MacGameFPS

How many FPS does Total War: PHARAOH get on the iMac M4? 1080p, 1440p and 4K performance

27FPS

1080p High

Estimate

17

1440p

9

4K

Struggles

About 27 FPS at 1080p on High: Total War: PHARAOH runs natively on the iMac M4 (Apple M4, 8-core GPU, 16 GB). That is on the edge, but it is playable with lower settings. For 30 FPS, use 1080p Medium (about 32 FPS).

Data reviewed October 1, 2026 · how we calculate it

Total War: PHARAOH FPS on iMac M4 by resolution and quality

Estimate
ResolutionLowMediumHighUltra
1080p37FPS32FPS27FPS22FPS
1440p23FPS20FPS17FPS14FPS
4K12FPS10FPS9FPS7FPS

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

Not reached even on Low at 1080p, nor with MetalFX.

For 30 FPS

1080p · Medium

≈ 32 FPS

Moving to 1440p High puts the iMac M4 at about 17 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 iMac M4 enough for Total War: PHARAOH?

It falls short: 27 FPS at 1080p High. For 30 FPS use 1080p Medium.

Struggles · 1440p 17 FPS · 4K 9 FPS

iMac M4 or MacBook Pro M4 for Total War: PHARAOH?

In Total War: PHARAOH at 1080p High, the iMac M4 gets 27 FPS and the MacBook Pro M4 32 FPS: 19% more.

iMac M4 specs

iMac M4
Chip
Apple M4
GPU cores
8 / 10
Unified memory
16 / 24 / 32 GB
Cooling
Fan
Geekbench Metal
49,002
Tier
Entry level · 13/100

See the iMac M4’s FPS in every game →

Other Macs with the M4 chip

The Apple M4 also powers the MacBook Air M4, the MacBook Pro M4, and the Mac mini M4. In Total War: PHARAOH, the Mac mini M4 gets 33 FPS at 1080p High, 22% more than the iMac M4.

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. Total War: PHARAOH asks for 8 GB minimum.

Memory1080p High1440p High
16 GB27FPS17FPS
24 GB27FPS17FPS
32 GB27FPS17FPS

Other Macs for Total War: PHARAOH

1080p · High

Total War: PHARAOH on every Mac →

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

Other games on the iMac M4

Every game on the iMac M4 →

Official Mac requirements

Minimum
macOS 13.4 · Apple M1 (8-core CPU, 7-core GPU) or better · 8 GB memory · 50 GB storage

Source: store.steampowered.com

FAQ

Can the 16 GB iMac M4 run Total War: PHARAOH?

Yes. With 16 GB we estimate 27 FPS at 1080p High.

Can Total War: PHARAOH hit 60 FPS on the iMac M4?

Not consistently. For 30 FPS, use 1080p Medium (about 32 FPS).

What about 1440p and 4K?

On High, the iMac M4 gets about 17 FPS at 1440p and about 9 FPS at 4K in Total War: PHARAOH. 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. Total War: PHARAOH has no MetalFX on Mac. Ray tracing, where a game offers it, costs a lot of FPS on any Mac.

Is Total War: PHARAOH native on Apple Silicon?

Yes, it has a native Apple Silicon version ported by Feral Interactive, available on Steam. No CrossOver, Parallels or Game Porting Toolkit needed.