Core i5 13600K + GeForce RTX 5090: the index comparison

Short answer, by resolution — computed from the same index as our live calculator:

At 1080p, the GPU index is the larger of the two. The sensible CPU step is the Core i9 13900K (index 90), the weakest CPU closing at least half the index gap (~65% of it), and it fits your current LGA1700 socket. The full index match at 1080p — the weakest CPU whose gaming index meets this GPU's — is the Ryzen 7 9800X3D (index 100), on a different socket (AM5).

At 1440p, the GPU index is the larger of the two. The sensible CPU step is the Core i9 13900K (index 90), the weakest CPU closing at least half the index gap (~65% of it), and it fits your current LGA1700 socket. The full index match at 1440p — the weakest CPU whose gaming index meets this GPU's — is the Ryzen 7 9800X3D (index 100), on a different socket (AM5).

At 4K, the GPU index is the larger of the two. The sensible CPU step is the Core i9 13900K (index 90), the weakest CPU closing at least half the index gap (~65% of it), and it fits your current LGA1700 socket. The full index match at 4K — the weakest CPU whose gaming index meets this GPU's — is the Ryzen 7 9800X3D (index 100), on a different socket (AM5).

How to read the upgrade lines: the sensible step is chosen on performance only — price and value are not considered (we hold no price data).

The parts

Core i5 13600K — gaming index 71.4 (Ryzen 7 9800X3D = 100), LGA1700, peak boost power 181W. Data provenance: Our own spec-derived index. own index

GeForce RTX 5090 — performance index by resolution: 100 at 1080p, 100 at 1440p, 100 at 4K (fastest card = 100 at each). Board power 575W. Data provenance: Our own spec-derived index. own index

How the index gap shifts

The index relationship barely changes with resolution: the CPU index is 0.71× the GPU index at 1080p and 0.71× at 4K. Raising the resolution does not change which side of this pairing carries the larger index.

Nearest alternative pairings

• With the one-tier-down GPU instead — GeForce RTX 4090 — at 1080p gPU index is 1.04× the CPU index. Calculate it
• With the one-tier-up CPU instead — Core Ultra 5 225 — at 1080p gPU index is 1.39× the CPU index. Calculate it
• With the one-tier-down CPU instead — Core i7 12700K — at 1080p gPU index is 1.45× the CPU index. Calculate it

How this comparison is calculated

Both indices are ours, derived from manufacturer specifications only — no licensed benchmark tables. The CPU index scores gaming-relevant specifications on one scale; the GPU index does the same per resolution. We also built a bottleneck verdict model on top of these indices (a balance curve fitted to the pairings game publishers publish in their own system requirements) and ran it through a pre-registered validation in November 2026; it did not pass, so this site publishes the index comparison and not the verdict. The full method and the validation results are on the methodology page. Your real-world limit will vary by game, settings, driver and RAM.

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