They're a quick way to help you check component compatibility before you build or upgrade a system.
Troubleshooting computer components can be daunting. After the physical labor of installing a new part, you'll want to stress-test it to make sure your replacement works properly. Finding a faulty part is relatively straightforward, but what if the component is limiting the rest of your system? During a stress test, you might see your CPU at 100 percent while your GPU is practically idling.
This is considered a bottleneck. When one component holds back the rest of the system, it hinders performance until you resolve the bottleneck. For example, if your CPU is at 100 percent while your GPU is barely drawing power, we'd classify that as a CPU bottleneck since it's impairing your GPU's performance. Knowing which component is bottlenecking your system helps you decide what to upgrade or troubleshoot next. Before you buy a new GPU or any expensive component, check for bottlenecks first.
Some websites and software offer bottleneck calculators to help you troubleshoot these issues without stress-testing your system. While they can help you quickly spot a hardware mismatch, they're rarely accurate. Many online calculators can't tell the full story of how your system behaves. That said, a bottleneck calculator can help you check component compatibility before you build or upgrade a system, saving you valuable time while troubleshooting.
A bottleneck calculator takes your chosen CPU and GPU and compares their performance at your target resolution— common test outputs are 1080p, 1440p and 2160p.
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