Civilization VI
The standard for turn-time benchmarks. Late-game turns require huge CPU throughput to process AI moves. High-resolution textures also demand a fair amount of VRAM.
Actual FPS may vary based on RAM speed, background processes, and other system factors
Performance Report
At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 92 FPS. At 1440p, frame rates range from 33 to 66 FPS. At 4K, frame rates range from 18 to 39 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 4090 is 539% above the recommended GPU (GeForce GTX 770) for Civilization VI. The Core i9-9980XE is 391% above the recommended CPU (Core i5-4xxx).
The Core i9-9980XE sets the FPS ceiling at all 1080p settings, all 1440p settings, all 4k settings, while the GeForce RTX 4090 still has headroom.
Approximated average price on current market:
Combo price: $2242. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 92 FPS, equivalent to 0.04 FPS per dollar.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 0.070 fps/$ | 0.062 fps/$ | 0.053 fps/$ | 0.041 fps/$ |
| 1440p | 0.029 fps/$ | 0.027 fps/$ | 0.021 fps/$ | 0.015 fps/$ |
| 4k | 0.017 fps/$ | 0.017 fps/$ | 0.012 fps/$ | 0.008 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 clearly the CPU.
The largest gap appears at 1080p Low, where the Core i9-9980XE reaches about 155 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 4090 still has headroom up to roughly 414 FPS.
That means the Core i9-9980XE is hitting its performance ceiling first, leaving a 63% gap versus the GeForce RTX 4090's available headroom in the most unbalanced scenario. Across all tested settings, this pairing is CPU-limited in 12 out of 12 cases, with 0 GPU-limited and 0 balanced results.
Overall, this is a clearly CPU-bound combination in this game.
The Core i9-9980XE is consistently the limiting part in this game, so upgrading the CPU is more likely to deliver a larger FPS gain than upgrading the GPU.
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 i9-9980XE with GeForce RTX 5090, our current GPU anchor. To estimate the GPU ceiling, we pair the GeForce RTX 4090 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 391% above and your GPU is 539% above the recommended specs. Ultra settings at 1080p, or High at 1440p/4K.
+391%vsrecommended
+539%vsrecommended
+1372%vsminimum
+2751%vsminimum
Yes, the Core i9-9980XE paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Civilization VI smoothly up to 1080p achieving around 92 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 539% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 391% above the recommended requirements.
This CPU + GPU combo costs approximately $2,242 ($593 CPU + $1,649 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 Civilization VI, upgrading the CPU would usually improve performance first. In the Performance Limiter Analysis, the Core i9-9980XE is the side that most often caps the frame rate, while the GeForce RTX 4090 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 155 FPS while the GPU still has headroom up to roughly 414 FPS. Across all tested settings, the distribution is 0/12 GPU-limited, 12/12 CPU-limited, and 0/12 balanced.
Civilization VI 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.
Civilization VI requires at minimum a Core i3-2120 (CPU) and GeForce GTS 450 (GPU) with 4 GB RAM and 12 GB storage. For the recommended experience, you need a Core i5-4xxx and GeForce GTX 770 with 8 GB RAM. Your Core i9-9980XE and GeForce RTX 4090 both exceed the recommended specs, so you're well-positioned for a great experience.
These Civilization VI 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.
