Quick answer: Transport Fever 3 system requirements start at an Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, 8 GB RAM, and a listed graphics card with 4 GB VRAM on Windows and Linux. You also need AVX2 CPU support and 90 GB of available space on an SSD; the Mac minimum instead specifies an Apple M2 Pro and 16 GB RAM. Compare every requirement for your operating system below, because meeting the minimum does not guarantee high frame rates on large or complex maps.
Quick facts
- Windows minimum: Windows 10 64-bit or Windows 11.
- Linux minimum: Ubuntu 24.04 or higher, in a supported 64-bit environment.
- Mac minimum: Apple Silicon and macOS Sequoia 15.7 or higher.
- Storage: 90 GB available space on an SSD at both specification levels.
- Performance: map complexity and the active GPU can affect results.
Check whether your computer meets the requirements
Use the following sequence to reach a compatibility decision. Hardware specifications answer whether your machine matches the listed baseline; the performance checks later on help explain why a matching machine might still struggle. A specific frame rate for your hardware, resolution, graphics preset, and map size is not confirmed yet.
Choose the requirements for your operating system
Start with the Windows, Linux, or macOS table that matches your computer. The Windows minimum allows Windows 10 64-bit or Windows 11, while the recommended Windows specification names Windows 11. Linux names Ubuntu 24.04 or higher for both levels. On Mac, both levels require macOS Sequoia 15.7 or higher and an Apple processor. The Mac specification is Apple Silicon only, so an Intel Mac does not meet that listed processor requirement.
Compare the processor, memory, and graphics hardware separately
Check your processor model against the CPU row, your system RAM against the memory row, and your graphics model and VRAM against the graphics rows. Windows and Linux both explicitly require AVX2 support. Do not treat a matching RAM capacity as a complete compatibility result: the processor, graphics hardware, operating system, and storage requirements all remain part of the check. The recommended level provides a separate hardware target, rather than a promise of a particular frame rate.
Check available space and the drive type
Make sure the drive intended for the game has 90 GB of available space and is an SSD. That storage requirement applies to Windows, Linux, and macOS, at both minimum and recommended levels. Having the stated free space alone does not satisfy the SSD requirement. There is no lower storage figure listed for the minimum configuration, so use the same space check whichever hardware tier you are comparing.
If a matching computer fails to launch, check the software setup
Update the graphics driver and operating system, verify the game files through your game platform, and try starting without mods. Check whether a third-party overlay, monitoring tool, or security application is interfering. On a system with integrated and dedicated graphics, verify that the game uses the dedicated card. These checks address the startup problems described by the developers; they do not make hardware below the minimum meet the requirements.
Minimum and recommended specifications
Windows
The Windows graphics options include NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel cards. Each brand's model below is an alternative within the same specification level. Match both the card model and the listed graphics memory when comparing your PC.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 64-bit / Windows 11 | Windows 11 |
| Intel CPU | Core i5-8400 | Core i7-13700K |
| AMD CPU | Ryzen 5 2600X | Ryzen 7 7800X3D |
| CPU instruction support | AVX2 required | AVX2 required |
| System memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| NVIDIA graphics | GeForce GTX 1060 | GeForce RTX 3070 |
| AMD graphics | Radeon RX 480 | Radeon RX 6800 |
| Intel graphics | Arc A380 | Arc A770 |
| Graphics memory | 4 GB VRAM | 8 GB VRAM |
| Available storage | 90 GB | 90 GB |
| Drive type | SSD required | SSD required |
Linux
Linux uses the same listed processor, RAM, graphics, VRAM, and storage targets as Windows. Its operating system requirement is different: Ubuntu 24.04 or higher appears at both levels. The startup guidance also requires a supported 64-bit Linux environment. Compatibility with other distributions is not confirmed yet by these specifications.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Ubuntu 24.04 or higher | Ubuntu 24.04 or higher |
| Intel CPU | Core i5-8400 | Core i7-13700K |
| AMD CPU | Ryzen 5 2600X | Ryzen 7 7800X3D |
| CPU instruction support | AVX2 required | AVX2 required |
| System memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| NVIDIA graphics | GeForce GTX 1060 | GeForce RTX 3070 |
| AMD graphics | Radeon RX 480 | Radeon RX 6800 |
| Intel graphics | Arc A380 | Arc A770 |
| Graphics memory | 4 GB VRAM | 8 GB VRAM |
| Available storage | 90 GB | 90 GB |
| Drive type | SSD required | SSD required |
macOS
The Mac specification names the Apple M2 Pro in a 2023 14-inch MacBook Pro as the minimum processor reference and the Apple M4 Pro in a 2024 Mac mini as the recommended reference. Both the processor and graphics entries use those Apple chips. The Mac RAM targets differ from Windows and Linux, so use this table when checking an Apple Silicon machine.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS Sequoia 15.7 or higher | macOS Sequoia 15.7 or higher |
| Processor | Apple M2 Pro | Apple M4 Pro |
| Reference computer | MacBook Pro 14-inch, 2023 | Mac mini, 2024 |
| Processor platform | Apple Silicon only | Apple Silicon only |
| System memory | 16 GB RAM | 24 GB RAM |
| Graphics | Apple M2 Pro | Apple M4 Pro |
| Available storage | 90 GB | 90 GB |
| Drive type | SSD required | SSD required |
Troubleshoot a computer that meets the specs
Meeting the minimum is not a guarantee of high frame rates in every situation. The developers said performance also depends on the size and complexity of the current game. Lower graphics settings usually have little effect when the simulation is limited by the CPU, so identify the limiting component before choosing what to change.
A black screen or missing window does not identify a hardware failure
If the screen turns black after changing graphics settings, press Alt+Enter to switch between fullscreen and windowed mode. If the picture returns, choose a resolution and display mode supported by your monitor. If the problem persists, restart the game and reset its graphics settings.
A freeze with a black screen at startup calls for a driver check and, on computers with two GPUs, a check of the selected graphics card. On Windows, GPU selection is under Settings → System → Display → Graphics. The preferred GPU can also be configured through the NVIDIA App, NVIDIA Control Panel, or AMD Software. Having a dedicated card installed is only part of this check; verify that Transport Fever 3 is actually using it.
If the game icon appears in the taskbar but the window is missing, multiple connected displays may explain it. Select the game window and press Win+Shift+Left Arrow or Win+Shift+Right Arrow to move it between displays. Alt+Enter can also switch the game into windowed mode. This distinguishes an invisible or misplaced window from a game that has not started at all.
For Linux startup failures, verify game files, install available system updates, update the NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel graphics driver, and disable mods. Start the game from a terminal and examine the output for missing libraries or other errors. Do not apply old Transport Fever 2 workarounds that manually copy libstdc++ libraries unless specifically instructed to do so for Transport Fever 3.
Low frame rate while paused points toward graphics load
When performance remains poor with the simulation paused, the graphics card is likely to be a limiting factor. Reduce resolution, anti-aliasing, shadow quality, texture quality, level of detail, or other GPU-intensive effects. Running at 1920×1080 instead of 3840×2160 can significantly reduce GPU load. Also check the dedicated GPU selection on a computer with multiple graphics processors.
Use GPU and VRAM usage to refine that diagnosis. If the GPU stays fully utilized, reduce graphics quality or resolution. If VRAM usage is close to the card's capacity, reducing texture quality can help considerably. These checks explain different graphics constraints: a busy GPU and a shortage of graphics memory do not call for exactly the same adjustment.
Little improvement at faster game speeds points toward simulation load
If switching to 2× or 4× speed barely accelerates the simulation, the CPU is likely approaching its processing limit. Transport Fever 3 continuously simulates vehicles, cities, industries, transport connections, and other systems. The workload increases as the map and network grow, so the same computer can behave differently in games with different amounts of development.
The demanding cases described by the developers include many cities, dense transport networks, large vehicle fleets, complex road traffic, numerous industries and cargo connections, and large or demanding mods. If individual CPU cores are heavily loaded while the GPU is not fully utilized, the simulation is more likely to be the limiting factor. Reducing graphics settings usually does little for this type of CPU limitation.
Check memory, background activity, and laptop conditions
Low frame rates can also involve background applications, insufficient system memory, limited VRAM, thermal throttling, power-saving settings, outdated graphics drivers, very high display resolutions, and demanding mods. Laptop power-saving settings are specifically mentioned as a possible contributor. Mods with unnecessarily high-resolution textures or complex models can add further demands.
Check CPU, GPU, RAM, and VRAM usage while the game runs to identify the limiting component. Combine those observations with the paused-simulation and game-speed checks above. A computer exceeding the minimum CPU and GPU specifications can still encounter one of these constraints; the component names alone do not describe every condition affecting the current game.
FAQ
Use the table for your operating system. Windows and Linux share their listed CPU and graphics targets, while macOS requires Apple Silicon and has different RAM targets. Compare the operating system, CPU, memory, graphics, available storage, and SSD requirement together to assess whether your computer meets the listed baseline.
Windows and Linux recommend an Intel Core i7-13700K or AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 16 GB RAM, and a listed graphics card with 8 GB VRAM. Mac recommends an Apple M4 Pro and 24 GB RAM. A specific resolution, graphics preset, and frame-rate guarantee for these recommended configurations is not confirmed yet.
Your computer meets the listed baseline only if it satisfies the requirements for its platform. If it falls below the hardware or operating system minimum, the game may fail to start or run correctly. If it meets the baseline but struggles, use the startup, GPU, simulation, and memory checks above to assess the actual problem.