Is My CPU or GPU Holding Me Back?
Pick your CPU and GPU from the lists above and choose your resolution. The calculator estimates which part is more likely to be the limiting factor, based on relative generational performance tiers. It's a starting point for upgrade decisions, not a per-game benchmark.
Why Resolution Matters
At 1080p, the GPU renders each frame faster, so the CPU has to keep up more often - CPU bottlenecks are more common. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU does proportionally more work per frame, which shifts the balance toward the GPU. That's why the same PC can be CPU-bound at 1080p and GPU-bound at 4K.
Frequently Asked Questions
No - it's a rough estimate based on general relative performance tiers, not exact per-game benchmarks. Real results depend on the specific game, settings and other hardware like RAM speed.
If the result shows CPU-bound, a GPU upgrade alone will give diminishing returns until the CPU is upgraded too. If GPU-bound, the GPU is the better upgrade target.