Identify whether the CPU or GPU limits performance at a given 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. Some bottleneck always exists, so the useful question is whether the limiting component is the one you intended to spend the most on.
GPU Bottleneck
Achievable frame rate = min(CPU ceiling, GPU ceiling scaled by resolution)
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.
Some bottleneck always exists, so the useful question is whether the limiting component is the one you intended to spend the most on.
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.