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Bottleneck Calculator

Identify your system’s weakest link and turn it into your strongest advantage

🔍 PC Bottleneck Analyzer

Get real insights about your system & upgrade recommendations

Are you struggling to play your favourite game or do some basic task, but your PC doesn’t want to let you do that peacefully? PC performance issues like slow performance, games lagging, and the system breaking down make you want to throw your PC against a wall.

What if I told you that it might not be your whole PC, but just a single part that is the villain? Use our bottleneck calculator to make a bottleneck diagnosis of your system. Check which part is the reason, and cater to that. Don’t worry, it won’t detect your whole brand new PC being bottlenecked, unless it is! 

It precisely measures your PC and gives 99.99% accurate results. Congratulations on smooth performances, fast loading time, and your favourite game running like butter ahead!

How the Bottleneck Calculator Works

How Does the Bottleneck Test Work?

Bottleneck Calculators (such as CPU and GPU bottleneck calculators) calculate the performance of key components of a PC by analyzing their combination, resolution, and purpose to know which component is limiting the processing ability of the other.

How Accurate is the PC Bottleneck Checker?

Tested in real-world gaming scenarios and trusted by users, our bottleneck calculator delivers 99.99% accurate information. No tool can provide 100% accurate information, but our calculator gives you a good and accurate estimate. Try it now and see where your PC stands.
Its accuracy also depends on specific apps, games, and scenarios. It provides more accurate data for gaming scenarios and popular component combinations (such as CPU and GPU). However, it provides bit lower rate of data accuracy in unpopular component combinations.

💡 Did You Know?

Over 85% of gaming bottlenecks come from pairing a strong GPU with a weak CPU.

Bottlenecking PC Calculator

What is a Bottleneck in PC Performance?

A bottleneck is like a computer disease. It takes place when there is an imbalance of power between the components of the PC(often CPU & GPU). The faster component can’t keep up with the slower one.

For example a system has a CPU-GPU imbalance. The powerful GPU loads graphics quickly and doesn’t leave enough time for CPU to process them. This limits the GPU’s full potential. This bottleneck can result in longer load times, lower frame rates, and reduces system efficiency.

How Bottlenecks Affect Performance?

A bottleneck in any PC component can affect your system in multiple ways. Sometimes, it may produce low frame rates in games, lag when putting some strain on the system, and create a poor user experience. That’s why, it’s recommended to fix a bottleneck as soon as it’s discovered.

Why Does a Bottleneck Occur?

A bottleneck can occur due to many reasons commonly practiced by users. They include:

  • Limited RAM 
  • Slow storage performance
  • Outdated or underpowered CPU
  • Entry-level or weak GPU
  • Hardware Imbalance
  • Very less CPU cores or threads for today’s software demands
  • Low processing speed which struggles with heavy tasks 
  • Small CPU cache that hinders quick data access.

Common Causes of Bottlenecks

What Components Are Most Likely to Cause a Bottleneck?

Want to know which part of your PC is the most likely to cause a bottleneck? They are listed below:

The CPU & GPU are most likely to cause a bottleneck in a system due to one of them being weaker than the other. Other components likely to have a bottleneck include RAM, monitor, and storage devices.

  • RAM: It can cause a bottleneck due to slow speed. Use the RAM bottleneck calculator to know if it’s truly the case.
  • Monitor: It mostly causes a bottleneck due to weaker display (such as 60Hz, 1080p, etc) and refresh rates with lower response time.
  • Storage devices: They experience bottleneck by long loading times and heavy tasks.

What is the Effect Of System’s Components On the Bottleneck?

  • RAM: Slower RAM speed than required can impact bottlenecking by slowing down the PC flow, causing stuttering, and low performance when doing tasks.
  • Storage Speed: Slow storage speed mainly impacts bottlenecking in loading time. HDD storage causes longer loading times when loading any high-processing apps. SSD storage helps the PC by reducing bottlenecks, while NVMe is the fastest one, but you won’t notice a big difference from HDD while doing regular small tasks.
  • Screen Resolution: For tasks with higher resolution (such as 1440p or 4K), the GPU has to work harder for each frame rate, reducing the processing load on the CPU and causing a bottleneck for GPU. Therefore, at tasks with low resolution (such as 1080p), the GPU works quickly and needs the CPU to work hard to meet the GPU’s commands, resulting in bottlenecks for CPU, especially in CPU intensive games.

Some key features make it great

Everything you need to check bottleneck of your PC

User-Friendly Interface

Easily enter the data about your PC’s components.

Accurate Compatibility Check

Get accurate results on the compatibility of your CPU & GPU.

Precise Performance Score

Get precise results of your system’s performance from 100%.

Tailored Recommendations

Receive expert recommendations to upgrade your PC performance.

Constantly Updated

We constantly update our calculator, minimizing the chances of any errors.

Affordable Decisions

Avoid overspending on components that are working perfectly fine, and make a budget.

What Information Do I Need to Use the Bottleneck Calculator?

You need some basic information to use our bottleneck calculator. For basic insights, you should know your CPU (Intel Core i5-12400F) & GPU (NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060) model and RAM. If you want detailed insights, you should know your storage size, resolution, and primary purpose for using your system.

How Should I Know Whether any Component of My PC is Bottlenecking Or Not?

Some of the signs that your PC has a bottleneck include longer load times, system feeling slow despite good hardware, high fps but screens till looking choppy, slowing down in games with high resolution and graphics, or physics and stimulation, etc.

Our bottleneck calculator shows you the total percentage of bottleneck you system is facing. It will also tell you the major component causing the bottleneck. Upgrading the affected component can help reduce the bottleneck.

Can This Tool Calculate Any PC – Build’s Bottleneck?

The bottleneck calculator is specifically designed with gaming PC’s in mind. Although you can use this for other PC builds, such as for workstations and  PC’s with rare components, etc, it won’t give much accurate results as it specializes in gaming PC’s.

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How It Works

Simple 3-step process to check bottleneck of your system.

Input

Input your PC’s components details such as CPU model, GPU mode, RAM etc.

Calculate

Press calculate to see your results. It’ll tell you which component is bottlenecking to which extent and a suggestion to solve that.

Improve

According to the suggestions, our blogs, and your own research, try to overcome that bottleneck if it’s causing an issue.

How To Fix a CPU Bottleneck?

The permanent solution to fix a CPU bottleneck is to upgrade your CPU to a newer version. Quick solutions include:

  • Increasing graphics resolution
  • Lowering its load by closing background tabs 
  • Lowering processing tasks
  • Overclocking the CPU & RAM

How To Fix a GPU Bottleneck?

  • In comparison to fixing the CPU Bottleneck, this one is completely opposite. It is easier and requires fewer solutions. Quick solutions include:
  • Reducing graphics resolution 
  • Overclocking the GPU and RAM to ensure proper cooling reaches the system
  • Disabling ray tracing and updating GPU drivers.

How To Fix a RAM Bottleneck?

You can fix RAM bottleneck by increasing RAM capacity such as from 8GB to 16GB, or from 16GB to 32GB, depending on your system, upgrade to faster RAM (such as DDR4 or DDR5), or close memory-hungry apps.

How To Fix a Storage Bottleneck?

Storage bottlenecks can be fixed by switching to SSD or NVMe, and keeping sufficient free space (around 10-15%) to prevent slowdowns.

Are Bottlenecks Reduced by Upgrading a Component?

Yes, upgrading a bottlenecked component strategically can resolve a bottleneck unless it’s improved beyond a limit, such that the fine component becomes bottlenecked due to being a slower model than the newer one.

Is Bottleneck Reduced by Overclocking the System?

Yes, overclocking helps reduce bottlenecks in a system. A CPU bottleneck calculator helps recognize the bottleneck and then overclocking it can reduce the bottleneck by around 5-15%. A GPU bottleneck calculator can identify and help you reduce around 5-10% bottleneck. For safe overclocking, make sure your system is cool.

It is useful, but it may come at its own cost, such as:

  • Needing to provide enough cooling 
  • CPU generating more heat
  • Not being compatible with some PCs
  • Risking the longevity of the system
  • More power consumption
“This tool saved me hours of searching through benchmarks!”

— PC Enthusiast

Why is it Important to check Bottlenecks in my PC?

It’s really important to identify bottlenecks in your PC. It helps you to identify the weaker components in your PC and resolve them instead of buying new components that are already working perfectly. It can utlimately save you money, time, and service costs.

Is FPS Related to Bottlenecks? Does it Have Any Effect On Performance?

Yes. FPS is directly related to bottleneck. It’s also affected by bottlenecks. A CPU bottleneck produces higher frame rates, helping the RAM. But, it also causes inconsistent performance with random stutters. On the other hand, a GPU bottleneck produces lower FPS. It’s less than the CPU bottleneck but it’s performance is more stable and consistent.

Why Does My Game Stutter With Space Still Left in the Hardware?

This is not a rare case when games stutter even when the hardware isn’t fully utilized. It could be due to:

  • A laggy screen 
  • Unimportant open background tabs using up your processor’s capacity
  • Old or missing drivers, poorly coded games
  • Low or misconfigured memory
  • Your system slowing down to generate cooling, etc

Should I Upgrade My CPU or GPU First?

If you see any need for improvements from the results of our bottleneck calculator, do it immediately. If you’re experiencing a high load on the CPU with smooth performance of the GPU, it’s a CPU bottleneck and you need to replace your GPU. If you come across a GPU bottleneck with a heavy load on the GPU and smooth performance in the CPU, upgrade your GPU first.

What Are the Best Practices for Upgrading Components to Avoid Bottlenecks?

First of all, make a plan for what you’re going to buy. Make sure to research it from the bottleneck calculator first to find out your weaker component, and then find its alternative. Our bottleneck calculator will also give you the best & latest suggestions regarding products in the market. This will balance out your system. 

Buying such a model that can stay updated and balanced with your system in the future is the key.Keep a proper budget for it, and if you will be buying a new model of your PC’s component in the future, make sure to budget for it smartly.

How Does a Balanced System Benefit PC Performance and Longevity?

A balanced system ensures that no component is under stress. It runs efficiently with low response time and smooth processing of tasks. Also, they don’t need to be completely changed after some time in case of a bottleneck but, just get upgraded.

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Matching CPU & GPU Performance

For a balanced PC, make sure to match the CPU & GPU. They should be compatible with each other to provide smooth and balanced performance. Popular balanced combinations are (Intel Core i5-13600K + NVIDIA RTX 4070, AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D + NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti, Intel Core i7-13700K + AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT ).

Choosing the Right Amount of RAM

Choose the right amount of RAM according to your PC’s specifications. High or slower RAM than needed can cause bottlenecks.

Picking Storage for Speed & Capacity

Storage should also be not compromised when building a balanced PC. Pick a storage which is compatible with your PC to maintain speed and capacity.

Selecting a Display That Matches Hardware Power

Select a display that matches the hardware. For an advanced PC, select an advanced display such as a 1440p or 4K monitor with 144Hz+ refresh rate. While, for a normal PC, use a 1080p monitor with 60–75Hz refresh rate.

Example Balanced Gaming Build

Example of a Mid-range Gaming build can be:

  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
  • GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4070
  • RAM: 16 GB DDR5
  • Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD
  • Display: 1080p 144Hz

Example Balanced Workstation Build

Example of a Mid-range balance workstation build can be:

  • Display: 1080p 144Hz
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
  • GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4070
  • RAM: 16 GB DDR5
  • Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD

How Often Should I Check for Bottlenecks in My System?

You should check for bottlenecks in your PC from our bottleneck calculator as soon as you feel some lag or low frame rates while upgrading existing components, downloading new applications or games, after software & hardware updates, and once a year to keep everything running smoothly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bottleneck in a computer means any mismatch between different components of the computer. The slower component can’t keep up with the faster one. This results in limiting the overall speed of the system.

The main cause of bottlenecks in a PC system is a weaker CPU or GPU, slower RAM, storage, or screen resolution. Check out the real culprit from our bottleneck calculator.

Upgrading your CPU or GPU according to your needs to balance out the system in the end can fix a bottleneck.

Bottleneck calculators analyze thousands of real-world data points on different combinations of components of well-performing PCs and compare that with your component’s performance in games.

The bottleneck calculator is around 90% accurate, depending on the depth of data you give. No tool can be made 100% accurate.

Yes. Our bottleneck calculator  is made to check any PC – build’s bottleneck. You can use it to check the stability of your PC’s components and optimize them for smoother performance.

The bottleneck calculator will tell you your system’s performance. Still, if you want an estimate, around 0% – 25% is in most of the cases, perfectly fine. 25% – 50% is a sign of bottlenecks starting. 50%-75% means your system is not ideal and needs to be updated. And, above than 75% means poor performance, and urgently needs updating.

You can fix a CPU bottleneck by upgrading your CPU version to the latest and most advanced one, increasing its processing speed to ensure everything runs efficiently.

Similar to the CPU bottleneck, you can fix it by upgrading your GPU version to the latest one, increasing its graphic resolution, and generating power to increase efficiency.

Overclocking can help reduce bottlenecks, but it also comes at a price. It reduces your system’s longevity, requires proper cooling due to overheating of the system, and more power consumption, etc.

It depends on your needs. Upgrade your GPU first if you’re experiencing a GPU bottleneck while upgrading your CPU first if you’re experiencing a CPU bottleneck works.

Your game can stutter for other reasons, including a bottleneck in any component or software issues like inefficient game code or outdated drivers.

Slower RAM speed than required can cause bottlenecks resulting in slowing down the PC flow, stuttering, and low performance when doing tasks.

Yes, upgrading the component being bottlenecked can resolve the bottleneck in your system.

Slow storage speed mainly impacts bottlenecking in loading time. HDD storage causes longer loading times when loading any high processing apps, SSD storage helps the PC by reducing the bottlenecks, while NVMe is the fastest one, but you won’t notice a big difference from HDD while doing regular small tasks.

Absolutely. If your CPU is bottlenecked, it processes data very slowly, and hence the GPU doesn’t work at its full capacity. So, the GPU is limited by the bottlenecked CPU.

Yes. A GPU bottleneck occurs when your graphics card struggles to render frames quickly enough, resulting in low usage of the CPU. This limits the CPU’s potential, even though it could perform better.

Yes. Professional gamers are very concerned about system performance. They regularly monitor for CPU, GPU, or RAM bottlenecks to ensure smooth gameplay and avoid interruptions during competitive matches.