Stardew Valley
Extremely accessible and runs on almost anything. It is single-threaded with negligible GPU load. However, installing many mods can increase RAM usage to 2-4GB.
This game has a built-in FPS cap of 60 FPS
Actual FPS may vary based on RAM speed, background processes, and other system factors
Performance Report
At 1080p, frame rates range from 59 to 61 FPS depending on quality settings. At 1440p, frame rates range from 58 to 59 FPS. At 4K, frame rates range from 54 to 59 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 5090 is 1608% above the recommended GPU (GeForce GTX 460) for Stardew Valley. The Core i9-7940X is 93% above the recommended CPU (Core i3).
The Core i9-7940X sets the FPS ceiling at all 1080p settings, 1440p (low/medium/high), while the GeForce RTX 5090 still has headroom. The FPS ceiling is closely matched at 1440p ultra, all 4k settings.
Approximated average price on current market:
Combo price: $2975. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 59 FPS, equivalent to 0.02 FPS per dollar.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 0.021 fps/$ | 0.021 fps/$ | 0.020 fps/$ | 0.020 fps/$ |
| 1440p | 0.020 fps/$ | 0.020 fps/$ | 0.020 fps/$ | 0.019 fps/$ |
| 4k | 0.020 fps/$ | 0.020 fps/$ | 0.020 fps/$ | 0.018 fps/$ |
* Table values represent FPS per Dollar (higher is better)
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This chart answers a simple question: which upgrade is more likely to increase FPS first? In this case, the answer is more often the CPU.
The largest gap appears at 1080p Low, where the Core i9-7940X reaches about 61 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 5090 still has headroom up to roughly 102 FPS.
That means the Core i9-7940X is hitting its performance ceiling first, leaving a 40% gap versus the GeForce RTX 5090's available headroom in the most unbalanced scenario. Across all tested settings, this pairing is CPU-limited in 7 out of 12 cases, with 0 GPU-limited and 5 balanced results.
Overall, this is a CPU-leaning combination in this game.
The Core i9-7940X is more often the limiting part in this game, so a CPU upgrade is somewhat more likely to deliver the bigger FPS gain than a GPU upgrade.
This chart shows which upgrade is more likely to unlock more FPS in each tested setting. The lower line represents the part that reaches its limit first. When the CPU and GPU lines stay close together, the system is more balanced. When the gap widens, one component is more clearly holding the other back. Hover any setting to inspect it.
The lower line is the current limiter. The closer the two lines are, the more balanced the CPU and GPU are for this game.
Each line represents an estimated FPS ceiling for one component, rather than live usage alone.
To estimate the CPU ceiling, we pair the Core i9-7940X with GeForce RTX 5090, our current GPU anchor. To estimate the GPU ceiling, we pair the GeForce RTX 5090 with Ryzen 9 9950X3D, our current CPU anchor.
The lower line indicates the current limiter, since that component reaches its FPS ceiling first. In most scenarios, that is also the part most likely to deliver the bigger performance uplift if upgraded first.
The percentage shown represents the gap between the two ceilings. In practical terms, it shows how much of the stronger component's potential is left unused because the weaker one becomes the bottleneck first.
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 93% above and your GPU is 1608% above the recommended specs. Ultra settings at 1080p, or High at 1440p/4K.
+93%vsrecommended
+1608%vsrecommended
+1062%vsminimum
+26521%vsminimum
The Core i9-7940X and GeForce RTX 5090 will struggle to run Stardew Valley at smooth framerates. At 1080p Ultra, you can expect around 59 FPS which is classified as "playable". Consider lowering settings or upgrading your hardware.
This CPU + GPU combo costs approximately $2,975 ($275 CPU + $2,700 GPU). 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 #4 for value).
For Stardew Valley, upgrading the CPU would usually improve performance first. In the Performance Limiter Analysis, the Core i9-7940X is the side that most often caps the frame rate, while the GeForce RTX 5090 still has additional headroom in the tested presets. The main bottleneck appears on the CPU side. The largest gap shows up at 1080p Low, where the CPU reaches about 61 FPS while the GPU still has headroom up to roughly 102 FPS. Across all tested settings, the distribution is 0/12 GPU-limited, 7/12 CPU-limited, and 5/12 balanced.
Stardew Valley 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.
Stardew Valley requires at minimum a Core 2 Duo (CPU) and GeForce 7 series (GPU) with 2 GB RAM and 500 MB storage. For the recommended experience, you need a Core i3 and GeForce GTX 460 with 4 GB RAM. Your Core i9-7940X and GeForce RTX 5090 both exceed the recommended specs, so you're well-positioned for a great experience.
These Stardew Valley 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.
