Best Laptop for Mafia III

As an avid gamer and laptop enthusiast, I understand that finding the best laptop for Mafia III can be quite challenging. Mafia III is an action-adventure game that offers an immersive open-world experience, set in a reimagined New Bordeaux in 1968. With its engaging storyline and visually stunning graphics, it's no surprise that many gamers are in pursuit of the ideal laptop to fully enjoy this game. In this guide, we'll delve into the unique requirements and preferences of gamers who are specifically looking to enhance their Mafia III experience, ensuring that you make an informed decision when selecting your next laptop.

To identify the best laptops for playing Mafia III, I have thoroughly reviewed an extensive laptop spreadsheet consisting of recent releases, comparing specs, and assessing reviews from both professionals and users alike. Taking into consideration topic-specific requirements, such as system performance, graphics capabilities, and display quality, as well as various price ranges, we have narrowed down the top choices to help you find the perfect laptop for this captivating game.

Whether you're a fan of Lincoln Clay's gripping story, exploring the beautifully crafted world of New Bordeaux, or participating in lively discussions on Mafia III forums and subreddits, having a laptop that can deliver a smooth and immersive gaming experience is essential. By focusing on laptops with powerful processors, dedicated graphics cards, and high-quality displays, you can be confident that your choice will not only meet the game's minimum requirements but also provide an outstanding Mafia III experience. So, let's dive into our recommendations and find the best laptop for Mafia III that suits your needs and budget.

The best processor for Mafia III in 2021

When it comes to gaming, the processor is usually the last thing people think about. But when it comes to Mafia III, you need to take CPU performance into account. It has a direct effect on framerate. And for this game, you'll need a decent CPU.

Requirements

This game is CPU-intensive. That's why I recommend an Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7. And ideally, you should look for something at least with Ryzen 3 3250U or Core i7-10510U processors – if not better. And please don't be fooled by Intel's integrated graphics – they are barely enough for low settings.

Recommendations

If you're looking for an excellent CPU choice, I recommend the following processors:

Ryzen 3 3250U – budget option with respectable power
Core i7-10510U – solid middle ground for gamers
Ryzen 5 4600H – beastly power for high refresh rate displays

TL;DR

you need a decent processor for the best performance in Mafia III
look for an Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 processor for optimal performance in Mafia III

Picking a good graphics card

Mafia III is a relatively easy game to run on a budget PC. It's not too demanding, but it still requires at least an MX450 for the GPU. As for the GPU, I recommend Radeon RX 5600M.

Minimum graphics (under $800)

If you're willing to make some compromises on Mafia III's graphics, then I have good news – the minimum GPU requirement is MX450, which is easily available in this price range. And don't worry about any graphics card! Integrated graphics are all that's needed.

Recommended graphics (around $1000)

If you're looking for an upgrade to minimum requirements, you can try out RTX 2060. For most games, this card should be more than enough. And if you want to take your time to save up some money, then it's not too shabby of a temporary solution. Just make sure that you disable unnecessary graphic settings like shadows and anti-aliasing if Mafia III starts stuttering too much on your screen.

Best graphics ($1500 and up)

The best option would be to spend more on higher end cards like RTX 3070. These GPUs can run Mafia III with stable framerates at high settings with ease on Full HD resolutions.

TL;DR

Mafia III is not too demanding, but it still requires at least an MX450 for the GPU
for most games, Radeon RX 5600M should be more than enough for playing Mafia III at medium settings
the best option would be to spend more on higher end cards like RTX 3070 for playing Mafia III at high settings on Full HD resolutions

Memory

Minimum (8-16 GB)

First of all, I should mention that you could get away buying an 8GB RAM laptop. Though that's acceptable in a single situation – you're on an uncomfortably tight budget, and you could upgrade the 8GB laptop with an extra RAM stick.

Recommended (16 GB)

If you aren't in this situation – stick with 16 GB. That's the sweet spot for gaming, work, and everything in-between. I might consider 32 GB to be more future-oriented than 16 GB, but if you don't particularly care whether you're ahead of the pack or not – 16 GB is still a considerable amount of memory for most.

TL;DR

buy a laptop with at least 16GB of RAM
don't buy a laptop with 8GB of RAM unless you're on an uncomfortably tight budget and you can upgrade it yourself

The right storage

So you're thinking about getting Mafia III, eh? I hear it's great. I also hear that there's no need to install anything – but let's not be naive. This is a new era, so the hardware is different.

I don't want to spoil the game for you, but you should know what to expect from laptops with different storage space options.

Minimum Requirements

Minimum requirements are usually good enough for lower settings and smaller maps. 256 GB of storage space will be just enough for you. Of course, if your laptop has an SSD, even less will do the trick.

If you have more money to spend, then go ahead and buy 512 GB of storage space for future-proofing purposes. And if that's not enough – well, 1 TB will make you happy as a clam in some tight clothes at a school dance! Just make sure your PC supports this option first.

Recommended Requirements

Recommended requirements are usually good enough for decent performance on higher settings and larger maps. You'll need 512 GB of storage space or more to accommodate Mafia III at recommended settings without any glitches or problems. 512 GB will allow for some breathing room, but it'll be best to leave some free space for future games too!

TL;DR

if you're planning on playing Mafia III on high settings, you'll need at least 512 GB of storage space
SSD is highly recommended for better performance and lower load times, but if you don't have one, 256 GB will do the trick too
1 TB of storage space is the sweet spot for Mafia III, but more can be useful if you're planning on future games too!

The best display for playing Mafia III in 2021

I've had a long time to think about this, and I'm going to offer up a more general approach. There are a lot of factors to consider when buying a laptop display, and it's tough to list them all. So instead, I'll focus on three key metrics – resolution, panel type, and high refresh rate.

Resolution

A great display can be tailored for any need. The important thing is that you pick the right resolution. For gaming – I recommend Full HD. For professional work – it's more complicated – but if you need to see everything on your screen at once – Full HD is out of the question. A 4K display might be better for your needs – but only if you have a powerful computer with a great graphics card to support it. And if you're planning on using your laptop for Mafia III – Full HD will do just fine.

Panel type

TN panels are standard in budget laptops. They're bad in most ways, but they're really good at one thing: fast response time. And that's all that matters for playing Mafia III, or any other casual game. In the unlikely event that you want a TN panel for any other reason – get IPS or OLED instead (though I still recommend TN for casual gamers).

The best panels these days are IPS and OLED (in no particular order). Both provide better color contrast and viewing angles than TN panels, and they don't cost much more either. But in my opinion, they come with two drawbacks: not suited for competitive games; not as good as TN panels when it comes to input latency (due to display/frame-cycle timing sync).

What about high refresh rates? If you're buying an IPS or OLED panel – then sure, they're worth investing in (unless you like Mafia III specifically because of its visuals). But if you go with TN panels or lower resolutions? I don't think they matter so much.

TL;DR

if you're buying a laptop display, look for Full HD resolution, IPS/OLED panel, and high refresh rate support (for TN panels)
TN panels are great for competitive games, but not suited for professional work
IPS/OLED panels are good for gaming, but not suited for competitive games

5 Best Laptops for Mafia III

$700

1.Lenovo Legion 5 Pro 16

Mafia III laptop

Pros

Awesome processor (Ryzen 9 6900HX)
Terrific graphics card (RTX 3070 Ti)
Great display (16)
Superb memory amount (64GB)

Cons

No IPS Panel (limited viewing angles)

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Alternatives

$640

ASUS Zenbook

Pros

Excellent battery life
Compact and lightweight design

Cons

Soldered RAM that cant be expanded
Fan behavior can be annoying at times

$850

2.HP Victus

HP Victus is not the best laptop for gaming enthusiasts.

Pros

Easy serviceability
Attractive visual design for a budget model
Relatively cool surface temperatures
Smooth 144 Hz refresh rate

Cons

Buggy battery life and fan behavior
No Thunderbolt or USB-PD support
Subpar Turbo Boost sustainability
Weak hinges

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Summary

The HP Victus is a decent gaming laptop for its price, with an attractive visual design and easy serviceability, but its GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU falls short compared to alternatives that offer better performance and features for the price.

Reviews

Notebookcheck

HP Victus 15 laptop review: Expensive for a budget gamer