Cities: Skylines II Benchmark, Specs, Parts Guides & FPS for 56+ GPUs

The Verdict

Top-tier CPU and GPU are non-negotiable. Pushing 100k+ pop requires blowing past the official specs.

Dump the bulk of your budget into the CPU and GPU. The official specs downplay RAM and storage, but don't cheap out on them if you want a smooth experience.

It starts as a GPU bottleneck, but as your population scales, it shifts to a brutal CPU bottleneck that leaves your GPU starved. High-end power for both is the baseline.

The devs explicitly stated the recommended specs aren't targeting 60fps. Expect a 30fps baseline if you just meet those requirements.

Recommendation

Core Ultra 7 265K

Radeon RX 9070

16GB

512GB SSD

A latest-gen, high-core-count CPU and a high-end GPU are mandatory. Pair them with 32GB+ of RAM and a fast NVMe SSD to eliminate any remaining bottlenecks.

Writing & Verification

bld4me PC Technical Team

How We Validate

Verifier Comment

Hands-on testing proves the official specs are a joke. The hardware demands are so crushing that "what rig can actually defeat CS2?" has become a legitimate benchmark question.It's easily the most punishing title I've ever tested. Unless the devs drop a miracle optimization patch, we're looking at a "hardware finally caught up to the game" scenario a few years down the line.This game will ruthlessly expose weak systems. Do not hit the buy button unless you are absolutely certain your rig has the raw horsepower to actually run it.

Changelog

April 8, 2026

Article published.

On the Go

UMPC, Handheld & Laptop Performance

Videos are already circulating joking that 'you can run CS2 on a potato... via cloud gaming.' Native portable play is essentially dead on arrival. Forget handhelds—even high-end gaming laptops will struggle to provide a playable experience. If you need it on the go, your only real options are cloud streaming or praying for a massive optimization patch down the line (by which point laptop hardware might actually catch up).

The verdict is estimated based on hardware specifications, assuming a game resolution of 720p and settings at Medium or lower. A 'PLAYABLE' status does not guarantee actual gameplay performance.

PC Parts Selection Guide

Cities: Skylines II PC Component Selection & Build Strategy

The official specs are steep enough, but a genuinely smooth experience demands absolute top-tier silicon. When picking parts, you're forced into a brutal ultimatum: either nuke your budget to secure stable 1080p gameplay at a 100k+ population, or drastically tank your visual settings to save your wallet.

CPU

The simulation will choke your CPU as your population scales.

❯The official recommended CPUs are perfectly fine for early-game, small towns.
❯Push past 200k or 500k residents, and you'll hit a brutal CPU bottleneck .

GPU

Go above the recommended GPU. Cheap out, and you'll get stuttering before your city even grows.

❯Rendering the insane level of detail in these cityscapes demands serious GPU horsepower, even at just 1080p.
❯If your GPU is already bottlenecking at low populations, combining that with the inevitable late-game CPU crunch will be a miserable experience.

RAM

Ignore the official specs—32GB of RAM is the real baseline.

❯This game eats memory for breakfast. Trying to run a massive city on 16GB will lead to severe micro-stutters and out-of-memory crashes.
❯Stepping up to 32GB+ ensures memory capacity won't be the reason your frame rate tanks.

Storage

A fast NVMe SSD is essentially mandatory to cut down load times.

❯The devs might not explicitly require an SSD, but running this on a mechanical hard drive is completely out of the question.
❯Factor in future updates, DLCs, and the inevitable mod bloat—a 1TB+ drive is the safe play.

Pro Advice

BUILD
BALANCE

This game has zero tolerance for bottlenecks. The smartest build strategy is to aim for a GPU roughly 1.5x more powerful than the official recommended specs, and then scale up your CPU depending on the population size you want to achieve.

Technical Specifications

Specs: Official System Requirements

Source: Steam Store Official

While the official page omits performance targets, the devs have explicitly stated that 60fps is *not* the goal. It's widely accepted that the recommended specs are aiming for 1080p / Medium settings / 30fps. Even for a 30fps baseline, the hardware tax is remarkably high.

The number of ● dots quantifies the performance level required from PC components on a scale of 1 to 10.

Minimum

Cities: Skylines II GPU Benchmark & FPS Guide

Overshooting the recommended GPU is non-negotiable. Even targeting 30fps, the GPU demands are so brutal that native 4K is basically a pipe dream at launch. It's heavy enough that even flagship laptop GPUs hit a wall at 1080p/30fps. The pool of graphics cards that can actually run this game properly is frustratingly shallow.

Target Mapping

With real-world demands this punishing, it's tempting to compromise and build for just 1080p/30fps. Don't fall into that trap—population scaling will create bottlenecks that crush your rig. You need a GPU that clears 30fps with headroom to spare, while still allocating a massive chunk of your budget to a high-end CPU.

ENTRY

ENTRY 30fps

1080p

GeForce GTX 970OFFICIAL

Radeon RX 480 8GBOFFICIAL

GeForce RTX 2080 TiUSED

GeForce RTX 3070 TiUSED

STANDARD

STANDARD 60fps

1080p

Radeon RX 6800 XTOFFICIAL

GeForce RTX 3080 10GBOFFICIAL

Radeon RX 9070NEW

Radeon RX 9070 GRENEW

QHD

QHD 60fps

1440p

GeForce RTX 5090NEW

HIGH_REFRESH

HIGH_REFRESH 144fps

1080p

No matching candidates found in database

ULTIMATE

ULTIMATE 60fps

No matching candidates found in database

Technical Evidence

Flagship-tier CPUs and GPUs are essentially mandatory. Even if you're a casual player with zero interest in pushing for a mega-city, consider the official recommended specs as your absolute hard cutoff for an entry-level build.

GPU Benchmarks

Official Minimum

Official Recommended

bld4me Choice

Radeon RX 7900 XTXbld4me USED

Radeon RX 9070bld4me NEW

Radeon RX 6800 XTOfficial Recommended

GeForce GTX 970Official Minimum

CPU Benchmarks

Official Minimum

Official Recommended

bld4me Choice

Core Ultra 7 265Kbld4me NEW

Ryzen 9 7950Xbld4me USED

Core i5-12600KOfficial Recommended

Core i7-6700KOfficial Minimum

This is a comparison graph of the manufacturer's minimum required specs, recommended specs, and bld4me-recommended parts (new and used). Higher values indicate smoother performance. bld4me's recommended parts are selected based on independent research, balancing comfortable gameplay with cost-performance for the game title.

GPU Matrix

Looking at the numbers, it makes total sense why the devs admitted to a 30fps target. Based on our data, the official minimum requirement—the GTX 970—is straight-up unplayable. Don't even try it.

How to Read GPU Matrix

Read Vertically

Aligned on the same scale, simply follow the resolution column down to see performance gains.

Read Horizontally

Bars shorten and colors change as resolution increases, indicating upgrade thresholds.

Overall View

The color gradient from top-left to bottom-right illustrates generational limits and potential.

GPU	720p	1080p	1440p	4K
bld4me USED Radeon RX 7900 XTX
bld4me NEW Radeon RX 9070
Official Recommended Radeon RX 6800 XT
Official Minimum GeForce GTX 970

Note

The FPS values above are estimated based purely on the GPU's native performance without any upscaler. These are merely estimates and do not guarantee actual performance.

Estimated FPS Database

Cities: Skylines II GPU Benchmark & FPS Database

Estimated FPS on this site is calculated based on the official recommended requirements of each game, assuming only the GPU is changed. Actual frame rates may vary depending on the environment, such as the combined CPU, memory, and storage.

Cities: Skylines II

56 SKUS

GPU	Share	720PHD	1080PFHD	1440PQHD	4KUHD


Grade A	ADVANCED"If you crave that next level of smoothness" A step-up GPU for chasing high refresh rates and stunning visuals.
GeForce RTX 5090
Grade B	BALANCED"bld4me's recommendation. The smart, well-balanced choice" The smart pick—perfect balance of power and efficiency.
GeForce RTX 4090
Radeon RX 9070 XT
Radeon RX 7900 XTX
Radeon RX 9070 GRE
Radeon RX 9070
GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER
GeForce RTX 5070 Ti
GeForce RTX 5080
Radeon RX 7900 XT
GeForce RTX 4080
Grade C	COMPETENT"Play at 1080p/Medium" Ensures standard playability, delivering 30 to just under 60 FPS at 1080p/Medium settings.
GeForce RTX 5070
GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER
GeForce RTX 4070 Ti
Radeon RX 6950 XT
GeForce RTX 3090 Ti
Radeon RX 7900 GRE
GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER
Radeon RX 6900 XT
GeForce RTX 3090
GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB
Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB
Radeon RX 6800 XT
Radeon RX 7800 XT
GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
GeForce RTX 3080 10GB
GeForce RTX 4070
Radeon RX 7700 XT
Radeon RX 6800
Radeon RX 9060
GeForce RTX 5060
GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB
GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB
GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti

Non-Recommended Models (Grade E)

Performance Insufficient / Risk of Crash

EXCLUDED"Not recommended. Time to upgrade"

GPU below official supported performance.

Ranking Criteria Explained

SUPREME"For those who refuse to compromise"

The ultimate GPU. Delivers premium 4K gaming at max settings.

ADVANCED"If you crave that next level of smoothness"

A step-up GPU for chasing high refresh rates and stunning visuals.

BALANCED"bld4me's recommendation. The smart, well-balanced choice"

The smart pick—perfect balance of power and efficiency.

COMPETENT"Play at 1080p/Medium"

Ensures standard playability, delivering 30 to just under 60 FPS at 1080p/Medium settings.

EXCLUDED"Not recommended. Time to upgrade"

GPU below official supported performance.

The Bottom Line

The Game's Verdict: Recommended Specs & Grade

Expectations were sky-high for this beloved sequel, but it ended up making headlines for all the wrong reasons—its shockingly brutal performance demands.

The baseline hardware tax is punishing enough on its own. But because the devs cranked the underlying engine and graphics to true "next-gen" extremes, the hardware requirements swing wildly the moment your population starts to scale.

Just surviving at 1080p demands a high-end rig. At this point, you are forced into a binary choice: either commit to brute-forcing it by building a top-tier, future-proof PC right now, or keep your wallet shut and wait for optimization patches to make the game actually playable on mortal hardware.