The lighting engine has been updated over the years. It scales well, but running at 'Ultra' settings with high scaling can challenge even modern GPUs.
Actual FPS may vary based on RAM speed, background processes, and other system factors
Performance Report
At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 207 FPS, suitable for 144Hz+ monitors. At 1440p, all settings exceed 194 FPS. At 4K, all settings exceed 162 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 4090 is 227% above the recommended GPU (GeForce GTX 1660) for Euro Truck Simulator 2. The Core i7-6900K is 17% below recommended, but 129% above minimum.
The Core i7-6900K sets the FPS ceiling at all 1080p settings, all 1440p settings, all 4k settings, while the GeForce RTX 4090 still has headroom.
Approximated average price on current market:
Combo price: $2738. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 207 FPS, equivalent to 0.08 FPS per dollar.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 0.119 fps/$ | 0.098 fps/$ | 0.085 fps/$ | 0.076 fps/$ |
| 1440p | 0.104 fps/$ | 0.089 fps/$ | 0.075 fps/$ | 0.071 fps/$ |
| 4k | 0.091 fps/$ | 0.079 fps/$ | 0.069 fps/$ | 0.059 fps/$ |
* Table values represent FPS per Dollar (higher is better)
This section is based on estimated CPU/GPU FPS ceilings, not utilization percentages.
At 1440p high, the Core i7-6900K sets the ceiling at about 201 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 4090 could reach 349 FPS. In this scenario, the CPU limits the GPU potential by 42% (FPS gap: 148 FPS). Overall distribution: CPU limits 12/12 cells, GPU limits 0/12, balanced 0/12.
Your Core i7-6900K 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 33% | CPU Limits GPU 37% | CPU Limits GPU 39% | CPU Limits GPU 41% |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU Limits GPU 35% | CPU Limits GPU 38% | CPU Limits GPU 42% | CPU Limits GPU 40% |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU Limits GPU 35% | CPU Limits GPU 37% | CPU Limits GPU 42% | CPU Limits GPU 35% |
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, not generic utilization heuristics.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (Full HD) | CPU25% - 45% <> GPU51% - 71% <> | CPU25% - 45% <> GPU51% - 71% <> | CPU21% - 41% <> GPU72% - 86% <> | CPU21% - 41% <> GPU72% - 86% <> |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU26% - 47% <> GPU37% - 65% <> | CPU26% - 47% <> GPU37% - 65% <> | CPU22% - 43% <> GPU60% - 80% <> | CPU22% - 43% <> GPU60% - 80% <> |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU26% - 47% <> GPU37% - 65% <> | CPU26% - 47% <> GPU37% - 65% <> | CPU22% - 43% <> GPU60% - 80% <> | CPU22% - 43% <> GPU60% - 80% <> |
The Core i7-6900K + GeForce RTX 4090 pairing runs this title with CPU utilization between 21% and 47% and GPU utilization between 37% and 86%. Core i7-6900K keeps significant headroom across presets, while GeForce RTX 4090 is utilized efficiently without persistent saturation. As resolution scales, average GPU load rises from 70% at 1080p to 61% at 4K, while CPU averages move from 33% to 34%.
The utilization pattern is relatively even. The GeForce RTX 4090 reaches 79% average at its highest-load preset, while the Core i7-6900K peaks at 36% average. This suggests a fairly controlled load distribution, but the actual FPS-limiting side should still be read from the limiter analysis above.
At 1080p, averages sit around CPU 33% and GPU 70%. At 1440p, that shifts to CPU 34% and GPU 61%, and at 4K it reaches CPU 34% and GPU 61%. This shows that workload scaling is present on both components, with stronger pressure on the GPU.
1080p (Full HD) High is the most balanced preset based on this dataset. It runs around CPU 31% (21-41%) and GPU 79% (72-86%), which keeps GeForce RTX 4090 well utilized without constant max-out behavior while Core i7-6900K remains stable for consistent frame delivery.
Current utilization does not show an urgent upgrade requirement for either component; the Core i7-6900K and GeForce RTX 4090 remain reasonably matched for this title.
Understanding Hardware Utilization: These percentages represent how much of your component's maximum processing power is actively being used during gameplay. They describe hardware load, but they do not directly tell you which component sets the FPS ceiling.
Important: a CPU or GPU can still be the FPS limiter without reaching 100% utilization. Two processors can both show 40% usage and still deliver very different frame rates, depending on per-core speed, cache, engine threading, driver overhead, and frame preparation efficiency.
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 17% below recommended and your GPU is 227% below recommended, but both meet minimum specs. Playable at Low/Medium settings, 1080p or below.
-17%vsrecommended
+227%vsrecommended
+129%vsminimum
+830%vsminimum
Yes, the Core i7-6900K paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Euro Truck Simulator 2 smoothly up to 4k achieving around 162 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 227% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 17% below the recommended requirements.
This CPU + GPU combo costs approximately $2738 ($1089 CPU (Rank #302 Value) + $1649 GPU (Rank #77 Value)). Your Core i7-6900K is currently the main performance bottleneck and its market value ($1089) is actually higher than newer, faster alternatives. Trading it or upgrading could yield immediate profit and performance gains. For example, the Ryzen 9 9950X is a great upgrade option for around $649 (Rank #5 for value) while costing less than your current CPU.
For Euro Truck Simulator 2, upgrading the CPU would have the biggest impact on performance. The Core i7-6900K 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.
Euro Truck Simulator 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.
Euro Truck Simulator 2 requires at minimum a Core i5-6400 (CPU) and GeForce GTX 660 (GPU) with 8 GB RAM and 25 GB storage. For the recommended experience, you need a Core i5-9600 and GeForce GTX 1660 with 12 GB RAM. Your setup meets the minimum requirements but falls short of the recommended specs. You may need to lower some settings for smooth performance.
These Euro Truck Simulator 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.
