How We Calculate Bottleneck Scores
Short answer: every CPU and GPU in our database has a relative gaming score from 0 to 100. The calculator turns those scores into a frame-rate ceiling for each part at your resolution, game type and settings. The part with the lower ceiling is the limit, and the gap between the two ceilings becomes the bottleneck percentage. It is an estimate for planning, not a benchmark of your own PC.
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1. Relative CPU and GPU scores
Each processor and graphics card gets one gaming score. The fastest parts sit close to 100 and older or entry-level parts lower down. The database has 187 CPUs and 116 GPUs, including laptop chips, the RTX 50 series, Radeon RX 9000 and Ryzen 9000. When new hardware launches we add it and check its position against public benchmark rankings.
Here is how our CPU scores line up with Tom’s Hardware’s 1080p gaming ranking (measured with an RTX 5090, where the Ryzen 7 9850X3D is 100%):
| CPU | Our score | Tom’s Hardware 1080p gaming |
|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 7 9800X3D | 97 | 97.0% |
| Ryzen 7 7800X3D | 89 | 85.6% |
| Core i5-14600K | 76 | 72.8% |
| Ryzen 5 9600X | 80 | 72.6% |
| Ryzen 5 7600X | 75 | 67.3% |
2. How much work each part does
Games do not load the CPU and GPU in the same way, so the calculator gives each game type a CPU share of the work:
| Game type | CPU share | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy and simulation | 65% | Many units, AI and physics on the CPU |
| eSports | 60% | Very high frame rates expose the CPU |
| Battle Royale | 45% | Large maps and many players |
| Racing | 40% | Physics plus detailed graphics |
| Open World | 35% | Heavy graphics, the GPU does most of the work |
Higher detail and ray tracing move more work to the GPU. Upscaling (DLSS or FSR) moves work away from the GPU, which is why it can make a CPU bottleneck more visible.
3. Resolution
The CPU’s work per frame barely changes with resolution, but the GPU’s does. We raise the GPU cost per frame by 1.45× at 1440p and 2.6× at 4K compared with 1080p. That is less than the raw pixel count (1.78× and 4×) because real games do not scale perfectly with pixels. This is why the same pair can be CPU-limited at 1080p and GPU-limited at 4K.
4. RAM and background load
- 8 GB RAM lowers the effective CPU score by about 8 points and the GPU score slightly, because modern games stutter when memory runs out. 16 GB is the baseline.
- Background load lowers the CPU score by 4 points for a typical setup (browser and Discord) and 11 points when you stream or record.
- Overclocking multiplies the CPU or GPU score by the value you set in the advanced options.
5. From ceilings to a percentage
The calculator works out a frame-rate ceiling for the CPU and one for the GPU, then divides them. If the CPU ceiling is lower, the CPU is the limit, and the other way round. The bigger the gap, the higher the score, up to 65%. We then read the score with the same ranges used across the site:
- 0–10%: balanced. Every PC has a small gap.
- 10–20%: minor imbalance.
- 20–30%: noticeable. Try the free fixes first.
- 30% and above: major. Upgrading the weaker part makes sense.
A high score that points to the GPU at 1440p or 4K is normal. It means your graphics card is fully used, which is what you want in most games.
6. What the calculator cannot see
- How a specific game engine behaves, patches and driver versions.
- Your cooling, power limits and whether a chip is thermal throttling.
- Laptop power limits, which vary a lot between models with the same chip.
- Frame caps, V-Sync and frame generation.
To confirm a result on your own PC, watch GPU usage with MSI Afterburner during real gameplay. 95–100% means the GPU is the limit; well below that points to the CPU. Intel’s free PresentMon tool also shows frame time against GPU Busy time.
Who maintains the calculator
The calculator and its database are built and updated by Ameer Hamza. We review the database when major CPUs or GPUs launch. Found a wrong score or a missing part? Tell us and we will check it.
Sources: Tom’s Hardware – CPU Benchmarks Hierarchy 2026, Tom’s Hardware – GPU Benchmarks Hierarchy 2026, PCWorld – CPU or GPU limit test, TechSpot – Intel PresentMon GPU Busy.