Core i5-10400F + GeForce RTX 4070 Super bottleneck at 1440p
A big GPU upgrade dropped into an older platform. Worth it, or is the CPU wasting it?
CPU limited, barely
- Memory 16 GB
- Storage NVMe SSD no cost
- Video memory 12 GB
The short answer
At 1440p for gaming the GeForce RTX 4070 Super could push about 106 fps, but the Core i5-10400F runs out of room near 94 fps. You are leaving roughly 11.3% of the graphics card unused.
The same parts at other resolutions
| Resolution | Estimated FPS | Verdict | Unused |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1440p | 94 | CPU limited, barely | 11.3% |
| 1080p | 94 | The CPU is holding this build back | 31.9% |
| 4K | 64 | The graphics card is the bottleneck | 31.9% |
This table is the whole argument against treating a bottleneck percentage as a property of two parts. It is a property of two parts and a workload.
What to do
- Play at a higher resolution or higher settings. Moving from 1440p upward shifts work to the GeForce RTX 4070 Super and shrinks the gap.
- Turn off frame generation and upscaling if you are already CPU limited. Upscaling raises GPU frame rate, which does not help when the processor is the limit.
- Check your memory speed and that XMP or EXPO is enabled. On this class of processor that alone can be worth 5 to 15 percent.
- Only consider a CPU upgrade if the gap is large and the work you do is genuinely processor-bound. For gaming the Core i5-10400F would need to be the thing you watch pegged at 100%.
Specifications
| Processor | Intel Core i5-10400F |
| Cores / threads | 6 / 12 |
| Graphics card | GeForce RTX 4070 Super |
| Video memory | 12 GB |
| Assumed workload | Gaming |
| Assumed memory | 16 GB |
| Assumed storage | NVMe SSD |
Change the memory, drive and workload assumptions in the calculator, or see more pairings for the Core i5-10400F or the GeForce RTX 4070 Super.
Questions people ask about this pairing
Does the Core i5-10400F bottleneck the GeForce RTX 4070 Super?
At 1440p for gaming the GeForce RTX 4070 Super could push about 106 fps, but the Core i5-10400F runs out of room near 94 fps. You are leaving roughly 11.3% of the graphics card unused.
What frame rate should I expect at 1440p?
Around 94 FPS as a modelled average across recent AAA titles at high settings. Competitive shooters and older games will run considerably higher; heavy ray tracing will run lower.
Should I upgrade the CPU?
Only consider a CPU upgrade if the gap is large and the work you do is genuinely processor-bound. For gaming the Core i5-10400F would need to be the thing you watch pegged at 100%.
Does the answer change at other resolutions?
At 1080p the estimate is about 94 FPS and the verdict is "The CPU is holding this build back". At 4K the estimate is about 64 FPS and the verdict is "The graphics card is the bottleneck".