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.
Actual FPS may vary based on RAM speed, background processes, and other system factors
Performance Report
At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 65 FPS. At 1440p, frame rates range from 24 to 65 FPS. At 4K, frame rates range from 12 to 30 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 5090 is 552% above the recommended GPU (GeForce GTX 770) for Civilization VI. The Core 2 Extreme QX9770 is 22% below recommended, but 133% above minimum.
The Core 2 Extreme QX9770 sets the FPS ceiling at all 1080p settings, all 1440p settings, all 4k settings, while the GeForce RTX 5090 still has headroom.
Approximated average price on current market:
Combo price: $4099. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 65 FPS, equivalent to 0.02 FPS per dollar.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 0.028 fps/$ | 0.028 fps/$ | 0.022 fps/$ | 0.016 fps/$ |
| 1440p | 0.016 fps/$ | 0.013 fps/$ | 0.009 fps/$ | 0.006 fps/$ |
| 4k | 0.007 fps/$ | 0.006 fps/$ | 0.004 fps/$ | 0.003 fps/$ |
* Table values represent FPS per Dollar (higher is better)
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This chart answers a simple question: which upgrade is more likely to increase FPS first? In this case, the answer is clearly the CPU.
The largest gap appears at 1080p Low, where the Core 2 Extreme QX9770 reaches about 115 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 5090 still has headroom up to roughly 394 FPS.
That means the Core 2 Extreme QX9770 is hitting its performance ceiling first, leaving a 71% gap versus the GeForce RTX 5090's available headroom in the most unbalanced scenario. Across all tested settings, this pairing is CPU-limited in 12 out of 12 cases, with 0 GPU-limited and 0 balanced results.
Overall, this is a clearly CPU-bound combination in this game.
The Core 2 Extreme QX9770 is consistently the limiting part in this game, so upgrading the CPU is more likely to deliver a larger FPS gain than upgrading the GPU.
This chart shows which upgrade is more likely to unlock more FPS in each tested setting. The lower line represents the part that reaches its limit first. When the CPU and GPU lines stay close together, the system is more balanced. When the gap widens, one component is more clearly holding the other back. Hover any setting to inspect it.
The lower line is the current limiter. The closer the two lines are, the more balanced the CPU and GPU are for this game.
Each line represents an estimated FPS ceiling for one component, rather than live usage alone.
To estimate the CPU ceiling, we pair the Core 2 Extreme QX9770 with GeForce RTX 5090, our current GPU anchor. To estimate the GPU ceiling, we pair the GeForce RTX 5090 with Ryzen 9 9950X3D, our current CPU anchor.
The lower line indicates the current limiter, since that component reaches its FPS ceiling first. In most scenarios, that is also the part most likely to deliver the bigger performance uplift if upgraded first.
The percentage shown represents the gap between the two ceilings. In practical terms, it shows how much of the stronger component's potential is left unused because the weaker one becomes the bottleneck first.
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.
Your CPU is 22% below recommended and your GPU is 552% below recommended, but both meet minimum specs. Playable at Low/Medium settings, 1080p or below.
-22%vsrecommended
+552%vsrecommended
+133%vsminimum
+2807%vsminimum
Yes, the Core 2 Extreme QX9770 paired with the GeForce RTX 5090 can run Civilization VI smoothly up to 1080p achieving around 65 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 552% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 22% below the recommended requirements.
This CPU + GPU combo costs approximately $4,099 ($1,399 CPU + $2,700 GPU). Your Core 2 Extreme QX9770 is currently the main performance bottleneck and its market value ($1,399) is actually higher than newer, faster alternatives. Trading it or upgrading could yield immediate profit and performance gains. For example, the Ryzen 9 9950X is a great upgrade option for around $649 (Rank #4 for value) while costing less than your current CPU.
For Civilization VI, upgrading the CPU would usually improve performance first. In the Performance Limiter Analysis, the Core 2 Extreme QX9770 is the side that most often caps the frame rate, while the GeForce RTX 5090 still has additional headroom in the tested presets. The main bottleneck appears on the CPU side. The largest gap shows up at 1080p Low, where the CPU reaches about 115 FPS while the GPU still has headroom up to roughly 394 FPS. Across all tested settings, the distribution is 0/12 GPU-limited, 12/12 CPU-limited, and 0/12 balanced.
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.
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.
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.
