GPU Bottleneck Calculator

Identify whether the CPU or GPU limits performance at a given resolution.

About GPU Bottleneck Calculator

Raising resolution increases GPU load without changing CPU load, which is why a CPU bottleneck at 1080p can become a GPU bottleneck at 4K on the same machine. Some bottleneck always exists, so the useful question is whether the limiting component is the one you intended to spend the most on.

Formula

GPU Bottleneck

Achievable frame rate = min(CPU ceiling, GPU ceiling scaled by resolution)

resolution factor: GPU load rises with pixel count while CPU load stays roughly flat
bottleneck severity: How much headroom the faster component has

Worked example

With the default values below, GPU Bottleneck Calculator returns Achievable Frame Rate of 86.4. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

CPU frame rate ceilingminimum 1 fps: 180 fps
GPU frame rate ceilingminimum 1 fps: 120 fps
Resolutionone of 1080p, 1440p, 4K: 1440p
Target frame rateminimum 1 fps: 144 fps

Results

Achievable Frame Rate: 86.4 fps
Limiting Component: GPU — lowering settings or resolution would raise frame rate
Bottleneck Severity: 52.00%
GPU Ceiling at That Resolution: 86.4 fps
Target Frame Rate Met: No

Step by step

1Values used
2GPU Bottleneck
3Achievable Frame Rate= 86.4 fps
4Limiting Component= GPU — lowering settings or resolution would raise frame rate
5Bottleneck Severity= 52.00
6GPU Ceiling at That Resolution= 86.4 fps
7Target Frame Rate Met= No

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is GPU Bottleneck calculated?

Achievable frame rate = min(CPU ceiling, GPU ceiling scaled by resolution) Raising resolution increases GPU load without changing CPU load, which is why a CPU bottleneck at 1080p can become a GPU bottleneck at 4K on the same machine.

Why does GPU Bottleneck matter?

Some bottleneck always exists, so the useful question is whether the limiting component is the one you intended to spend the most on.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 4 inputs: CPU frame rate ceiling, GPU frame rate ceiling, Resolution, Target frame rate. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.