Upcoming Changes to Supported GPUs [March 2022]

We wanted to make you aware of upcoming changes for Intel-based Mac and Windows computers running specific graphics processing units (GPUs).

Starting March 2022, Zwift will no longer run on computers equipped with the following integrated GPUs.

  • Intel HD 2xxx series
  • Intel HD 3xxx series

Here’s how to find out what graphics processor you have in both Windows and Mac computers:

macOS

Windows

Anyone Zwifting on a computer with these GPUs using these operating systems will begin to see messaging in-game with the February game release v 1.22, and should also receive notification via email.

Starting with the March release of game version 1.23, the Zwift game app will no longer function on affected computers.

If your Windows laptop has a dedicated graphics processor in addition to the Intel integrated GPUs listed above - please set Windows to use the dedicated GPU.

Here’s how to find out if you have multiple GPUs and manage them in Windows:

Note: if you unplug a laptop from AC power - Windows may default to the less power-hungry GPU.

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Good news. :wink:

To potentially save a few clicks, this essentially means that to continue to run Zwift on integrated graphics* with an Intel CPU, you’ll need 4th generation ‘Haswell’ or newer.

There are a few 3rd generation ‘Ivy Bridge’ models that make the cut but the majority do not, and all of 2nd generation ‘Sandy Bridge’ is being pulled.

*You’ll be able to continue to use any generation with a dedicated/discrete graphics card, so long as the CPU supports a recent enough operating system. You’d already know by now if this wasn’t the case.

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Hello, about your message I do not agree whit this , because my computer will no longer suported this upgrade and I have to change it . I advice to reconsider this upgrade to be able to run on other computer equipped with the following integrated GPUs intel HD 3xxx series
Thank you for your support !

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Hi @bercea_silviu

If your computer is a desktop you can a GPU that may help.

For Zwift to move forward they have to limit the basic hardware requirements.

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What’s coming out in the March release that needs better processors? curious minds wanna know…

I would suspect absolutely nothing.

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As you said, make users buy new kit just to save a few clicks…:man_shrugging:

In fairness they have to draw the line somewhere, the more older kit they support the harder it is for the devs and support teams. It was just the same when they stopped support for Windows 7. The iGPUs they’re binning off run Zwift really quite poorly - 4th gen (which will be the bare minimum after this change) is a decent step up and ensures everyone is getting a base level of acceptable performance.

I won’t mention what an 4th gen iGPU roughly performs like though, because it might upset a few people. :wink:

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Question:
Does this affect Linux with WINE? The „game will no longer function“ sounds like a block and not merely dropping support.

Linux provides a better performance and OpenGL 3.3 compatibility on the HD3000 (Sandy Bridge). Windows drivers only provide OpenGL 3.1 for the HD3000.

i know that in the past the developer wanted to get as many PAYABLE users as they can, now they have “enough” users and throw off the problematic and “it-costs-more-than-we-can-earn” models, so if i were the Zwift CEO, i would throw off the HD4xxx too, and the Iris (so everything below a non-old&basic NVidia GeForce and Radeon), that has problem too and a slow gpu.

btw the actual version could start on this setup…: How can somebody enjoy this c…p? in Watopia Tempus, with the lowest graphic resolution , 576, basic and solo (so no crowdness) Everything below stable 20fps is unjoyable (25-30fps should be the minimum), especially with this C64 graphic
image

HD 4400 on a desktop i3 (readily available for £10) does 25-30fps in 1080p Basic. Not something I’d use personally, but clearly perfectly adequate for a large number of people given that’s pretty much the same as Apple TV 4K.

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probably with a stronger CPU. but if the crowdness is very dense, in an event or with D/C/B partners, the fps is dramatically dropping. even with strong cpu and gpu too (and the usage of these are only ~50% , i think there is huge unoptimization in the code, otherwise the gpu should be around 100% as it is when there is no group nearby, and the fps is also 2-3x higher, near to 100fps, it is personal experience, i made a few logs with nvidia logger, just i was too lazy till now to write a post about it here…)

The CPU limited performance when it’s busy is a well known and documented problem unfortunately. This article is a bit outdated now (I’m currently in the process of updating it) but see here, past the specs stuff: Zwift on PC: The Ultimate Guide to Running Zwift at Its Very Best | Zwift Insider

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it should be in 1st priority in dev, and not the fancy main menu and other gimicks.

the other old and non-solved issue is the “non syncronised and shifted time stamps in fit file” in slow devices (IOS, Android, old ATV, WIN, so on all), if you record a 3600s ride with these slow devices, in the Zwift recorded FIT file it is only ~3550s apprx (depending on the device’s slowness, in my example it is less, but with very slow device it is much worse)

here is an example, the purple is the Zwift FIT, the blue is a Garmin FIT, the power source is the same, as You see as the time goes by the time offset is increasing (it was an Android device , S7Edge) and the segment times on Strava are fake (/much/ faster than in Zwift ingame times) , it is the same with ATV HD and other IOS devices with A8, A9 SoC, and with slow computers too… it is a “Zwift’s birth defect”, so old bug…

I’ve got a laptop running Intel HD3000 graphics.
I really only use it to upload custom workouts via the workouts folder that are sent to me by someone I train with.
I use an Android tablet while actually on Zwift.

There is no way i am aware of to upload workouts with Android. Does this mean that when my laptop is no longer supported next month I will have no way to upload custom workouts? Or is this functionality being provided on Android? Or is it already there & I am not aware of it?

It will be a frustrating expense to have to buy a new PC/laptop just so I can add custom workouts. The other option would be recreate them myself within Android, which will be a pain.

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Very good point. That method of syncing workouts - just load the game up on another computer - has always been slightly absurd.

@shooj Is there a plan to address this?

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A very simple solution to this would be for a dev to spend an hour or two making a simple uploader on zwift.com for our accounts to just upload a custom workout to the library.

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They should pay the chap who developed zwiftworkout.com (yet another third party site doing a great job) and implement a direct upload option.

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Oh wow, I did not know that site existed. You’re right, that would be a great solution.