How Our Bottleneck Calculator Works

Component Performance Scoring

We start by assigning performance scores to your CPU and GPU based on aggregated benchmark data from trusted sources.

For CPUs, we measure:

• Single-thread performance (critical for game physics and AI)
• Multi-thread performance (important for open-world games and multitasking)
• Cache size and speed (affects how fast data reaches cores)
• Memory controller efficiency (impacts RAM speed utilization)
• Instruction per clock (IPC) improvements across generations

For GPUs, we measure:

• CUDA/Stream processor count and clock speeds
• VRAM capacity and bandwidth (crucial for high-res textures)
• Ray tracing performance (RT cores/Ray Accelerators)
• Tensor core performance for DLSS/FSR upscaling
• Architecture efficiency (RDNA 3, Ampere, Ada Lovelace)

Workload-Specific Analysis

Different games stress hardware differently. A strategy game like Civilization VI hammers the CPU with AI calculations, while Cyberpunk 2077 pushes the GPU with complex lighting and textures.

We analyze your selected game type and adjust our calculations based on real-world CPU vs GPU usage patterns:

Resolution Impact Calculation

Screen resolution dramatically shifts the bottleneck. The same PC can be CPU-limited at 1080p but GPU-limited at 4K.

Here's why: At 1080p, your GPU renders 2.1 million pixels. At 4K, that jumps to 8.3 million pixels—nearly 4x more work for the GPU. Meanwhile, the CPU still handles the same game logic regardless of resolution.

This is why a Ryzen 5 5600 might bottleneck an RTX 4090 at 1080p but pair perfectly at 4K—the higher resolution shifts the workload to the GPU.

Advanced Feature Adjustments

Modern gaming involves more than raw rasterization. Ray tracing and upscaling technologies change the performance equation.

Ray Tracing Impact:

• Reduces FPS by 20-40% depending on GPU generation
• Nvidia RTX cards handle RT better than AMD/Intel equivalents
• We adjust GPU scores based on RT core count and efficiency

DLSS/FSR Upscaling:

• Reduces GPU load by rendering at lower resolution then upscaling
• Quality mode: ~20% performance boost
• Balanced mode: ~30% performance boost
• Performance mode: ~45% performance boost
• We factor this into GPU utilization calculations

Overclocking Multipliers:

• CPU overclock: Typically 5-15% performance gain
• GPU overclock: Usually 8-12% FPS improvement
• We apply your specified multipliers to component scores

Bottleneck Percentage Calculation

This is where we determine which component is limiting your system and by how much.

The bottleneck percentage shows how much performance you're losing. A 15% CPU bottleneck means your GPU could deliver 15% more FPS if paired with a faster CPU.

FPS Prediction Model

We convert abstract scores into real-world FPS predictions using regression models trained on thousands of actual gaming benchmarks.

Our prediction process:

• We maintain a database of FPS measurements from professional reviews
• Each game has a baseline FPS profile for reference hardware
• We scale these baselines using your component scores
• We apply resolution, settings, and feature adjustments
• We validate predictions against new benchmarks monthly

For example, if an RTX 4070 averages 95 FPS in Cyberpunk at 1440p Ultra, and your GPU scores 15% higher, we predict ~109 FPS for your configuration.

Utilization Percentage Display

The utilization gauges show how hard each component will work in your selected scenario.

What the numbers mean:

• 98-100% utilization: Component is maxed out (likely the bottleneck)
• 85-97% utilization: Component is working hard but has slight headroom
• 70-84% utilization: Component is moderately utilized
• Below 70%: Component has significant unused capacity

In a balanced system, both CPU and GPU should sit in the 85-100% range. If one component is at 100% while the other is below 80%, you have a clear bottleneck.

Recommendation Engine

We don't just tell you there's a problem—we suggest specific solutions ranked by cost-effectiveness.

Our recommendation algorithm considers:

• Current bottleneck severity (mild, moderate, severe)
• Your target resolution and refresh rate
• Typical upgrade costs for better components
• Expected FPS gains from each upgrade path
• Platform compatibility (no suggesting DDR5 CPUs if you have DDR4 motherboard)

We rank upgrades by "FPS per dollar" to help you spend wisely. Sometimes a $250 CPU upgrade delivers better results than an $800 GPU upgrade.