A Valve classic that depends heavily on single-thread clock speed. It runs well on older hardware but benefits from a fast CPU.
Actual FPS may vary based on RAM speed, background processes, and other system factors
Performance Report
At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 450 FPS, suitable for 144Hz+ monitors. At 1440p, all settings exceed 450 FPS. At 4K, all settings exceed 319 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 4090 is 13367% above the recommended GPU (GeForce 8600 GT) for Team Fortress 2. The Core i5-12400F is 791% above the recommended CPU (Core 2 Duo).
The Core i5-12400F determines the performance ceiling at 1080p (low/medium), 1440p (low/medium), all 4k settings, while the GPU has headroom. The system is well balanced at 1080p (high/ultra), 1440p (high/ultra).
Approximated average price on current market:
Combo price: $1759. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 450 FPS, equivalent to 0.26 FPS per dollar.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 0.277 fps/$ | 0.277 fps/$ | 0.277 fps/$ | 0.256 fps/$ |
| 1440p | 0.277 fps/$ | 0.277 fps/$ | 0.277 fps/$ | 0.256 fps/$ |
| 4k | 0.267 fps/$ | 0.242 fps/$ | 0.225 fps/$ | 0.181 fps/$ |
* Table values represent FPS per Dollar (higher is better)
At 4k low, the Core i5-12400F sets the ceiling at about 456 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 4090 could reach 700 FPS. In this scenario, the CPU limits the GPU potential by 35% (FPS gap: 244 FPS). Overall distribution: CPU limits 8/12 cells, GPU limits 0/12, 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 30% | CPU Limits GPU 19% | Balanced | Balanced |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU Limits GPU 30% | CPU Limits GPU 19% | Balanced | Balanced |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU Limits GPU 35% | CPU Limits GPU 31% | CPU Limits GPU 23% | CPU Limits GPU 28% |
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) | CPU43% - 44% <> GPU0% - 4% <> | CPU17% - 27% <> GPU0% - 13% <> | CPU16% - 33% <> GPU4% - 17% <> | CPU21% - 43% <> GPU10% - 26% <> |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU38% - 40% <> GPU7% - 22% <> | CPU13% - 21% <> GPU20% - 32% <> | CPU12% - 23% <> GPU20% - 30% <> | CPU16% - 22% <> GPU25% - 38% <> |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU38% - 40% <> GPU31% - 42% <> | CPU13% - 21% <> GPU39% - 49% <> | CPU12% - 20% <> GPU38% - 47% <> | CPU12% - 20% <> GPU41% - 50% <> |
The Core i5-12400F + GeForce RTX 4090 pairing runs this title with CPU utilization between 12% and 44% and GPU utilization between 0% and 50%. 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 42% at 4K, while CPU averages move from 31% to 22%.
Neither component is close to saturation: CPU tops out at 44% and GPU at 50%. This pattern suggests possible engine-side limits, an FPS cap, or workload constraints unrelated to raw hardware throughput.
At 1080p, averages sit around CPU 31% and GPU 9%. At 1440p, that shifts to CPU 23% and GPU 24%, and at 4K it reaches CPU 22% and GPU 42%. This shows that workload scaling is present on both components, with stronger pressure on the GPU.
4K (Ultra HD) Ultra is the most balanced preset based on this dataset. It runs around CPU 16% (12-20%) and GPU 46% (41-50%), which keeps GeForce RTX 4090 well utilized without constant max-out behavior while Core i5-12400F remains stable for consistent frame delivery.
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.
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 791% above and your GPU is 13367% above the recommended specs. Ultra settings at 1080p, or High at 1440p/4K.
+791%vsrecommended
+13367%vsrecommended
+551%vsminimum
+2422%vsminimum
Yes, the Core i5-12400F paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Team Fortress 2 smoothly up to 4k achieving around 319 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 13367% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 791% 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 Team Fortress 2, 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, 1440p low, 1440p medium, 4k low, 4k medium, 4k high, 4k ultra.
Team Fortress 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.
Team Fortress 2 requires at minimum a Pentium 4 (3.0 GHz) (CPU) and GeForce 6 series (GPU) with 1 GB RAM and 15 GB storage. For the recommended experience, you need a Core 2 Duo and GeForce 8600 GT with 2 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 Team Fortress 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.
