Bottleneck Calculator
A bottleneck is the gap between what your processor and your graphics card can each deliver. The slower part sets your framerate and the faster one waits. This calculator pairs any of 1,255 processors with any of 268 graphics cards, then reports which one limits you at every resolution.
Benchmark and framerate data last updated 26 July 2026.
What is a PC bottleneck?
A PC renders a frame in two stages. The processor works out what happens (physics, AI, draw calls), then hands the frame to the graphics card to draw. The two run in a pipeline, so whichever part finishes last sets your framerate. The other one waits.
That waiting is the bottleneck. A CPU bottleneck means the graphics card is idling because frames aren't being prepared fast enough. It is common at 1080p, in simulation and strategy games, and with high refresh-rate targets. A GPU bottleneck means the opposite, and it is the normal, healthy state for most gaming builds: it means you are getting everything your graphics card can give.
A bottleneck is not a fault. Every build has one. The question is only whether it sits where you want it.
How does this bottleneck calculator work?
Each part is scored on PassMark benchmark data (CPU Mark for processors, G3D Mark for graphics cards) from a database of 1,255 processors and 268 graphics cards. The two scores are compared at your chosen resolution, because resolution decides how the work is split: at 1080p the processor does proportionally more, and at 4K the graphics card does.
Two adjustments matter, and most calculators skip both. Gaming does not scale with core count the way a rendering benchmark does, so high-core-count workstation chips are damped rather than taken at face value. And 3D V-Cache is invisible to PassMark. A Ryzen 7 9800X3D has fewer cores and a lower single-thread score than a 9950X, yet it is the faster gaming chip. We measured that premium against a controlled 14-CPU benchmark set and apply it only to the Zen 4 and Zen 5 X3D parts that actually earn it.
Results also include per-game FPS estimates where we have measured data for that exact pairing. Where we don't, the page says so rather than showing a number we cannot stand behind.
One caveat worth more than the percentage itself: don't buy hardware because a calculator returned a big number. Every tool of this kind, ours included, is reading benchmark scores rather than measuring your machine. Check the resolution you actually play at before you check a price. A pairing that looks alarming at 1080p frequently reads fine at 1440p, and a monitor is cheaper than a processor.
What is a good bottleneck percentage?
Anything under 10% is well matched and needs no action. 10% to 20% is a mild imbalance you can usually settle with settings rather than money. Above 20%, one part is holding the other back often enough to plan an upgrade around.
| Bottleneck | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Under 10% | Well matched | Nothing. Spend the money elsewhere. |
| 10% to 20% | Mild imbalance | Change resolution or quality settings. |
| Over 20% | One part is holding you back | Plan an upgrade to the limiting component. |
Read the percentage together with the limiting part. A number on its own doesn't tell you what to do: a 25% GPU bottleneck at 4K is expected and fine, while the same figure at 1080p usually means the graphics card is the weak link.
How do you fix a bottleneck?
If the CPU is the limit: raise the resolution or turn up graphics-heavy settings. That shifts work onto the graphics card and costs nothing; you generally keep the same framerate at better image quality. Lowering settings will not help, because the processor is already the constraint.
If the GPU is the limit: lower the resolution, drop the heaviest settings (shadows, ray tracing, volumetrics), or enable upscaling. Each frees the graphics card directly.
Before buying anything: check the resolution you actually play at. A pairing that looks unbalanced at 1080p often reads fine at 1440p, and the cheapest fix is frequently a monitor decision rather than a hardware one.
Bottleneck calculator FAQ
What is a good bottleneck percentage?
Under 10% is well matched and needs no action. Between 10% and 20% is a mild imbalance you can usually settle with resolution or quality settings. Above 20% one component is holding the other back often enough to be worth planning an upgrade. Read the figure alongside which part is limiting.
Is a CPU or GPU bottleneck worse?
A GPU bottleneck is the healthy one. It means you are getting everything your graphics card can give, and it is the normal state for most gaming builds. A CPU bottleneck is the awkward one, because lowering graphics settings will not buy you frames when the processor is already the constraint.
Does a bottleneck damage your PC?
No. A bottleneck is not a fault and it causes no physical harm. One component simply finishes its share of each frame first and waits for the other. Every build ever made has a bottleneck somewhere. The only question is whether it sits where you want it.
Can you fix a bottleneck without buying new parts?
Often, yes. If the processor is the limit, raise the resolution or turn graphics settings up: that moves work onto the graphics card and usually costs no framerate. If the graphics card is the limit, lower the resolution, drop the heaviest settings, or turn on upscaling.
Are bottleneck calculators accurate?
They are estimates from benchmark scores, not measurements of your machine. Treat the number as a rough guide to balance rather than a prediction of framerate. Do not buy an expensive part because a calculator returned a high percentage: check the resolution you actually play at first.
Deciding between two parts?
The calculator pairs a processor with a graphics card. Our comparison pages do the other job: two parts of the same kind, head to head, with the other component held constant so the part is the only variable.