Garry's ModFPS onCore i5-12400F&GeForce RTX 4090

Garry's Mod

A Source engine sandbox where performance depends entirely on the mods and contraptions you spawn. RAM errors are common on systems with only 4GB.

Garry's Mod - FPS Estimates by Resolution

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

1080P
low429 FPS
medium373 FPS
high327 FPS
ultra287 FPS
1440P
low317 FPS
medium290 FPS
high248 FPS
ultra230 FPS
4K
low240 FPS
medium214 FPS
high186 FPS
ultra156 FPS

Performance Report

Garry's Mod

GeForce RTX 4090 + Core i5-12400F
🎮Visual Experience

At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 287 FPS, suitable for 144Hz+ monitors. At 1440p, all settings exceed 230 FPS. At 4K, all settings exceed 156 FPS.

Official Requirements

The GeForce RTX 4090 is 1051% above the recommended GPU (GeForce GTX 750) for Garry's Mod. The Core i5-12400F is 48% above the recommended CPU (Core i5).

⚙️Bottleneck Analysis

The Core i5-12400F determines the performance ceiling at all 1080p settings, all 1440p settings, all 4k settings, while the GPU has headroom.

💰Value Analysis

Approximated average price on current market:

GeForce RTX 4090:$1649(updated 2/6/2026)
Official Launch Price: $1599
Core i5-12400F:$110(updated 2/6/2026)
Official Launch Price: $174

Combo price: $1759. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 287 FPS, equivalent to 0.16 FPS per dollar.

ResolutionLowMediumHighUltra
1080p0.244 fps/$0.212 fps/$0.186 fps/$0.163 fps/$
1440p0.180 fps/$0.165 fps/$0.141 fps/$0.131 fps/$
4k0.136 fps/$0.122 fps/$0.106 fps/$0.089 fps/$

* Table values represent FPS per Dollar (higher is better)

Performance Limiter Analysis

Core i5-12400F|GeForce RTX 4090
📈Analysis

At 4k ultra, the Core i5-12400F sets the ceiling at about 156 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 4090 could reach 258 FPS. In this scenario, the CPU limits the GPU potential by 40% (FPS gap: 102 FPS). Overall distribution: CPU limits 12/12 cells, GPU limits 0/12, balanced 0/12.

Verdict

CPU Limits GPU

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.

🧩Detailed Breakdown
1080p (Full HD)
LowCPU Limits GPU 17%
MediumCPU Limits GPU 18%
HighCPU Limits GPU 23%
UltraCPU Limits GPU 26%
1440p (2K QHD)
LowCPU Limits GPU 28%
MediumCPU Limits GPU 30%
HighCPU Limits GPU 36%
UltraCPU Limits GPU 36%
4K (Ultra HD)
LowCPU Limits GPU 32%
MediumCPU Limits GPU 33%
HighCPU Limits GPU 39%
UltraCPU Limits GPU 40%
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.

The displayed percentages are derived from FPS ceilings, not generic utilization heuristics.

📊Predicted Hardware Utilization for Core i5-12400F and GeForce RTX 4090

1080p (Full HD)

Low
CPU27% - 32%
<>
GPU3% - 15%
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Medium
CPU27% - 32%
<>
GPU3% - 15%
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High
CPU27% - 32%
<>
GPU3% - 15%
<>
Ultra
CPU21% - 31%
<>
GPU3% - 15%
<>

1440p (2K QHD)

Low
CPU20% - 26%
<>
GPU3% - 15%
<>
Medium
CPU20% - 26%
<>
GPU3% - 15%
<>
High
CPU20% - 26%
<>
GPU3% - 15%
<>
Ultra
CPU15% - 24%
<>
GPU3% - 15%
<>

4K (Ultra HD)

Low
CPU20% - 26%
<>
GPU3% - 15%
<>
Medium
CPU20% - 26%
<>
GPU3% - 15%
<>
High
CPU20% - 26%
<>
GPU3% - 15%
<>
Ultra
CPU15% - 24%
<>
GPU3% - 15%
<>

Performance Summary

The Core i5-12400F + GeForce RTX 4090 pairing runs this title with CPU utilization between 15% and 32% and GPU utilization between 3% and 15%. Core i5-12400F keeps significant headroom across presets, while GeForce RTX 4090 is utilized efficiently without persistent saturation. As resolution scales, average GPU load rises from 9% at 1080p to 9% at 4K, while CPU averages move from 29% to 22%.

Bottleneck Analysis

Neither component is close to saturation: CPU tops out at 32% and GPU at 15%. This pattern suggests possible engine-side limits, an FPS cap, or workload constraints unrelated to raw hardware throughput.

Resolution Scaling

At 1080p, averages sit around CPU 29% and GPU 9%. At 1440p, that shifts to CPU 22% and GPU 9%, and at 4K it reaches CPU 22% and GPU 9%. This shows that workload scaling is present on both components, with stronger pressure on the GPU.

Optimal Settings Recommendation

1080p (Full HD) Low is the most balanced preset based on this dataset. It runs around CPU 30% (27-32%) and GPU 9% (3-15%), which keeps GeForce RTX 4090 well utilized without constant max-out behavior while Core i5-12400F remains stable for consistent frame delivery.

Upgrade Insight

Current utilization does not show an urgent upgrade requirement for either component; the Core i5-12400F and GeForce RTX 4090 remain reasonably matched for this title.

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.

  • The Ideal Scenario (GPU Bottleneck): You typically want to see High GPU Utilization (90%+) and moderate CPU usage. This indicates your system is successfully pushing out graphics as fast as it can, without being held back by the CPU.
  • CPU Bottleneck: If you see High CPU Utilization (85%+) paired with lower GPU utilization, the CPU is struggling to compute game logic and prepare frames fast enough. The GPU sits waiting, often resulting in stuttering, inconsistent frame times, and lower overall FPS.
  • Engine Limits or Capped FPS: 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.

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

Garry's Mod 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 - Core i5-12400F
cpu icon
19,532
Your Score
MinimumPentium 4
RecommendedCore i5
GPU - GeForce RTX 4090
gpu icon
38,112
Your Score
MinimumGeForce 6 series
RecommendedGeForce GTX 750

Your CPU is 48% above and your GPU is 1051% above the recommended specs. High/Ultra at 1080p. Lower settings for higher resolutions.

CPU

+48%vsrecommended

GPU

+1051%vsrecommended

CPU

+551%vsminimum

GPU

+11449%vsminimum

Minimum Requirements
Video Card: GeForce 6 series
Processor: Pentium 4
Memory: 4 GB
Disk Space: 5 GB
System: Windows 7
Recommended Requirements
Video Card: GeForce GTX 750
Processor: Core i5
Memory: 8 GB
Disk Space: 20 GB
System: Windows 10

Frequently Asked Questions

1Can the Core i5-12400F and GeForce RTX 4090 run Garry's Mod well?

Yes, the Core i5-12400F paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Garry's Mod smoothly up to 4k achieving around 156 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 1051% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 48% above the recommended requirements.

2Is there a more cost-effective setup to run Garry's Mod?

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).

3Which component should I upgrade first to improve Garry's Mod performance?

For Garry's Mod, 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 low, 1440p medium, 1440p high, 1440p ultra, 4k low, 4k medium, 4k high, 4k ultra.

4Does this setup support Frame Generation for Garry's Mod?

Garry's Mod 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 Garry's Mod?

Garry's Mod requires at minimum a Pentium 4 (CPU) and GeForce 6 series (GPU) with 4 GB RAM and 5 GB storage. For the recommended experience, you need a Core i5 and GeForce GTX 750 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.

6How accurate are these Garry's Mod FPS estimates for the Core i5-12400F and GeForce RTX 4090?

These Garry's Mod 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.