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To increase FPS in Civilization VI, first select the intended high-performance GPU, then lower the in-game Performance Impact and Memory Impact settings, reduce resolution or costly effects, and compare fullscreen with borderless or windowed mode. Steam players on Windows should also test DX11 and DX12 on the same save. Measure each change in an identical scene: a late-game turn that takes a long time is usually a simulation or AI workload, not a rendering-FPS problem.
Start with a repeatable FPS baseline
Randomly changing several options makes it impossible to tell which setting helped. Use a simple baseline before touching the graphics menu:
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- Load one save and record the map location, camera angle, resolution, display mode and graphics API.
- Observe the same scene for long enough to notice ordinary movement and camera panning. Write down the average FPS shown by your overlay or monitor and describe any hitching, pauses or uneven frame pacing.
- Change one variable, return to the same camera position and repeat the observation.
Keep a second note for turn processing. Civilization VI can spend a long time calculating AI and simulation work in a large, populated late-game world. Lowering a shadow setting can improve rendered frames while doing nothing for the wait between turns. Treat those as two different performance problems.
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Select the discrete GPU in the game
Systems with integrated and discrete graphics can start a game on the lower-power adapter. Open Civilization VI’s graphics options and use GPU Selection to choose the high-performance adapter. The official manual describes this control as the way to choose which GPU the game uses when more than one is installed.
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On a desktop, also verify that the monitor cable is connected to the outputs on the intended graphics card rather than the motherboard. A cable connected to the motherboard can route the display through integrated graphics even when a discrete card is installed.
Compare your PC with the published requirements
Steam’s current Windows listing, accessed October 15, 2026, gives Civilization VI a 4 GB RAM minimum and a 1 GB graphics-memory minimum, with AMD 5570-, NVIDIA 450- or Intel HD 530-class graphics listed at the minimum tier. The recommended tier is 8 GB RAM and a 2 GB AMD 7970- or NVIDIA 770-class GPU. DirectX 11 is listed in the Windows requirements.
| Steam Windows tier | System memory | Graphics memory and examples |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum | 4 GB RAM | 1 GB; AMD 5570, NVIDIA 450 or Intel HD 530 class |
| Recommended | 8 GB RAM | 2 GB; AMD 7970 or NVIDIA 770 class |
These are capability boundaries, not an FPS promise. A machine above the recommended tier can still stutter at a high resolution, while a machine near the minimum may need substantial reductions in image quality.
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Use the graphics menu in the order that usually helps most
1. Lower Performance Impact
Move the Performance Impact slider down one step, apply the change and repeat your baseline test. This is the fastest broad adjustment when the GPU is struggling. Stop lowering it when frame pacing is acceptable or visual quality becomes too compromised; there is no single setting level that is best for every card and resolution.
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2. Lower Memory Impact when VRAM is constrained
Reduce the Memory Impact slider if the card has limited video memory or monitoring shows VRAM pressure. A memory setting can affect texture and asset behavior differently from a pure rendering-cost setting, so measure it separately from Performance Impact. Do not assume that lowering both sliders together reveals which one solved the hitch.
3. Reduce output resolution
Choose a lower resolution in the game’s resolution control and test the same scene. Rendering fewer pixels is one of the clearest ways to reduce GPU workload, although text and map details become less sharp. On a high-density display, compare a modest reduction first rather than immediately choosing the lowest available value.
4. Test advanced effects individually
Civilization VI exposes advanced graphics options including shadows, ambient occlusion, reflections, bloom, water quality and leader quality. Turn down or disable one effect at a time, then measure:
- Shadows: reduce them if scenes with many objects produce uneven frame times.
- Ambient occlusion: lower it when you need a lighting-cost reduction without changing the whole scene.
- Reflections and water quality: test them on maps with substantial coast or water coverage.
- Bloom: disable it if you prefer a simpler post-processing load.
- Leader quality: reduce it if animated leader scenes are where you notice the worst drops.
Those effects do not have a universal cost ranking. Your GPU, resolution, map, drivers and current settings determine which change matters, so use the same-save test rather than copying a supposedly universal “best” preset.
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Choose a display mode deliberately
Use fullscreen as the controlled baseline. Then compare borderless and ordinary windowed mode while keeping resolution and camera position constant. A mode that feels smoother can be preferable even if its average FPS is similar, because frame-time consistency is more noticeable than a small change in the average.
Borderless mode is useful when you switch applications frequently, but it is not automatically faster. If it introduces hitching, return to fullscreen and retest before changing several other settings.
Test DX11 and DX12 instead of assuming one is faster
Steam on Windows
Civilization Support documents DX11 and DX12 as selectable launch options for the Steam Windows version. Launch once with each API, load the same save and repeat the same camera movement. Compare more than the FPS average:
| What to compare | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Average FPS | Shows the general rendering rate in the test scene. |
| 1% lows or visible frame-time spikes | Reveals stutter that an average can hide. |
| Visual quality and VRAM use | Shows whether the API changes the quality or memory balance you need. |
| Power and temperature | Identifies a mode that drives the card harder for little practical benefit. |
| Crash and driver reliability | A slightly faster mode is not useful if it is unstable on your system. |
Keep the API that gives the smoother, more reliable result on your hardware. There is no authoritative universal FPS winner for every Civilization VI configuration.
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Epic Games version
Civilization Support’s January 21, 2025 article about the 2K Launcher shutdown documents that the Epic version now opens the DirectX 11 version after the launcher sunset. If you are troubleshooting the Epic release, treat DX11 as the documented starting point and compare only options that your current launcher exposes.
Try Windows 11’s windowed-game optimization
Windows 11 includes per-app optimizations for windowed and borderless games that use DirectX 10 or DirectX 11. Open Settings → System → Display → Graphics, select Civilization VI in the app list, open its options and test the windowed-game optimization setting. Restart the game and repeat your controlled test.
This is a setting to evaluate, not a guaranteed FPS multiplier. It is most relevant when you play in borderless or windowed mode; keep it only if frame pacing improves without introducing visual or stability problems.
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Watch GPU utilization, VRAM use, system memory and frame-time behavior during the same test. If the GPU remains heavily loaded and lowering resolution or Performance Impact raises FPS, rendering is the limiting factor. If lowering those settings barely changes FPS while the processor or system memory is busy, the bottleneck may be outside the graphics workload.
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- GPU-limited pattern: high GPU load, a clear FPS response to lower resolution, and smoother movement after reducing effects.
- VRAM-limited pattern: hitching that responds to Memory Impact or texture-related reductions, especially when the card is near its available graphics memory.
- Memory-pressure pattern: system RAM is nearly full and the operating system is paging. Close unnecessary background applications first; the published requirements do not establish a guaranteed FPS gain from adding RAM.
- Simulation-limited pattern: long waits between turns with no equivalent camera or animation slowdown. Graphics reductions will not remove the AI calculation itself.
When a graphics-card upgrade makes sense
A GPU upgrade is the most direct physical intervention when the installed card is below Steam’s recommended 2 GB AMD 7970- or NVIDIA 770-class tier, or when your measurements show the GPU saturated during ordinary camera movement. Choose hardware based on the workload you actually run: resolution, map size, visual settings and desired frame-time stability all matter.
Do not buy on the assumption of a fixed FPS percentage. Official Civilization VI requirements describe minimum and recommended capability, not a universal uplift from a particular replacement card. Before spending money, confirm that lowering resolution and Performance Impact produces a meaningful improvement; if it does not, a faster GPU may not address the real limit.
A practical decision table
| Observed problem | First manual action | How to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Low FPS during camera movement | Select the discrete GPU, lower Performance Impact and test a lower resolution. | Repeat the same camera sweep and compare average FPS and frame-time spikes. |
| Hitches when assets or scenes change | Lower Memory Impact and test advanced effects separately. | Replay the same route through the map and watch for fewer pauses. |
| Borderless feels uneven | Use fullscreen as the baseline; test Windows 11 windowed-game optimization if applicable. | Compare identical scenes in fullscreen and borderless. |
| DX12 crashes or stutters | Launch with DX11 on Steam and compare the same save. | Keep the API with steadier frame pacing and better reliability. |
| Late-game turns are slow | Separate turn-processing time from rendered FPS. | Measure camera movement and turn completion independently. |
| GPU is below the recommended tier and remains saturated | Consider a graphics-card upgrade after confirming the bottleneck. | Use before-and-after measurements at the same resolution and settings. |
Common mistakes that make FPS troubleshooting harder
- Changing several settings at once: you lose the ability to identify the effective change.
- Judging performance from a different save: map size, population and scene complexity can change the workload.
- Confusing turn waits with FPS: simulation and AI processing can be slow even when rendering is smooth.
- Assuming DX12 must win: API behavior depends on the specific GPU, CPU, drivers and game state.
- Using average FPS alone: a high average can hide severe one-percent lows or frame-time spikes.
- Buying hardware before measuring: if lower settings do not raise FPS, the GPU may not be the limiting component.
Set a realistic target and keep the result stable
After finding the best combination, keep the resolution, API, display mode and sliders fixed and test several ordinary scenes, not just one favorable location. Prefer a stable frame rate with consistent pacing over a higher number that repeatedly drops. Recheck after changing map size or moving from an early game to a crowded late game, because Civilization VI’s simulation and rendering loads vary over a campaign.
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The official manual says, “The game will automatically select the best graphics options for you when you first start the game.” That automatic choice is a useful starting point, not a guarantee for every monitor, API or save. Manual measurement lets you adapt the game to your actual hardware without claiming an FPS increase that the available evidence cannot promise.
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