Civilization VIFPS onA8-6600K&GeForce RTX 4090

Civilization VI

The standard for turn-time benchmarks. Late-game turns require huge CPU throughput to process AI moves. High-resolution textures also demand a fair amount of VRAM.

Civilization VI - FPS Estimates by Resolution

Actual FPS may vary based on RAM speed, background processes, and other system factors

1080P
low75 FPS
medium75 FPS
high75 FPS
ultra75 FPS
1440P
low51 FPS
medium42 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra23 FPS
4K
low28 FPS
medium23 FPS
high16 FPS
ultra12 FPS

Performance Report

Civilization VI

GeForce RTX 4090 + A8-6600K
🎮Visual Experience

At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 75 FPS. At 1440p, frame rates range from 23 to 51 FPS. At 4K, frame rates range from 12 to 28 FPS.

Official Requirements

The GeForce RTX 4090 is 539% above the recommended GPU (GeForce GTX 770) for Civilization VI. The A8-6600K is 49% below recommended, but 52% above minimum.

⚙️FPS Ceiling Analysis

The A8-6600K sets the FPS ceiling at all 1080p settings, all 1440p settings, all 4k settings, while the GeForce RTX 4090 still has headroom.

Performance Limiter Analysis

A8-6600K|GeForce RTX 4090

This section is based on estimated CPU/GPU FPS ceilings, not utilization percentages.

📈Analysis

At 4k ultra, the A8-6600K sets the ceiling at about 12 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 4090 could reach 98 FPS. In this scenario, the CPU limits the GPU potential by 88% (FPS gap: 86 FPS). Overall distribution: CPU limits 12/12 cells, GPU limits 0/12, balanced 0/12.

Verdict

CPU Limits GPU

Your A8-6600K is the limiting side in the heaviest mismatch. This means part of the GeForce RTX 4090 rendering potential remains unused in those settings.

🧩Detailed Breakdown
1080p (Full HD)
LowCPU Limits GPU 78%
MediumCPU Limits GPU 75%
HighCPU Limits GPU 71%
UltraCPU Limits GPU 66%
1440p (2K QHD)
LowCPU Limits GPU 76%
MediumCPU Limits GPU 78%
HighCPU Limits GPU 80%
UltraCPU Limits GPU 84%
4K (Ultra HD)
LowCPU Limits GPU 83%
MediumCPU Limits GPU 84%
HighCPU Limits GPU 86%
UltraCPU Limits GPU 88%
Percentages show how much potential FPS of the stronger component is lost because the other component has a lower FPS ceiling.
🧠Methodology

We estimate the maximum FPS the processor can sustain and the maximum FPS the graphics card can sustain in each setting, then compare those limits directly.

Limit Factor formula: (stronger - weaker) / stronger. Example: if CPU ceiling is 200 FPS and GPU ceiling is 140 FPS, then GPU limits CPU by 30%.

CPU Limits GPU means the processor ceiling is lower. GPU Limits CPU means the graphics ceiling is lower. Balanced means the FPS ceilings are close enough that the gap is negligible.

A component can still be the FPS limiter without reaching 100% utilization. The displayed percentages are derived from FPS ceilings, not generic utilization heuristics.

📊Predicted Hardware Utilization for A8-6600K and GeForce RTX 4090

1080p (Full HD)

Low
CPU66% - 89%
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GPU32% - 57%
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Medium
CPU66% - 89%
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GPU32% - 57%
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High
CPU64% - 100%
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GPU46% - 67%
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Ultra
CPU64% - 100%
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GPU46% - 67%
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1440p (2K QHD)

Low
CPU66% - 74%
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GPU38% - 76%
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Medium
CPU66% - 74%
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GPU38% - 76%
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High
CPU65% - 86%
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GPU63% - 85%
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Ultra
CPU65% - 86%
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GPU63% - 85%
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4K (Ultra HD)

Low
CPU61% - 71%
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GPU61% - 93%
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Medium
CPU61% - 71%
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GPU61% - 93%
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High
CPU61% - 83%
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GPU70% - 95%
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Ultra
CPU61% - 83%
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GPU70% - 95%
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Performance Summary

The A8-6600K + GeForce RTX 4090 pairing runs this title with CPU utilization between 61% and 100% and GPU utilization between 32% and 95%. A8-6600K stays in a controlled operating range, while GeForce RTX 4090 is utilized efficiently without persistent saturation. As resolution scales, average GPU load rises from 50% at 1080p to 80% at 4K, while CPU averages move from 80% to 69%.

Load Interpretation

The utilization pattern is relatively even. The GeForce RTX 4090 reaches 82% average at its highest-load preset, while the A8-6600K peaks at 82% average. This suggests a fairly controlled load distribution, but the actual FPS-limiting side should still be read from the limiter analysis above.

Resolution Scaling

At 1080p, averages sit around CPU 80% and GPU 50%. At 1440p, that shifts to CPU 73% and GPU 66%, and at 4K it reaches CPU 69% and GPU 80%. This shows that workload scaling is present on both components, with stronger pressure on the GPU.

Optimal Settings Recommendation

4K (Ultra HD) High is the most balanced preset based on this dataset. It runs around CPU 72% (61-83%) and GPU 82% (70-95%), which keeps GeForce RTX 4090 well utilized without constant max-out behavior while A8-6600K remains stable for consistent frame delivery.

Upgrade Insight

Current utilization does not show an urgent upgrade requirement for either component; the A8-6600K and GeForce RTX 4090 remain reasonably matched for this title.

Understanding Hardware Utilization: These percentages represent how much of your component's maximum processing power is actively being used during gameplay. They describe hardware load, but they do not directly tell you which component sets the FPS ceiling.

Important: a CPU or GPU can still be the FPS limiter without reaching 100% utilization. Two processors can both show 40% usage and still deliver very different frame rates, depending on per-core speed, cache, engine threading, driver overhead, and frame preparation efficiency.

  • High GPU Load: You typically want to see High GPU Utilization (90%+) and moderate CPU usage when visual settings are heavy. This indicates the graphics pipeline is under strong load, but the exact FPS limiter should still be confirmed by the FPS ceiling analysis.
  • High CPU Load: If you see High CPU Utilization (85%+) paired with lower GPU utilization, the processor is handling a disproportionate share of frame preparation and game logic. That can point to CPU-side pressure, but it should not be treated as a direct replacement for FPS ceiling analysis.
  • Low CPU and GPU Load: If both CPU and GPU utilization are relatively low, it means the hardware is waiting on something else. This could be a game engine limitation, poorly optimized code, or an artificial framerate cap like VSync holding performance back. It does not mean both parts are equally fast in FPS terms.

Data generated by our Machine Learning engine trained on real-world benchmarks. Shows the approximate average utilization at each setting.

Civilization VI Requirements Comparison

See how your processor and graphics card compare against the game official minimum and recommended system specs. The placement of your hardware is calculated using relative synthetic performance scores to help you gauge overall playability.

CPU - A8-6600K
cpu icon
3,002
Your Score
MinimumCore i3-2120
RecommendedCore i5-4xxx
GPU - GeForce RTX 4090
gpu icon
38,112
Your Score
MinimumGeForce GTS 450
RecommendedGeForce GTX 770

Your CPU is 49% below recommended and your GPU is 539% below recommended, but both meet minimum specs. Playable at Low/Medium settings, 1080p or below.

CPU

-49%vsrecommended

GPU

+539%vsrecommended

CPU

+52%vsminimum

GPU

+2751%vsminimum

Minimum Requirements
Video Card: GeForce GTS 450
Processor: Core i3-2120
Memory: 4 GB
Disk Space: 12 GB
System: Windows 10 64-bit
Recommended Requirements
Video Card: GeForce GTX 770
Processor: Core i5-4xxx
Memory: 8 GB
Disk Space: 16 GB
System: Windows 10 64-bit

Frequently Asked Questions

1Can the A8-6600K and GeForce RTX 4090 run Civilization VI well?

Yes, the A8-6600K paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Civilization VI smoothly up to 1080p achieving around 75 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 539% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 49% below the recommended requirements.

2Is there a more cost-effective setup to run Civilization VI?

Price data is not currently available for this combination. In general, look for setups where the CPU and GPU are balanced — this ensures you're not overspending on one component that the other can't keep up with.

3Which component should I upgrade first to improve Civilization VI performance?

For Civilization VI, upgrading the CPU would have the biggest impact on performance. The A8-6600K is currently the limiting factor — the GeForce RTX 4090 has extra headroom that a faster processor could take advantage of. This is especially noticeable at 1080p where CPU performance matters more. CPU-limited at: 1080p low, 1080p medium, 1080p high, 1080p ultra, 1440p low, 1440p medium, 1440p high, 1440p ultra, 4k low, 4k medium, 4k high, 4k ultra.

4Does this setup support Frame Generation for Civilization VI?

Civilization VI does not currently support Frame Generation technologies like DLSS 3 or FSR 3. Your performance is based entirely on native rendering. If the game adds support in a future update, newer GPUs will benefit the most.

5What are the minimum and recommended specs for Civilization VI?

Civilization VI requires at minimum a Core i3-2120 (CPU) and GeForce GTS 450 (GPU) with 4 GB RAM and 12 GB storage. For the recommended experience, you need a Core i5-4xxx and GeForce GTX 770 with 8 GB RAM. Your setup meets the minimum requirements but falls short of the recommended specs. You may need to lower some settings for smooth performance.

6How accurate are these Civilization VI FPS estimates for the A8-6600K and GeForce RTX 4090?

These Civilization VI FPS results are not arbitrary numbers. They come from calculations informed by thousands of real gaming benchmarks, and the typical accuracy range is around 10% to 15%. That makes them far more useful than generic FPS calculators that simply invent values without a benchmark foundation. Actual in-game performance can still vary with drivers, updates, RAM configuration, cooling, and the exact scene being rendered.

Performance estimates are based on synthetic benchmarks and hardware capabilities.

Results may vary based on drivers, OS, and background processes.