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 241 FPS, suitable for 144Hz+ monitors. At 1440p, all settings exceed 188 FPS. At 4K, all settings exceed 135 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 4090 is 170% above the recommended GPU (GeForce RTX 2060) for Path of Exile 2. The Xeon E-2436 is 3% below recommended, but 131% above minimum.
At lower resolutions (1440p low), the Xeon E-2436 sets the FPS ceiling. As graphical load increases at (1440p ultra, 4k (medium/high/ultra)), the GeForce RTX 4090 becomes the FPS-limiting side. The FPS ceiling is closely matched at all 1080p settings, 1440p (medium/high), 4k low.
This section is based on estimated CPU/GPU FPS ceilings, not utilization percentages.
At 4k ultra, the GeForce RTX 4090 sets the ceiling at about 107 FPS, while the Xeon E-2436 has headroom up to 135 FPS. In this scenario, the GPU limits the CPU potential by 21% (FPS gap: 28 FPS). Overall distribution: GPU limits 4/12 cells, CPU limits 1/12, balanced 7/12.
The Xeon E-2436 and GeForce RTX 4090 stay close in effective frame-generation ceiling across most presets, so neither side consistently suppresses the other by a large margin.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (Full HD) | Balanced | Balanced | Balanced | Balanced |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU Limits GPU 10% | Balanced | Balanced | GPU Limits CPU 10% |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | Balanced | GPU Limits CPU 17% | GPU Limits CPU 12% | GPU Limits CPU 21% |
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) | CPU55% - 67% <> GPU67% - 78% <> | CPU43% - 66% <> GPU96% - 98% <> | CPU43% - 66% <> GPU96% - 98% <> | CPU36% - 64% <> GPU95% - 99% <> |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU44% - 51% <> GPU68% - 79% <> | CPU33% - 50% <> GPU96% - 99% <> | CPU33% - 50% <> GPU96% - 99% <> | CPU27% - 51% <> GPU96% - 100% <> |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU33% - 35% <> GPU68% - 79% <> | CPU24% - 32% <> GPU96% - 99% <> | CPU24% - 32% <> GPU96% - 99% <> | CPU18% - 33% <> GPU96% - 100% <> |
The Xeon E-2436 + GeForce RTX 4090 pairing runs this title with CPU utilization between 18% and 67% and GPU utilization between 67% and 100%. Xeon E-2436 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 91% at 1080p to 92% at 4K, while CPU averages move from 55% to 29%.
From a utilization perspective, this is a GPU-heavy load profile. At 1440p (2K QHD) Medium, the GeForce RTX 4090 averages 98% usage (96-99%), while the Xeon E-2436 stays at 42% (33-50%). This shows the graphics pipeline is carrying most of the workload, but utilization alone does not define the FPS limiter.
At 1080p, averages sit around CPU 55% and GPU 91%. At 1440p, that shifts to CPU 43% and GPU 92%, and at 4K it reaches CPU 29% and GPU 92%. This shows that workload scaling is present on both components, with stronger pressure on the GPU.
1440p (2K QHD) Low is the most balanced preset based on this dataset. It runs around CPU 48% (44-51%) and GPU 74% (68-79%), which keeps GeForce RTX 4090 well utilized without constant max-out behavior while Xeon E-2436 remains stable for consistent frame delivery.
Upgrade priority should be the GPU. The GeForce RTX 4090 reaches 98% average load at 1440p (2K QHD) Medium while the Xeon E-2436 still has headroom, so a faster graphics card would deliver the largest uplift.
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 3% below recommended and your GPU is 170% below recommended, but both meet minimum specs. Playable at Low/Medium settings, 1080p or below.
-3%vsrecommended
+170%vsrecommended
+131%vsminimum
+380%vsminimum
Yes, the Xeon E-2436 paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Path of Exile 2 smoothly up to 4k achieving around 135 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 170% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 3% below 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.
Your GeForce RTX 4090 is already a top-tier graphics card. While it's technically the limiting factor here (which means you are fully utilizing your GPU's visual horsepower exactly as intended), there is no meaningful upgrade path that would drastically improve your Path of Exile 2 performance right now. GPU fully utilized at: 1440p ultra, 4k medium, 4k high, 4k ultra. CPU-limited at: 1440p low.
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 setup meets the minimum requirements but falls short of the recommended specs. You may need to lower some settings for smooth performance.
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.
