CPU and GPU bottlenecking can be a huge pain. Have you ever been excited to play a brand-new release only to realize it doesn’t perform as well as it should on your PC? “But I have an RTX 3080, it should be good“. What you don’t realize is that the 4-year-old 3600X is slowing your RTX 3080 right down to a standstill, this is what we call a bottleneck, and we’re going to explain everything you need to know about CPU and GPU bottlenecks.

Is there a difference between CPU and GPU bottlenecking? Of course, there is, that’s why there are different names. CPU and GPUs are susceptible to bottlenecking in different ways and under different loads, but it’s all fundamentally the same concept. We’re going to explain all you need to know using the years of experience we have here at WePC, we have both the tools and the knowledge to guide you through bottlenecks of the CPU and GPU variety.

We constantly keep this article up to date – meaning we have included all the latest tech in the industry. It’s important to keep this page up to date to give an accurate representation of the topic, as many CPUs and GPUs perform better but in different ways as the generations advance. The latest example of this is the 14900K from Intel performing worse than we’d expect a new-generation CPU too. So, without further delay, let’s get into ways to fix a GPU and CPU bottleneck.

How to fix a CPU or GPU Bottleneck

We’re going to run through some things that can help eliminate or alleviate bottlenecking issues. There are a wide range of fixes, but ultimately it might come down to you having to upgrade your hardware to fix the wider problem. However, there are some things you can do in games to lessen the bottleneck, we’ll get into that later. First, let’s address the CPU bottleneck.

How to fix a CPU bottleneck

To address a CPU bottleneck, several approaches can be considered to enhance overall system performance.

To address CPU bottlenecks and optimize overall system performance, consider the following strategies:

Upgrade the CPU: An essential step is upgrading your CPU to a more powerful and faster processor. CPUs with additional cores and higher clock speeds can handle computing tasks more efficiently, alleviating bottlenecks and ensuring smoother operation.
Manage Background Processes: Effectively managing background processes is crucial. Closing unnecessary programs running in the background can free up valuable CPU resources for primary tasks, preventing undue strain on the processor.
Optimize Software and Drivers: Optimizing software and keeping drivers up-to-date can have a significant impact on CPU utilization. Ensuring that your applications are running efficiently and are in their latest versions can help maximize your CPU’s potential.
Overclocking: For those seeking an extra performance boost, overclocking the CPU is an option, provided that your cooling system can handle the increased heat output. Overclocking increases the CPU’s clock speed, resulting in improved performance. However, it’s important to strike a balance to prevent overheating.
Multithreading: Utilizing applications that support multithreading is advantageous. Multithreading allows programs to break tasks into smaller parts that can be processed simultaneously by multiple CPU cores. This enhances parallel processing and contributes to reducing bottlenecks.

By applying these strategies, you can address CPU bottlenecks and enhance your system’s performance. These optimizations not only improve the CPU’s efficiency but also contribute to an overall smoother and more responsive computing experience.

Now, let’s delve into considerations regarding the GPU.

How to fix a GPU bottleneck

Fixing a GPU bottleneck involves various strategies to enhance graphics performance and ensure the GPU is not limiting the overall system.

Addressing GPU bottlenecks and optimizing your graphics performance can be achieved through the following strategies:

Upgrade Your GPU: Consider upgrading to a more powerful GPU with higher VRAM and better overall performance. This upgrade empowers your GPU to handle more demanding graphics tasks without hindering the performance of other components.
Adjust In-Game Graphics Settings: Lowering in-game graphics settings can be a highly effective solution. By reducing the visual complexity, you can lighten the GPU’s workload, allowing it to render frames faster and significantly enhancing overall performance.
Keep GPU Drivers Up to Date: Regularly updating your GPU drivers is essential. This practice optimizes performance and ensures compatibility with the latest software. New driver versions often incorporate performance enhancements and bug fixes that can alleviate bottlenecks.
Consider a Higher-Resolution Monitor: Opting for a higher-resolution monitor can be beneficial as it allows the GPU to fully utilize its capabilities. Higher resolutions demand more GPU power, and a more robust GPU can efficiently handle these increased demands, resulting in enhanced graphics performance.
Utilize Hardware Monitoring Tools: Employing hardware monitoring tools can assist in identifying GPU bottlenecks. By tracking the GPU’s usage and temperature during gaming or graphics-intensive tasks, you can pinpoint performance issues and make informed adjustments to settings.

By implementing these strategies, you can effectively address GPU bottlenecks and ensure a smoother, more responsive graphics experience. These optimizations not only improve your GPU’s efficiency but also contribute to an overall enhanced gaming and graphics performance. If you want the best GPU performance possible, it’s best to avoid a bottleneck at all costs.

What is a PC bottleneck? – bottlenecking explained

A PC bottleneck arises when one hardware component, such as CPU, GPU, or RAM, becomes the performance-limiting factor in the system. This leads to inefficiency in utilizing other components’ capabilities, hampering overall performance. For example, if you have a powerful graphics card but a weak CPU, the CPU may struggle to keep up with the GPU’s processing demands, leading to reduced frame rates and overall system responsiveness.

In simpler terms, a bottleneck is like a traffic jam on the road. Even if you have a super-fast car (GPU) and a smooth road (RAM), if there’s a bottleneck (slow CPU) in the system, the overall speed of the car will be limited by the slowest part of the road.

Identifying and addressing bottlenecks is essential for optimizing PC performance. Upgrading the bottlenecked component or balancing the system’s hardware can improve overall efficiency and make better use of the available resources.

Is your CPU causing a bottleneck?

A CPU bottleneck occurs when the CPU is not powerful enough to handle the current workload efficiently, leading to slower processing speeds and reduced performance. This can happen in various scenarios, such as when running demanding applications or games that heavily rely on CPU calculations. You might not have the best CPU for gaming, but you need to choose your other components wisely to not let your CPU devalue them.

When the CPU reaches its maximum capacity, it cannot keep up with the demands of other components like the GPU, causing it to be underutilized, which results in lower overall system performance.

Is your GPU causing a bottleneck?

A GPU bottleneck happens when the GPU is not powerful enough to handle the workload efficiently, leading to slower rendering speeds and reduced overall system performance. This can occur when running graphically demanding applications, such as modern AAA video games or complex 3D rendering tasks. If you don’t have the best GPU for gaming, you need to be careful with what you pair it with, as to not devalue your other components.

If the GPU reaches its maximum capacity, it cannot keep up with the demands of other components like the CPU, causing them to be underutilized. As a result, the system’s performance is limited by the GPU’s capabilities, leading to lower frame rates and slower graphics processing.

Bottlenecks, no matter the kind, are completely hardware-focused. With that being said, games do dictate what hardware is used in your PC based on their demands, so you’ll know pretty quickly if there’s a major bottleneck in your system. Not every game is created equal, and some will use more computing power than others, whether that be from the CPU or the GPU.

Below are examples of games that fall into 2 categories, CPU-dependent games, and GPU-dependant games.

CPU-dependent games are those that usually have high FPS with low-resolution graphics. Among these games include:

CS2
Minecraft
Civilisation V
Assassin’s Creed: Mirage

Games that show higher frame rates when paired with a high-end graphics card are GPU-dependent games. Here are some games that are notoriously dependent on GPU.

Cities: Skylines 2
The Witcher 3
Metro: Last Light
Borderlands 2
Dying Light

Overall, causes of CPU and GPU bottlenecks are not solely limited to the components themselves

This is why you need to choose a specific gaming setup carefully by basing it on games you would like to play, or the use case you intend on using it for. Starting with this configuration keeps you from needing to upgrade your components anytime soon – unless your interests drastically change.

Best CPU and GPU pairing to prevent bottlenecks

If you want a system that has no chance of being bottlenecked, then you need to try one of these CPU and GPU combinations:

CPU	GPU
Core i9-14900K	RTX 4090
Core i9-13900K	RTX 4080
Ryzen 9 7900X	RX 7900XT
Core i7-12700K	RTX 3070
Ryzen 5 5600X	RTX 3060 Ti

These pairs are sure not to cause you any issues with bottlenecking on either component’s part. Note that as you increase resolution, the GPU becomes under greater stress, so at higher resolutions, the lower-end GPUs will become a bottleneck.

FAQs

What is an acceptable CPU & GPU bottleneck?

While CPU and GPU bottleneck can be an issue, very low levels of bottlenecking are quite common – and that’s not much of an issue at all.

It’s hard to tell what your CPU and GPU usage should be simultaneously, so you can’t really use that as a good indication of bottleneck level. This is because not all games are created equally and there isn’t a game in the world that will use 100% of even an old mid-range CPU. You want to have a CPU or GPU bottleneck of less than 5% ideally. as close to 0% as possible.

You can find these numbers by using an online bottleneck calculator.

How do I calculate CPU & GPU bottleneck?

You can gauge CPU and GPU bottlenecks by using tools to check the usage of these two components. Benchmarking tools are great for this and help you understand how your PC performs in different scenarios. Check our how to benchmark your gaming PC page for more information.

Another method is to use an online bottleneck calculator to show you how two components will match up. This is also great for when you’re planning a new build and want to see if hardware will work well together.

Can other parts of the PC have a bottleneck?

Yes, it’s not just CPUs and GPUs that are susceptible to bottlenecking. If you have a very old motherboard on the PCIe gen 3 standard, you would be able to slow down your PCIe 4 GPU and achieve a motherboard bottleneck.

RAM can also bottleneck your PC, especially when using Ryzen Processors. CPUs need to store information in RAM when doing calculations, this interaction happens billions of times per second. The slower the RAM is, the longer the CPU has to wait to communicate with the RAM, causing a RAM bottleneck.

The same principle can be applied to storage too, if you load a game onto a slow hard drive and plug it into a high-end PC, you could probably cause a hard drive bottleneck, as loading and gameplay become sluggish due to the game being stored on a slow drive. You can achieve the same thing with inferior data cables also, limiting transfer speeds.

Conclusion

CPU and GPU bottlenecks can significantly impact PC performance, causing slowdowns and reduced frame rates. To overcome these issues and enjoy games as intended, it is essential to understand the concept of bottlenecks and how they occur. Choosing a suitable CPU and GPU combination can prevent bottlenecking and optimize system performance. Upgrading to more powerful hardware, managing background processes, optimizing software, and using multithreading applications can address CPU bottlenecks effectively.

Similarly, for GPU bottlenecks, upgrading to a more powerful GPU, adjusting in-game graphics settings, updating drivers, and using hardware monitoring tools can enhance graphics performance and eliminate bottlenecks. By carefully selecting and maintaining the right hardware, gamers can experience smoother gameplay and fully enjoy the potential of their PC, free from the limitations imposed by bottlenecks.

Nobody likes encountering bottlenecks, considering it is a literal waste of money. It’s important to do your research when considering the parts you want to use on your PC. That’s what we’re here for.