Thinking about playing Cities: Skylines II on PC and wondering what hardware you actually need? Released on October 24, 2023, this is a large-scale city builder and simulation game: raise a city from the ground up and transform it into a thriving metropolis with deep simulation and a living economy. That depth is exactly why hardware matters here. The simulation grows heavier as your city does, so a strong processor counts for a lot, and the official graphics requirements are far higher than the city-builder genre usually asks for. This guide breaks down the official PC requirements for Cities: Skylines II, the best GPU for each resolution, and complete build recommendations to hit your target frame rate.
- How Demanding Is Cities: Skylines II?
- Cities: Skylines II Official PC System Requirements
- Best GPU for Cities: Skylines II by Resolution
- CPU, RAM and Storage for Cities: Skylines II
- Recommended PC Builds for Cities: Skylines II
- Is It Worth Upgrading Your PC for Cities: Skylines II?
- Can You Play Cities: Skylines II on a Laptop or Handheld?
- How to Boost FPS in Cities: Skylines II
- Frequently Asked Questions
How Demanding Is Cities: Skylines II?
Cities: Skylines II is a demanding PC game, but for two separate reasons. On the graphics side, the official recommended GPU is an RTX 3080 or RX 6800 XT — a much higher bar than a city builder would normally set — so rendering a large, detailed city is not a light task. On the simulation side, the game is CPU-bound: as population, traffic and the economy grow, your processor has more work to do every tick, and late-game slowdowns often have nothing to do with your graphics card. In practical terms, the official minimum (GTX 970 / RX 480) is a 1080p entry point at reduced settings, the official recommended spec (RTX 3080 / RX 6800 XT) is the sensible target for 1080p at high settings, and 1440p or 4K push you further up the GPU stack.
Cities: Skylines II Official PC System Requirements
The developer-published requirements below are the numbers to build around.
| Component | Minimum (official) | Recommended (official) |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows® 10 Home 64 Bit | Windows® 10 Home 64 Bit | Windows® 11 |
| Processor | Intel® Core™ i7-6700K | AMD® Ryzen™ 5 2600X | Intel® Core™ i5-12600K | AMD® Ryzen™ 7 5800X |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics | Nvidia® GeForce™ GTX 970 (4 GB) | AMD® Radeon™ RX 480 (8 GB) | Nvidia® GeForce™ RTX 3080 (10 GB) | AMD® Radeon™ RX 6800 XT (16 GB) |
| Storage | 60 GB available space | 60 GB available space |
Source: the official Cities: Skylines II Steam store listing (app 949230), checked October 2026. Publishers can update these specs after patches.
Best GPU for Cities: Skylines II by Resolution
1080p
The official minimum — a GTX 970 with 4 GB or an RX 480 with 8 GB — gets you into the game at 1080p on lowered settings. For high settings, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 is a good-value pick that comfortably clears that minimum, and current-generation cards in the same bracket, such as the RTX 5060 or RX 9060 XT, offer similar performance with newer features and better efficiency. Older mid-range cards like the RTX 3060 or RX 6600 XT also beat the minimum comfortably. If you want to run the settings the developer’s recommended spec is aimed at, though, you are looking at RTX 3080 / RX 6800 XT-class performance, which is a clear step above this tier.
1440p
1440p is where the official recommended spec starts to make real sense. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER sits above the RTX 3080 / RX 6800 XT baseline in that spec, so it is a sensible target for 1440p at high settings, ideally with upscaling enabled. Current-generation alternatives in the same class include the RTX 5070 and the RX 9070.
4K
At 4K you are well above the official recommended spec, and this is where the game’s GPU requirements really bite. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is a realistic entry point if you lean on upscaling, while cards such as the RTX 5080, RTX 5090 or RX 9070 XT give you more headroom for high settings at 3840×2160. Upscaling is close to mandatory at this resolution.
CPU, RAM and Storage for Cities: Skylines II
The official CPU range runs from an Intel Core i7-6700K or AMD Ryzen 5 2600X at minimum to an Intel Core i5-12600K or AMD Ryzen 7 5800X recommended — and because the simulation is CPU-bound, going above that baseline pays off once your city is large. The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 is a strong value choice that already beats the recommended tier; the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is one of the fastest gaming CPUs around, and its large cache is a genuine advantage in simulation-heavy titles; Intel buyers can look at the Intel Core i5-14600K, which also exceeds the recommended spec.
For memory, the official minimum is 8 GB and the official recommendation is 16 GB — treat 16 GB as the target, and 32 GB, such as the Corsair Vengeance DDR5 32GB, as useful headroom for very large cities and heavy use of community assets. Storage is simple: the game asks for 60 GB of available space, and an SSD is worth having for faster loads and smoother asset streaming, such as the Samsung 990 Pro 2TB NVMe SSD.
Recommended PC Builds for Cities: Skylines II
1080p budget build: AMD Radeon RX 7600 + AMD Ryzen 5 7600 + 16 GB DDR5 — comfortably above the official minimum, with a CPU that clears the recommended spec, and a good fit for 1080p at mid-to-high settings.
1440p sweet-spot build: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER + AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D + 32 GB DDR5 + 2TB NVMe SSD — above the official recommended spec on both the CPU and GPU side, and the setup most players should aim for at 1440p.
4K high-end build: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER + AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D + 32 GB DDR5 + fast NVMe SSD — for 4K with upscaling enabled.
Is It Worth Upgrading Your PC for Cities: Skylines II?
If your current graphics card is a generation or two old, Cities: Skylines II is a reasonable excuse to upgrade — but be strategic. Because the official recommended GPU is an RTX 3080 or RX 6800 XT, a graphics card upgrade delivers the biggest single jump in how the game renders. At the same time, this is a CPU-bound simulation, so an aging processor will hold back the late game no matter how fast your GPU is; if your frame rate drops as your city grows while your graphics card sits underused, a CPU and platform upgrade is the better spend. Moving from 8 GB to 16 GB of RAM and installing the game on an SSD are inexpensive changes that make the whole experience smoother. Rather than replacing everything at once, target the weakest link in your build.
Can You Play Cities: Skylines II on a Laptop or Handheld?
Gaming laptops can run Cities: Skylines II, but the desktop requirements translate into fairly high-end mobile hardware. A laptop with an RTX 4060 or 4070-class mobile GPU will handle 1080p at reduced settings, while getting close to the desktop recommended tier means looking at the top of the mobile stack; expect more heat and shorter battery life than a desktop either way. Handhelds such as the Steam Deck or the ROG Ally are a tough fit: this is a CPU-heavy simulation with high GPU requirements, so plan on low settings and upscaling, and accept that the simulation itself may become the limiter once your city is large. If portability matters, prioritise a device with a capable GPU and pair it with fast internal storage.
How to Boost FPS in Cities: Skylines II
If frame rates are low, first work out whether you are GPU-limited or CPU-limited. Upscaling, where your GPU supports it (DLSS on NVIDIA, FSR on AMD), is usually the single biggest graphics-side gain, and you can lower the most expensive settings — shadows, volumetric effects and post-processing — before dropping resolution. Keep your drivers up to date, close background apps, and install the game on an SSD. In a city builder, remember that late-game slowdown is often the simulation rather than the renderer: if your GPU is not working hard while frame rates sag as the city grows, no graphics setting will fix it and a faster CPU is the answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my PC run Cities: Skylines II?
If your PC meets the official minimum — an Intel Core i7-6700K or AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, 8 GB of RAM, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 480, and 60 GB of free space — it will run Cities: Skylines II at 1080p with lowered settings. For the recommended experience (Intel Core i5-12600K or AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, 16 GB of RAM, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT) you need a noticeably more modern build; the recommended GPU tier is high for this genre.
Is Cities: Skylines II demanding on PC?
Yes. The official recommended GPU is an RTX 3080 or RX 6800 XT, which is well above what most city builders ask for, and the simulation is CPU-bound, so large cities can slow down even on strong hardware.
What GPU do I need for Cities: Skylines II at 1440p 60fps?
A NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER-class graphics card is a sensible target for high-settings 1440p in Cities: Skylines II, especially with upscaling enabled — it sits above the official recommended tier. Pair it with a CPU that beats the recommended spec, since the simulation is CPU-bound.
How much RAM does Cities: Skylines II need?
The official minimum is 8 GB and the official recommendation is 16 GB. 16 GB is the practical target for a comfortable experience, and 32 GB gives headroom for very large cities and heavy use of community assets. Faster memory also helps in CPU-limited simulation.
Do I need an SSD for Cities: Skylines II?
The official requirements list 60 GB of available space rather than a specific drive type, but an SSD is strongly recommended to keep load times down. An NVMe drive like the Samsung 990 Pro is a good fit.
