MacGameFPS

How many FPS does Civilization VII get on the MacBook Air M5? 1080p, 1440p and 4K performance

91FPS

1080p High

Estimate

58

1440p

30

4K

Excellent

About 91 FPS at 1080p on High: Civilization VII runs natively on the MacBook Air M5 (Apple M5, 8-core GPU, 16 GB). It has headroom to spare, so you can raise resolution or quality.

Data reviewed October 1, 2026 · how we calculate it

Civilization VII FPS on MacBook Air M5 by resolution and quality

Estimate
ResolutionLowMediumHighUltra
1080p123FPS108FPS91FPS76FPS
1440p80FPS69FPS58FPS48FPS
4K42FPS36FPS30FPS25FPS

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

1440p · Medium

≈ 69 FPS

For 30 FPS

1440p · Ultra

≈ 48 FPS

Moving to 1440p High puts the MacBook Air M5 at about 58 FPS. This game has no MetalFX, so resolution is the setting that matters most.

Full guide to boost Civilization VII FPS on Mac →

The MacGameFPS verdict

Calibrated on real Mac benchmarks, not spec sheets

Is the MacBook Air M5 enough for Civilization VII?

Yes, comfortably: 91 FPS at 1080p High. You can move to 1440p (58 FPS) or your display’s native resolution.

Excellent · 1440p 58 FPS · 4K 30 FPS

Guide to boost Civilization VII FPS on Mac →

MacBook Air M5 or MacBook Pro M5 for Civilization VII?

In Civilization VII at 1080p High, the MacBook Air M5 gets 91 FPS and the MacBook Pro M5 115 FPS: 26% more.

MacBook Air M5 specs

MacBook Air M5
Chip
Apple M5
GPU cores
8 / 10
Unified memory
16 / 24 / 32 GB
Cooling
Fanless
Geekbench Metal
65,377
Tier
Mid range · 18/100

See the MacBook Air M5’s FPS in every game →

Other Macs with the M5 chip

The Apple M5 also powers the MacBook Pro M5. In Civilization VII, the MacBook Pro M5 gets 115 FPS at 1080p High, 26% more than the MacBook Air M5, 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.

Memory1080p High1440p High
16 GB91FPS58FPS
24 GB91FPS58FPS
32 GB91FPS58FPS

Other Macs for Civilization VII

1080p · High

Civilization VII on every Mac →

Shopping for an all-round gaming Mac? Mac ranking by real FPS →

Other games on the MacBook Air M5

Every game on the MacBook Air M5 →

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 16 GB MacBook Air M5 run Civilization VII?

Yes. With 16 GB we estimate 91 FPS at 1080p High.

Can Civilization VII hit 60 FPS on the MacBook Air M5?

Yes: at 1440p Medium it runs around 69 FPS.

Does the MacBook Air M5 throttle in Civilization VII?

The MacBook Air M5 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 M5 gets about 58 FPS at 1440p and about 30 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.