The latest 5K ASUS IPS monitor might look appealing, but if your GPU can't even hit 60 FPS, what's the point?
NVIDIA's Flagship GPU Struggles to Maintain Smooth Performance at 5K, and That Too With DLSS Enabled
On paper, switching from 4K to 5K resolution doesn't seem that dramatic, but 5K brings nearly 77% more pixels to the screen (3840x2160 vs 5120x2880), which is a significant increase. Recently, ASUS launched the world's first 5K IPS gaming monitor, which also boasts a dual-mode configuration, offering 5K@180Hz and 2K@330Hz modes for those who would like to switch between immersive/vivid and competitive gaming. The monitor is quite a beast when it comes to the details, but it's perhaps too much for even the current flagship hardware.
ASUS's Tony just demonstrated how insanely difficult it can be for a GPU like GeForce RTX 5090 D to push the frame rates beyond 60 at 5K resolution. Tony shows that at 100% scaling, at 27-inch screen, it's almost impractical to use the monitor at 5K resolution since the elements are too small. So, you can already expect how much of a pixel density increase there is when compared to a 4K 27-inch display.
Nonetheless, after introducing the monitor's features, Tony shows a few gaming benchmarks on his rig, which comprised the fastest gaming processor and the fastest gaming GPU (Ryzen 9 9950X3D + RTX 5090 D). Remember that the RTX 5090 D is a slightly nerfed RTX 5090 (mostly in AI capabilities), and it's still on par with the latter in gaming performance due to identical specifications in most areas.
In Cyberpunk 2077, Tony turns on Ray Tracing to Ultra but with DLSS on Balanced preset. With these settings, the game could hardly reach 60 FPS and remains in the 40-50 FPS range most of the time, with 51 FPS as the average frame rate at the end of the test. However, switching to 4K resolution does a great job as the frame rates are now in the 70-80 FPS range (77 FPS average). The performance difference is nearly 50%, which should be expected.
In less intensive titles like Counter-Strike 2, the RTX 5090 D could deliver nearly 300 FPS at 5K resolution, which seems decent, but there are times when the game dips below 200 FPS. Nonetheless, competitive games are better at lower resolutions, and considering that you won't benefit from a 200-300 FPS range when the monitor is operating at just 180Hz, it makes no sense to play at 5K.
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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