Ryzen 5 3600 + GeForce RTX 5080: the index comparison
Short answer, by resolution — computed from the same index as our live calculator:
| Resolution | CPU index | GPU index | Index ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 × 1080 — 1080p | 43.9 | 53.6 | GPU index is 1.22× the CPU index |
| 2560 × 1440 — 1440p | 43.9 | 53.4 | GPU index is 1.22× the CPU index |
| 3840 × 2160 — 4K | 43.9 | 53.1 | GPU index is 1.2× the CPU index |
At 1080p, the GPU index is the larger of the two. The full index match at 1080p — the weakest CPU whose gaming index meets this GPU's — is the Ryzen 5 5600 (index 54.1), on your current AM4 socket.
At 1440p, the GPU index is the larger of the two. The full index match at 1440p — the weakest CPU whose gaming index meets this GPU's — is the Ryzen 5 5600 (index 54.1), on your current AM4 socket.
At 4K, the GPU index is the larger of the two. The full index match at 4K — the weakest CPU whose gaming index meets this GPU's — is the Ryzen 5 5600 (index 54.1), on your current AM4 socket.
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
Ryzen 5 3600 — gaming index 43.9 (Ryzen 7 9800X3D = 100), AM4, peak boost power 88W. Data provenance: Our own spec-derived index. own index
GeForce RTX 5080 — performance index by resolution: 53.6 at 1080p, 53.4 at 1440p, 53.1 at 4K (fastest card = 100 at each). Board power 360W. 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 0.82× the GPU index at 1080p and 0.83× at 4K. Raising the resolution does not change which side of this pairing carries the larger index.
Nearest alternative pairings
- With the one-tier-up GPU instead — GeForce RTX 4090 — at 1080p gPU index is 1.69× the CPU index. Calculate it
- With the one-tier-down GPU instead — GeForce RTX 4080 Super — at 1080p gPU index is 1.09× the CPU index. Calculate it
- With the one-tier-up CPU instead — Core i5 11400F — at 1080p gPU index is 1.02× 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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