Cities Skylines II: PC Performance Benchmarks for Graphics Cards and Processors 2023

BASIC GAME INFORMATION

As part of our annual graphics card performance testing in 2023, we will focus on analyzing gaming performance using the highest available graphics quality for each game. This year, Core VRAM and RAM tests, as well as upscales, will not be taken into account. Our goal is to identify the most powerful graphics cards and determine their hierarchical positions in the context of games in 2023. This will be a comprehensive gaming benchmark focused on assessing real-world performance under the most demanding gaming conditions. 

We continue our annual review cycle, which will culminate in the final determination of the fastest and most optimal gaming solutions among video cards for games released in 2023. In this review we focus on testing Cities Skylines II.

NEW PRODUCTS PROVIDED FOR TESTS BY MSI

 

Our test now includes the MSI GEFORCE RTX 4090 GAMING X TRIO 24 GB .This video card is based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, operates at a frequency of 2750 MHz, has 16384 stream processors and 24 gigabytes of video memory.

NEW PRODUCTS PROVIDED FOR TESTS BY ASUS

In our review, we present to you the ASUS ROG Strix B650-A Gaming WiFi motherboard . ROG Strix B650-A Gaming WiFi includes 4 DDR5 DIMM modules with a maximum capacity of up to 64 gigabytes and a frequency of up to 6400 MHz. For the file subsystem, the motherboard supports 3 M.2 PCIe 5.0/4.0 x4 slots and 4 SATA 6 Gb/s ports. You can directly view the testing of this motherboard on our website.

In our review, we present you ASUS Z790-A GAMING DDR4 motherboards . We use this motherboard as a test bench for testing new generations of Intel processors .

 

This time our test involves the top video card from ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4070 Ti OC . The GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is based on the AD104 GPU and features 7680 CUDA cores and 12GB of GDDR6X memory. Test this video card on our website.

This time our test involves the company's top-end video card ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 7900 XT OC Edition 20 GB . . This video card is based on the RDNA 3 architecture, operates at a frequency of 2500 MHz and has 20 gigabytes of video memory.

 

This time our test involves the new ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 OC video card .  This video card is based on the RDNA 3 architecture, operates at a frequency of 3000 MHz and has 24 gigabytes of video memory.

NEW PRODUCTS PROVIDED FOR TESTS BY DEEPCOOL

   

This time we're testing the case from DeepCool CH510 WH - it's an elegant and minimalistic mid-tower case with excellent component compatibility and wide cooling power support for a truly versatile build.

 

Also participating in our test this time is the premium-class DeepCool LS720 WH for processors. DeepCool LS720 WH provides maximum cooling efficiency and low noise levels, as well as a sophisticated design.

NEW PRODUCTS PROVIDED FOR TESTS BY GIGABYTE

In our review, we present to you the GIGABYTE Z790 GAMING X AX motherboards . We use this motherboard as a test bench for testing new generations of Intel processors .

This time our test involves the company's top-end video card Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4060 Ti GAMING OC . Its testing on our website.

This time our test involves the company's top-end video card, AORUS Radeon RX 7900 XTX ELITE 24G. This video card is based on the RDNA 3 architecture, operates at a frequency of 3000 MHz and has 24 gigabytes of video memory. Its testing on our website.

NEW PRODUCTS PROVIDED FOR TESTS BY KINGSTON

   

In our review, we used RAM: 32 GB DDR4 3600 CL16 Kingston FURY Renegade , 32 GB DDR4 4000 CL18 Kingston FURY Renegade , 32 GB DDR5 6000 Kingston FURY Renegade, 16 GB DDR4 4600 CL19 Kingston FURY Renegade  and 32 GB DDR5 720 0 Kingston FURY Renegade . And for gaming tests we use an external Kingston XS2000 Portable SSD 1 TB ..

THE GRAFICAL PART

This subsection of our review highlights the main graphical aspects of this game. Particular attention is paid to the version of the graphics engine used, the version of the API used, graphic settings and the quality of development of the main visual aspects.

SUPPORTED OS AND GRAPHICS API

Cities Skylines II is supported on Windows 10/11.

The preferred and primary graphics API for Cities Skylines II is DX11 .

GAME ENGINE

Cities: Skylines II is the latest city building simulator created by Colossal Order and published by Paradox Interactive. Released on October 24, 2023, the game is the long-awaited sequel to the original Cities: Skylines, which won the hearts of millions of players around the world in 2015. In this article, we'll look at the key aspects of Cities: Skylines II and go into detail about the Unity game engine it's based on.

 

Features of Cities: Skylines II

Cities: Skylines II promises players a unique city-building experience, expanding the capabilities of the first game. The developers are raising the bar for realism and gameplay depth, declaring the game "the most realistic city building simulator on a whole new level." Here are some key features:

1. Increased Map Size: One of the most significant improvements is the increase in the size of the game map. The basic version of the game will support 150 fragments of the city map, which significantly exceeds the 81 fragments from the first part. This will give players more space to creatively build and develop their cities.

2. Realistic Challenges: Players will face a variety of challenges, making the gaming experience even more exciting. These calls include hail management, rat infestation control, wildfires and even tornadoes. These challenges require players to be able to respond to various crisis situations and develop their city planning skills.

3. Improved Graphics and Design: The graphics of Cities: Skylines II have been significantly improved. The game provides more detailed cities, improved lighting and more realistic animations, creating a more colorful and attractive visual experience.

4. Lots of Customization Options: Cities: Skylines II offers players more options to customize their city. The control and economic parameters system allows you to fine-tune the gameplay in accordance with the player’s preferences.

5. Multiplatform: The game is available on Windows, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 platforms, allowing players to choose the device on which they are most comfortable building their cities.

 

Unity Engine and its role in Cities: Skylines II

Cities: Skylines II is built on the Unity game engine, which is one of the most popular and widespread game engines in the video game industry. Unity provides developers with powerful tools to create high-quality, large-scale projects.

Unity provides the following benefits for Cities: Skylines II:

1. Cross-platform: Unity supports multiple platforms, making it easy to port the game to various devices, including PC and consoles.

2. Graphics Capabilities: Unity provides rich tools for creating outstanding graphics, allowing Cities: Skylines II to present more realistic and detailed cities.

3. Developer Tools: Unity has an extensive set of developer tools that make it easy to create game mechanics, visual effects, and animations.

4. Community and Resources: Unity has an active developer community, as well as an extensive asset store where developers can find ready-made resources and extensions to improve their projects.

Using Unity, Colossal Order was able to realize its vision for a new level of city building simulation in Cities: Skylines II, giving players the opportunity to create and manage their own cities with increased scale and exciting challenges.

In conclusion, Cities: Skylines II promises to be an exciting experience for all fans of the city building simulation genre.

TEST PART

Test configuration
Test benches	ROG Strix X570-E Gaming Z490 AORUS PRO AX        GIGABYTE Z590 VISION    GIGABYTE Z690 AERO G   GIGABYTE Z790 GAMING X AX MSI MPG Z790 Edge WiFi ASUS ROG Strix B650-A Gaming WiFi
Sponsored video cards	ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4070 Ti OC ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 7900 XT 20G Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4060 Ti GAMING OC
Multimedia equipment	Monitor Philips 326M6VJRMB/00 Seasonic PRIME TX-1000 power supply 16 GB DDR4 4600 CL19 Kingston FURY Renegade 32 GB DDR4 3600 CL16 Kingston FURY Renegade              32 GB DDR4 4000 CL18 Kingston FURY Renegade              32 GB DDR5 5600 CL40 KingstonFURY Beast                       32 GB DDR5 6000@6400 CL30 KingstonFURY Renegade 32 GB DDR5 7200@7600 CL36 KingstonFURY Renegade Kingston FURY Renegade PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD            MPG CORELIQUID K240 housing  Case DeepCool CH510 WH  SVO DeepCool LS720 WH
Software configuration
operating system	Windows 10 21H2/ Windows 11(Alder Lake)
Graphics driver	Nvidia GeForce/ION Driver Release 546.33 WHQL AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 23.12.1
Monitoring programs	MSI Afterburner

GPU TEST

In the video card test, the default resolution is 1920x1080; other resolutions are added and removed manually. You can also remove and add any positions of video cards. You can also select any of our test processors from the list in the drop-down menu, comparing its performance with the given video card tests (by default, the most productive solution is selected). The test is carried out on the most powerful CPU in this game and is scaled to other processors, taking into account their testing on NVIDIA and AMD video cards.

At a resolution of 1920x1080, an average FPS of 25 frames was shown by video cards of the Radeon RX 6600 or GeForce RTX 2060 level . A minimum FPS of at least 25 frames can be provided by video cards of the Radeon RX 6600 or GeForce RTX 2060 level . A comfortable average FPS of 60 frames can be provided by the Radeon RX 6800 or GeForce RTX 4070 solutions .

At a resolution  of 2560x1440,  an average FPS of 25 frames was shown by video cards of the adeon RX 6700 or GeForce RTX 2070 level . A minimum FPS of at least 25 frames can be provided by video cards of the adeon RX 6700 or GeForce RTX 2070 level . A comfortable average FPS of 60 frames can be provided by Radeon RX 7900 XT or GeForce RTX 4080 solutions.

At a resolution  of 3840x2160,  an average FPS of 25 frames was shown by video cards of the Radeon RX 6800 XT or GeForce RTX 3080 level . A minimum FPS of at least 25 frames can be provided by video cards of the Radeon RX 6950 XT or GeForce RTX 3080 level . 

CPU TEST

Testing was carried out at a resolution of 1920x1080. In the processor test, you can remove or add any processor positions. You can also select any tested video card from the list in the drop-down menu, comparing its performance with the given processor test results  (by default, the most productive solution from NVIDIA is selected). Testing takes place on the most powerful NVIDIA and AMD video cards and scales to low-end models.

When using NVIDIA video cards, Ryzen 3 3100 or Core i 3 10100 processors showed an acceptable rate of at least 25 frames per second  , and solutions at the Ryzen 5 3600 or Core i 8 10600 level can provide an FPS rate of at least 60 frames per second .

When using AM D video cards, Ryzen 3 3100 or Core i 3 10100 processors showed an acceptable rate of at least 25 frames per second  , and solutions at the Ryzen 9 3900 or Core i 7 10700 level can provide an FPS rate of at least 60 frames per second . 

SPONSORS TESTS