Bethesda's Creation Engine 2 is CPU-dependent, especially in cities, and requires an SSD for asset streaming. Optimization tends to favor AMD slightly, but generally requires powerful hardware to run smoothly.
Actual FPS may vary based on RAM speed, background processes, and other system factors
Performance Report
At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 76 FPS. At 1440p, all settings exceed 60 FPS. At 4K, frame rates range from 44 to 73 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 4090 is 52% above the recommended GPU (GeForce RTX 2080) for Starfield. The Core i7-9700K is 21% below recommended, but 4% above minimum.
The Core i7-9700K determines the performance ceiling at 1440p low, 4k low, while the GPU has headroom. The system is well balanced at all 1080p settings, 1440p (medium/high/ultra), 4k (medium/high/ultra).
Approximated average price on current market:
Combo price: $1849. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 76 FPS, equivalent to 0.04 FPS per dollar.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 0.072 fps/$ | 0.061 fps/$ | 0.050 fps/$ | 0.041 fps/$ |
| 1440p | 0.060 fps/$ | 0.051 fps/$ | 0.042 fps/$ | 0.032 fps/$ |
| 4k | 0.039 fps/$ | 0.036 fps/$ | 0.031 fps/$ | 0.024 fps/$ |
* Table values represent FPS per Dollar (higher is better)
At 4k low, the Core i7-9700K sets the ceiling at about 77 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 4090 could reach 89 FPS. In this scenario, the CPU limits the GPU potential by 13% (FPS gap: 12 FPS). Overall distribution: CPU limits 3/12 cells, GPU limits 0/12, balanced 9/12.
The Core i7-9700K and GeForce RTX 4090 stay close in effective frame-generation ceiling across most presets, so neither side consistently suppresses the other by a large margin.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (Full HD) | Balanced | Balanced | Balanced | Balanced |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU Limits GPU 12% | Balanced | Balanced | Balanced |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU Limits GPU 13% | CPU Limits GPU 10% | Balanced | Balanced |
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) | CPU51% - 90% <> GPU49% - 70% <> | CPU51% - 87% <> GPU82% - 96% <> | CPU50% - 87% <> GPU83% - 97% <> | CPU50% - 87% <> GPU87% - 99% <> |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU50% - 72% <> GPU71% - 78% <> | CPU50% - 71% <> GPU90% - 97% <> | CPU43% - 71% <> GPU93% - 99% <> | CPU41% - 65% <> GPU95% - 100% <> |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU45% - 73% <> GPU71% - 82% <> | CPU45% - 72% <> GPU96% - 98% <> | CPU36% - 72% <> GPU97% - 100% <> | CPU35% - 63% <> GPU98% - 100% <> |
The Core i7-9700K + GeForce RTX 4090 pairing runs this title with CPU utilization between 35% and 90% and GPU utilization between 49% and 100%. Core i7-9700K stays in a controlled operating range, while GeForce RTX 4090 becomes the primary limiter at high visual load. As resolution scales, average GPU load rises from 83% at 1080p to 93% at 4K, while CPU averages move from 69% to 55%.
This profile is GPU-bound. At 4K (Ultra HD) Ultra, the GeForce RTX 4090 averages 99% usage (98-100%), while the Core i7-9700K stays at 49% (35-63%), indicating the graphics pipeline is the limiting stage.
At 1080p, averages sit around CPU 69% and GPU 83%. At 1440p, that shifts to CPU 58% and GPU 91%, and at 4K it reaches CPU 55% and GPU 93%. This shows that workload scaling is present on both components, with stronger pressure on the GPU.
1080p (Full HD) Medium is the most balanced preset based on this dataset. It runs around CPU 69% (51-87%) and GPU 89% (82-96%), which keeps GeForce RTX 4090 well utilized without constant max-out behavior while Core i7-9700K remains stable for consistent frame delivery.
Current utilization does not show an urgent upgrade requirement for either component; the Core i7-9700K 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 21% below recommended and your GPU is 52% below recommended, but both meet minimum specs. Playable at Low/Medium settings, 1080p or below.
-21%vsrecommended
+52%vsrecommended
+4%vsminimum
+160%vsminimum
Yes, the Core i7-9700K paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Starfield smoothly up to 1440p achieving around 60 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 52% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 21% below the recommended requirements.
This CPU + GPU combo costs approximately $1849 ($200 CPU (Rank #274 Value) + $1649 GPU (Rank #77 Value)). 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 #5 for value).
For Starfield, upgrading the CPU would have the biggest impact on performance. The Core i7-9700K 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: 1440p low, 4k low.
Starfield 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.
Starfield requires at minimum a Core i7-6800K (CPU) and GeForce GTX 1070 Ti (GPU) with 16 GB RAM and 125 GB (SSD Obrigatório) storage. For the recommended experience, you need a Core i5-10600K and GeForce RTX 2080 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 Starfield 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.
