Path of Exile 2FPS onCore i9-14900KF&GeForce RTX 4090

Path of Exile 2

A massive evolution with physically based rendering and fluid animations. The high density of effects creates a heavy load on both CPU and GPU. It scales well up to 16 threads.

Path of Exile 2 - FPS Estimates by Resolution

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

1080P
low343 FPS
medium302 FPS
high253 FPS
ultra226 FPS
1440P
low281 FPS
medium236 FPS
high201 FPS
ultra178 FPS
4K
low221 FPS
medium195 FPS
high153 FPS
ultra128 FPS

Performance Report

Path of Exile 2

GeForce RTX 4090 + Core i9-14900KF
🎮Visual Experience

At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 226 FPS, suitable for 144Hz+ monitors. At 1440p, all settings exceed 178 FPS. At 4K, all settings exceed 128 FPS.

Official Requirements

The GeForce RTX 4090 is 170% above the recommended GPU (GeForce RTX 2060) for Path of Exile 2. The Core i9-14900KF is 160% above the recommended CPU (Core i5-10500).

⚙️Bottleneck Analysis

The GeForce RTX 4090 determines the performance ceiling at 4k (medium/high/ultra), executing at maximum capacity. The system is well balanced at all 1080p settings, all 1440p settings, 4k low.

💰Value Analysis

Approximated average price on current market:

GeForce RTX 4090:$1649(updated 2/6/2026)
Official Launch Price: $1599
Core i9-14900KF:$480(updated 3/9/2026)
Official Launch Price: $564

Combo price: $2129. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 226 FPS, equivalent to 0.11 FPS per dollar.

ResolutionLowMediumHighUltra
1080p0.161 fps/$0.142 fps/$0.119 fps/$0.106 fps/$
1440p0.132 fps/$0.111 fps/$0.094 fps/$0.084 fps/$
4k0.104 fps/$0.092 fps/$0.072 fps/$0.060 fps/$

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

Performance Limiter Analysis

Core i9-14900KF|GeForce RTX 4090
📈Analysis

At 4k medium, the GeForce RTX 4090 sets the ceiling at about 164 FPS, while the Core i9-14900KF has headroom up to 195 FPS. In this scenario, the GPU limits the CPU potential by 16% (FPS gap: 31 FPS). Overall distribution: GPU limits 3/12 cells, CPU limits 0/12, balanced 9/12.

Verdict

Well Balanced

The Core i9-14900KF 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)
LowBalanced
MediumGPU Limits CPU 16%
HighGPU Limits CPU 14%
UltraGPU Limits CPU 16%
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.

The displayed percentages are derived from FPS ceilings, not generic utilization heuristics.

📊Predicted Hardware Utilization for Core i9-14900KF and GeForce RTX 4090

1080p (Full HD)

Low
CPU55% - 67%
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GPU67% - 78%
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Medium
CPU43% - 66%
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GPU96% - 98%
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High
CPU43% - 66%
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GPU96% - 98%
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Ultra
CPU36% - 64%
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GPU95% - 99%
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1440p (2K QHD)

Low
CPU44% - 51%
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GPU68% - 79%
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Medium
CPU33% - 50%
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GPU96% - 99%
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High
CPU33% - 50%
<>
GPU96% - 99%
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Ultra
CPU27% - 51%
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GPU96% - 100%
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4K (Ultra HD)

Low
CPU33% - 35%
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GPU68% - 79%
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Medium
CPU24% - 32%
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GPU96% - 99%
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High
CPU24% - 32%
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GPU96% - 99%
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Ultra
CPU18% - 33%
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GPU96% - 100%
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Performance Summary

The Core i9-14900KF + GeForce RTX 4090 pairing runs this title with CPU utilization between 18% and 67% and GPU utilization between 67% and 100%. Core i9-14900KF 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 91% at 1080p to 92% at 4K, while CPU averages move from 55% to 29%.

Bottleneck Analysis

This profile is GPU-bound. At 1440p (2K QHD) Medium, the GeForce RTX 4090 averages 98% usage (96-99%), while the Core i9-14900KF stays at 42% (33-50%), indicating the graphics pipeline is the limiting stage.

Resolution Scaling

At 1080p, averages sit around CPU 55% and GPU 91%. At 1440p, that shifts to CPU 43% and GPU 92%, and at 4K it reaches CPU 29% and GPU 92%. This shows that workload scaling is present on both components, with stronger pressure on the GPU.

Optimal Settings Recommendation

1440p (2K QHD) Low is the most balanced preset based on this dataset. It runs around CPU 48% (44-51%) and GPU 74% (68-79%), which keeps GeForce RTX 4090 well utilized without constant max-out behavior while Core i9-14900KF remains stable for consistent frame delivery.

Upgrade Insight

Upgrade priority should be the GPU. The GeForce RTX 4090 reaches 98% average load at 1440p (2K QHD) Medium while the Core i9-14900KF 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.

  • The Ideal Scenario (GPU Bottleneck): You typically want to see High GPU Utilization (90%+) and moderate CPU usage. This indicates your system is successfully pushing out graphics as fast as it can, without being held back by the CPU.
  • CPU Bottleneck: If you see High CPU Utilization (85%+) paired with lower GPU utilization, the CPU is struggling to compute game logic and prepare frames fast enough. The GPU sits waiting, often resulting in stuttering, inconsistent frame times, and lower overall FPS.
  • Engine Limits or Capped FPS: If both CPU and GPU utilization are relatively low, it means the hardware is waiting on something else. This could be a game engine limitation, poorly optimized code, or an artificial framerate cap like VSync holding performance back.

Data generated by our Machine Learning engine trained on real-world benchmarks. Shows the approximate average utilization at each setting.

Path of Exile 2 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 i9-14900KF
cpu icon
58,333
Your Score
MinimumCore i7-7700
RecommendedCore i5-10500
GPU - GeForce RTX 4090
gpu icon
38,112
Your Score
MinimumGeForce GTX 960
RecommendedGeForce RTX 2060

Your CPU is 160% above and your GPU is 170% above the recommended specs. Ultra settings at 1080p, or High at 1440p/4K.

CPU

+160%vsrecommended

GPU

+170%vsrecommended

CPU

+521%vsminimum

GPU

+380%vsminimum

Minimum Requirements
Video Card: GeForce GTX 960
Processor: Core i7-7700
Memory: 8 GB
Disk Space: 100 GB
System: Windows 10
Recommended Requirements
Video Card: GeForce RTX 2060
Processor: Core i5-10500
Memory: 16 GB
Disk Space: 100 GB (SSD)
System: Windows 10

Frequently Asked Questions

1Can the Core i9-14900KF and GeForce RTX 4090 run Path of Exile 2 well?

Yes, the Core i9-14900KF paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Path of Exile 2 smoothly up to 4k achieving around 128 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 170% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 160% above the recommended requirements.

2Is there a more cost-effective setup to run Path of Exile 2?

This CPU + GPU combo costs approximately $2129 ($480 CPU (Rank #127 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 Path of Exile 2 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 Path of Exile 2 performance right now. GPU fully utilized at: 4k medium, 4k high, 4k ultra.

4Does this setup support Frame Generation for Path of Exile 2?

Path of Exile 2 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.

5What are the minimum and recommended specs for Path of Exile 2?

Path of Exile 2 requires at minimum a Core i7-7700 (CPU) and GeForce GTX 960 (GPU) with 8 GB RAM and 100 GB storage. For the recommended experience, you need a Core i5-10500 and GeForce RTX 2060 with 16 GB RAM. Your Core i9-14900KF and GeForce RTX 4090 both exceed the recommended specs, so you're well-positioned for a great experience.

6How accurate are these Path of Exile 2 FPS estimates for the Core i9-14900KF and GeForce RTX 4090?

These Path of Exile 2 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.