Civilization VIFPS onRyzen 5 5500&GeForce RTX 4090

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.

Civilization VI - FPS Estimates by Resolution

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

1080P
low278 FPS
medium234 FPS
high218 FPS
ultra188 FPS
1440P
low138 FPS
medium116 FPS
high104 FPS
ultra96 FPS
4K
low100 FPS
medium80 FPS
high70 FPS
ultra61 FPS

Performance Report

Civilization VI

GeForce RTX 4090 + Ryzen 5 5500
🎮Visual Experience

At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 188 FPS, suitable for 144Hz+ monitors. At 1440p, all settings exceed 96 FPS. At 4K, all settings exceed 61 FPS.

Official Requirements

The GeForce RTX 4090 is 539% above the recommended GPU (GeForce GTX 770) for Civilization VI. The Ryzen 5 5500 is 225% above the recommended CPU (Core i5-4xxx).

AI Acceleration

Civilization VI supports: AFMF. This game does not have native DLSS 3 or FSR 3 Frame Generation support. AFMF is AMD-exclusive and not compatible with GeForce RTX 4090.

⚙️FPS Ceiling Analysis

The Ryzen 5 5500 sets the FPS ceiling at all 1080p settings, all 1440p settings, all 4k settings, while the GeForce RTX 4090 still has headroom.

💰Value Analysis

Approximated average price on current market:

GeForce RTX 4090:$1649(updated 2/6/2026)
Official Launch Price: $1599
Ryzen 5 5500:$85(updated 2/6/2026)
Official Launch Price: $159

Combo price: $1734. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 188 FPS, equivalent to 0.11 FPS per dollar.

ResolutionLowMediumHighUltra
1080p0.160 fps/$0.135 fps/$0.126 fps/$0.108 fps/$
1440p0.080 fps/$0.067 fps/$0.060 fps/$0.055 fps/$
4k0.058 fps/$0.046 fps/$0.040 fps/$0.035 fps/$

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

Performance Limiter Analysis

Ryzen 5 5500|GeForce RTX 4090

This section is based on estimated CPU/GPU FPS ceilings, not utilization percentages.

📈Analysis

At 4k medium, the Ryzen 5 5500 sets the ceiling at about 80 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 4090 could reach 168 FPS. In this scenario, the CPU limits the GPU potential by 52% (FPS gap: 88 FPS). Overall distribution: CPU limits 12/12 cells, GPU limits 0/12, balanced 0/12.

Verdict

CPU Limits GPU

Your Ryzen 5 5500 is the limiting side in the heaviest mismatch. This means part of the GeForce RTX 4090 rendering potential remains unused in those settings.

🧩Detailed Breakdown
1080p (Full HD)
LowCPU Limits GPU 16%
MediumCPU Limits GPU 18%
HighCPU Limits GPU 14%
UltraCPU Limits GPU 12%
1440p (2K QHD)
LowCPU Limits GPU 39%
MediumCPU Limits GPU 43%
HighCPU Limits GPU 41%
UltraCPU Limits GPU 37%
4K (Ultra HD)
LowCPU Limits GPU 48%
MediumCPU Limits GPU 52%
HighCPU Limits GPU 50%
UltraCPU Limits GPU 47%
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.

A component can still be the FPS limiter without reaching 100% utilization. The displayed percentages are derived from FPS ceilings, not generic utilization heuristics.

Civilization VI 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 - Ryzen 5 5500
cpu icon
19,311
Your Score
MinimumCore i3-2120
RecommendedCore i5-4xxx
GPU - GeForce RTX 4090
gpu icon
38,112
Your Score
MinimumGeForce GTS 450
RecommendedGeForce GTX 770

Your CPU is 225% above and your GPU is 539% above the recommended specs. Ultra settings at 1080p, or High at 1440p/4K.

CPU

+225%vsrecommended

GPU

+539%vsrecommended

CPU

+876%vsminimum

GPU

+2751%vsminimum

Minimum Requirements
Video Card: GeForce GTS 450
Processor: Core i3-2120
Memory: 4 GB
Disk Space: 12 GB
System: Windows 10 64-bit
Recommended Requirements
Video Card: GeForce GTX 770
Processor: Core i5-4xxx
Memory: 8 GB
Disk Space: 16 GB
System: Windows 10 64-bit

Frequently Asked Questions

1Can the Ryzen 5 5500 and GeForce RTX 4090 run Civilization VI well?

Yes, the Ryzen 5 5500 paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Civilization VI smoothly up to 4k achieving around 61 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 539% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 225% above the recommended requirements.

2Is there a more cost-effective setup to run Civilization VI?

This CPU + GPU combo costs approximately $1734 ($85 CPU (Rank #11 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).

3Which component should I upgrade first to improve Civilization VI performance?

For Civilization VI, upgrading the CPU would have the biggest impact on performance. The Ryzen 5 5500 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 high, 1080p low, 1080p medium, 1080p ultra, 1440p high, 1440p low, 1440p medium, 1440p ultra, 4k high, 4k low, 4k medium, 4k ultra.

4Does this setup support Frame Generation for Civilization VI?

Civilization VI currently only supports AFMF (AMD Fluid Motion Frames) for frame generation, which is an AMD-exclusive technology. Because you are using an NVIDIA GPU, you cannot use Frame Generation for this specific game.

5What are the minimum and recommended specs for Civilization VI?

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 Ryzen 5 5500 and GeForce RTX 4090 both exceed the recommended specs, so you're well-positioned for a great experience.

6How accurate are these Civilization VI FPS estimates for the Ryzen 5 5500 and GeForce RTX 4090?

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.