Will this laptop work to run Zwift

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1

I am trying to purchase a new laptop. Its primary use will be to run Zwift. Since I don’t have any other significant uses for the computer, I am trying not to break the bank. I don’t need anything fancy, but I don’t want to fall short and get something that locks up or has other problems with Zwift. I am looking at this one that Costco has on sale. Any thoughts? My primary concern is the graphics card. It is using integrated graphics. It says it is AMD Radeon, but not enough detail to match up to the Zwift article about requirements.

The computer is the HP Pavilion 16 touchscreen laptop with AMD Ryzen 7 8840u processor and windows 11. 16GB ram with 1 TB SSD. Currently on sale for $549.99 at Costco.

2

It will but you are massively overpaying for something to run Zwift only.

For under half the price (maybe less) you could have a custom build PC that uses the ultra profile and can run 4k.

It might be daunting stepping into this arena but there’s loads of help out there to guide you through it.

My setup cost under $150 equivalent.

3

There are currently a lot of people experiencing game crashes on Ryzen systems with Radeon integrated graphics, which I imagine will get sorted out but right now that would be a risky choice. Aside from that issue, I agree with Stuart, you would be paying a lot for a relatively poor experience. The usual way people create a nice Zwift PC for a low price is by getting a used office PC and putting a used Nvidia graphics card in it. Another option that would be decent is a used Mac Mini (2020 or later model). You can find those on eBay.

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4

Going the route of building a PC of course means it’s no longer portable. You’ll need to also get a keyboard, maybe a mouse, definitely a monitor or TV. You might have to purchase windows OS.

5

Thanks for the feedback. I do want to maintain the portability, so a laptop is needed versus an office PC. While Zwift is the primary use, I still want the option to take it for travel here and there or just move it around the house. It will have some other more basic uses, but Zwift will likely be the most demanding and frequent of them so figured I would make sure it could handle that part. I’ll do a little more research and see what I find. Thanks again.

6

I would avoid U-chips. They are underpowered. Stick with H-level or equivalent.

7

I’ve got something comparable to this, which has been running Zwift without issue for the last 2-3 years. The convertible aspect is nice for Zwifting, as it can be turned into a quasi-tablet and put on a music stand or similar. Obviously not a powerhouse but it works. I can’t speak to how well these refurbed models perform.
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