CPU and GPU bottlenecks happen when the performance of one or both of these parts slows down the whole computer. This can occur if the CPU or GPU isn’t powerful enough to meet the system’s needs or if one part of the system is significantly faster than the other and must wait for it to catch up. These bottlenecks can be identified using our bottleneck calculator.
This is called a CPU bottleneck when the CPU can’t process data as quickly as the rest of the system, which stops the flow of information. This could be due to the CPU being old, having insufficient power compared to the rest of the system, or having too many tasks to handle concurrently. In this case, the bottleneck can be fixed by upgrading the CPU or cutting the amount of work the system needs.
On the other hand, a GPU bottleneck happens when the GPU can’t process graphical data fast enough to meet the system’s needs. This could be due to the GPU being old, not having enough power, or the system not being configured to take advantage of what the GPU is capable of. In this case, you can improve performance by upgrading the GPU or fine-tuning the system settings.
CPU GPU Bottleneck Calculator
How much is Bottleneck acceptable?
The bottleneck calculator assesses the degree to which a bottleneck exists in a computer system. A score of less than 7 indicates that the system does not significantly impact CPU and GPU performance and is therefore functioning efficiently.
Most Popular So Far?
The following are the most popular calculations performed with the TW Bottleneck Calculator. The following results are automatically updated every week.
| CPU | GPU | RESOLUTION | COUNT | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMD Ryzen 5 5600X | GeForce RTX 3060 Ti | 1920×1080 | 462 | Calculate |
| AMD Ryzen 5 5600X | GeForce RTX 3070 | 1920×1080 | 288 | Calculate |
| AMD Ryzen 5 3600 | GeForce RTX 3060 | 1920×1080 | 341 | Calculate |
| Intel Core i9-13900K | GeForce RTX 4090 | 3840×2160 | 240 | Calculate |
| Intel Core i7-13700K | GeForce RTX 4080 | 2560×1440 | 301 | Calculate |
| AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D | GeForce RTX 4080 | 2560×1440 | 193 | Calculate |
| AMD Ryzen 9 5900X | GeForce RTX 4080 | 2560×1440 | 235 | Calculate |
| AMD Ryzen 5 5600X | GeForce RTX 3060 | 1920×1080 | 286 | Calculate |
| Intel Core i5-13400 | GeForce RTX 3060 Ti | 1920×1080 | 230 | Calculate |
| AMD Ryzen 5 5600X | Radeon RX 6700 XT | 1920×1080 | 237 | Calculate |
| AMD Ryzen 7 5700X | GeForce RTX 3070 | 1920×1080 | 218 | Calculate |
How Much is too Much Bottleneck?
A score above 7% can significantly decrease the efficiency of a system, while a score above 20% generally causes an unnecessary bottleneck.
The main problem with having too many points is that it can cause the system to become overloaded and move much more slowly. As a result, tasks that should take seconds or minutes may take much longer than expected, resulting in decreased productivity and user frustration. Also, high scores may mean that the system needs more hardware to handle the extra load, which can be expensive and hard to manage.
Systems Recommendation without Bottleneck Problem
Avoiding performance bottlenecks in a PC build requires careful planning. When picking the parts, it’s important to ensure their skills and jobs are a good fit. These few PC builds do not have bottlenecks and work exceptionally well together.
1a. Premium Intel Gaming/Streaming Build – ($3231)
This high-end gaming and streaming setup includes cutting-edge hardware that handles complex tasks such as high-end gaming and high-quality video streaming. It’s a perfect build with the lowest bottleneck calculator score, but it comes at a premium cost.
- Intel Core i9-13900K 3 GHz 24-Core Processor | $625
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 A-RGB 48.8 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler | $140
- Gigabyte Z790 UD AC ATX LGA1700 Motherboard | $199
- G.Skill Ripjaws S5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory | $168
- Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive | $179
- Gigabyte GAMING OC GeForce RTX 3090 Ti 24 GB Video Card | $1499
- Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO ATX Mid Tower Case | $184
- FSP Group Hydro G Pro 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply | $158
- Lian Li UNI SL120 58.54 CFM 120 mm Fans 3-Pack | $79
1b. Premium AMD AM5 Gaming/Streaming Build – ($3385)
This high-end gaming and streaming setup is powered by the powerful AMD Ryzen 9 7950X processor, which has 16 cores and a clock speed of 4.5 GHz. It costs $3385 and is ideal for someone looking for greater performance.
- AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 4.5 GHz 16-Core Processor | $689
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 A-RGB 48.8 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler | $140
- ASRock X670E PG Lightning ATX AM5 Motherboard | $289
- G.Skill Ripjaws S5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory | $168
- Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive | $179
- Gigabyte GAMING OC GeForce RTX 3090 Ti 24 GB Video Card | $1499
- Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO ATX Mid Tower Case | $184
- FSP Group Hydro G Pro 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $158
- Lian Li UNI SL120 58.54 CFM 120 mm Fans 3-Pack | $79
2a. Normal AMD Gaming/Streaming Build ($1128)
The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X processor, a powerful 6-core CPU with a clock speed of 3.7 GHz, is the heart of this gaming and streaming setup. It’s a standard PC build that costs $1128 altogether.
- AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor | $157
- ARCTIC Freezer 34 eSports DUO CPU Cooler | $52
- Gigabyte B550 GAMING X V2 ATX AM4 Motherboard | $139
- Silicon Power GAMING 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory | $40
- Silicon Power A60 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive | $55
- XFX Speedster SWFT 319 Radeon RX 6800 16 GB Video Card | $479
- Lian Li LANCOOL 215 ATX Mid Tower Case | $121
- EVGA 650 GQ 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply | $85
2b. Normal Intel Gaming/Streaming Build ($1164)
The Intel Core i5-12400 processor, a powerful 6-core CPU with a clock speed of 2.5 GHz, is at the heart of this gaming and streaming setup. It costs 1164 USD in total.
- Intel Core i5-12400 2.5 GHz 6-Core Processor | $206
- ARCTIC Freezer 34 eSports DUO CPU Cooler | $52
- ASRock B660 Pro RS ATX LGA1700 Motherboard | $126
- Silicon Power GAMING 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory | $40
- Silicon Power A60 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive | $55
- XFX Speedster SWFT 319 Radeon RX 6800 16 GB Video Card | $479
- Lian Li LANCOOL 215 ATX Mid Tower Case | $121
- Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 PE 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply | $85
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