Built on a modified Source engine, Apex Legends retains the scalability of Titanfall 2. Fast movement demands high frame rates for fluidity. VRAM can be a bottleneck if the 'Texture Streaming Budget' is set too high. While it handles 8GB of RAM better than some competitors, 16GB is recommended. It is generally less CPU-intensive than Warzone, allowing older quad-core CPUs to remain viable.
This game has a built-in FPS cap of 300 FPS
Actual FPS may vary based on RAM speed, background processes, and other system factors
Performance Report
At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 272 FPS, suitable for 144Hz+ monitors. At 1440p, all settings exceed 276 FPS. At 4K, all settings exceed 144 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 4090 is 295% above the recommended GPU (GeForce GTX 970) for Apex Legends. The Core i9-11900KF is 171% above the recommended CPU (Core i5-3570K).
At lower resolutions (1080p high), the Core i9-11900KF determines the performance ceiling. As graphical load increases at (all 1440p settings, all 4k settings), the GeForce RTX 4090 takes over as the primary performance factor. The system is well balanced at 1080p (low/medium/ultra).
Approximated average price on current market:
Combo price: $1998. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 272 FPS, equivalent to 0.14 FPS per dollar.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 0.153 fps/$ | 0.145 fps/$ | 0.144 fps/$ | 0.136 fps/$ |
| 1440p | 0.146 fps/$ | 0.141 fps/$ | 0.141 fps/$ | 0.138 fps/$ |
| 4k | 0.102 fps/$ | 0.088 fps/$ | 0.080 fps/$ | 0.072 fps/$ |
* Table values represent FPS per Dollar (higher is better)
At 4k ultra, the GeForce RTX 4090 sets the ceiling at about 119 FPS, while the Core i9-11900KF has headroom up to 145 FPS. In this scenario, the GPU limits the CPU potential by 18% (FPS gap: 26 FPS). Overall distribution: GPU limits 8/12 cells, CPU limits 1/12, balanced 3/12.
Your GeForce RTX 4090 is the limiting side in the heaviest mismatch. This means part of the Core i9-11900KF frame-generation potential remains unused in those settings.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (Full HD) | Balanced | Balanced | CPU Limits GPU 7% | Balanced |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | GPU Limits CPU 14% | GPU Limits CPU 12% | GPU Limits CPU 13% | GPU Limits CPU 17% |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | GPU Limits CPU 16% | GPU Limits CPU 16% | GPU Limits CPU 14% | GPU Limits CPU 18% |
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) | CPU49% - 71% <> GPU72% - 85% <> | CPU48% - 70% <> GPU90% - 99% <> | CPU49% - 71% <> GPU90% - 98% <> | CPU32% - 57% <> GPU92% - 98% <> |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU48% - 68% <> GPU72% - 86% <> | CPU47% - 67% <> GPU94% - 99% <> | CPU48% - 68% <> GPU94% - 98% <> | CPU31% - 58% <> GPU94% - 98% <> |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU48% - 68% <> GPU72% - 86% <> | CPU47% - 67% <> GPU96% - 100% <> | CPU48% - 67% <> GPU96% - 99% <> | CPU31% - 57% <> GPU96% - 99% <> |
The Core i9-11900KF + GeForce RTX 4090 pairing runs this title with CPU utilization between 31% and 71% and GPU utilization between 72% and 100%. Core i9-11900KF 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 90% at 1080p to 93% at 4K, while CPU averages move from 56% to 54%.
This profile is GPU-bound. At 4K (Ultra HD) Medium, the GeForce RTX 4090 averages 98% usage (96-100%), while the Core i9-11900KF stays at 57% (47-67%), indicating the graphics pipeline is the limiting stage.
At 1080p, averages sit around CPU 56% and GPU 90%. At 1440p, that shifts to CPU 54% and GPU 92%, and at 4K it reaches CPU 54% and GPU 93%. This shows that workload scaling is limited, which can indicate engine-side constraints.
1080p (Full HD) Medium is the most balanced preset based on this dataset. It runs around CPU 59% (48-70%) and GPU 94% (90-99%), which keeps GeForce RTX 4090 well utilized without constant max-out behavior while Core i9-11900KF remains stable for consistent frame delivery.
Upgrade priority should be the GPU. The GeForce RTX 4090 reaches 98% average load at 4K (Ultra HD) Medium while the Core i9-11900KF still has headroom, so a faster graphics card would deliver the largest uplift.
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 171% above and your GPU is 295% above the recommended specs. Ultra settings at 1080p, or High at 1440p/4K.
+171%vsrecommended
+295%vsrecommended
+468%vsminimum
+3160%vsminimum
Yes, the Core i9-11900KF paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Apex Legends smoothly up to 4k achieving around 144 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 295% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 171% above the recommended requirements.
This CPU + GPU combo costs approximately $1998 ($349 CPU (Rank #279 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 Apex Legends performance right now. GPU fully utilized at: 1440p low, 1440p medium, 1440p high, 1440p ultra, 4k low, 4k medium, 4k high, 4k ultra. CPU-limited at: 1080p high.
Apex Legends 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.
Apex Legends requires at minimum a Core i3-6300 (CPU) and GeForce GT 640 (GPU) with 6 GB RAM and 56 GB storage. For the recommended experience, you need a Core i5-3570K and GeForce GTX 970 with 8 GB RAM. Your Core i9-11900KF and GeForce RTX 4090 both exceed the recommended specs, so you're well-positioned for a great experience.
These Apex Legends 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.
