CPU_VS_GPU / 2026-09-11
Intel Core i7-8700KvsNVIDIA RTX 2080 Ti
Complete bottleneck analysis at 1080p, 1440p, Ultrawide (UWQHD/SUWQHD), and 4K with estimated FPS for popular games.
14%
ESTIMATED GPU BOTTLENECK
Your GPU (RTX 2080 Ti) is a slight limiting factor at 2560x1440, with limited real-world impact. Most titles will run smoothly.
Below 15% this is a normal imbalance: nothing needs changing to play well.
Load estimated by the model, not measured on your PC.
- PROCESSORIntel Core i7-8700K
- GRAPHICSNVIDIA RTX 2080 Ti
- MEMORY16GB DDR4/DDR5
- RESOLUTION2560x1440
Average across the demanding titles at 2560x1440.
Average across the competitive titles, where the processor leads.
What the build draws (495 W) plus headroom.
DEEP-DIVE ANALYSIS
GENERATED BY THE ENGINEAre the Intel Core i7-8700K and the NVIDIA RTX 2080 Ti 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 (54/100) and the GPU (31/100), calibrated against measured benchmarks rather than synthetic scores, with the demand profile of each game.
Bottom line: this pair carries 1080p
At 1080p the Core i7-8700K becomes the limiting part (~12% CPU bottleneck), whereas at 4K the RTX 2080 Ti is the limiting part (~49% GPU bottleneck). One number decides the purchase: 1080p is the most demanding of the standard 16:9 sizes that still sustains 69 FPS on average in AAA games, above the 60 FPS bar we treat as smooth. Step up a rung and the frame rate drops below that mark.
Think of resolution as a dial that splits the weight between CPU and GPU. Drop to 1080p and you wring out the RTX 2080 Ti while leaning harder on the Core i7-8700K; push to 4K and the opposite happens. Synergy here swings between 51% and 88% depending on where you sit.
Down to real numbers: In esports titles like Valorant this pair flies — around 365 FPS at 1080p, plenty for a high-refresh monitor. At the other end, a demanding AAA like Alan Wake 2 drops to ~15 FPS at 4K, which is where the RTX 2080 Ti's ceiling really shows. Overall, expect about 69 FPS average in AAA games at 1080p and around 30 FPS at 4K.
[CPU] Core i7-8700K
The Core i7-8700K scores 54/100 on this model's gaming scale, with 6 cores and 12 threads. In this pairing its job is to serve frames fast enough to never leave the graphics card waiting.
[GPU] RTX 2080 Ti
The RTX 2080 Ti (31/100 on the model's gaming scale) supplies the raster muscle of the build. Its 11 GB of GDDR6 set how far it can go on resolution and texture quality before video memory runs short.
Beyond the FPS: 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 the RTX 2080 Ti sets the frame rate, but only by 14%, which is inside the normal range. No card in our catalogue clears the bar we use for a recommendation: at least 25% more frames while the Core i7-8700K still keeps it fully fed. The closest, the NVIDIA RTX 5090, adds about 45% in this model. So there is no card we would tell you to buy for this pairing.
PRICE OF EACH PART
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SPECIFICATIONS
CATALOGUE DATA[CPU] Intel Core i7-8700K
- Cores6C / 12T
- Clock3.7 – 4.7 GHz
- TDP95 W
- SocketLGA1151
- Single-thread2,714
- Multi-thread13,561
- L3 cache12 MB
[GPU] NVIDIA RTX 2080 Ti
- VRAM11 GB GDDR6
- Memory bus352-bit
- TDP250 W
- G3D Mark21,884
- Memory bandwidth616 GB/s
BOTTLENECK BY RESOLUTION
SYNERGY · AVERAGE FPSYour CPU (Core i7-8700K) introduces a slight limitation at 1920x1080. Real-world impact is small and both components work well together.
Your GPU (RTX 2080 Ti) is a slight limiting factor at 2560x1440, with limited real-world impact. Most titles will run smoothly.
Your GPU (RTX 2080 Ti) is the limiting factor at 3440x1440 (Ultrawide 21:9). In graphically demanding titles you will see lower frame rates; a faster GPU would deliver a clear improvement.
Your GPU (RTX 2080 Ti) severely limits the system at 5120x1440 (Super Ultrawide 32:9), leaving the Core i7-8700K heavily underused. A faster GPU would improve performance dramatically.
Your GPU (RTX 2080 Ti) severely limits the system at 4K, leaving the Core i7-8700K heavily underused. A faster GPU would improve performance dramatically.
ESTIMATED FPS BY GAME
1920x1080SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS
POWER · VRAM & PCIe · RAMPOWER ESTIMATION
The Core i7-8700K (95W) and RTX 2080 Ti (250W) add up to roughly 345W under load. Adding 150W for the rest of the system gives 495W, and with a 30% transient margin, 650W is the safe figure.
VIDEO MEMORY AND PCIe
The RTX 2080 Ti's memory bus (352-bit) and bandwidth (616 GB/s) describe its own video memory, meaning how fast the card reads its 11 GB of GDDR6, 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 in dual channel. At 1080p, 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. The target stays at 16 GB even at 4K, so a larger kit is for heavy multitasking or mods, not for these games. 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 · 2026-09-11CALCULATED, 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
5Does the Intel Core i7-8700K bottleneck the NVIDIA RTX 2080 Ti?
At 1080p the Core i7-8700K becomes the limiting part (~12% CPU bottleneck), whereas at 4K the RTX 2080 Ti is the limiting part (~49% GPU bottleneck). Overall, the GPU is the limit at high resolution, with 64% average efficiency across the 12 resolutions our model tests. The resolution we would target with this pair is 1080p, where AAA games average 69 FPS.
How many FPS do the Core i7-8700K and RTX 2080 Ti get at 1080p?
At 1080p this combination averages about 69 FPS in AAA games and around 234 FPS in esports titles. In Valorant we estimate up to 365 FPS.
Is this pairing good for 4K gaming?
Playable rather than smooth: about 30 FPS on average in AAA titles at 4K, with the RTX 2080 Ti setting the limit. Upscaling (DLSS, FSR or XeSS) or lower settings are the usual way to reach 60 FPS.
What power supply do I need for the Core i7-8700K and RTX 2080 Ti?
With an estimated combined draw of 345W across CPU and GPU, we recommend at least a 650W 80+ Gold supply (ideally ATX 3.0) to run with headroom.
Is the RTX 2080 Ti's 11 GB of VRAM enough?
11 GB covers all 11 tracked games at 1440p in the model; at 4K, 4 of them would need more, which costs frames or texture quality in those titles.