The Last of Us Part 1 has recently been released for the PC and it’s already notorious for being a disappointing port. Still, you can’t deny the game’s pretty visuals and graphics; it certainly puts the highest-end hardware to the test optimized or not. Sadly, your mid-range gaming machine might not be enough if you want to max out the game.
The Last of Us Part 1 is one of the most graphically-intense games right now and if you want to experience the game in its full glory especially following the HBO show’s ending, you’ll need some heavyweight hardware.
For reference, here are the system requirements for the Last of Us Part 1:
Minimum:
- OS: Windows 10 (Version 1909 or Newer)
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 1500X, Intel Core i7-4770K
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 470 (4 GB), AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT (4 GB), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (4 GB), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (4 GB)
- Storage: 100 GB available space
- Additional Notes: SSD Recommended
Recommended:
- OS: Windows 10 (Version 1909 or Newer)
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, Intel Core i7-8700
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (8 GB), AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (8 GB), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER (8 GB), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (8 GB)
- Storage: 100 GB available space
- Additional Notes: SSD Recommended
But due to the state of the game’s optimization and the ray tracing features, expect to need better than those for at least High or Ultra. We’ve compiled the following laptops that can help you max out The Last of Us Part 1 while staying within a good budget range or under a good deal.
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Acer Nitro 16 Gaming Laptop
PROS
- AMD Ryzen CPU is good for battery life
- Current-gen hardware for future proofing
- QHD resolution
- Affordable
- 165 Hz refresh rate
CONS
- Storage could be better
- 720p webcam
Specs:
- CPU / Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS
- GPU / Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070
- RAM / Memory: 16 GB DDR5
- Storage: 512 GB M.2 PCIe
- Display: 16″ 2560 x 1600 165 Hz IPS Display
Acer Nitro might be a budget brand, but this one comes packed with some current-gen goodies and if you’re purchasing a gaming device for a video game, you might as well pick one that will also max out other video games. The RTX 4070 is a good choice here since it has NVIDIA’s latest frame interpolation tech.
This will allow you to gain more performance by sacrificing some visual clarity which wouldn’t matter much since you’d be running QHD on a 16-inch screen. And even without that, you can expect some stable framerates at a mix of Ultra and High settings.
Acer Nitro 16 Gaming Laptop
Gigabyte Aorus 17H Gaming Notebook
PROS
- 17-inch screen
- Current-gen hardware for future-proofing
- Reasonably-priced
- 360 Hz refresh rate
CONS
- 720p webcam
- Only 1080p
Specs:
- CPU / Processor: Intel Core i7-13700H
- GPU / Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080
- RAM / Memory: 16GB of DDR5 RAM
- Storage: 1 TB M.2 NVMe PCIe
- Display: 17.3″ 1920 x 1080 IPS Display
Of course, just to be sure, you might want to crank up the budget for an RTX 4080 laptop. Because 8 GB of VRAM isn’t actually enough for The Last of Us Part 1 in Ultra preset. It uses up more than 10 GB of VRAM and for that and for that, you need something more robust.
12 GB of VRAM on an RTX 4080 ensures that you can raise the textures to Ultra with reckless abandon. You probably don’t even need more than 10 GB of VRAM at that point since this laptop only runs at 1080p though with a refresh rate of 360 Hz.
Gigabyte Aorus 17H Gaming Notebook
Lenovo Legion Pro 7 16IRX8H
PROS
- Current-gen hardware for future-proofing
- Competitively-priced
- QHD display running at 240 Hz
- Generous RAM
- Pretty bottom RGB lighting
- 1080p webcam
CONS
- 16:10 aspect ratio
Specs:
- CPU / Processor: Intel Core i9-13900HX
- GPU / Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
- RAM / Memory: 32GB DDR5
- Storage: 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD
- Display: 16″ 2560 x 1600 240 Hz IPS Display
To ensure that your computer has the best chance at running The Last of Us Part 1 at Ultra settings, then an RTX 4090 might just be the overkill push you need. There’s no contest here, it’s the best you can have for a laptop.
The difference for this one is that it’s a lot more affordable. Most laptops rocking an RTX 4090 and a 13th-gen i9 are in the $4,000 range but this particular Lenovo Legion is out to give everyone an awesome deal.
Lenovo Legion Pro 7 16IRX8H
Asus ROG Strix Scar 15
PROS
- Cheap price for this kind of hardware
- Sturdy and stylish build
- 300 Hz refresh rate
- Impressive cooling
CONS
- RAM is only DDR4
- Only 1080p
Specs:
- CPU / Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX
- GPU / Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
- RAM / Memory: 16GB DDR4
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Display: 15.6″ 300Hz IPS Type FHD Display
Picking a high-end last-gen gaming laptop can be a tricky affair, because those equipped with an RTX 3080 or stronger can still be priced as high as the current-gen options. That’s why this one is a good bargain steal. This particular ROG Strix Scar 15 comes with an RTX 3080 and it only priced mid-range.
That’s astonishing considering how an RTX 4060, considered mid-range for the current-gen, is nowhere near as powerful as an RTX 3080. And despite the DDR4 RAM and the previous-gen CPU, you can rest assured that it will run The Last of Us Part 1 maxed out better than most mid-range gaming laptops for this generation.
Asus ROG Strix Scar 15
Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop
PROS
- 165 Hz refresh rate
- Cheap price
- The RTX 3070 is more powerful than the RTX 4060
- Mostly metal chassis at this price
CONS
- Only 1080p
- 720p webcam
Specs:
- CPU / Processor: Intel Core i7-12700H
- GPU / Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
- RAM / Memory: 16 GB 3200 MHz DDR4
- Storage: 512 GB M.2 NVMe PCIe
- Display: 15.6″ 1920 x 1080 IPS Display 165 Hz
Last but not least, the budget option. Sadly, going below RTX 3070 mobile for The Last of Us Part 1 means you won’t be able to max it out and you might have to settle for a full Medium preset. But the RTX 3070 with DLSS enabled has a good chance of running it at a mix of High and Ultra.
The gaming laptop is no slouch either with a 165 Hz refresh rate and a beefy last-gen laptop CPU. The price? It’s in the mid-range bracket which makes it accessible to most people. It’s also worth noting that the RTX 4070 mobile is marginally more powerful than an RTX 4060 mobile.
Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop
Expect the Last of Us Part 1 To Be Further Optimized
It might be an appalling notion that a remake of a 10-year-old game is so demanding, but it’s also important to keep in mind that the developers might have released it undercooked or poorly optimized. There’s a big chance they won’t leave the game at its current state and that only means the performance will improve, further allowing you to sacrifice framerate for visuals.
If and when that happens and once the optimization updates have been implemented, you might need something weaker to max it out but it’s still good to have some extra buffer in the form of overkill hardware. After all, the game is still demanding due to the plethora of ray tracing and advanced lighting options. So you can’t go wrong by picking this kind of gaming hardware for The Last of Us Part 1 and other demanding PC games.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Is the Last of Us Part 1 unoptimized?
Based on general consensus and critic reviews, it is. There were too many bugs and glitches (which are being prioritized via fixes right now), and there are also plenty of performance issues. -
Is the Last of Us Part 1 a remake or a remaster?
It's a remake with plenty of changes compared to the original, some of which were dramatic.