FPS at different resolutions calculator
Wondering how much frame rate you lose moving from 1080p to 1440p, ultrawide or 4K? Pick a game and your parts and see estimated FPS across ten resolutions side by side.
How frame rate changes with resolution
Resolution is the biggest single dial you control for performance. Going from 1080p to 1440p adds about 78 percent more pixels, and 4K quadruples them. But frame rate does not drop in step with pixel count, because some of the cost of a frame does not depend on resolution: game logic, geometry and many shadow and lighting passes. In practice, quadrupling the pixels costs a little under three times the frame time on a graphics-limited game.
This calculator applies that pattern across ten resolutions, including ultrawide and super ultrawide screens, which add pixels in width only. It starts from the same performance model used by our other tools, so the 1080p, 1440p and 4K rows match the can my PC run it checker.
Pixel counts by resolution
More pixels mean more work, but frame cost rises more slowly than pixel count. These are the pixel counts behind the table.
| Resolution | Megapixels | Pixels vs 1080p |
|---|---|---|
| 1280 x 720 | 0.92 | 0.44x |
| 1920 x 1080 | 2.07 | 1.00x |
| 2560 x 1440 | 3.69 | 1.78x |
| 3440 x 1440 | 4.95 | 2.39x |
| 3840 x 2160 | 8.29 | 4.00x |
| 7680 x 4320 | 33.18 | 16.00x |
Using the table to choose a monitor
If you are deciding between monitors, find the highest resolution in the table where your chosen game still holds the frame rate you want. A green cell means 60 FPS or more. If you want a high-refresh monitor, compare the figures against your target: 144 FPS at 1440p needs a much stronger card than 60 FPS at 4K. The limit column tells you what holds you back; when it reads CPU, a higher resolution costs you almost nothing, while a GPU limit means each step up is expensive.
Turn on the upscaling option to see how Quality mode shifts every row. At 4K it is often the difference between unplayable and smooth, which is why most players treat upscaling as part of the setup rather than an optional extra.
What the estimate does and does not include
The estimate assumes the game runs at the quality preset you choose with no ray tracing, and that the graphics card is the limit unless the processor cap is lower. VRAM need grows with resolution but more slowly than pixel count, because textures do not change size; the table flags resolutions where your card runs short, which cuts frame rate sharply.
It does not model frame generation, which can raise the displayed frame rate further, or ray tracing, which makes high resolutions much more demanding. Use the DLSS and frame generation estimator and the ray tracing cost estimator to see those effects.
How to use the fPS at different resolutions
- Search for your game or tap its name in the list.
- Choose your graphics card and processor.
- Pick a quality preset and decide whether to use upscaling.
- Read down the table to find the highest resolution that holds your target frame rate.
- Check the limit column to see whether the CPU, GPU or VRAM holds you back.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming frame rate falls in step with pixel count. It falls more slowly.
- Ignoring the VRAM column at 4K and above.
- Forgetting that ultrawide screens add pixels too.
Related tools and guides
Keep going with these: Can my PC run it?, monitor and GPU matcher, DLSS and frame generation estimator, monitor PPI calculator, DLSS render resolutions guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much FPS do I lose going from 1080p to 1440p?
In graphics-limited games the frame rate typically falls by about a third. In our model 1440p costs about 1.55 times the frame time of 1080p. Games limited by the processor lose much less, because the extra pixels are not the bottleneck.
How much more demanding is 4K than 1440p?
About 1.75 times the frame time in our model, or roughly 40 percent fewer frames in a graphics-limited game. Against 1080p, 4K costs about 2.7 times as much. Upscaling closes much of that gap by rendering fewer pixels internally, which is why many players use it at 4K.
Is ultrawide harder to run than normal widescreen?
Yes, in proportion to the extra pixels. A 3440 by 1440 screen has about a third more pixels than 2560 by 1440, so expect a frame rate drop of roughly 15 to 20 percent in a graphics-limited game. Super ultrawide screens cost more again.
Why does the table show a CPU limit at low resolutions?
At low resolutions the graphics card finishes frames quickly, so the processor becomes the slower part. Raising the resolution gives the GPU more work and moves the limit back to it. Frame rate then stays flat across the lower resolutions, which is a clear sign of a processor limit.
Does the estimate include ray tracing or frame generation?
No. It models rasterised rendering with an optional upscaling mode. Ray tracing makes high resolutions much heavier, and frame generation raises displayed frames. Use the ray tracing cost estimator and the DLSS and frame generation estimator on this site to model those cases properly.
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