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The BenchTool 02

Bottleneck Calculator

Choose a processor and graphics card to see whether the processor is expected to limit frame rates. How the estimates work.

Result

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D with GeForce RTX 4090

  • 1080pWell matched

    0%estimated loss

    0 of 10 games CPU limited, 235 fps average

  • 1440pWell matched

    0%estimated loss

    0 of 10 games CPU limited, 187 fps average

  • 4KWell matched

    0%estimated loss

    0 of 10 games CPU limited, 118 fps average

What this means

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D keeps up with the GeForce RTX 4090 at every resolution we model. The graphics card sets the frame rate, which is what you want in a gaming PC.

Estimated frame rate with this processor compared with the graphics card's potential
Game1080p1440p4K
ValorantHigh, native425fpsGPU limited340fpsGPU limited215fpsGPU limited
FortniteEpic, DLSS Quality300fpsGPU limited240fpsGPU limited150fpsGPU limited
Call of Duty: WarzoneHigh, DLSS Quality215fpsGPU limited170fpsGPU limited105fpsGPU limited
Apex LegendsHigh, native325fpsGPU limited260fpsGPU limited165fpsGPU limited
Cyberpunk 2077Ultra RT, DLSS Quality140fpsGPU limited110fpsGPU limited70fpsGPU limited
Alan Wake 2High RT, DLSS Quality125fpsGPU limited100fpsGPU limited65fpsGPU limited
StarfieldUltra, DLSS Quality175fpsGPU limited140fpsGPU limited90fpsGPU limited
Baldur's Gate 3Ultra, native240fpsGPU limited190fpsGPU limited120fpsGPU limited
Hogwarts LegacyUltra RT, DLSS Quality190fpsGPU limited150fpsGPU limited95fpsGPU limited
Marvel's Spider-Man 2High RT, DLSS Quality215fpsGPU limited170fpsGPU limited105fpsGPU limited

With this processorPossible with a top-tier processorEstimates, not measurements.

See the full frame rate estimates

Popular bottleneck checks

Explainer

What a bottleneck is

A bottleneck is the part that sets the limit on performance. In games it is usually the graphics card, and that is fine. It becomes a problem when the processor cannot prepare frames as fast as the graphics card can draw them, because then part of what you paid for in the graphics card goes unused.

Processor limits show up most at 1080p and in fast competitive games, where frame rates are high. At 4K the graphics card does far more work per frame, so the processor matters less.

Method

How these estimates work

Every number on this page is an estimate from a reference table, not a measurement of your PC. The table holds a typical average frame rate for each graphics chip in each game at 1080p, 1440p and 4K, at the settings shown beside the game title, with the graphics card as the limiting part.

The processor sets a ceiling. For each game we take the fastest result in the table as the most a top-tier processor can deliver, then lower that ceiling for slower processors. Games that lean heavily on the processor, such as competitive shooters, lose more than games that lean on the graphics card. The estimate is whichever is lower: what the graphics card can draw or what the processor can feed it.

Real results vary with memory speed, cooling, driver versions, game patches and the scene being played. Treat the figures as a guide to which pairings make sense, not as a promise of what your own PC will do.

Read more about how we handle data and corrections in our editorial policy.

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