You can have ~1 minute load times for $15. Your call.
3 Likes
That CPU looks to be old. For Intel it needs to be 4th gen or better…ideally 12 gen or better. Your GPU is fine.
You have a choice:
- Run the game on an SSD and update your CPU (most likely your motherboard also due to compatibility with the CPU)
- Get an Apple Mini M4
- Live with it.
Zwift runs on OpenGL which is ancient. In computer age, so is your PC. Whether it is poor programming or not, does not matter. Adjust and optimize your experience or live with it.
1 Like
For it to be 3ghz it’d have to be a first gen i7, an 870, potentially a 970; or a mobile, like a 3540?? no mention of laptop though.
What’s wild is 8gb RAM is still in modern equipment which is mind boggling; 16gb should’ve been the minimum norm a decade ago, and 24+ by now… but here we are; now VRAM is going the opposite direction 
Regardless, that’d put the computer in the 12 to 16 year old range…
And a reminder that a 1070 will certainly run Zwift handily, albeit worth noting it now is nearing the decade old mark.
Zwift isn’t that large, install it on your SSD. No daily-use software should be loading off an HDD in today’s world, no matter how old your hardware is.
$10 says OP let MyWoosh default install on SSD while Zwift is for some reason on HDD; worth noting a lot of modern software will try and secretly install where it deems most performant. I’ve never used MyWoosh, but I wouldn’t put it past the software to not shove in your face where it’s installing.
Especially if it installed the lighter, lower fidelity mobile version.
I often get not responding when loading up a world and this is on an i3 10th gen/8gb/1660ti/m.2 drive, I don’t see this behaviour using MyWhoosh and I didnt see anything like it when i used IndieVelo, now this will be the amount of background work zwift is doing but why its trying to do all that at once is another matter
Hi @Graham_West welcome to Zwift forums.
Shuji at Zwift HQ here. Unlike the others helping out here, I can see your server logs.
I also used to own a Thinkpad W520 from around ~2014. Mine was a terrific machine for video editing, but mine was maxed out with 32GB RAM, a big SSD and a nice GPU. Assuming your W520 motherboard is similar to the one I had - it’s simple to add more RAM than the 8 GB that’s installed in yours. 8GB is the minimum required to run Zwift. Open a panel on the bottom with a small screwdriver, and swap out the memory stick. 16GB would make a massive improvement.
Your server logs indicate you have a platter type hard drive. As others have pointed out - a solid state drive will drastically improve the time it takes to boot up Windows and also the time it takes to load Zwift. Replacing the drive and installing a fresh instance of Windows is a bit more involved than swapping out a stick of RAM, but it would make a bigger improvement to the slow boot / slow load issues that are bugging you.
6 Likes
Solid state storage is the most important change you can make to affect load times. If it’s a laptop, you can’t change the CPU, which is the other relevant factor. Both are more important than adding RAM. More RAM with that super slow storage will still result in poor load times.
2 Likes
According to the specs that is a 2nd generation, maybe 3rd gen CPU… Plus a laptop. SSD will help and it will run but that CPU/system is going to be less than good.
1 Like
Just telling you how it is for me, and thousands of others, but yeah it’s probably the programming.
I can see your privacy policy.
And I must admit that I can’t see the paragraph in it that allows you to post personal information (per your privacy policy’s definition) to the forum, however satisfying it may be.
I really don’t think posting that someone has a hard drive is personal information, what about that links the information back to the user? We all have hard drives and memory on our devices, that is hardly personal private information.
2 Likes
It was more than “you have a hard drive”.
Regardless, what matters is what Zwift designate as personal information, and it includes (quoted from the privacy policy):
Internet or other electronic activity information: information about your computer or mobile application and browsers you use to access our Services; mobile network information; app version you use; your browsing and search history on our Services; log information about your use of the Services; and information regarding your interaction with our Services
It is clearly defined by Zwift as personal information.
but that is just the notice that they collect that data, not that they won’t share it or use it for business purposes (like customer support)
Notice at Collection: Personal Information We Collect
We collect the following categories of personal information:
It says “This Policy applies to our collection and use of personal information”
In other words any usage not covered by the policy is not allowed.
It then list a series of usages (aka “purposes for collection”). The only possible one that could apply is “To provide our Services to you, to fulfill customer orders and requests, to contact you from time to time, to provide you with information about our business, for customer support, and to respond to your inquiries”
Now, I’m not of the view that a public post in the forum that reads to me as pretty sarcastic and patronising in tone e.g. “it’s simple to add more RAM than the 8 GB that’s installed in yours.” is a genuine support post: DMs are available and appropriate for this purpose.
YMMV
Paul you need to take a serious step back because you’re going down a hilarious path.
Everything is very well defined in the EULA that if you use the software, you’re agreeing to the terms.
Secondly, you’re posting on a public forum.
If you wanted to keep private that your computer has a hard drive disc in it, you should’ve contacted support directly. The forum is public space… again, something you agree to by using the service.
2 Likes
I disagree, but I guess if you have serious concerns you can contact legal@zwift.com
I didn’t read that as sarcastic or patronising at all, and the revelation that a machine has 8gb ram or a traditional HDD is not particularly top secret.
2 Likes
There’s always someone who hasta be “That Guy”; in this case it happens to be one of The Pauls…
@Graham_West take a look at this article written by the Zwift Windows System Whisperer, Dave Higgins: Zwift on PC: The Ultimate Guide to Running Zwift at Its Very Best | Zwift Insider
His guidance has made a huge difference in tens of thousands of Zwift users. My system, built with his outline, goes from cold boot to riding in less than 60 seconds. Yes, the Zwift app is not well-written and is often referred to as spaghetti code but with the right computer hardware which can be sourced for a hundred bucks or so will run satisfactorily.
1 Like
It is not my computer or query.
Exactly.
The original poster asked a question as to why Zwift was so slow on his PC.
Zwift have used his connection information to establish that his Pc is not the optimal platform to use, and have provided advice as per the original posters request.
This therefore does not breach any Data Protection as no Personal Information was passed.
His hardware, PC configuration is not Data Protection.
2 Likes
What gen i7?