Core i5-12400F + GeForce RTX 4060 bottleneck at 1080p
The classic budget build. Almost nobody who buys this pair needs to worry, and the numbers show why.
The graphics card is the bottleneck
- Memory 16 GB
- Storage NVMe SSD no cost
- Video memory 8 GB
The short answer
At 1080p for gaming the Core i5-12400F could feed about 132 fps, but the GeForce RTX 4060 tops out near 92 fps, so the card is the limiting part. That is the normal and preferable situation in a gaming PC.
The same parts at other resolutions
| Resolution | Estimated FPS | Verdict | Unused |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 92 | The graphics card is the bottleneck | 30.3% |
| 1440p | 66 | The graphics card is the bottleneck | 50% |
| 4K | 37 | The graphics card is the bottleneck | 72% |
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
- This is the normal state for a gaming PC. The graphics card should be the part working hardest.
- Lower shadow, reflection and ray tracing settings first. They cost the most frames for the least visual difference.
- Turn on DLSS, FSR or XeSS in quality mode. It raises frame rate specifically when the card is the limit.
- If you want a real jump, a faster graphics card is the upgrade that will actually show up. The Core i5-12400F has room to feed a quicker card.
Specifications
| Processor | Intel Core i5-12400F |
| Cores / threads | 6 / 12 |
| Graphics card | GeForce RTX 4060 |
| Video memory | 8 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 i5-12400F or the GeForce RTX 4060.
Questions people ask about this pairing
Does the Core i5-12400F bottleneck the GeForce RTX 4060?
At 1080p for gaming the Core i5-12400F could feed about 132 fps, but the GeForce RTX 4060 tops out near 92 fps, so the card is the limiting part. That is the normal and preferable situation in a gaming PC.
What frame rate should I expect at 1080p?
Around 92 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 graphics card?
If you want a real jump, a faster graphics card is the upgrade that will actually show up. The Core i5-12400F has room to feed a quicker card.
Does the answer change at other resolutions?
At 1440p the estimate is about 66 FPS and the verdict is "The graphics card is the bottleneck". At 4K the estimate is about 37 FPS and the verdict is "The graphics card is the bottleneck".