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 211 FPS, suitable for 144Hz+ monitors. At 1440p, all settings exceed 157 FPS. At 4K, all settings exceed 100 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 4090 is 170% above the recommended GPU (GeForce RTX 2060) for Path of Exile 2. The Ryzen 5 9600X is 34% above the recommended CPU (Core i5-10500).
The Ryzen 5 9600X determines the performance ceiling at 1080p (low/medium/high), all 1440p settings, 4k (low/medium/high), while the GPU has headroom. The system is well balanced at 1080p ultra, 4k ultra.
Approximated average price on current market:
Combo price: $1827. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 211 FPS, equivalent to 0.12 FPS per dollar.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 0.175 fps/$ | 0.146 fps/$ | 0.116 fps/$ | 0.115 fps/$ |
| 1440p | 0.137 fps/$ | 0.109 fps/$ | 0.089 fps/$ | 0.086 fps/$ |
| 4k | 0.101 fps/$ | 0.082 fps/$ | 0.062 fps/$ | 0.055 fps/$ |
* Table values represent FPS per Dollar (higher is better)
At 1440p low, the Ryzen 5 9600X sets the ceiling at about 250 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 4090 could reach 293 FPS. In this scenario, the CPU limits the GPU potential by 15% (FPS gap: 43 FPS). Overall distribution: CPU limits 11/12 cells, GPU limits 0/12, balanced 1/12.
Your Ryzen 5 9600X 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 7% | CPU Limits GPU 7% | CPU Limits GPU 9% | CPU Limits GPU 6% |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU Limits GPU 15% | CPU Limits GPU 10% | CPU Limits GPU 12% | CPU Limits GPU 8% |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU Limits GPU 14% | CPU Limits GPU 10% | CPU Limits GPU 12% | Balanced |
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.
The displayed percentages are derived from FPS ceilings, not generic utilization heuristics.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (Full HD) | CPU56% - 69% <> GPU70% - 81% <> | CPU43% - 68% <> GPU94% - 99% <> | CPU43% - 68% <> GPU94% - 99% <> | CPU38% - 66% <> GPU95% - 100% <> |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU45% - 53% <> GPU71% - 82% <> | CPU33% - 52% <> GPU94% - 100% <> | CPU33% - 52% <> GPU94% - 100% <> | CPU29% - 53% <> GPU95% - 100% <> |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU35% - 36% <> GPU71% - 82% <> | CPU24% - 34% <> GPU94% - 100% <> | CPU24% - 34% <> GPU94% - 100% <> | CPU20% - 35% <> GPU95% - 100% <> |
The Ryzen 5 9600X + GeForce RTX 4090 pairing runs this title with CPU utilization between 20% and 69% and GPU utilization between 70% and 100%. Ryzen 5 9600X stays in a controlled operating range, while GeForce RTX 4090 becomes the primary limiter at high visual load. As resolution scales, average GPU load rises from 92% at 1080p to 92% at 4K, while CPU averages move from 57% to 31%.
This profile is GPU-bound. At 1080p (Full HD) Ultra, the GeForce RTX 4090 averages 98% usage (95-100%), while the Ryzen 5 9600X stays at 52% (38-66%), indicating the graphics pipeline is the limiting stage.
At 1080p, averages sit around CPU 57% and GPU 92%. At 1440p, that shifts to CPU 44% and GPU 92%, and at 4K it reaches CPU 31% and GPU 92%. 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 56% (43-68%) and GPU 96% (94-99%), which keeps GeForce RTX 4090 well utilized without constant max-out behavior while Ryzen 5 9600X remains stable for consistent frame delivery.
Upgrade priority should be the GPU. The GeForce RTX 4090 reaches 98% average load at 1080p (Full HD) Ultra while the Ryzen 5 9600X still has headroom, so a faster graphics card would deliver the largest uplift.
Understanding Hardware Utilization & Bottlenecks: These percentages represent how much of your component's maximum processing power is actively being used during gameplay. This is the key to identifying performance bottlenecks in any system.
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 34% above and your GPU is 170% above the recommended specs. High/Ultra at 1080p. Lower settings for higher resolutions.
+34%vsrecommended
+170%vsrecommended
+220%vsminimum
+380%vsminimum
Yes, the Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Path of Exile 2 smoothly up to 4k achieving around 100 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 170% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 34% above the recommended requirements.
This CPU + GPU combo costs approximately $1827 ($178 CPU (Rank #35 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 Path of Exile 2, upgrading the CPU would have the biggest impact on performance. The Ryzen 5 9600X 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, 1440p low, 1440p medium, 1440p high, 1440p ultra, 4k low, 4k medium, 4k high.
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 Ryzen 5 9600X 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.
