Honkai: Star Rail FPS on Core i3-8121U + GeForce RTX 4090

Honkai: Star Rail FPS Performance Results

Honkai: Star Rail

Being turn-based, extreme FPS is less critical here. The game features high-fidelity models and uses considerable storage for audio and cutscenes. 8GB of RAM is recommended for smooth operation.

This game has a built-in FPS cap of 60 FPS

Honkai: Star Rail FPS Estimates by Resolution on Core i3-8121U + GeForce RTX 4090

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

1080P
low60 FPS
medium60 FPS
high60 FPS
ultra55 FPS
1440P
low60 FPS
medium60 FPS
high60 FPS
ultra54 FPS
4K
low60 FPS
medium59 FPS
high51 FPS
ultra40 FPS

Performance Report

Honkai: Star Rail Performance Report onCore i3-8121U + GeForce RTX 4090

🎮Visual Experience

At 1080p, frame rates range from 55 to 79 FPS depending on quality settings. At 1440p, frame rates range from 54 to 78 FPS. At 4K, frame rates range from 40 to 67 FPS.

Official Requirements

The GeForce RTX 4090 is 279% above the recommended GPU (GeForce GTX 1060) for Honkai: Star Rail. The Core i3-8121U is 68% below minimum CPU requirement.

⚙️FPS Ceiling Analysis

The GeForce RTX 4090 sets the FPS ceiling at all 1080p settings, all 1440p settings, all 4k settings, while the Core i3-8121U still has additional frame-generation headroom.

Honkai: Star Rail Combo AnalysisCore i3-8121U + GeForce RTX 4090

📈Analysis

Which Component Limits FPS Most?

This chart answers a simple question: which upgrade is more likely to increase FPS first? In this case, the answer is clearly the GPU.

The largest gap appears at 1440p Low, where the GeForce RTX 4090 reaches about 60 FPS, while the Core i3-8121U still has headroom up to roughly 78 FPS.

That means the GeForce RTX 4090 is hitting its performance ceiling first, leaving a 23% gap versus the Core i3-8121U's available headroom in the most unbalanced scenario. Across all tested settings, this pairing is GPU-limited in 12 out of 12 cases, with 0 CPU-limited and 0 balanced results.

Overall, this is a clearly GPU-bound combination in this game.

Verdict

Upgrade Recommendations

GPU-Limited

The GeForce RTX 4090 is consistently the limiting part in this game, so upgrading the GPU is more likely to deliver a larger FPS gain than upgrading the CPU.

🧩
Detailed BreakdownShows which upgrade is more likely to unlock more FPS in each tested setting

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.

CPU vs GPU FPS Ceiling by Resolution and PresetHonkai: Star Rail on Core i3-8121U + GeForce RTX 4090

Core i3-8121UGeForce RTX 4090
FPS806040200lowmediumhighultra22%15%12%5%1080Plowmediumhighultra23%15%13%5%1440Plowmediumhighultra18%10%2%15%4K

The lower line is the current limiter. The closer the two lines are, the more balanced the CPU and GPU are for this game.

🧠Methodology

Each line represents an estimated FPS ceiling for one component, rather than live usage alone.

To estimate the CPU ceiling, we pair the Core i3-8121U with GeForce RTX 5090, our current GPU anchor. To estimate the GPU ceiling, we pair the GeForce RTX 4090 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.

Honkai: Star Rail Requirements ComparisonCore i3-8121U + GeForce RTX 4090

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 - Core i3-8121U
cpu icon
4,271
Your Score
MinimumCore i3
RecommendedCore i7
GPU - GeForce RTX 4090
gpu icon
38,112
Your Score
MinimumGeForce GTX 650
RecommendedGeForce GTX 1060

Your hardware is below minimum requirements. CPU is the limiting factor (68% below minimum). Expect performance issues. Low settings recommended.

CPU

-80%vsrecommended

GPU

+279%vsrecommended

CPU

-68%vsminimum

GPU

+2070%vsminimum

Minimum Requirements
Video Card: GeForce GTX 650
Processor: Core i3
Memory: 6 GB
Disk Space: 20 GB
System: Windows 10 64-bit
Recommended Requirements
Video Card: GeForce GTX 1060
Processor: Core i7
Memory: 8 GB
Disk Space: 20 GB
System: Windows 10 64-bit

Honkai: Star Rail FAQ

1Can the Core i3-8121U and GeForce RTX 4090 run Honkai: Star Rail well?

The Core i3-8121U and GeForce RTX 4090 will struggle to run Honkai: Star Rail at smooth framerates. At 1080p Ultra, you can expect around 55 FPS which is classified as "playable". Consider lowering settings or upgrading your hardware.

2Is there a more cost-effective setup to run Honkai: Star Rail?

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 Honkai: Star Rail performance?

Your GeForce RTX 4090 is already a top-tier graphics card. In the Performance Limiter Analysis, it is still the side that most often reaches its FPS ceiling first, but there is no meaningful upgrade path that would drastically improve your Honkai: Star Rail performance right now. The main bottleneck appears on the GPU side. The largest gap shows up at 1440p Low, where the GPU reaches about 60 FPS while the CPU still has headroom up to roughly 78 FPS. Across all tested settings, the distribution is 12/12 GPU-limited, 0/12 CPU-limited, and 0/12 balanced.

4Does this setup support Frame Generation for Honkai: Star Rail?

Honkai: Star Rail 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 Honkai: Star Rail?

Honkai: Star Rail requires at minimum a Core i3 (CPU) and GeForce GTX 650 (GPU) with 6 GB RAM and 20 GB storage. For the recommended experience, you need a Core i7 and GeForce GTX 1060 with 8 GB RAM. Your hardware falls below the minimum requirements for this game, which may result in poor performance.

6How accurate are these Honkai: Star Rail FPS estimates for the Core i3-8121U and GeForce RTX 4090?

These Honkai: Star Rail 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.