WarframeFPS onCore i9-12900E&GeForce RTX 4090

Warframe

Runs on the incredibly optimized Evolution Engine. It can be heavy in open-world areas and CPU-limited in horde modes with many enemies, but generally runs well on a wide range of hardware.

Warframe - FPS Estimates by Resolution

Actual FPS may vary based on RAM speed, background processes, and other system factors

1080P
low700 FPS
medium600 FPS
high465 FPS
ultra366 FPS
1440P
low387 FPS
medium319 FPS
high298 FPS
ultra244 FPS
4K
low204 FPS
medium176 FPS
high153 FPS
ultra111 FPS

Performance Report

Warframe

GeForce RTX 4090 + Core i9-12900E
🎮Visual Experience

At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 366 FPS, suitable for 144Hz+ monitors. At 1440p, all settings exceed 244 FPS. At 4K, all settings exceed 111 FPS.

Official Requirements

The GeForce RTX 4090 is 657% above the recommended GPU (GeForce GTX 1050) for Warframe. The Core i9-12900E is 264% above the recommended CPU (Core i5-4460).

AI Acceleration

Warframe supports: AFMF. This game does not have native DLSS 3 or FSR 3 Frame Generation support. AFMF is AMD-exclusive and not compatible with GeForce RTX 4090.

⚙️FPS Ceiling Analysis

The GeForce RTX 4090 sets the FPS ceiling at 4k (low/high), while the Core i9-12900E still has additional frame-generation headroom. The FPS ceiling is closely matched at all 1080p settings, all 1440p settings, 4k (medium/ultra).

💰Value Analysis

Approximated average price on current market:

GeForce RTX 4090:$1649(updated 2/6/2026)
Official Launch Price: $1599
Core i9-12900E:$500(updated 2/6/2026)
Official Launch Price: $500

Combo price: $2149. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 366 FPS, equivalent to 0.17 FPS per dollar.

ResolutionLowMediumHighUltra
1080p0.326 fps/$0.279 fps/$0.216 fps/$0.170 fps/$
1440p0.180 fps/$0.148 fps/$0.139 fps/$0.114 fps/$
4k0.095 fps/$0.082 fps/$0.071 fps/$0.052 fps/$

* Table values represent FPS per Dollar (higher is better)

Performance Limiter Analysis

Core i9-12900E|GeForce RTX 4090

This section is based on estimated CPU/GPU FPS ceilings, not utilization percentages.

📈Analysis

At 4k low, the GeForce RTX 4090 sets the ceiling at about 194 FPS, while the Core i9-12900E has headroom up to 213 FPS. In this scenario, the GPU limits the CPU potential by 9% (FPS gap: 19 FPS). Overall distribution: GPU limits 2/12 cells, CPU limits 0/12, balanced 10/12.

Verdict

Well Balanced

The Core i9-12900E 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.

🧩Detailed Breakdown
1080p (Full HD)
LowBalanced
MediumBalanced
HighBalanced
UltraBalanced
1440p (2K QHD)
LowBalanced
MediumBalanced
HighBalanced
UltraBalanced
4K (Ultra HD)
LowGPU Limits CPU 9%
MediumBalanced
HighGPU Limits CPU 6%
UltraBalanced
Percentages show how much potential FPS of the stronger component is lost because the other component has a lower FPS ceiling.
🧠Methodology

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.

Warframe Requirements Comparison

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.

CPU - Core i9-12900E
cpu icon
28,170
Your Score
MinimumCore i7-860
RecommendedCore i5-4460
GPU - GeForce RTX 4090
gpu icon
38,112
Your Score
MinimumGeForce GTX 650
RecommendedGeForce GTX 1050

Your CPU is 264% above and your GPU is 657% above the recommended specs. Ultra settings at 1080p, or High at 1440p/4K.

CPU

+264%vsrecommended

GPU

+657%vsrecommended

CPU

+836%vsminimum

GPU

+2070%vsminimum

Minimum Requirements
Video Card: GeForce GTX 650
Processor: Core i7-860
Memory: 4 GB
Disk Space: 50 GB
System: Windows 7 64-bit
Recommended Requirements
Video Card: GeForce GTX 1050
Processor: Core i5-4460
Memory: 8 GB
Disk Space: 50 GB (SSD)
System: Windows 10 64-bit

Frequently Asked Questions

1Can the Core i9-12900E and GeForce RTX 4090 run Warframe well?

Yes, the Core i9-12900E paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Warframe smoothly up to 4k achieving around 111 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 657% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 264% above the recommended requirements.

2Is there a more cost-effective setup to run Warframe?

This CPU + GPU combo costs approximately $2149 ($500 CPU (Rank #325 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.

3Which component should I upgrade first to improve Warframe performance?

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 Warframe performance right now. GPU fully utilized at: 4k high, 4k low.

4Does this setup support Frame Generation for Warframe?

Warframe currently only supports AFMF (AMD Fluid Motion Frames) for frame generation, which is an AMD-exclusive technology. Because you are using an NVIDIA GPU, you cannot use Frame Generation for this specific game. However, the game does support DLSS Upscaling and FSR Upscaling, which you should enable to render at a lower resolution and use AI to significantly boost your FPS without losing visual quality.

5What are the minimum and recommended specs for Warframe?

Warframe requires at minimum a Core i7-860 (CPU) and GeForce GTX 650 (GPU) with 4 GB RAM and 50 GB storage. For the recommended experience, you need a Core i5-4460 and GeForce GTX 1050 with 8 GB RAM. Your Core i9-12900E and GeForce RTX 4090 both exceed the recommended specs, so you're well-positioned for a great experience.

6How accurate are these Warframe FPS estimates for the Core i9-12900E and GeForce RTX 4090?

These Warframe 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.