Core i5-13600K with RTX 4080 Super: Bottleneck & FPS

At 4K, a Core i5-13600K + RTX 4080 Super build averages about 78 FPS in AAA games at High settings, with 1% lows near 61 FPS: heavily GPU-limited. At 1080p the Core i5-13600K becomes the limit (21% CPU bottleneck at 1080p); from 1440p upward the RTX 4080 Super takes over and the CPU has capacity to spare. In esports titles such as CS2 or Valorant expect around 248 FPS, enough for a 144 Hz monitor, while CPU-heavy games like Microsoft Flight Simulator drop to about 78 FPS with a 17% CPU bottleneck. With ray tracing enabled, expect about 45 FPS at 4K, so turn on DLSS or FSR to get back above 60.

Processor

Intel Core i5-13600K

14 cores / 20 threads · LGA1700 · 2022

Graphics card

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Super

16 GB VRAM · Ray tracing ✓ · 2024

4K (3840×2160) · High · AAA games · Native · 32 GB · 165 Hz

Change settings

GPU-limited

Heavily GPU-limited at 4K

The RTX 4080 Super is the limiting part at 4K, which is the normal and preferred situation for gaming. The Core i5-13600K has headroom for about 146 FPS, so it can handle a faster GPU later.

CPU146 FPSBottleneck

GPU78 FPSBottleneck

Display165 Hz

Max frames each part can deliver. Frames pile up in front of the slower one.

Avg FPS78

1% low61

CPU load53%

GPU load99%

Bottleneck by resolution

Core i5-13600K + RTX 4080 Super at High settings in AAA games.

Resolution	Avg FPS	1% low	Bottleneck
1080p (1920×1080)	143	100	CPU 21%
1440p (2560×1440)	124	95	GPU 12%
UW 1440p (3440×1440)	106	83	GPU 27%
4K (3840×2160)	78	61	GPU 47%

FPS by game type

At 4K, High settings.

Game type	Avg FPS	Limited by
AAA / mixed games Cyberpunk 2077, Black Myth: Wukong, Elden Ring	78	GPU 47%
Competitive esports CS2, Valorant, Fortnite (Performance), League of Legends	248	GPU 34%
CPU-heavy (strategy, sims, MMO) MS Flight Simulator, Cities: Skylines II, WoW, Baldur's Gate 3 Act 3	78	CPU 17%
Ray tracing / path tracing Cyberpunk RT Overdrive, Alan Wake 2, Indiana Jones	45	GPU 64%

Recommendations

Specific to these parts at 4K.

Your 165 Hz monitor can show more frames than this build delivers. Variable refresh (G-Sync/FreeSync) will keep motion smooth.

GPU upgrades for this CPU

The Core i5-13600K can drive a faster card at 4K.

Step upRTX 5090≈118 FPS (+51%) · GPU 17%

Browse all 577 popular builds or open this build in the bottleneck calculator to try other settings.

Core i5-13600K + RTX 4080 Super: quick answers

Does the Core i5-13600K bottleneck the RTX 4080 Super?

1080p: 21% CPU-limited. 1440p: 12% GPU-limited. UW 1440p: 27% GPU-limited. 4K: 47% GPU-limited. At 4K the CPU keeps up, so this is a sensible pairing. A GPU-limited result is the normal, healthy state for gaming.

How many FPS does the Core i5-13600K with RTX 4080 Super get?

About 143 FPS at 1080p, 124 FPS at 1440p, 106 FPS at UW 1440p, 78 FPS at 4K in AAA games at High settings without upscaling. In esports games like CS2 and Valorant it reaches roughly 248 FPS at 4K.

What is the best upgrade for a Core i5-13600K + RTX 4080 Super build?

At 4K, the most effective upgrade is the RTX 5090. Use the calculator to check other resolutions and settings.