Cities Skylines is a bit of a trap. Most games want a beefy graphics card so the sunlight looks pretty on a character's face, but this city builder is a different beast entirely. It’s a simulation. That means every single person—every "Cim"—in your city has a home, a job, and a path they are currently calculating in real-time. When you start a new map, almost any decent computer feels like it’s flying. But once you hit 100,000 residents? That's when the "simulation speed" starts to crawl, and suddenly your high-end rig feels like an old laptop from 2012.
The truth is that a PC for Cities Skylines needs to be built from the inside out, prioritizing the components that actually handle math rather than just pixels.
The CPU is Actually the Boss
If you take nothing else away from this, remember that your processor is the heart of this specific game. While most titles are "GPU bound," meaning the graphics card does the heavy lifting, Cities Skylines is notoriously "CPU bound." It uses a lot of threads, but it also loves fast individual cores.
You’ve probably seen people online arguing about Intel versus AMD. Honestly, for this game, it comes down to cache and core count. When the game engine has to decide which lane a van should take at a busy intersection, it’s hitting the CPU. If you have an older quad-core chip, you're going to see your frame rates dip into the teens once your city expands beyond a few tiles.
Look at something like the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D. It has a massive L3 cache that helps specifically with the kind of data-heavy calculations this game throws at it. Or, if you're an Intel fan, an i7-13700K or 14700K provides enough "P-cores" to keep the simulation running smoothly even when you have thousands of entities moving at once. Don't cheap out here. A budget GPU with a top-tier CPU will unironically play this game better than a $2,000 GPU paired with a weak processor.
RAM: The Silent Killer of Big Cities
Most gamers think 16GB of RAM is plenty. For Call of Duty? Sure. For a PC for Cities Skylines? It’s barely the entrance fee.
The base game isn't the memory hog—it’s the DLCs and the Steam Workshop. If you’re the type of player who downloads custom assets, realistic trees, and 4K textures for your skyscrapers, 16GB will cause your game to crash before it even finishes loading the main menu. I’ve seen modded setups eat 45GB of RAM just sitting there.
Ideally, you want 32GB as your baseline.
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If you're a "power user" who wants every single realistic bus and train model available on the workshop, 64GB isn't actually overkill. It sounds insane, I know. But the way the Unity engine (which the game is built on) handles assets means it wants to shove everything into your system memory for quick access. When you run out of RAM, the computer starts using your "page file" on your hard drive, which is significantly slower. That’s why your game hitches every time you zoom in on a park.
Fast Storage is Not Optional
You need an NVMe SSD. Period.
Loading a massive city from a traditional spinning hard drive can take five to ten minutes. Even a standard SATA SSD feels sluggish compared to a modern M.2 drive. You want those assets moving from your storage to your RAM as fast as humanly possible.
What About the Graphics Card?
Don't get me wrong, you still need a decent GPU. But you don't need an RTX 4090 to enjoy the sunset over your industrial district.
The game’s lighting and shadows can be demanding, especially with the "Ultimate Eyecandy" or "Post-ProcessFX" mods. A mid-range card like an RTX 4070 or an RX 7800 XT is more than enough to run the game at 1440p with high settings. The main thing to look for is VRAM (Video RAM). If you use high-resolution texture packs, aim for a card with at least 12GB of VRAM.
Real World Performance and Modding
Let's talk about the "Traffic Manager: President Edition" (TM:PE) mod. It’s the most popular mod for the game because the vanilla traffic AI is, frankly, a bit dumb. However, TM:PE adds a significant load to your CPU because it forces the game to perform more complex pathfinding calculations.
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This is where the nuance of a PC for Cities Skylines comes into play. You aren't just building for the game as it exists out of the box; you're building for the way people actually play it.
- Vanilla Players: You can get away with a mid-range i5 or Ryzen 5 and 16GB of RAM.
- The "Detailer": You need the RAM. All of it. 32GB minimum, 64GB preferred.
- The "Metropolis Builder": You need the CPU. 8 cores or more with high clock speeds.
The Heat Problem
Simulation games keep your hardware under a constant, sustained load. Unlike an action game where the intensity spikes during a fight and then drops, Cities Skylines keeps your CPU pegged at high usage for hours. You need a real cooling solution. A basic stock cooler won't cut it; your CPU will get hot, "thermal throttle" (slow itself down to stay cool), and your city's simulation speed will drop. Get a decent air cooler or a 240mm AIO liquid cooler.
Addressing the Cities Skylines II Elephant in the Room
If you are looking for a PC for Cities Skylines, you're likely also considering the sequel. Cities Skylines II is notoriously more demanding than the first game. It features a much more complex "deep simulation" where every citizen has a life path, a household budget, and even aging cycles.
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The hardware requirements for the second game are significantly higher. While the original game thrives on single-core speed and RAM, the sequel actually makes better use of modern GPU features like DLSS or FSR to handle its more advanced rendering. If you're building a new rig today, always lean toward the current generation of hardware (Intel 14th Gen or AMD Ryzen 7000/9000 series) to ensure you aren't stuck with a slideshow when you switch to the newer title.
Practical Steps for Your Next Build
Building or buying a machine for this niche isn't about following the "Best Gaming PC" lists on tech sites. Those lists prioritize different things. To get the best experience, follow this specific hierarchy of needs:
- Prioritize the CPU: Look for high L3 cache (like AMD's X3D chips) or high P-core counts (Intel i7/i9).
- Double the RAM: If the pre-built PC says 16GB, ask to upgrade it to 32GB immediately. Ensure it is dual-channel (two sticks of 16GB, not one stick of 32GB).
- Check the Cooling: Ensure the case has good airflow. This isn't just for looks; it’s to prevent your simulation from slowing down after an hour of play.
- NVMe SSD: Make sure your OS and your game are installed on an M.2 NVMe drive. It cuts down the frustration of loading screens immensely.
- Don't Overspend on the GPU: An RTX 4060 Ti or 4070 is the "sweet spot." Anything more is a luxury; anything less might struggle at higher resolutions.
Focusing on these specific areas ensures that when your city hits that massive population milestone, your computer keeps up with your ambition. The goal is to spend your time fixing traffic jams, not fighting with your frame rate.