A dense RPG where Act 3 becomes a CPU stress test due to the high number of NPCs. An SSD is vital for loading times. 16GB of RAM is recommended, and the game benefits greatly from upscaling tech like DLSS and FSR.
Actual FPS may vary based on RAM speed, background processes, and other system factors
Performance Report
At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 80 FPS. At 1440p, all settings exceed 63 FPS. At 4K, frame rates range from 36 to 72 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 4090 is 131% above the recommended GPU (GeForce RTX 2060 Super) for Baldur's Gate 3. The Ryzen 5 4500 is 9% below recommended, but 170% above minimum.
The Ryzen 5 4500 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: $1734. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 80 FPS, equivalent to 0.05 FPS per dollar.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 0.081 fps/$ | 0.072 fps/$ | 0.056 fps/$ | 0.046 fps/$ |
| 1440p | 0.070 fps/$ | 0.061 fps/$ | 0.047 fps/$ | 0.036 fps/$ |
| 4k | 0.042 fps/$ | 0.036 fps/$ | 0.029 fps/$ | 0.021 fps/$ |
* Table values represent FPS per Dollar (higher is better)
This section is based on estimated CPU/GPU FPS ceilings, not utilization percentages.
At 1080p ultra, the Ryzen 5 4500 sets the ceiling at about 80 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 4090 could reach 163 FPS. In this scenario, the CPU limits the GPU potential by 51% (FPS gap: 83 FPS). Overall distribution: CPU limits 12/12 cells, GPU limits 0/12, balanced 0/12.
Your Ryzen 5 4500 is the limiting side in the heaviest mismatch. This means part of the GeForce RTX 4090 rendering potential remains unused in those settings.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (Full HD) | CPU Limits GPU 47% | CPU Limits GPU 45% | CPU Limits GPU 47% | CPU Limits GPU 51% |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU Limits GPU 22% | CPU Limits GPU 17% | CPU Limits GPU 23% | CPU Limits GPU 37% |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU Limits GPU 24% | CPU Limits GPU 21% | CPU Limits GPU 20% | CPU Limits GPU 35% |
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.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (Full HD) | CPU68% - 100% <> GPU51% - 85% <> | CPU62% - 100% <> GPU57% - 85% <> | CPU40% - 100% <> GPU62% - 91% <> | CPU42% - 100% <> GPU80% - 93% <> |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU65% - 100% <> GPU57% - 88% <> | CPU59% - 100% <> GPU64% - 87% <> | CPU37% - 100% <> GPU69% - 94% <> | CPU40% - 97% <> GPU86% - 93% <> |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU68% - 100% <> GPU58% - 89% <> | CPU62% - 100% <> GPU63% - 88% <> | CPU41% - 100% <> GPU68% - 95% <> | CPU45% - 100% <> GPU84% - 94% <> |
The Ryzen 5 4500 + GeForce RTX 4090 pairing runs this title with CPU utilization between 37% and 100% and GPU utilization between 51% and 95%. Ryzen 5 4500 stays in a controlled operating range, while GeForce RTX 4090 carries most of the graphics load at heavier visual settings. As resolution scales, average GPU load rises from 75% at 1080p to 80% at 4K, while CPU averages move from 77% to 77%.
The utilization pattern is relatively even. The GeForce RTX 4090 reaches 90% average at its highest-load preset, while the Ryzen 5 4500 peaks at 84% average. This suggests a fairly controlled load distribution, but the actual FPS-limiting side should still be read from the limiter analysis above.
At 1080p, averages sit around CPU 77% and GPU 75%. At 1440p, that shifts to CPU 75% and GPU 80%, and at 4K it reaches CPU 77% and GPU 80%. This shows that workload scaling is limited, which can indicate engine-side constraints.
4K (Ultra HD) Ultra is the most balanced preset based on this dataset. It runs around CPU 72% (45-100%) and GPU 89% (84-94%), which keeps GeForce RTX 4090 well utilized without constant max-out behavior while Ryzen 5 4500 remains stable for consistent frame delivery.
Current utilization does not show an urgent upgrade requirement for either component; the Ryzen 5 4500 and GeForce RTX 4090 remain reasonably matched for this title.
Understanding Hardware Utilization: These percentages represent how much of your component's maximum processing power is actively being used during gameplay. They describe hardware load, but they do not directly tell you which component sets the FPS ceiling.
Important: a CPU or GPU can still be the FPS limiter without reaching 100% utilization. Two processors can both show 40% usage and still deliver very different frame rates, depending on per-core speed, cache, engine threading, driver overhead, and frame preparation efficiency.
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 9% below recommended and your GPU is 131% below recommended, but both meet minimum specs. Playable at Low/Medium settings, 1080p or below.
-9%vsrecommended
+131%vsrecommended
+170%vsminimum
+295%vsminimum
Yes, the Ryzen 5 4500 paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Baldur's Gate 3 smoothly up to 1440p achieving around 63 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 131% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 9% below the recommended requirements.
This CPU + GPU combo costs approximately $1734 ($85 CPU (Rank #22 Value) + $1649 GPU (Rank #77 Value)). Your build is already very cost-efficient, but if you want even more FPS, the next good option is upgrading the CPU. For example, the Ryzen 9 9950X is a great upgrade option for around $649 (Rank #5 for value).
For Baldur's Gate 3, upgrading the CPU would have the biggest impact on performance. The Ryzen 5 4500 is currently the limiting factor — the GeForce RTX 4090 has extra headroom that a faster processor could take advantage of. This is especially noticeable at 1080p where CPU performance matters more. CPU-limited at: 1080p low, 1080p medium, 1080p high, 1080p ultra, 1440p low, 1440p medium, 1440p high, 1440p ultra, 4k low, 4k medium, 4k high, 4k ultra.
Baldur's Gate 3 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.
Baldur's Gate 3 requires at minimum a Core i5-4690 (CPU) and GeForce GTX 970 (GPU) with 8 GB RAM and 150 GB (SSD) storage. For the recommended experience, you need a Core i7-8700K and GeForce RTX 2060 Super with 16 GB RAM. Your setup meets the minimum requirements but falls short of the recommended specs. You may need to lower some settings for smooth performance.
These Baldur's Gate 3 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.
