The Sims 4
Optimized to run on laptops, it is largely CPU-limited by the simulation. Installing many DLCs and expansions significantly increases RAM and storage load.
Actual FPS may vary based on RAM speed, background processes, and other system factors
Performance Report
At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 133 FPS. At 1440p, all settings exceed 108 FPS. At 4K, frame rates range from 59 to 100 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 5090 is 2113% above the recommended GPU (GeForce GTX 650) for The Sims 4. The Core i7-970 is 47% below recommended, but 2% above minimum.
The Core i7-970 sets the FPS ceiling at all 1080p settings, all 1440p settings, all 4k settings, while the GeForce RTX 5090 still has headroom.
Approximated average price on current market:
Combo price: $2989. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 133 FPS, equivalent to 0.04 FPS per dollar.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 0.055 fps/$ | 0.055 fps/$ | 0.054 fps/$ | 0.044 fps/$ |
| 1440p | 0.055 fps/$ | 0.055 fps/$ | 0.044 fps/$ | 0.036 fps/$ |
| 4k | 0.033 fps/$ | 0.031 fps/$ | 0.023 fps/$ | 0.020 fps/$ |
* Table values represent FPS per Dollar (higher is better)
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This chart answers a simple question: which upgrade is more likely to increase FPS first? In this case, the answer is clearly the CPU.
The largest gap appears at 1080p Low, where the Core i7-970 reaches about 164 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 5090 still has headroom up to roughly 455 FPS.
That means the Core i7-970 is hitting its performance ceiling first, leaving a 64% gap versus the GeForce RTX 5090's available headroom in the most unbalanced scenario. Across all tested settings, this pairing is CPU-limited in 12 out of 12 cases, with 0 GPU-limited and 0 balanced results.
Overall, this is a clearly CPU-bound combination in this game.
The Core i7-970 is consistently the limiting part in this game, so upgrading the CPU is more likely to deliver a larger FPS gain than upgrading the GPU.
This chart shows which upgrade is more likely to unlock more FPS in each tested setting. The lower line represents the part that reaches its limit first. When the CPU and GPU lines stay close together, the system is more balanced. When the gap widens, one component is more clearly holding the other back. Hover any setting to inspect it.
The lower line is the current limiter. The closer the two lines are, the more balanced the CPU and GPU are for this game.
Each line represents an estimated FPS ceiling for one component, rather than live usage alone.
To estimate the CPU ceiling, we pair the Core i7-970 with GeForce RTX 5090, our current GPU anchor. To estimate the GPU ceiling, we pair the GeForce RTX 5090 with Ryzen 9 9950X3D, our current CPU anchor.
The lower line indicates the current limiter, since that component reaches its FPS ceiling first. In most scenarios, that is also the part most likely to deliver the bigger performance uplift if upgraded first.
The percentage shown represents the gap between the two ceilings. In practical terms, it shows how much of the stronger component's potential is left unused because the weaker one becomes the bottleneck first.
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 47% below recommended and your GPU is 2113% below recommended, but both meet minimum specs. Playable at Low/Medium settings, 1080p or below.
-47%vsrecommended
+2113%vsrecommended
+2%vsminimum
+84%vsminimum
Yes, the Core i7-970 paired with the GeForce RTX 5090 can run The Sims 4 smoothly up to 1440p achieving around 108 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 2113% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 47% below the recommended requirements.
This CPU + GPU combo costs approximately $2,989 ($289 CPU + $2,700 GPU). Since the CPU is the main limiting factor, investing in a stronger processor will improve your framerates and overall value. For example, the Ryzen 9 9950X is a great upgrade option for around $649 (Rank #4 for value).
For The Sims 4, upgrading the CPU would usually improve performance first. In the Performance Limiter Analysis, the Core i7-970 is the side that most often caps the frame rate, while the GeForce RTX 5090 still has additional headroom in the tested presets. The main bottleneck appears on the CPU side. The largest gap shows up at 1080p Low, where the CPU reaches about 164 FPS while the GPU still has headroom up to roughly 455 FPS. Across all tested settings, the distribution is 0/12 GPU-limited, 12/12 CPU-limited, and 0/12 balanced.
The Sims 4 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.
The Sims 4 requires at minimum a Core i3-3220 (CPU) and GeForce 6600 (GPU) with 4 GB RAM and 25 GB storage. For the recommended experience, you need a Core i5-4460 and GeForce GTX 650 with 8 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 The Sims 4 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.
