Built on a modified Source engine, Apex Legends retains the scalability of Titanfall 2. Fast movement demands high frame rates for fluidity. VRAM can be a bottleneck if the 'Texture Streaming Budget' is set too high. While it handles 8GB of RAM better than some competitors, 16GB is recommended. It is generally less CPU-intensive than Warzone, allowing older quad-core CPUs to remain viable.
This game has a built-in FPS cap of 300 FPS
Actual FPS may vary based on RAM speed, background processes, and other system factors
Performance Report
At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 193 FPS, suitable for 144Hz+ monitors. At 1440p, all settings exceed 194 FPS. At 4K, all settings exceed 116 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 4090 is 295% above the recommended GPU (GeForce GTX 970) for Apex Legends. The Core i5-12400F is 115% above the recommended CPU (Core i5-3570K).
At lower resolutions (all 1080p settings, 1440p (high/ultra)), the Core i5-12400F determines the performance ceiling. As graphical load increases at (4k medium), the GeForce RTX 4090 takes over as the primary performance factor. The system is well balanced at 1440p (low/medium), 4k (low/high/ultra).
Approximated average price on current market:
Combo price: $1759. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 193 FPS, equivalent to 0.11 FPS per dollar.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 0.135 fps/$ | 0.125 fps/$ | 0.117 fps/$ | 0.110 fps/$ |
| 1440p | 0.138 fps/$ | 0.129 fps/$ | 0.114 fps/$ | 0.110 fps/$ |
| 4k | 0.099 fps/$ | 0.090 fps/$ | 0.074 fps/$ | 0.066 fps/$ |
* Table values represent FPS per Dollar (higher is better)
At 1080p high, the Core i5-12400F sets the ceiling at about 210 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 4090 could reach 317 FPS. In this scenario, the CPU limits the GPU potential by 34% (FPS gap: 107 FPS). Overall distribution: CPU limits 7/12 cells, GPU limits 1/12, balanced 4/12.
Your Core i5-12400F 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 21% | CPU Limits GPU 27% | CPU Limits GPU 34% | CPU Limits GPU 32% |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | Balanced | Balanced | CPU Limits GPU 16% | CPU Limits GPU 14% |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | Balanced | GPU Limits CPU 8% | CPU Limits GPU 6% | Balanced |
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.
The displayed percentages are derived from FPS ceilings, not generic utilization heuristics.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (Full HD) | CPU51% - 72% <> GPU61% - 80% <> | CPU50% - 71% <> GPU91% - 95% <> | CPU51% - 71% <> GPU91% - 98% <> | CPU36% - 63% <> GPU93% - 98% <> |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU50% - 70% <> GPU61% - 80% <> | CPU49% - 69% <> GPU95% - 96% <> | CPU51% - 69% <> GPU96% - 98% <> | CPU36% - 64% <> GPU96% - 98% <> |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU48% - 70% <> GPU61% - 80% <> | CPU47% - 69% <> GPU96% - 97% <> | CPU49% - 69% <> GPU97% - 98% <> | CPU34% - 64% <> GPU97% - 98% <> |
The Core i5-12400F + GeForce RTX 4090 pairing runs this title with CPU utilization between 34% and 72% and GPU utilization between 61% and 98%. Core i5-12400F stays in a controlled operating range, while GeForce RTX 4090 becomes the primary limiter at high visual load. As resolution scales, average GPU load rises from 88% at 1080p to 91% at 4K, while CPU averages move from 58% to 56%.
This profile is GPU-bound. At 4K (Ultra HD) High, the GeForce RTX 4090 averages 98% usage (97-98%), while the Core i5-12400F stays at 59% (49-69%), indicating the graphics pipeline is the limiting stage.
At 1080p, averages sit around CPU 58% and GPU 88%. At 1440p, that shifts to CPU 57% and GPU 90%, and at 4K it reaches CPU 56% and GPU 91%. This shows that workload scaling is limited, which can indicate engine-side constraints.
1080p (Full HD) Medium is the most balanced preset based on this dataset. It runs around CPU 60% (50-71%) and GPU 93% (91-95%), which keeps GeForce RTX 4090 well utilized without constant max-out behavior while Core i5-12400F remains stable for consistent frame delivery.
Upgrade priority should be the GPU. The GeForce RTX 4090 reaches 98% average load at 4K (Ultra HD) High while the Core i5-12400F still has headroom, so a faster graphics card would deliver the largest uplift.
Understanding Hardware Utilization & Bottlenecks: These percentages represent how much of your component's maximum processing power is actively being used during gameplay. This is the key to identifying performance bottlenecks in any system.
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 115% above and your GPU is 295% above the recommended specs. Ultra settings at 1080p, or High at 1440p/4K.
+115%vsrecommended
+295%vsrecommended
+351%vsminimum
+3160%vsminimum
Yes, the Core i5-12400F paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Apex Legends smoothly up to 4k achieving around 116 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 295% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 115% above the recommended requirements.
This CPU + GPU combo costs approximately $1759 ($110 CPU (Rank #30 Value) + $1649 GPU (Rank #77 Value)). Your build is already very cost-efficient, but if you want even more FPS, the next good option is upgrading the CPU. For example, the Ryzen 9 9950X is a great upgrade option for around $649 (Rank #5 for value).
For Apex Legends, upgrading the CPU would have the biggest impact on performance. The Core i5-12400F 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 high, 1440p ultra. GPU fully utilized at: 4k medium.
Apex Legends 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.
Apex Legends requires at minimum a Core i3-6300 (CPU) and GeForce GT 640 (GPU) with 6 GB RAM and 56 GB storage. For the recommended experience, you need a Core i5-3570K and GeForce GTX 970 with 8 GB RAM. Your Core i5-12400F and GeForce RTX 4090 both exceed the recommended specs, so you're well-positioned for a great experience.
These Apex Legends 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.
