Cities: Skylines II Performance Verdict
Cities: Skylines II is a demanding title, and whether your PC can run it depends heavily on your graphics card. At 1080p resolution with High settings, you'll need at least an RTX 3060 for a playable 41 FPS, though an RTX 3070 offers a smoother 48 FPS. For 1440p, aim for an RTX 3070 for 34 FPS, and for 4K, even the RTX 4080 struggles to break 30 FPS, hitting 35 FPS.
1080p Performance: The Sweet Spot for Many
For most players, 1080p resolution offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance in Cities: Skylines II. Our benchmark data shows the GTX 1060 6GB scraping by at 32 FPS, which is on the edge of playable for some. Stepping up to the RTX 2060 gets you a more comfortable 38 FPS, while the RTX 3060 delivers 41 FPS. If you have an RTX 3070, you'll see a solid 48 FPS at this resolution and settings. The RTX 4080 pushes past 60 FPS here, achieving 65 FPS, and the RTX 4090 hits 78 FPS, offering the smoothest experience.
1440p Demands: A Step Up in GPU Power
Pushing the resolution to 1440p significantly increases the load on your GPU. The GTX 1060 6GB drops to a mere 22 FPS, making it unplayable. The RTX 2060 manages 26 FPS, and the RTX 3060 hits 29 FPS, both of which are borderline. The RTX 3070 offers a much more palatable 34 FPS, which might be acceptable for city-builder enthusiasts who don't mind slightly lower frame rates. The RTX 4080 achieves 46 FPS, and the RTX 4090 reaches 54 FPS, but neither offers a truly high-refresh rate experience at this resolution with High settings.
4K Gaming: Reserved for the Elite Hardware
Cities: Skylines II at 4K resolution with High settings is an extreme challenge for even the most powerful hardware. Our data shows that the RTX 3070 struggles immensely, achieving only 22 FPS. The RTX 3060 fares even worse at 19 FPS, and the RTX 2060 dips to 17 FPS. The once-mighty GTX 1060 6GB can only muster 14 FPS. Even the RTX 4080 barely breaks the 30 FPS mark, hitting 30 FPS, and the RTX 4090 manages 35 FPS. If 4K is your target, expect to significantly lower your graphical settings or accept a slideshow experience. You can check if your current setup is up to par using our Check your PC instantly tool.
Minimum vs. Recommended GPU
Based on our benchmarks, a good rule of thumb is that an RTX 3060 is the minimum GPU you should consider for a decent 1080p experience with High settings, delivering around 41 FPS. For 1440p, an RTX 3070 is recommended, providing approximately 34 FPS. If you're aiming for 4K, you're looking at the absolute top-tier cards like the RTX 4090, and even then, performance is limited. The game's official system requirements are a baseline, but our FPS data gives you a clearer picture of real-world performance.
CPU and VRAM Considerations
While this analysis focuses on GPU performance, Cities: Skylines II is also CPU-intensive, particularly in large, complex cities. A powerful modern CPU is crucial to avoid bottlenecks, especially when paired with a high-end GPU. VRAM requirements can also be substantial, especially at higher resolutions. While specific VRAM figures aren't provided in our benchmark data, ensure your GPU has at least 8GB for 1080p, and ideally 12GB or more for 1440p and 4K to avoid texture streaming issues.
The Takeaway
Cities: Skylines II is a beautiful but graphically demanding simulation. For a smooth 1080p experience, target an RTX 3060 or higher. If 1440p is your goal, an RTX 3070 is a reasonable starting point, but be prepared for frame rates in the 30s. 4K gaming is largely out of reach for most current hardware at high settings, with even the RTX 4090 offering only a modest 35 FPS. Always check our detailed benchmarks for Cities: Skylines II to make an informed decision.