The lighting engine has been updated over the years. It scales well, but running at 'Ultra' settings with high scaling can challenge even modern GPUs.
Actual FPS may vary based on RAM speed, background processes, and other system factors
Performance Report
At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 196 FPS, suitable for 144Hz+ monitors. At 1440p, all settings exceed 173 FPS. At 4K, all settings exceed 137 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 4090 is 227% above the recommended GPU (GeForce GTX 1660) for Euro Truck Simulator 2. The Core 5 120U is 8% below recommended, but 153% above minimum.
The Core 5 120U sets the FPS ceiling at all 1080p settings, all 1440p settings, all 4k settings, while the GeForce RTX 4090 still has headroom.
This section is based on estimated CPU/GPU FPS ceilings, not utilization percentages.
At 4k high, the Core 5 120U sets the ceiling at about 183 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 4090 could reach 364 FPS. In this scenario, the CPU limits the GPU potential by 50% (FPS gap: 181 FPS). Overall distribution: CPU limits 12/12 cells, GPU limits 0/12, balanced 0/12.
Your Core 5 120U is the limiting side in the heaviest mismatch. This means part of the GeForce RTX 4090 rendering potential remains unused in those settings.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (Full HD) | CPU Limits GPU 38% | CPU Limits GPU 42% | CPU Limits GPU 43% | CPU Limits GPU 43% |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU Limits GPU 42% | CPU Limits GPU 46% | CPU Limits GPU 49% | CPU Limits GPU 46% |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU Limits GPU 41% | CPU Limits GPU 44% | CPU Limits GPU 50% | CPU Limits GPU 47% |
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.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (Full HD) | CPU17% - 34% <> GPU52% - 69% <> | CPU17% - 34% <> GPU52% - 69% <> | CPU13% - 33% <> GPU84% - 88% <> | CPU13% - 33% <> GPU84% - 88% <> |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU19% - 35% <> GPU54% - 71% <> | CPU19% - 35% <> GPU54% - 71% <> | CPU15% - 34% <> GPU86% - 93% <> | CPU15% - 34% <> GPU86% - 93% <> |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU19% - 35% <> GPU54% - 71% <> | CPU19% - 35% <> GPU54% - 71% <> | CPU15% - 34% <> GPU86% - 93% <> | CPU15% - 34% <> GPU86% - 93% <> |
The Core 5 120U + GeForce RTX 4090 pairing runs this title with CPU utilization between 13% and 35% and GPU utilization between 52% and 93%. Core 5 120U keeps significant headroom across presets, while GeForce RTX 4090 carries most of the graphics load at heavier visual settings. As resolution scales, average GPU load rises from 73% at 1080p to 76% at 4K, while CPU averages move from 25% to 26%.
From a utilization perspective, this is a GPU-heavy load profile. At 1440p (2K QHD) High, the GeForce RTX 4090 averages 90% usage (86-93%), while the Core 5 120U stays at 24% (15-34%). This shows the graphics pipeline is carrying most of the workload, but utilization alone does not define the FPS limiter.
At 1080p, averages sit around CPU 25% and GPU 73%. At 1440p, that shifts to CPU 26% and GPU 76%, and at 4K it reaches CPU 26% and GPU 76%. This shows that workload scaling is limited, which can indicate engine-side constraints.
1080p (Full HD) High is the most balanced preset based on this dataset. It runs around CPU 23% (13-33%) and GPU 86% (84-88%), which keeps GeForce RTX 4090 well utilized without constant max-out behavior while Core 5 120U remains stable for consistent frame delivery.
Current utilization does not show an urgent upgrade requirement for either component; the Core 5 120U 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.
Data generated by our Machine Learning engine trained on real-world benchmarks. Shows the approximate average utilization at each setting.
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 8% below recommended and your GPU is 227% below recommended, but both meet minimum specs. Playable at Low/Medium settings, 1080p or below.
-8%vsrecommended
+227%vsrecommended
+153%vsminimum
+830%vsminimum
Yes, the Core 5 120U paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Euro Truck Simulator 2 smoothly up to 4k achieving around 137 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 227% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 8% below the recommended requirements.
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.
For Euro Truck Simulator 2, upgrading the CPU would have the biggest impact on performance. The Core 5 120U 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.
Euro Truck Simulator 2 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.
Euro Truck Simulator 2 requires at minimum a Core i5-6400 (CPU) and GeForce GTX 660 (GPU) with 8 GB RAM and 25 GB storage. For the recommended experience, you need a Core i5-9600 and GeForce GTX 1660 with 12 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 Euro Truck Simulator 2 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.
