Baldur's Gate 3 FPS on Core i5-12600K + GeForce RTX 3070

Baldur's Gate 3

A dense RPG where Act 3 becomes a CPU stress test due to the high number of NPCs. An SSD is vital for loading times. 16GB of RAM is recommended, and the game benefits greatly from upscaling tech like DLSS and FSR.

Baldur's Gate 3 - FPS Estimates by Resolution

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

1080P
low263 FPS
medium245 FPS
high234 FPS
ultra210 FPS
1440P
low215 FPS
medium204 FPS
high202 FPS
ultra179 FPS
4K
low123 FPS
medium118 FPS
high116 FPS
ultra101 FPS

Performance Report

Baldur's Gate 3

GeForce RTX 3070 + Core i5-12600K
🎮Visual Experience

At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 210 FPS, suitable for 144Hz+ monitors. At 1440p, all settings exceed 179 FPS. At 4K, all settings exceed 101 FPS.

Official Requirements

The GeForce RTX 3070 is 35% above the recommended GPU (GeForce RTX 2060 Super) for Baldur's Gate 3. The Core i5-12600K is 56% above the recommended CPU (Core i7-8700K).

⚙️FPS Ceiling Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3070 sets the FPS ceiling at all 1080p settings, all 1440p settings, all 4k settings, while the Core i5-12600K still has additional frame-generation headroom.

💰Value Analysis

Approximated average price on current market:

GeForce RTX 3070:$200
Official Launch Price: $499
Core i5-12600K:$185
Official Launch Price: $289

Combo price: $385. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 210 FPS, equivalent to 0.55 FPS per dollar.

ResolutionLowMediumHighUltra
1080p0.683 fps/$0.636 fps/$0.608 fps/$0.545 fps/$
1440p0.558 fps/$0.530 fps/$0.525 fps/$0.465 fps/$
4k0.319 fps/$0.306 fps/$0.301 fps/$0.262 fps/$

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

Performance Limiter Analysis

Core i5-12600K|GeForce RTX 3070

This section is based on estimated CPU/GPU FPS ceilings, not utilization percentages. Adjacent heavier settings are lightly stabilized to remove prediction jitter that would otherwise create impossible reversals.

📈Analysis

At 1080p low, the GeForce RTX 3070 sets the ceiling at about 281 FPS, while the Core i5-12600K has headroom up to 436 FPS. In this scenario, the GPU limits the CPU potential by 36% (FPS gap: 155 FPS). Overall distribution: GPU limits 12/12 cells, CPU limits 0/12, balanced 0/12.

Verdict

GPU Limits CPU

Your GeForce RTX 3070 is the limiting side in the heaviest mismatch. This means part of the Core i5-12600K frame-generation potential remains unused in those settings.

🧩Detailed Breakdown
1080p (Full HD)
LowGPU Limits CPU 36%
MediumGPU Limits CPU 36%
HighGPU Limits CPU 36%
UltraGPU Limits CPU 36%
1440p (2K QHD)
LowGPU Limits CPU 36%
MediumGPU Limits CPU 36%
HighGPU Limits CPU 36%
UltraGPU Limits CPU 36%
4K (Ultra HD)
LowGPU Limits CPU 36%
MediumGPU Limits CPU 36%
HighGPU Limits CPU 36%
UltraGPU Limits CPU 36%
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.

A component can still be the FPS limiter without reaching 100% utilization. The displayed percentages are derived from FPS ceilings and then monotonic-smoothed across heavier presets and resolutions, not generic utilization heuristics.

Baldur's Gate 3 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 i5-12600K
cpu icon
27,586
Your Score
MinimumCore i5-4690
RecommendedCore i7-8700K
GPU - GeForce RTX 3070
gpu icon
22,172
Your Score
MinimumGeForce GTX 970
RecommendedGeForce RTX 2060 Super

Your CPU is 56% above and your GPU is 35% above the recommended specs. High/Ultra at 1080p. Lower settings for higher resolutions.

CPU

+56%vsrecommended

GPU

+35%vsrecommended

CPU

+365%vsminimum

GPU

+130%vsminimum

Minimum Requirements
Video Card: GeForce GTX 970
Processor: Core i5-4690
Memory: 8 GB
Disk Space: 150 GB (SSD)
System: Windows 10 64-bit
Recommended Requirements
Processor: Core i7-8700K
Memory: 16 GB
Disk Space: 150 GB (SSD)
System: Windows 10 64-bit

Frequently Asked Questions

1Can the Core i5-12600K and GeForce RTX 3070 run Baldur's Gate 3 well?

Yes, the Core i5-12600K paired with the GeForce RTX 3070 can run Baldur's Gate 3 smoothly up to 4k achieving around 101 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 35% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 56% above the recommended requirements.

2Is there a more cost-effective setup to run Baldur's Gate 3?

This CPU + GPU combo costs approximately $385 ($185 CPU + $200 GPU). Since the GPU is the main limiting factor, investing in a stronger GPU will improve your framerates and overall value. For example, upgrading to the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti for around $799 (Rank #248 for value) could deliver noticeably better performance.

3Which component should I upgrade first to improve Baldur's Gate 3 performance?

For Baldur's Gate 3, upgrading the GPU would give you the most noticeable improvement. The GeForce RTX 3070 is the limiting factor here, while the Core i5-12600K still has spare capacity. A more powerful GPU would unlock higher FPS, especially at higher resolutions and quality presets. GPU-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 Baldur's Gate 3?

Baldur's Gate 3 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 Baldur's Gate 3?

Baldur's Gate 3 requires at minimum a Core i5-4690 (CPU) and GeForce GTX 970 (GPU) with 8 GB RAM and 150 GB (SSD) storage. For the recommended experience, you need a Core i7-8700K and GeForce RTX 2060 Super with 16 GB RAM. Your Core i5-12600K and GeForce RTX 3070 both exceed the recommended specs, so you're well-positioned for a great experience.

6How accurate are these Baldur's Gate 3 FPS estimates for the Core i5-12600K and GeForce RTX 3070?

These Baldur's Gate 3 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.