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.
Actual FPS may vary based on RAM speed, background processes, and other system factors
Performance Report
At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 120 FPS. At 1440p, all settings exceed 107 FPS. At 4K, all settings exceed 73 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 4090 is 131% above the recommended GPU (GeForce RTX 2060 Super) for Baldur's Gate 3. The Core i7-9700E is 29% below recommended, but 112% above minimum.
At lower resolutions (all 1080p settings), the Core i7-9700E sets the FPS ceiling. As graphical load increases at (1440p (low/medium/high), all 4k settings), the GeForce RTX 4090 becomes the FPS-limiting side. The FPS ceiling is closely matched at 1440p ultra.
Approximated average price on current market:
Combo price: $1829. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 120 FPS, equivalent to 0.07 FPS per dollar.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 0.093 fps/$ | 0.087 fps/$ | 0.076 fps/$ | 0.066 fps/$ |
| 1440p | 0.085 fps/$ | 0.079 fps/$ | 0.069 fps/$ | 0.059 fps/$ |
| 4k | 0.062 fps/$ | 0.057 fps/$ | 0.049 fps/$ | 0.040 fps/$ |
* Table values represent FPS per Dollar (higher is better)
This section is based on estimated CPU/GPU FPS ceilings, not utilization percentages.
At 1080p low, the Core i7-9700E sets the ceiling at about 175 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 4090 could reach 262 FPS. In this scenario, the CPU limits the GPU potential by 33% (FPS gap: 87 FPS). Overall distribution: CPU limits 4/12 cells, GPU limits 7/12, balanced 1/12.
Your Core i7-9700E 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 28% | CPU Limits GPU 27% | CPU Limits GPU 29% |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | GPU Limits CPU 7% | GPU Limits CPU 17% | GPU Limits CPU 16% | Balanced |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | GPU Limits CPU 16% | GPU Limits CPU 24% | GPU Limits CPU 26% | GPU Limits CPU 19% |
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) | CPU69% - 100% <> GPU38% - 85% <> | CPU65% - 100% <> GPU40% - 85% <> | CPU43% - 100% <> GPU41% - 91% <> | CPU45% - 100% <> GPU48% - 93% <> |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU68% - 100% <> GPU39% - 87% <> | CPU63% - 100% <> GPU42% - 87% <> | CPU41% - 100% <> GPU42% - 94% <> | CPU43% - 100% <> GPU49% - 93% <> |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU69% - 100% <> GPU46% - 89% <> | CPU64% - 100% <> GPU49% - 88% <> | CPU43% - 100% <> GPU50% - 95% <> | CPU46% - 100% <> GPU57% - 94% <> |
The Core i7-9700E + GeForce RTX 4090 pairing runs this title with CPU utilization between 41% and 100% and GPU utilization between 38% and 95%. Core i7-9700E stays in a controlled operating range, while GeForce RTX 4090 is utilized efficiently without persistent saturation. As resolution scales, average GPU load rises from 65% at 1080p to 71% at 4K, while CPU averages move from 78% to 78%.
The utilization pattern is relatively even. The GeForce RTX 4090 reaches 76% average at its highest-load preset, while the Core i7-9700E peaks at 84% 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 78% and GPU 65%. At 1440p, that shifts to CPU 77% and GPU 67%, and at 4K it reaches CPU 78% and GPU 71%. 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 73% (46-100%) and GPU 76% (57-94%), which keeps GeForce RTX 4090 well utilized without constant max-out behavior while Core i7-9700E remains stable for consistent frame delivery.
Current utilization does not show an urgent upgrade requirement for either component; the Core i7-9700E 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 29% below recommended and your GPU is 131% below recommended, but both meet minimum specs. Playable at Low/Medium settings, 1080p or below.
-29%vsrecommended
+131%vsrecommended
+112%vsminimum
+295%vsminimum
Yes, the Core i7-9700E paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Baldur's Gate 3 smoothly up to 4k achieving around 73 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 131% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 29% below the recommended requirements.
This CPU + GPU combo costs approximately $1829 ($180 CPU (Rank #281 Value) + $1649 GPU (Rank #77 Value)). Your GeForce RTX 4090 provides phenomenal top-tier performance but at a premium enthusiast price. Since you are essentially at the ceiling of current hardware capabilities, there are no meaningful performance upgrades available. However, if you wanted a more cost-effective build that still delivers a great experience, you could theoretically step down to a high-end card with a significantly better value rating.
Your GeForce RTX 4090 is already a top-tier graphics card. While it's technically the limiting factor here (which means you are fully utilizing your GPU's visual horsepower exactly as intended), there is no meaningful upgrade path that would drastically improve your Baldur's Gate 3 performance right now. GPU fully utilized at: 1440p low, 1440p medium, 1440p high, 4k low, 4k medium, 4k high, 4k ultra. CPU-limited at: 1080p low, 1080p medium, 1080p high, 1080p ultra.
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.
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 setup meets the minimum requirements but falls short of the recommended specs. You may need to lower some settings for smooth performance.
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.
