How many FPS does Civilization VII get on the MacBook Air M3? 1080p, 1440p and 4K performance
56FPS
1080p High
Estimate
35
1440p
18
4K
About 56 FPS at 1080p on High: Civilization VII runs natively on the MacBook Air M3 (Apple M3, 8-core GPU, 8 GB). It plays smoothly.
Data reviewed October 1, 2026 · how we calculate it
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Civilization VII FPS on MacBook Air M3 by resolution and quality
Estimate| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 78FPS | 68FPS | 56FPS | 47FPS |
| 1440p | 49FPS | 42FPS | 35FPS | 29FPS |
| 4K | 25FPS | 22FPS | 18FPS | 15FPS |
Estimated average in normal gameplay with the game and macOS up to date. Green: 60+ · lime: 45+ · amber: 30+ · orange: 20+ · red: under 20.
Recommended settings
For 60 FPS
1080p · Medium
≈ 68 FPS
For 30 FPS
1440p · High
≈ 35 FPS
Moving to 1440p High puts the MacBook Air M3 at about 35 FPS. This game has no MetalFX, so resolution is the setting that matters most.
The MacGameFPS verdict
Calibrated on real Mac benchmarks, not spec sheets
Is the MacBook Air M3 enough for Civilization VII?
Yes: 56 FPS at 1080p High is smooth. At 1440p it drops to 35 FPS.
Smooth · 1440p 35 FPS · 4K 18 FPS
MacBook Air M3 or MacBook Air M4 for Civilization VII?
In Civilization VII at 1080p High, the MacBook Air M3 gets 56 FPS and the MacBook Air M4 67 FPS: 20% more.
MacBook Air M3 specs
- Chip
- Apple M3
- GPU cores
- 8 / 10
- Unified memory
- 8 / 16 / 24 GB
- Cooling
- Fanless
- Geekbench Metal
- 41,753
- Tier
- Entry level · 11/100
Other Macs with the M3 chip
The Apple M3 also powers the MacBook Pro M3 and the iMac M3. In Civilization VII, the MacBook Pro M3 gets 73 FPS at 1080p High, 30% more than the MacBook Air M3, mainly because its fan keeps clocks up under load.
How much memory do you need?
On Apple Silicon the GPU shares memory with the system, so the RAM you picked when buying the Mac is also your video memory. Civilization VII asks for 8 GB minimum.
| Memory | 1080p High | 1440p High |
|---|---|---|
| 8 GB | 56FPS | 35FPS |
| 16 GB | 56FPS | 35FPS |
| 24 GB | 56FPS | 35FPS |
Other Macs for Civilization VII
1080p · High
MacBook Pro M3
M3 · 10 GPU
73FPSView analysis
iMac M3
M3 · 8/10 GPU
59FPSView analysisMacBook Pro M3 Pro
M3 Pro · 14/18 GPU
95FPSView analysis
MacBook Neo
A18 Pro · 5 GPU
40FPSView analysisMacBook Air M4
M4 · 8/10 GPU
67FPSView analysisMacBook Pro M4
M4 · 10 GPU
86FPSView analysis
Mac mini M4
M4 · 10 GPU
87FPSView analysisiMac M4
M4 · 8/10 GPU
70FPSView analysis
Civilization VII on every Mac →
Shopping for an all-round gaming Mac? Mac ranking by real FPS →
Other games on the MacBook Air M3
- Death Stranding Director's Cut38FPS
- Hitman World of Assassination43FPS
- Lies of P56FPS
- Metro Exodus33FPS
- Frostpunk 242FPS
- GRID Legends54FPS
- No Man's Sky42FPS
- Resident Evil 242FPS
- Resident Evil 332FPS
- Resident Evil 7 biohazard42FPS
Official Mac requirements
- Minimum
- macOS Sequoia · Apple M1 (8-core) · 8 GB memory · 25 GB storage
- Recommended
- macOS Sequoia · Apple M2 Pro (10-core) · 16 GB memory · 25 GB storage
Source: store.steampowered.com
FAQ
Can the 8 GB MacBook Air M3 run Civilization VII?
Yes. With 8 GB we estimate 56 FPS at 1080p High.
Can Civilization VII hit 60 FPS on the MacBook Air M3?
Yes: at 1080p Medium it runs around 68 FPS.
Does the MacBook Air M3 throttle in Civilization VII?
The MacBook Air M3 has no fan. In long sessions it lowers clocks to manage heat, and our figures already account for that sustained loss, around 5% in a game this demanding.
What about 1440p and 4K?
On High, the MacBook Air M3 gets about 35 FPS at 1440p and about 18 FPS at 4K in Civilization VII. These are native figures.
Do these figures include MetalFX or ray tracing?
No. The headline figure is native resolution, no MetalFX and no ray tracing. Civilization VII has no MetalFX on Mac. Ray tracing, where a game offers it, costs a lot of FPS on any Mac.
Is Civilization VII native on Apple Silicon?
Yes, it has a native Apple Silicon version, available on Steam. No CrossOver, Parallels or Game Porting Toolkit needed.