Is there a reason that a desktop will not be any good? You could get one with a monitor for less than an inferior laptop.

Avoid 10th gen intel cores with integrated graphics. There is a bug which causes random crashes on that cpu.

Other than that what has been said above!

Just get a dedicated re-furb i7 processor LT and up the RAM to 8GB if it isn’t already

e.g. these

Get an SSD rather than HDD, its much faster to come alive when rushing for a Zwift event

You sound as interested in tech as me! I ended up using an old IPhone SE with a £10 lightening to hdmi cable from Amazon to mirror the screen on my garage tv

You sound as interested in tech as me! I ended up using an old IPhone SE with a £10 lightening to hdmi cable from Amazon to mirror the screen on my garage tv

That was exactly my setup. Using my iPhone 12 at the mo as the charging port is worn on the SE.
It’ll also run on cheapo Motorola smart phones, but I don’t know of a hdmi adaptor to suit.

It runs pretty well on my work pre-owned old elderly ThinkPad too.

As mentioned iphone running zwift plug into hd tv of choice via hdmi lead 👍🏻

I picked up 24” Hd tv off Facebook £35 as new.

Don’t over complicate it

Anything. I’m using a 10 year old ex-work laptop. The knock-off Zwift table from Wiggle is great to put it on though.

Not a hint of stuttering or dropouts.

Try it on your phone. I run it off an Android phone and cast to the TV. Works like a charm, no extra purchases required.

What quality of graphics does an iPhone give for Zwift compared to a decent ZPCMR Facebook group type desktop?

What quality of graphics does an iPhone give for Zwift compared to a decent ZPCMR desktop?

I’ve no idea what ZPCMR means but I’ve used my desktop (decent GPU) when OH didn’t have the rowing machine setup in the spare room and I haven’t noticed a huge difference to the iPhone.
Mostly as I can’t see through the sweat and possibly because in the conservatory the iPhone is connected to a 32 inch TV rather than the 21 inch monitor upstairs, which is further away due to the computer desk/chair.

Literally, sat here feeling sorry for myself having suffered the first random crash in months just as I crossed the line at the end of Stage 7 of TdZ, I saw this post and came here so say avoid anything with a 10th gen processor

Robbo beat me to it, and it was he he alerted me to the issue after a slew of failed STW TTT attempts!

https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/lenovo-tab-p11-5g-tablet-octa-core-6gb-ram-128gb-storage-11-2k-ips-android-11-4078010 was posted earlier today, ~£223 with “special20” code working with a number of Ebay stores until end of Tues 31st Jan.

Not a laptop, it’s a tablet, with Snapdragon 750G processor, 6GB RAM and a sim slot that can do 5g mobile in adition to wifi.

Just like Android mobiles (I use my Mi A2 a lot), it will run the Zwift Android app with a basics profile, so you won’t get all the nice shadows and detail that “ultra” detail will provide on a laptop or pc running something like an Nvidia 1650 or better.

I switched from using a laptop to an AppleTV a couple of months ago… such an improvement, and only £150

I bought Apple TV as the cheapest way into it. I am not into Apple at all and the box has cemented that view as the remote is the hardest thing I have ever used to navigate a ‘computer game’. As a software test manager, I don’t think Zwift have tested it at all, but it works well enough.

Currently I’m running zwift on my phone (Pixel 3a) and casting that to an old chrome cast plugged into a tv.

So graphics are not amazing and if you pass a bunch the frame rate drops for a second but it runs ok and other that graphics no different to when it ran on the computer.

Get a used Apple TV 4K from CEX for £70

I just dug out some screenshots taken from Zwift using the companion app and stored on my phone to illustrate the difference between the basic graphics and the ultra graphics.

I was fine with the basic graphics for years either running it on my laptop or tablet (a Samsung Galaxy S6 Lite), but once I changed I realised that it was quite a big leap.

Of course, if the only option is a laptop then it will work fine. Just check the spec against Zwift specs and go from there. Refurb is a good shout.
But, a PC might not end up costing any more and perform better.

At the end of the day, the program still runs fine at the lower graphics settings but it is a better experience with the better graphics and higher frames/sec.
The pictures don’t really do it justice either as it looks best when it’s moving – the shadows, the detail around the edges, clouds, sunlight patterns and things going on in the scenery that just doesn’t exist in the basic graphics settings.

1643754329497 by STW stumpy01[/url], on Flickr

2023-01-30_09-29-33 by STW stumpy01[/url], on Flickr

1657653168404 by STW stumpy01[/url], on Flickr

1658945491364 by STW stumpy01[/url], on Flickr

Timely thread, had my first Zwift crash running the latest app on my 2012 Mac mini today in an event with 800ish folk in it.

Tempted to just use the iPad, but I understand there are Bluetooth issues to work around there.

If I can get a Zwift pc to run above minimum spec for £200 that might be the way forward…

jimdoubleyou….if you use Facebook, search for the “ZPCMR – Zwift PC Masters” group.

My PC was £180 delivered from the guy who runs the page, I think. And that was when the price of graphics cards was quite a bit higher.

The WiFi card was very basic and wouldn’t work with my mesh, but I swapped it for a better one and it’s been fine since.

It’s not like I look at any of the scenery…

molgrips

It’s not like I look at any of the scenery…

Swoons…..be still my beating heart. 🤣

No need for you to worry about changing then.

It’s not like I look at any of the scenery…

We have a spare 43” TV and I did think yesterday of getting an Apple TV and using that becuase the Dell refurb all in one I have won’t cope with Neokyo above the Low graphics setting.

But then likewise, it’s just a training tool for me and I cope fine as it is, so why bother.

V interesting replies – i have just got into Zwift and currently just using my motorola phone – main issue is reading the information – so pinging it to a bigger screen sounds like cheap solution – I am not bothered about the graphics either – will look up that facebook page as well, thanks

For me moving from the laptop to Apple TV wasn’t to do with graphics (laptop had a good graphics card, so it might even be a slight downgrade on that front) but its a huge improvement in simplicity and stability.

The laptop started having connection issues and jumping/freezing, which during a structured workout was mildly irritating, but when racing it meant I got spat out the back of the pack a couple of times which was very frustrating!

For a non IT savvy I also think its the simplest solution, and as others have said you don’t need any other apple products for it to work.

I’m an AppleTV fan as well. The price/convenience factor far outweighs the lower graphical quality for me.

currently just using my motorola phone – main issue is reading the information – so pinging it to a bigger screen sounds like cheap solution – I am not bothered about the graphics either

I like to use two phones. One to run the game and the other for the companion app.
Mostly because we have a few obsolete phones knocking about.

Sorry really daft question – the Apple TV proposition – this is a device that you plug into your tV – then this can connect to your android phone to play whatever is on your phone?  I am not daft, just rather ignorant of what it is.  Thanks

Sorry really daft question – the Apple TV proposition – this is a device that you plug into your tV – then this can connect to your android phone to play whatever is on your phone? I am not daft, just rather ignorant of what it is. Thanks

Its a box that plugs into the TV, and Zwift then runs on that – no need to connect it to a phone, unless you want to run the companion app on the phone.

https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/buy-tv/apple-tv-4k

Thats the link to the latest one which was released about November(?) time – slightly annoyingly all the recent ones have been called “Apple TV 4k” so if you find a cheaper one, its worth checking the exact model. Any of the Apple TV 4k models will run Zwift, but the latest one had a significant processor upgrade over the previous model.

Get a used Apple TV 4K from CEX for £70

This. Excellent interface and super graphics. I have the older Apple TV not the latest 4K (well I do in another room). HDMI into an old TV mounted in the garage. You can only connect two bluetooth devices (the remote is the third), so HR and power, but not separate cadence, if that matters.

A trainer table to mount the TV on, and a fan might also be useful.

Am I the only one who finds trying to scroll up and down  selecting training plans or across screen buttons etc a nightmare with the apple remote touch sensitive dial thingy?

Apple TV is pretty foolproof and cheap way to get Zwift.

But-
It only runs the most basic settings
It’s limited to 2x BT devices, which limits options for HR, headphones, cadence, etc. It’s not insurmountable, but it’s not great.

Laptop wise, IIRC it runs something like

GTX1650 – Ultra upto 1440p*
RTX2050 – Ultimate

So if buying a new laptop I’d just get anything with either of those.

Processor wise it’s marginal, yes the absolute slowest will stutter a lot. And even new-ish mid range will struggle to do 60fps at a mass start or spawning location. But that’s because Zwift is just poorly written code that won’t flawlessly run on even best ones. In reality any laptop with a gtx1650 or better, will have a good enough processor.

*There’s little real benefit to large resolutions as the actual textures (i.e. the artwork that’s wrapped arround the 3d object) aren’t “4k”. 720 to 1080 looked better, 1440 looked exactly the same to me.

Budget wise, that’ll be about £350 for a refurbished one, £450 for a new one.

Biggest advantage over Apple TV is you get a usefull PC too for work, gaming, etc.

Am I the only one who finds trying to scroll up and down selecting training plans or across screen buttons etc a nightmare with the apple remote touch sensitive dial thingy?

You can go into settings and turn off the touch sensitive bobbins on the remote. Then it just has up/down/left/right buttons and a select button in the middle. Much easier to use then.

Thanks, good to know!

Another happy Apple TV user here. I have access to lots of other options, but this is the most convenient and good value

Besides the problematic remote functionality and basic graphics quality on Apple TV, the issue often highlighted is the Bluetooth limitation, three devices including the ATV remote.

Can’t you get around this by using a USB cable extension with an ANT+ dongle on the end, just like I use with the Surface Pro from timie to time to Zwift? Or do the latest generation ATVs not have a USB socket?

AppleTV and separate screen seems to be a good recommendation, but why not an iPad?

I’ve just being using my last generation iPad Air on my Wattbike and I’ve never had any issues. The screen is big enough to read everything and to use the onscreen touch controls (though running the companion app on the phone makes that even easier).

You can easily mirror to a bigger screen with a cable you want, and its a device you will use for other things rather than just for Zwift

+1 for AppleTV and a big telly.

To get round the Bluetooth connection count limit, get a HR monitor from 4iiii (the Viiiiva model) and that will bridge other Bluetooth connections into a single one)