To say that Manor Lords has a lot of hopes and expectations tied to its upcoming early access release on the 26th of April 2024 would be an understatement. The title already has over 2 million Steam Wishlists including yours truly as it combines a city-building simulator with RTS elements.

There is considerable hype around the title even as the developer has been quick to point out that it is "not a competitor" to titles such as those that are battle-focused like the Total War series or faster RTS titles like Age of the Empires or Starcraft. Much of this is due to multiple ongoing streams that also showcase the title's pre-release gameplay ahead of its early access release later this week.

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Manor Lords: Stated Hardware Requirements

The publisher for Manor Lords, Hooded Horse has offered some insight on what its requirements are for the title. These are also available on both its Reddit forum and on its Steam store listing. They are divided into 2 tiers, Minimum and Recommended:

MINIMUM:

  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows® 10 (64-bit)
  • Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-4670 (quad-core) / AMD® FX-Series™ FX-4350 (quad-core)
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050 (2 GB) / AMD® Radeon™ RX-460 (4 GB)
  • DirectX: Version 12
  • Storage: 16 GB available space

RECOMMENDED:

  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows® 10 (64-bit)
  • Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-7600 (quad-core) / AMD® Ryzen™ 3 2200G (quad-core)
  • Memory: 12 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1060 (6 GB) / AMD® Radeon™ RX 580 (8 GB)
  • DirectX: Version 12
  • Storage: 16 GB available space

Manor Lords' Hardware Requirements Explained

The title has modest CPU and GPU requirements but seems to indicate a 4-core, 4-thread CPU is the bare minimum for users trying to play it as intended. The title itself is based on Unreal Engine 4 with no current plans to build an Unreal Engine 5 version. Users on Windows 10 and above can play the game, which is not particularly surprising given that Steam itself dropped support for Windows 7/8/8.1 at the start of 2024.

On the GPU front, the requirements remain moderate again, but one can see an uptick in terms of hardware requirements here unlike the more grounded CPU requirements. We also get some insight when it comes to Manor Lord's performance when pushed to its highest possible presets thanks to Nvidia releasing a driver with DLSS2 support for Manor Lords.

Manor Lords DLSS2 Performance Gains On The RTX 4000 Series

Nvidia's driver update showcases DLSS2 gains on Manor Lords when being maxed out on its fidelity settings at 4K, giving users a good idea of what to expect when maxing out the game on their laptops or desktops when it releases later this week. (Source: Nvidia.com)

This in addition to relatively low RAM and Storage requirements in tow means that Manor Lords should be able to run on most gaming PCs and laptops built this decade, but the title does benefit from higher-end hardware, especially at higher resolutions and hardware presets.

The Best Gaming Laptops For Manor Lords Ranked

The team at Game ZXC, mindful of the requirements above, has curated a tiered list of the best gaming laptops to play Manor Lords as intended by the developer once early access kicks below:

For most users looking to max out Manor Lords on both one's native and potentially external displays, a beefier CPU-GPU combination always helps. Enter the MSI Katana 15's RTX 4070-based SKU which also packs in a powerful deca-core 13th generation Intel Core i7 CPU at a price tag that makes it significantly more competent than its competition.

The Katana also throws in fast DDR5 RAM and a large 1TB PCI-E 4.0 SSD into the mix, meaning that it will be more than adequate to deal with future content updates and exceed Manor Lords' current RAM requirement by 33%. It also offers significantly better cooling than its competition.

The Katana does cut corners in 2 very important categories. Firstly, it offers a much lower uptime when running on the battery than most of its competition thanks to a sub-50Whr battery in play. It also offers an FHD display that does do the requisite 144Hz that most of its competition does but doesn't hold its own against the competition, many of which use better display tech and higher resolutions when it comes to its price bracket.

If users need a laptop that can be a brute when it counts for gaming, the Katana comes with an excellent built-in overclocking-friendly profile it calls "Cooler Boost" where it raises fan speeds to keep temperatures lower, preventing throttle but at the cost of increased noise when its fans ramp up. The Katana itself offers excellent value for money, powerful internals and what many feel are acceptable compromises for a gaming laptop in 2024 to position itself as one of the best options for multiple titles, including Manor Lords.

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is considered one of the best compact gaming laptop options available to end users, offering multiple iterations of its signature high-end CPU that meets a powerful GPU configuration in a neat 14-inch form factor. The 2024 version of the G14 comes with a gorgeous 3K OLED ROG Nebula display that offers a high refresh rate of 120Hz with a low 0.2ms response time in tow.

On the CPU end, it comes with AMD's latest and greatest laptop CPU offering, the octa-core Ryzen 9 8945HS which also comes with a dedicated NPU for localized AI, making for a potent, yet future-proof option for gamers looking for a more portable option without compromising meaningfully on performance.

The GPU in play is a mid-range RTX 4060 that can hold its own in most titles including Manor Lords, though maxing it out on the G14's sub-3K display might be hard given the GPU's limitations and power constraints in play. The laptop comes equipped with 16GB of LPDDR5X that can not be upgraded. This, while more than adequate for Manor Lords, could be an issue for power users in the future.

The 2024 refresh of the Zephyrus G14 is prone to thermal throttling thanks to its form factor but does hold its own considerably better than previous iterations, making it an ideal option for gaming on the go or for users who have limited desk space in play but want to play Manor Lords with cranked up visuals in 2024.

A lot of things come to mind when talking about the Razer Blade 18's 2024, but they all center around it being immensely powerful as it packs the latest and greatest when it comes to laptop hardware under the hood, going the extra mile to remain cutting-edge versus the competition.

Its RTX 4090 GPU enables users to get the most out of its 300Hz QHD Mini LED display even as it is backed by a 24-core 14th gen Intel Core i9 CPU that can handle all of its gaming and productivity needs alike. The Blade 18, however, packs not only powerful audio and an excellent keyboard to back its powerful internals but also offers a premium design in tow.

This, in addition to 32GB of fast DDR5 RAM and 2TB of SSD storage, makes for a powerful laptop that considerably exceeds what Manor Lords needs to run maxed out - that is, if you can find one in stock. The Razer Blade 18 is relatively elusive when it comes to availability at multiple retailers. This is due to it being a highly sought-after high-end laptop and one that seems to move in and out of stock regularly.

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For users on a budget, the MSI GF63 Gaming Laptop might be more to their liking as it offers a balanced CPU and GPU combination, pairing an 11th generation Core i5 CPU with an entry-level RTX 3050 GPU that still benefits from the DLSS2 optimizations on offer from Manor Lords.

It offers a larger amount of storage than its peers when it comes to its price bracket and offers double the minimum amount of RAM required by Manor Lords even as it comes with an IPS display that can do 144Hz at 1080P for titles beyond the simulation needs of the user.

At the same time, it does have poor battery life on offer and the RTX 3050 GPU might be a significant bottleneck for gamers in the future given its limitations when it comes to more demanding presets and other titles alike. All in, the MSI GF63 Gaming Laptop does deliver value, some of which could be short-lived if one plans to play games well into 2024 at high presets.

The 2023 version of the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 comes quite well-endowed, throwing in a 13th generation Core i5 CPU with a high-TGP RTX 4050 laptop GPU. It also pairs a decent battery along with a 512GB SSD and 16GB of DDR4 RAM into the mix, making it a great alternative to users needing a fast, but budget-centric option under $800. It can handle titles including Manor Lords at a high preset while also benefiting from its DLSS2 optimizations as a result.

With a dedicated MUX switch and a large keyboard in tow, the TUF Gaming F15 plays to its strengths while offering plenty of extras versus its competition, some of which might offer beefier CPUs and GPUs but lack in build quality as a result, making it a uniquely better option for users looking for a budget gaming laptop for their town planning in 2024 and beyond.

For users looking to get more power out of their gaming laptop than the Katana, in addition to more premium build quality but unwilling to pay the high ask that laptops like the Razer Blade 16 and 18 have, the upgraded-for-2024 version of the ASUS ROG Strix G16 offers plenty of power under the hood built around its top-of-the-line 14th generation Core i9 CPU.

It packs a gorgeous ROG Nebula display that offers a 240Hz refresh rate with a QHD resolution paired to an RTX 4070 GPU to keep things humming in titles like Manor Lords and more demanding games alike. With 1TB of SSD space and 16GB of RAM, both of which are upgradeable down the line, users can rest assured their laptops will be relevant in the foreseeable future, even as ASUS already throws in liquid metal into the mix to keep thermals low to avoid throttling in the near future.

The ROG Strix G16 is a premium laptop SKU and is priced accordingly in 2024, but it can regularly be found on sale with multiple vendors, making it a great option to consider, especially given the screen resolution and refresh rate it has in addition to it having above-average HDR performance for users aiming to showcase their fiefdoms to other players in all their glory.

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FAQ

Q: When Does Manor Lords Come Out?

Manor Lords will be available to play on Friday, the 26th of April on Steam Early Access for PC players.

Q: How Much RAM Does Manor Lords Need To Run?

Manor Lords is expected to need a minimum of 8GB of RAM while the publisher recommends using at least 12GB of RAM to get optimal performance from the city-building simulator at launch.