Does this screen mean my video card is too weak to run Zwift?

The Archives Archived: Tips and Troubleshooting
1

Here’s what it looks like when I run Zwift.


That is all I see but I can hear the music.

 

Here is what my computer has.

-Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

-Intel Core i7 processor 930

-ATI Radeon HD 5850 1024MB

-9GB DDR3 Memory

 

 

 

2

The 7 year old graphics card is probably the issue - or more accurately - it’s probably the graphics driver that is too old.  It’s worth checking amd.com to see if they have a driver update for you.

I can say a few people do use 5850’s successfully in Zwift on Windows 7, so it is possible, but not common at all.  

3

Thanks.

Do you know of a resource like the AMD Catalyst that can determine compatibility of a video card as an upgrade to an existing computer?

4

I’m not sure. There’s 2 things at play.  1) Is it compatible with Zwift.  2) Is it compatible with Windows 7 still.    Nearly all cards in the last 7 years are compatible with Zwift and Windows 7, so as long as you buy something recent, even if it’s cheap, it’s almost certainly going to work if it has the Windows 7 logo on the box. 

I still suspect the 5850 can be made to work if you update the drivers.  Did you give that a try?

5

Yes, it worked and I am able to run Zwift now. Thanks! It’s a lot of fun already.