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GPU Bottleneck Estimate Calculator

Work out gpu bottleneck estimate instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About GPU Bottleneck Estimate Calculator

The delivered frame rate is the lower of the two capabilities, and the bottleneck figure is the share of the faster component's headroom that goes unused. A ten percent bottleneck is normal and not worth spending on, while thirty percent or more means one component is holding the system back materially.

Formulas

Effective frame rate

fps = minimum of GPU capability and CPU capability

Bottleneck

bottleneck % = (faster - effective) / faster x 100

Worked example

With the default values below, GPU Bottleneck Estimate Calculator returns Capacity of the faster part left unused of 20.83%. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Frame rate the GPU could sustainminimum 1 fps
120 fps
Frame rate the CPU could sustainminimum 1 fps
95 fps

Results

Capacity of the faster part left unused
20.83%
Frame rate you will actually see
95.0 fps
Which component limits you
CPU is the limit
Frames per second lost to the bottleneck
25.0 fps

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Effective frame rate
  3. 3Bottleneck
  4. 4Capacity of the faster part left unused= 20.83
  5. 5Frame rate you will actually see= 95.0 fps
  6. 6Which component limits you= CPU is the limit
  7. 7Frames per second lost to the bottleneck= 25.0 fps

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 2 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 the GPU Bottleneck Estimate figure worked out?

fps = minimum of GPU capability and CPU capability. The delivered frame rate is the lower of the two capabilities, and the bottleneck figure is the share of the faster component's headroom that goes unused.

Why does this matter?

A ten percent bottleneck is normal and not worth spending on, while thirty percent or more means one component is holding the system back materially.

What do I need to enter?

Enter frame rate the gpu could sustain, frame rate the cpu could sustain. The defaults shown are a realistic worked example — swap in your own figures to get a result you can use.

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