Winter Is Coming, as Ned Stark use to say, so thoughts turn to static fun(!) in the garage.

Current laptop is old and creaky, so a new one would be required. What’s the cheapest way I can get one that has the oomph to run Zwift satisfactorily? Zwift reckons I need:

Dual Core Intel® Core i5 or AMD
8GB RAM
2GB GPU, Radeon R9 200 series or NVIDIA GTX 650
4GB of free space on hard disk

Or buy an iPad…

It’s the graphics card that matters most with Zwift so that means gaming laptop which unfortunately means expensive.

I was in the same situation and just kept checking HUKD daily. I ended up with a HP Pavilion (i5, 8GB, GTX1050, SSD) that’ll run Zwift in ultra at 1080p from PC World for £500. (slightly lower spec model is currently back to £750)

https://zwiftalizer.com/benchmarks is the place to check any potential purchase.

Ta.

I suppose the other option is a dedicated PC/monitor in the garage?

You’ve quoted the recommended spec.
The minimum spec would be enough, but how good it would be, I am not sure.

FWIW, my 6/7 year old laptop is somewhere between the min spec & recommended spec will run Zwift fine, apart from when you get the start of a race or group ride coming past you. Then, the frame rate drops for a few seconds before it goes back to normal.

My laptop is (from memory) an i5 with 6Gb of RAM & the built in graphics – IntelHD3000 which is actually BELOW the min spec recommended by Zwift, but works fine. I don’t even have the graphics set to min within the Zwift setting page – I think it’s set to the mid-position.

I suspect you could get something refurbed that would do the job perfectly well for around £300.

This refurbed laptop comes in at or above the recommended spec, apart from graphics where it’s at the min spec:

https://www.gigarefurb.co.uk/dell-latitude-e6230-intel-core-i5-3320m-2-60ghz-8gb-ddr3-ram-128gb-ssd-12-5-hd-windows-10-home-refurbished-laptops.html

It would run Zwift fine, unless you demand the highest graphic performance.

+1^

I run it on a surface 3. Intel atom processor, 4gb ram, and intel hd graphics. So nothing like a gaming laptop, or anything close.

It’s the graphics card that matters most with Zwift so that means gaming laptop which unfortunately means expensive.

If this is the case. Can anyone explain why Zwifts graphics look like they were nicked from Midtown Madness from 20 years ago?

What do you need the graphics to be ? I’ve you’re checking the windows out on a building, you’re not going hard enough !

haha…

You have no idea how hard I go in the comfort of my own home. 😉
I don’t turbo train at all. And have no interest in doing so.
Just curious as to why you need a £750 computer to run a game with graphics that wouldn’t look out of place on a PS2.

I run it on an iPad mini2 that’s about 4 years old, seems to work fine on it.

Just curious as to why you need a £750 computer to run a game with graphics that wouldn’t look out of place on a PS2.

As people above have proved you don’t but like with any PC game if you want to up the detail, textures, resolution, etc the necessary budget also needs to go up.

I’m guessing the screenshot above is not ultra settings?

I set my laptop up in the garage on a 7 day free test, tried it once an uninstalled the software. Just didnt get it, thought it was a bit, well, sh1t.

I’d rather have trainerroad on my android phone and watch TV/Netflix etc on our old flatscreen TV, glancing to the phone occassionaly when intervals were changing.

I’d also rather go out on a muddy MTB ride than do either

gwurk – Member

It’s the graphics card that matters most with Zwift so that means gaming laptop which unfortunately means expensive.

If this is the case. Can anyone explain why Zwifts graphics look like they were nicked from Midtown Madness from 20 years ago?

Don’t know for sure, but I suspect it’s not just rendering the ‘world’ that requires the graphics grunt.
I think it’s more to do with when you have 10’s of other riders in the same shot. It has to process the movement & path of every other rider, which I would imagine is quite an intensive task.

As I mentioned above, my laptop runs fine until a massive group of riders comes past such as a group ride or race with can be many 10’s of riders in a tight group. While they come past the frame rate slows down massively & once they have passed it returns to normal.

It used to run on my several year old AMD something with 4 (I think) GB of RAM and onboard graphics, I think it cost less than £400.

I’d probably go iPad though if it works ok, you can just stick it on a music stand then.

thoughts turn to static fun(!) in the garage

Jeez are you serious, get a headtorch and put an extra layer on.

If this is the case. Can anyone explain why Zwifts graphics look like they were nicked from Midtown Madness from 20 years ago?

Because graphics card grunt helps with drawing more complex scenes, at a faster rate. However, if (like me) you can’t draw to save your life, it’ll still look rubbish.

….or you could go outside on a real bike? The graphics are amazing!

d3carbon – Member
….or you could go outside on a real bike? The graphics are amazing!

Or do both…
Much easier to do specific training/workouts on a trainer
Safer when the weather is approaching freezing
Graphics outside at night aren’t all that to shout about anyway 😀

For me as well, it’s easier mentally after a hard day at work, a long commute home and spending time with my young daughter before she goes to bed to jump on the turbo trainer….
I think of it as more like an equivalent to the gym, than cycling as such.
My fitness has come on loads this year since using Zwift, especially since spare time has become short.

Brilliant STW, thanks

About to buy one of those refurbs – whats better all else being equal, an I7 processor and a 12.5″ screen or I5 with a 14″ screen?

The Zwift Graphics themselves aren’t that great. I run Zwift on a 3 year old laptop, but it’s got an i7 with Nvidia 740M graphics and built in graphics on the i7

If Zwift defaults to built in graphics, it gets choppy in a group ride – it’s fine on your own.

I force Zwift to use the Nvidia card it’s fine at full HD (Zwift is crap at using the fastest graphics processor by default in a laptop).

An i5 / i7 won’t make much difference in Zwift. It’s only for multi thread gaming/massive spreadsheets/video processing. The built in chip graphics are a bit quicker in the i7.

Ok, so of the 2 I7’s chipsets I’m looking at for the same price, one has intel HD graphics, one has Intel HD 4000 graphics. I7620m 2.6ghz Vs I73540 3.0ghz fwiw

According to wiki the latter is faster/better, but is thw 12.5 inch screen, with the prior (slower) graphics has a 14.1 inch screen.

Is it worth the faster graphics in leiu of the larger screen?

Last question them im buying, thanks!

Need to know the processors as the 2nd is a 3rd gen i7, the first looks like a 1st gen as it’s only 3 digits in the naming series.

The 2nd is the fastest.

PS Faster processor – you could always buy a cheap monitor to leave set up in the garage/pain den for the laptop to plug into.

The screen size isn’t important tbf. You’ll be trying to hard. just nice to see something moving, or your progress through a pack.

I hate turbo sessions, but having been left with a busted spine two years ago, it’s been a good low impact way of keeping going. I still hate it, but when my back isn’t good enough to take a battering on the MTB, I go on the turbo. I struggle to climb off it. I was a hardened roadie prior to my accident. No road for me now.

Thanks from me for the advice. Just bought this:

https://www.gigarefurb.co.uk/dell-latitude-e6230-intel-core-i7-3540-3rd-gen-3-00ghz-4gb-ddr3-ram-320gb-windows-10-home-refurbished-laptops.html

..for £235 with an extra 4GB to 8GB RAM. It’ll be a dedicated “Bike” LT, with Zwift and my coaching software and t’internet only.

I have a spare 19″ flat panel monitor which was inching its way towards the skip also to use.

I too am really interested in sorting myself out a cheap zwift only laptop.
Can you post when you have received it and set it up, am very very interested in the outcome of how well it works…..
Or the bad devil on my shoulder may tell me to just get the credit card out and press ‘buy now’!
M

It is only 4 weeks to wait for Back Friday so hang fire

I bought a 2nd hand i5/8Gb/2Gb Nvidia laptop for £100 (outer case was damaged, but of leccy tape and it’s now the Zwift laptop).

I’m waiting to see what the Android version runs like, and if my Samsung Galaxy Tab is supported.

As a not so computer literate person……how does one force zwift to use the best graphics card/settings?
M

Can you post when you have received it and set it up, am very very interested in the outcome of how well it works…..

All good so far. Just had a text to say my extra RAM is in and the LT is being delivered (free) by DpD tomorrow.

Re black Friday – you wont get as big a discount down to these prices off a new machine. The one i just bought was over £800 new. Granted this place may have a further sale though.

Well, my new LT turned up from Gigarfurb, 48 hours later and plus 4GB of RAM.

I honestly couldn’t tell it from a new one, its in remarkable condition. Blank install with Windows 10 and the activation/product code stuck neatly on the bottom of the device, supplied with power supply.

Packaging was professional albeit minimal.

I’ve loaded up Zwift and its running very slick, with the LT graphics set to Performance non battery saver and Swift set to 720p, no battery saver. I’ve sat watching people for 30mins and even with big groups it very smooth. It did get a bit hesitant now and again on 1060p but I don’t need that high res.

So no issue, very clean hardware/software, 1 year RTB warranty, Windows Defender included by default – I’m very happy with what I have for £235.

Glad it’s working. I’m running a very old laptop and only issue I get is as above when a big group comes past it goes all glitchy til they pass then goes back to normal. I ran a long Ethernet cable into garage too so I know I’m getting as fast a connection as possible. If I was group racing etc I would need a better pc cos a slight glitch if you are riding with someone can drop you back quite a few seconds. Keep us posted cos I get the feeling my laptop might be dying.