Skip to content

CPU_VS_GPU / 2026-09-11

Intel Core i5-14400vsNVIDIA RTX 4080 SUPER

Complete bottleneck analysis at 1080p, 1440p, Ultrawide (UWQHD/SUWQHD), and 4K with estimated FPS for popular games.

VERDICT2560x1440 · 16GB DDR4/DDR5
BALANCED BUILD

7%

PERFECTLY BALANCED BUILD

Your CPU (Core i5-14400) and GPU (RTX 4080 SUPER) are an exceptionally balanced match for gaming at 2560x1440. No realistic component swap would meaningfully improve this build.

PROCESSOR90%
Intel Core i5-14400SETS THE LIMIT
holds 276 FPS on average
GRAPHICS79%
NVIDIA RTX 4080 SUPERHAS HEADROOM
holds 315 FPS on average

Load estimated by the model, not measured on your PC.

The processor leadsBalancedThe graphics card leads
  • PROCESSORIntel Core i5-14400
  • GRAPHICSNVIDIA RTX 4080 SUPER
  • MEMORY16GB DDR4/DDR5
  • RESOLUTION2560x1440
95FPSAAA GAMES

Average across the demanding titles at 2560x1440.

376FPSE-SPORTS

Average across the competitive titles, where the processor leads.

700WPOWER SUPPLY YOU NEED

What the build draws (535 W) plus headroom.

DEEP-DIVE ANALYSIS

GENERATED BY THE ENGINE

Are the Intel Core i5-14400 and the NVIDIA RTX 4080 SUPER a good match? To find out we modelled the pair from 1080p up to 4K, cross-referencing the model's gaming scores for the CPU (73/100) and the GPU (69/100), calibrated against measured benchmarks rather than synthetic scores, with the demand profile of each game.

Verdict: play this build at 4K

At 1080p the Core i5-14400 becomes the limiting part (~26% CPU bottleneck), whereas at 4K the RTX 4080 SUPER is the limiting part (~24% GPU bottleneck). We put the target at 4K: the highest of the usual 16:9 sizes where AAA titles still return 63 FPS, which is above 60. The table below breaks out all twelve resolutions on their own, ultrawide formats included.

Think of resolution as a dial that splits the weight between CPU and GPU. Drop to 1080p and you wring out the RTX 4080 SUPER while leaning harder on the Core i5-14400; push to 4K and the opposite happens. Synergy here swings between 76% and 74% depending on where you sit.

In esports titles like Valorant this pair flies — around 618 FPS at 1080p, plenty for a high-refresh monitor. At the other end, a demanding AAA like Alan Wake 2 drops to ~41 FPS at 4K, which is where the RTX 4080 SUPER's ceiling really shows. Overall, expect about 115 FPS average in AAA games at 1080p and around 63 FPS at 4K.

[CPU] Core i5-14400

The Core i5-14400 scores 73/100 on this model's gaming scale, with 10 cores and 16 threads. In this pairing its job is to serve frames fast enough to never leave the graphics card waiting.

[GPU] RTX 4080 SUPER

The RTX 4080 SUPER scores 69/100 on this model's gaming scale. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X set how far it can go on resolution and texture quality before video memory runs short. It draws every pixel, so its weight grows the higher you push the resolution.

A detail that's easy to overlook: Both parts come from nearby generations, which usually means a natural pairing with no platform surprises. You're combining an Intel platform with an NVIDIA GPU — a perfectly valid mix that imposes no penalty.

DO YOU NEED TO CHANGE ANYTHING?

At 1440p neither part appreciably holds the other back, so there is nothing you need to change. The Core i5-14400 and the RTX 4080 SUPER stand as they are; a 700W supply gives the build headroom.

PRICE OF EACH PART

Affiliate links — we earn a small commission at no cost to you. Full disclosure

SPECIFICATIONS

CATALOGUE DATA

[CPU] Intel Core i5-14400

  • Cores10C / 16T
  • Clock2.54.7 GHz
  • TDP65 W
  • SocketLGA1700
  • Single-thread3,855
  • Multi-thread26,044
  • L3 cache20 MB

[GPU] NVIDIA RTX 4080 SUPER

  • VRAM16 GB GDDR6X
  • Memory bus256-bit
  • TDP320 W
  • G3D Mark39,115
  • Memory bandwidth736.3 GB/s

BOTTLENECK BY RESOLUTION

SYNERGY · AVERAGE FPS
1920x1080CPU-LIMITED
Synergy74%AAA115E-SPORTS376

Your CPU (Core i5-14400) partially limits the RTX 4080 SUPER at 1920x1080. In CPU-heavy scenes you will lose frames. Consider a CPU upgrade or a higher target resolution.

2560x1440BALANCED
Synergy93%AAA95E-SPORTS376

Your CPU (Core i5-14400) and GPU (RTX 4080 SUPER) are an exceptionally balanced match for gaming at 2560x1440. No realistic component swap would meaningfully improve this build.

3440x1440 (Ultrawide 21:9)BALANCED
Synergy97%AAA82E-SPORTS376

Your CPU (Core i5-14400) and GPU (RTX 4080 SUPER) are an exceptionally balanced match for gaming at 3440x1440 (Ultrawide 21:9). No realistic component swap would meaningfully improve this build.

5120x1440 (Super Ultrawide 32:9)GPU-LIMITED
Synergy81%AAA67E-SPORTS370

Your GPU (RTX 4080 SUPER) is the limiting factor at 5120x1440 (Super Ultrawide 32:9). In graphically demanding titles you will see lower frame rates; a faster GPU would deliver a clear improvement.

3840x2160GPU-LIMITED
Synergy76%AAA63E-SPORTS366

Your GPU (RTX 4080 SUPER) is the limiting factor at 4K. In graphically demanding titles you will see lower frame rates; a faster GPU would deliver a clear improvement.

ESTIMATED FPS BY GAME

1920x1080
My monitor
E-SPORTSavg 507 FPS
Valorant
618FPS
Counter-Strike 2
390FPS
League of Legends
513FPS
COMPETITIVEavg 246 FPS
Fortnite (Perf Mode)
276FPS
Apex Legends
289FPS
Call of Duty: Warzone
172FPS
AAAavg 115 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077
168FPS
Alan Wake 2
99FPS
Hogwarts Legacy
116FPS
Red Dead Redemption 2
133FPS
Elden Ring
60FPS
The processor leadsThe graphics card leadsHigh settings · native resolution

SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS

POWER · VRAM & PCIe · RAM

POWER ESTIMATION

Combined TDP:385 W
Min. Recommended PSU:700 W

The Core i5-14400 (65W) and RTX 4080 SUPER (320W) add up to roughly 385W under load. Adding 150W for the rest of the system gives 535W, and with a 30% transient margin, 700W is the safe figure.

VIDEO MEMORY AND PCIe

Memory bus (VRAM):256-bit
Memory bandwidth:736.3 GB/s
PCIe link:Not recorded

The RTX 4080 SUPER's memory bus (256-bit) and bandwidth (736.3 GB/s) describe its own video memory, meaning how fast the card reads its 16 GB of GDDR6X, not the PCIe link to the processor. The PCIe link depends on the card, the processor and the motherboard slot together; our catalogue does not record PCIe generation or lane count, so the model does not estimate it. It matters most for cards with an eight-lane interface in older PCIe 3.0 boards: check the card's and the board's specifications.

SYSTEM MEMORY

This page assumes:16 GB · dual channel
Model target at 4K:16 GB

This page assumes 16 GB in dual channel. At 4K, the resolution recommended above, that meets the model's capacity target of 16 GB (enough for three in four of the games it covers), so more capacity would add little or nothing there. Memory speed and a second channel act on the processor's ceiling instead: they matter in the games the CPU limits, by an amount that depends on the game, and the calculator lets you enter your own kit.

HOW THIS PAGE IS CALCULATED

ENGINE v2026.08 · 2026-09-11

CALCULATED, NOT WRITTEN

Every figure and every sentence comes from the same deterministic engine, driven by the catalogue specifications. That is what makes it reproducible: with the same engine version (2026.08) and the same catalogue, the same pairing always gives the same result. When either changes, the version and date above change with it, and the changelog says why.

WHERE THE DATA COMES FROM

Specifications come from the official AMD, Intel and NVIDIA datasheets together with PassMark and TechPowerUp. The gaming indices are calibrated against frame rates published by review outlets (TechPowerUp, TechSpot / Hardware Unboxed, Tom's Hardware, Gamers Nexus, Digital Foundry) rather than synthetic scores. That data is compiled, not measured here: this site runs no test bench of its own.

STATED LIMITS

Figures estimate native raster performance at high/ultra quality, with no ray tracing, upscaling or frame generation. We do not yet publish an externally validated error margin — the accuracy page states exactly where that stands.

* Affiliate disclosure: the Amazon links exist to show pricing. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Recommendation order is decided by the engine and does not depend on commission.

TRY WITH YOUR OWN HARDWARE

Customize RAM, resolution, and discover upgrade recommendations.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

5
Does the Intel Core i5-14400 bottleneck the NVIDIA RTX 4080 SUPER?

At 1080p the Core i5-14400 becomes the limiting part (~26% CPU bottleneck), whereas at 4K the RTX 4080 SUPER is the limiting part (~24% GPU bottleneck). Overall, the GPU is the limit at high resolution, with 81% average efficiency across the 12 resolutions our model tests. The resolution we would target with this pair is 4K, where AAA games average 63 FPS.

How many FPS do the Core i5-14400 and RTX 4080 SUPER get at 1080p?

At 1080p this combination averages about 115 FPS in AAA games and around 376 FPS in esports titles. In Valorant we estimate up to 618 FPS.

Is this pairing good for 4K gaming?

Yes. At 4K this pairing averages about 63 FPS in AAA titles, at or above the 60 FPS we treat as smooth, with the RTX 4080 SUPER setting the limit.

What power supply do I need for the Core i5-14400 and RTX 4080 SUPER?

With an estimated combined draw of 385W across CPU and GPU, we recommend at least a 700W 80+ Gold supply (ideally ATX 3.0) to run with headroom.

Is the RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB of VRAM enough?

In the model, 16 GB covers all 11 games it tracks even at 4K with high textures, so video memory is not the constraint for this pairing.

RELATED COMPARISONS

6