Baldur's Gate 3 FPS on Xeon Max 9480 + GeForce RTX 5090

Baldur's Gate 3

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.

Baldur's Gate 3 - FPS Estimates by Resolution

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

1080P
low259 FPS
medium231 FPS
high183 FPS
ultra148 FPS
1440P
low157 FPS
medium141 FPS
high127 FPS
ultra97 FPS
4K
low109 FPS
medium101 FPS
high97 FPS
ultra80 FPS

Performance Report

Baldur's Gate 3

GeForce RTX 5090 + Xeon Max 9480
🎮Visual Experience

At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 148 FPS, suitable for 144Hz+ monitors. At 1440p, all settings exceed 97 FPS. At 4K, all settings exceed 80 FPS.

Official Requirements

The GeForce RTX 5090 is 136% above the recommended GPU (GeForce RTX 2060 Super) for Baldur's Gate 3. The Xeon Max 9480 is 369% above the recommended CPU (Core i7-8700K).

⚙️FPS Ceiling Analysis

The Xeon Max 9480 sets the FPS ceiling at 1080p (high/ultra), 1440p ultra, while the GeForce RTX 5090 still has headroom. The FPS ceiling is closely matched at 1080p (low/medium), 1440p (low/medium/high), all 4k settings.

💰Value Analysis

Approximated average price on current market:

GeForce RTX 5090:$2700
Official Launch Price: $1999
Xeon Max 9480:$12980
Official Launch Price: $12980

Combo price: $15680. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 148 FPS, equivalent to 0.01 FPS per dollar.

ResolutionLowMediumHighUltra
1080p0.017 fps/$0.015 fps/$0.012 fps/$0.009 fps/$
1440p0.010 fps/$0.009 fps/$0.008 fps/$0.006 fps/$
4k0.007 fps/$0.006 fps/$0.006 fps/$0.005 fps/$

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

Performance Limiter Analysis

Xeon Max 9480|GeForce RTX 5090

This section is based on estimated CPU/GPU FPS ceilings, not utilization percentages. Adjacent heavier settings are lightly stabilized to remove prediction jitter that would otherwise create impossible reversals.

📈Analysis

At 4k medium, the GeForce RTX 5090 sets the ceiling at about 116 FPS, while the Xeon Max 9480 has headroom up to 124 FPS. In this scenario, the GPU limits the CPU potential by 6% (FPS gap: 8 FPS). Overall distribution: GPU limits 1/12 cells, CPU limits 0/12, balanced 11/12. Confidence is low because both ceilings are very close in this cell.

Verdict

Well Balanced

The Xeon Max 9480 and GeForce RTX 5090 stay close in effective frame-generation ceiling across most presets, so neither side consistently suppresses the other by a large margin.

🧩Detailed Breakdown
1080p (Full HD)
LowBalanced
MediumBalanced
HighBalanced
UltraBalanced
1440p (2K QHD)
LowBalanced
MediumBalanced
HighBalanced
UltraBalanced
4K (Ultra HD)
LowBalanced
MediumGPU Limits CPU 6%
HighBalanced
UltraBalanced
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 and then monotonic-smoothed across heavier presets and resolutions, not generic utilization heuristics.

Baldur's Gate 3 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 - Xeon Max 9480
cpu icon
82,913
Your Score
MinimumCore i5-4690
RecommendedCore i7-8700K
GPU - GeForce RTX 5090
gpu icon
38,867
Your Score
MinimumGeForce GTX 970
RecommendedGeForce RTX 2060 Super

Your CPU is 369% above and your GPU is 136% above the recommended specs. Ultra settings at 1080p, or High at 1440p/4K.

CPU

+369%vsrecommended

GPU

+136%vsrecommended

CPU

+1297%vsminimum

GPU

+303%vsminimum

Minimum Requirements
Video Card: GeForce GTX 970
Processor: Core i5-4690
Memory: 8 GB
Disk Space: 150 GB (SSD)
System: Windows 10 64-bit
Recommended Requirements
Processor: Core i7-8700K
Memory: 16 GB
Disk Space: 150 GB (SSD)
System: Windows 10 64-bit

Frequently Asked Questions

1Can the Xeon Max 9480 and GeForce RTX 5090 run Baldur's Gate 3 well?

Yes, the Xeon Max 9480 paired with the GeForce RTX 5090 can run Baldur's Gate 3 smoothly up to 4k achieving around 80 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 136% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 369% above the recommended requirements.

2Is there a more cost-effective setup to run Baldur's Gate 3?

This CPU + GPU combo costs approximately $15680 ($12980 CPU + $2700 GPU). Your Xeon Max 9480 provides phenomenal top-tier performance but at a premium enthusiast price. Since you are essentially at the ceiling of current hardware capabilities, there are no meaningful performance upgrades available. However, if you wanted a more cost-effective build that still delivers a great experience, you could theoretically step down to a high-end processor with a significantly better value rating. For example, the EPYC 9554P is a great upgrade option for around $7104 (Rank #304 for value) while costing less than your current CPU.

3Which component should I upgrade first to improve Baldur's Gate 3 performance?

Your Xeon Max 9480 is already an incredibly powerful processor. While it's technically the first component to hit its limit (which is completely normal in state-of-the-art builds), there is no meaningful upgrade path that would drastically improve your Baldur's Gate 3 performance right now. CPU fully utilized at: 1080p high, 1080p ultra, 1440p ultra.

4Does this setup support Frame Generation for Baldur's Gate 3?

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.

5What are the minimum and recommended specs for Baldur's Gate 3?

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 Xeon Max 9480 and GeForce RTX 5090 both exceed the recommended specs, so you're well-positioned for a great experience.

6How accurate are these Baldur's Gate 3 FPS estimates for the Xeon Max 9480 and GeForce RTX 5090?

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.