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.
Actual FPS may vary based on RAM speed, background processes, and other system factors
Performance Report
At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 98 FPS. At 1440p, all settings exceed 64 FPS. At 4K, frame rates range from 36 to 71 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 4090 is 170% above the recommended GPU (GeForce RTX 2060) for Path of Exile 2. The M2 Max is 20% above the recommended CPU (Core i5-10500).
The M2 Max sets the FPS ceiling at all 1080p settings, all 1440p settings, all 4k settings, while the GeForce RTX 4090 still has headroom.
This section is based on estimated CPU/GPU FPS ceilings, not utilization percentages.
At 4k medium, the M2 Max sets the ceiling at about 53 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 4090 could reach 166 FPS. In this scenario, the CPU limits the GPU potential by 68% (FPS gap: 113 FPS). Overall distribution: CPU limits 12/12 cells, GPU limits 0/12, balanced 0/12.
Your M2 Max 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 45% | CPU Limits GPU 49% | CPU Limits GPU 44% | CPU Limits GPU 56% |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU Limits GPU 59% | CPU Limits GPU 61% | CPU Limits GPU 57% | CPU Limits GPU 62% |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU Limits GPU 67% | CPU Limits GPU 68% | CPU Limits GPU 66% | CPU Limits GPU 66% |
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) | CPU67% - 74% <> GPU51% - 69% <> | CPU62% - 66% <> GPU79% - 89% <> | CPU62% - 66% <> GPU79% - 89% <> | CPU55% - 64% <> GPU79% - 90% <> |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU44% - 51% <> GPU51% - 69% <> | CPU33% - 50% <> GPU79% - 89% <> | CPU33% - 50% <> GPU79% - 89% <> | CPU28% - 51% <> GPU79% - 89% <> |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU33% - 35% <> GPU51% - 69% <> | CPU24% - 32% <> GPU79% - 89% <> | CPU24% - 32% <> GPU79% - 89% <> | CPU18% - 33% <> GPU79% - 89% <> |
The M2 Max + GeForce RTX 4090 pairing runs this title with CPU utilization between 18% and 74% and GPU utilization between 51% and 90%. M2 Max stays in a controlled operating range, while GeForce RTX 4090 is utilized efficiently without persistent saturation. As resolution scales, average GPU load rises from 78% at 1080p to 78% at 4K, while CPU averages move from 65% to 29%.
The utilization pattern is relatively even. The GeForce RTX 4090 reaches 84% average at its highest-load preset, while the M2 Max peaks at 70% 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 65% and GPU 78%. At 1440p, that shifts to CPU 43% and GPU 78%, and at 4K it reaches CPU 29% and GPU 78%. This shows that workload scaling is present on both components, with stronger pressure on the GPU.
1080p (Full HD) Medium is the most balanced preset based on this dataset. It runs around CPU 64% (62-66%) and GPU 84% (79-89%), which keeps GeForce RTX 4090 well utilized without constant max-out behavior while M2 Max remains stable for consistent frame delivery.
Current utilization does not show an urgent upgrade requirement for either component; the M2 Max 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 20% above and your GPU is 170% above the recommended specs. High/Ultra at 1080p. Lower settings for higher resolutions.
+20%vsrecommended
+170%vsrecommended
+186%vsminimum
+380%vsminimum
Yes, the M2 Max paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Path of Exile 2 smoothly up to 1440p achieving around 64 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 170% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 20% above the recommended requirements.
Price data is not currently available for this combination. In general, look for setups where the CPU and GPU are balanced — this ensures you're not overspending on one component that the other can't keep up with.
For Path of Exile 2, upgrading the CPU would have the biggest impact on performance. The M2 Max 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.
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.
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 M2 Max and GeForce RTX 4090 both exceed the recommended specs, so you're well-positioned for a great experience.
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.
