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Bottleneck Calculator

Intel logo
Core i9-13900K
and
AMD logo
Radeon RX 6950 XT

Calculator result

Both the processor and graphics card are well-balanced, ensuring optimal performance without either component bottlenecking the other. The system will be able to handle high-performance tasks seamlessly, offering efficient processing and impressive graphics. With no bottleneck concerns, the processor and graphics card will work together harmoniously, allowing for smooth multitasking, fast processing, and a superior user experience.

Intel Core i9-13900K and AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT will work great together on 2560 × 1440 pixels screen resolution for General Tasks.

This configuration has 4.8% of processor bottleneck . Everything less than 5% should not be concerned major bottleneck.

Solutions

To address this issue, you have two potential solutions. The first is to upgrade your processor, which can help alleviate the bottleneck and improve overall performance. Alternatively, you could consider downgrading your graphics card, although this may not be the most sensible approach as it can result in a decrease in performance and limit your gaming experience.

In most cases, it is recommended to retain your current graphics card rather than downgrading it. Downgrading the graphics card could lead to a noticeable drop in graphics quality and gaming performance. Instead, focusing on upgrading the processor can provide a more effective solution in overcoming the bottleneck and enhancing system performance.

Reducing the bottleneck by changing the screen resolution

If you encounter a processor bottleneck, raising the resolution of your display will significantly impact your graphics card, increasing its utilization. On the other hand, when facing a graphics card bottleneck, lowering the resolution will enable your graphics card to handle more data, resulting in higher frames per second.

It's important to note that higher frame rates will place a greater demand on your processor, as it needs to process and prepare more data for your graphics card. To alleviate this bottleneck, you can mitigate the impact by adjusting your screen resolution to one of the following options.

Selecting a lower resolution

This can help reduce the strain on your graphics card, allowing it to process data more efficiently and potentially achieve higher frame rates.

Choosing a higher resolution

While this may increase the load on your graphic card, it can help alleviate a potential processor bottleneck and provide a sharper and more visually immersive gaming experience.

Conclusion

By adjusting your screen resolution, you can optimize the balance between your processor and graphics card, ultimately enhancing overall system performance and achieving the desired gaming experience.

Screen resolution Ratio Result Playable Average FPS
(High settings)
2800 × 2100 (QSXGA+) 4:3 0% Yes 197.9 FPS
3200 × 2400 (QUXGA) 4:3 0% Yes 162.9 FPS
3200 × 1800 (WQXGA+) 16:9 0% Yes 200.3 FPS
3200 × 2048 (WQSXGA) 25:16 0% Yes 185.7 FPS
3840 × 2160 (4K UHD-1 (2160p)) 16:9 0% Yes 152.4 FPS
3840 × 1600 (Ultra-Wide 4K) 12:5 0% Yes 192.9 FPS
4096 × 3072 (HXGA) 4:3 2.4% Yes 105.4 FPS
5120 × 2160 (Ultra-wide 5K) 64:27 0.3% Yes 118.4 FPS
Screen resolution Ratio Result Playable Average FPS
(High settings)
2800 × 2100 (QSXGA+) 4:3 0% Yes 197.9 FPS
3200 × 2400 (QUXGA) 4:3 0% Yes 162.9 FPS
3200 × 1800 (WQXGA+) 16:9 0% Yes 200.3 FPS
3200 × 2048 (WQSXGA) 25:16 0% Yes 185.7 FPS
Screen resolution Ratio Result Playable Average FPS
(High settings)
3840 × 2160 (4K UHD-1 (2160p)) 16:9 0% Yes 152.4 FPS
3840 × 1600 (Ultra-Wide 4K) 12:5 0% Yes 192.9 FPS
4096 × 3072 (HXGA) 4:3 2.4% Yes 105.4 FPS
5120 × 2160 (Ultra-wide 5K) 64:27 0.3% Yes 118.4 FPS

Component utilizations

While running general tasks, processor Intel Core i9-13900K will be utilized 83.1% and graphic card AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT will be utilized 71.5% .

However, it's important to note that these numbers represent theoretical maximums based on processor and graphics card usage ratios for specific purposes or games, and in real-world scenarios, achieving such high utilizations may be challenging.

These utilization ratios are based on the concept of workload distribution between the GPU and CPU. Generally, in games, the graphics card bears a heavier load compared to the processor. This is because modern games heavily rely on graphics processing for rendering high-quality visuals and complex 3D environments. By maximizing the usage of the graphics card and maintaining a high percentage of CPU utilization, you can ensure smooth gameplay, impressive graphics, and seamless multitasking.

It's important to note that these utilization ratios are theoretical and may vary depending on the specific workload, software optimization, and other factors. Nonetheless, striving for such balanced utilization between the CPU and GPU can help achieve the best possible performance in various applications and gaming scenarios.

Utilization scenarios

Let's explore different scenarios where there are variations in component utilizations, which can indicate either a bottleneck or a specific dependency of a game or program on one component over the other:

Low CPU usage and low GPU usage
Utilization screenshot for low CPU usage and low GPU usage
Low CPU usage and low GPU usage

In a scenario where both the CPU and GPU exhibit low utilization, it indicates a relatively light workload that does not heavily tax the processing power of either component. When it comes to gaming, this could occur during less demanding games or in situations where the graphics settings are set to lower levels. The low utilization of both the CPU and GPU suggests that the system has ample resources available, which may result in smoother gameplay and the potential for the CPU to handle additional background tasks without causing performance issues.

Low CPU usage and maximum GPU usage
Utilization screenshot for low CPU usage and maximum GPU usage
Low CPU usage and max GPU usage

In contrast, when the CPU usage is minimal and the GPU usage reaches 100%, it suggests a situation where the workload is predominantly graphics-intensive. This indicates that the GPU is effectively utilized to its maximum potential, serving as the dominant component in handling the workload. The low CPU usage implies that the processor is not heavily involved in the specific task or program, potentially suggesting that it is less dependent on CPU processing power. However, it's important to note that this scenario could also indicate a GPU bottleneck in the system, where the graphics card is being pushed to its limits while the CPU has more capacity to spare.

High CPU usage and maximum GPU usage
Utilization screenshot for high CPU usage and maximum GPU usage
High CPU usage and max GPU usage

When the CPU usage is significantly high and the GPU usage reaches 100%, it suggests a situation where the workload heavily relies on the CPU for processing. While the CPU is operating at a high level, it is not necessarily at its maximum capacity, indicating that it still has some room to handle additional tasks. This scenario points towards a balanced system or a slight GPU bottleneck, where the graphics card is operating at its maximum potential while the CPU is handling the workload efficiently but not pushed to its limits.

Maximum CPU usage and low GPU usage
Utilization screenshot for maximum CPU usage and low GPU usage
Max CPU usage and low GPU usage

In a scenario where the CPU usage is at 100% and the GPU usage is very low, it implies a workload that is heavily dependent on CPU processing power but doesn't require extensive graphics processing. This could be the case for tasks such as heavy data computations or certain non-graphical applications. The low GPU usage suggests that the graphics card is not fully utilized in this particular workload, indicating a potential CPU bottleneck where the CPU is operating at its maximum capacity while the GPU is waiting for data from the CPU to process. This imbalance between the CPU and GPU utilization suggests that the system's performance may be constrained by the CPU's processing capabilities.

Maximum CPU usage and high GPU usage
Utilization screenshot for maximum CPU usage and high GPU usage
Max CPU usage and high GPU usage

When the CPU usage is at maximum capacity while the GPU usage remains very high, it suggests a workload that heavily relies on the computational power of the processor. The CPU is operating at its full potential, handling complex calculations and tasks. Meanwhile, the high GPU usage indicates that the graphics card is also contributing significantly to the workload, assisting in rendering graphics and providing visual enhancements. This scenario indicates a balanced system or a slight CPU bottleneck, where the CPU is operating at its limits while the GPU is efficiently handling the graphics-intensive aspects of the workload. The overall performance of the system may be constrained by the CPU's processing capabilities, but the GPU is making a substantial contribution to the workload.

Maximum CPU usage and maximum GPU usage
Utilization screenshot for maximum CPU usage and maximum GPU usage
Max CPU usage and max GPU usage

Lastly, in a scenario where both the CPU usage and GPU usage are at 100%, it suggests a workload that requires substantial computational power from both components. This balanced utilization indicates that the workload is evenly distributed between the CPU and GPU, with both components working at their full capacity. It's important to ensure that the system is adequately cooled and capable of handling the high utilization to prevent performance issues or overheating.

Conclusion

It's crucial to consider that a significant difference in component utilizations can indicate a potential bottleneck or simply reflect the nature of the workload, where certain games or programs are more reliant on one component than the other. Analyzing these utilization patterns can help identify system performance issues and optimize hardware configurations accordingly.

Offers for Intel Core i9-13900K and AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT

Merchant location:

Product pricing and availability information was updated as of the date and time listed, but is subject to change. If you choose to purchase a product from a retailer, the price and availability displayed on their website at the time of purchase will apply.

Product name Merchant Available Price
Merchant
Available
Price

Intel Core i9-13900K Desktop-Prozessor 24 Kerne (8 P-Kerne + 16 E-Kerne) 36M Cache, bis zu 5,8 GHz BX8071513900K

78 new from 599.00 €. 1 used from 797.00 €. Last updated 1 hours ago.

Get it on Amazon.de Yes 599.00 €
Yes

Intel CORE I9-13900K 3.00GHZ SKTLGA1700 36.00MB CACHE BOXED

6 new from 599.00 £. Last updated 42 minutes ago.

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Yes

Intel Core i9 [13th Gen] i9-13900K Tetracosa-core [24 Core] 3 GHz Processor

2 new from 642.00 $. 2 used from 615.00 $. Last updated 1 hours ago.

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INTEL - CLIENT CPU Core I9-13900K 3.00GHZ SKTLGA1700 36.00MB Cache Boxed

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Yes

ASRock Radeon RX 6500 XT Phantom Gaming 4GB OC GDDR6 Graphics Card, RDNA2, AMD FidelityFX, 1024 Streams, 2820MHz Boost

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ASRock Phantom Gaming D Radeon RX 5700 XT 8G OC Video Card Model RX5700XT PGD 8GO

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ASRock Z590 OC Formula DDR4 6000MHz (OC) Motherboard

3 new from 219.00 $. 1 used from 238.00 $. Last updated 36 minutes ago.

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Yes

ASRock Z590 OC FORMULA

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ASRock OC Formula

1 new from 270.00 €. Last updated 14 minutes ago.

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Yes

ASUS TUF Gaming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 V2 OC Edition Graphics Card (PCIe 4.0, 12GB GDDR6, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a, Dual Ball Fan Bearings, Military-Grade Certification, GPU Tweak II)

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Yes

ASRock Radeon RX 7600 Phantom Gaming 8G OC

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ASRock Z590 OC Formula DDR4 6000MHz (OC) Motherboard

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GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3060 Gaming OC 12G (REV2.0) Graphics Card, 3X WINDFORCE Fans, 12GB 192-bit GDDR6, GV-N3060GAMING OC-12GD REV2.0 Video Card

9 new from 433.00 $. Last updated 1 hours ago.

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Yes

XFX Speedster MERC319 RX 6950XT Black Gaming Graphics Card with 16GB GDDR6 HDMI 3xDP, AMD RDNA 2 - RX-695XATBD9

10 new from 577.00 £. Last updated 7 minutes ago.

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Yes

XFX Speedster MERC319 RX 6950XT Black Gaming Graphics Card with 16GB GDDR6 HDMI 3xDP, AMD RDNA 2 - RX-695XATBD9

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Yes

XFX Speedster MERC319 RX 6950XT Gaming-Grafikkarte mit 16GB GDDR6 HDMI 3xDP, AMD RDNA 2 - RX-695XATBD9, schwarz

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Yes

AMD Radeon™ RX 6950 XT gddr6 Graphics Card

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Yes

AMD Radeon™ RX 6950 XT gddr6 Graphics Card

6 new from 749.00 £. 2 used from 615.00 £. Last updated 53 minutes ago.

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Yes

PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT Graphics Card with 16GB GDDR6 Memory

14 used from 567.00 $. Last updated 18 hours ago.

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Yes

AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT, 16GB GDDR6 256-bit up to 18 Gbps, Gaming Desktop Graphics Card

2 new from 837.00 €. 8 used from 719.00 €. Last updated 30 minutes ago.

Get it on Amazon.de Yes 837.34 €
Yes

XFX Speedster MERC319 RX 6950XT Black Gaming Graphics Card with 16GB GDDR6 HDMI 3xDP, AMD RDNA 2 - RX-695XATBD9

5 new from 1015.00 $. Last updated 13 minutes ago.

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Yes

ASRock Radeon RX 6950 XT Phantom Gaming OC, 16384 MB GDDR6

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Yes

Sapphire 11322-01-40G Nitro+ AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX Vapor-X Gaming Graphics Card with 24GB GDDR6, AMD RDNA 3

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Powercolor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT Graphics Card with 16GB GDDR6 Memory

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Gigabyte Radeon RX 6950 XT GAMING OC 16GB Graphics Card

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Yes

MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti 12GB GDRR6X 192-Bit HDMI/DP Nvlink TORX Fan 4.0 Ada Lovelace Architecture Graphics Card (RTX 4070 Ti Gaming X Trio 12G)

7 new from 1050.00 $. 1 used from 1106.00 $. Last updated 1 hours ago.

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PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT Graphics Card with 16GB GDDR6 Memory

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ASUS TUF GAMING AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT OC Edition 16GB Grafikkarte (16GB GDDR6 Speicher, 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, GPU Tweak II, TUF-RX6950XT-O16G-GAMING)

1 new from 1215.00 €. 1 used from 1032.00 €. Last updated 1 hours ago.

Get it on Amazon.de Yes 1215.57 €
Yes

PowerColor Vaizdo plokštÄ Radeon RX 6950 XT Raudona Devil 16GB GDDR6 256bit

1 new from 1244.00 €. Last updated 28 minutes ago.

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MSI Radeon RX 6950 XT GAMING X TRIO 16G Grafikkarte — 16 GB GDDR6, 2454 MHz, PCI Express 4, 256-Bit, 3 x DP v 1,4 a, HDMI 2.1 (unterstützt 4K und 8K) Schwarz

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Sapphire 11308-06-20G Toxic AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Limited Edition PCIe 4.0 Gaming Graphics Card with 16GB GDDR6

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MSI Radeon RX 6950 XT GAMING X TRIO 16G Gaming Graphics Card - 16GB GDDR6, 2454 MHz, PCI Express 4, 256-bit, 3x DP v 1.4a, HDMI 2.1 (Supports 4K & 8K)

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Gigabyte GBT RX6950XT 16GB Gaming OC-16GD, GV-R695XTGAMING OC-1

3 new from 1423.00 €. 4 used from 759.00 €. Last updated 30 minutes ago.

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Yes

Sapphire 11317-02-20G Nitro+ AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT Gaming Graphics Card with 16GB GDDR6, AMD RDNA 2

1 new from 1440.00 $. 1 used from 1469.00 $. Last updated 1 hours ago.

Get it on Amazon.ca Yes 1440.54 $
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ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 6950 XT OC Edition 16GB GDDR6 (90YV0HY0-M0NM00)

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Sapphire NITRO+ AMD RX 6950 XT PURE GAMING OC 16GB GDDR6 HDMI/TRIP

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AMD Radeon™ RX 6950 XT gddr6 Graphics Card

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Sapphire Nitro+ AMD RX 6950 XT Pure Gaming OC 16GB GDDR6 HDMI/Trip

1 new from 1815.00 €. 2 used from 919.00 €. Last updated 39 minutes ago.

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Yes

Sapphire RX6950 XT TOXIC Limited Edition w/Liquid Cooler, 16GB DDR6, PCIe4, HDMI, 3 DP, 2532MHz Clock, RGB Lighting

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ASUS ROG Strix LC GeForce RTX 4090 24GB OC Edition GDDR6X Gaming Grafikkarte mit Wasserkühlung (Nvidia GeForce RTX4090 DLSS3, PCIe 4.0, 2X HDMI 2.1a, 3X DisplayPort 1.4a)

14 new from 2102.00 €. Last updated 1 hours ago.

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Yes

ASUS ROG Strix LC NVIDIA GeForce RTX™ 4090 OC Edition Gaming Graphics Card (PCIe® 4.0, 24 GB GDDR6X, HDMI® 2.1, DisplayPort™ 1.4a, Full-Coverage Cold Plate, 240 mm Radiator, 560mm tubing)

3 new from 2546.00 $. Last updated 6 minutes ago.

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Yes

ASUS ROG Strix LC NVIDIA GeForce RTX™ 4090 OC Edition Gaming Graphics Card (PCIe® 4.0, 24 GB GDDR6X, HDMI® 2.1, DisplayPort™ 1.4a, Full-Coverage Cold Plate, 240 mm Radiator, 560mm tubing)

2 new from 2999.00 $. Last updated 11 minutes ago.

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Yes

MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 12GB GDRR6X 192-Bit HDMI/DP Nvlink TORX Fan 4.0 Ada Lovelace Architecture Graphics Card (RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio 12G)

8 new from 898.00 $. 1 used from 839.00 $. Last updated 41 minutes ago.

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Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 Gaming OC 24G Graphics Card, 3X WINDFORCE Fans, 24GB 384-bit GDDR6X, GV-N4090GAMING OC-24GD Video Card

23 new from 1699.00 $. 3 used from 1629.00 $. Last updated 42 minutes ago.

Get it on Amazon.com No 1699.00 $
No

ASUS ROG Strix LC NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition Gaming Graphics Card (PCIe 4.0, 24 GB GDDR6X, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a, full-coverage cold plate, 240 mm radiator, 560mm tubing)

11 new from 1979.00 £. Last updated 12 minutes ago.

Get it on Amazon.co.uk No 1979.99 £
No

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Help us calibrate this calculator!

Contribute to the calibration of our calculators by providing bottleneck and frames per second estimations. Your input will enable us to fine-tune our calculator, resulting in improved accuracy and allowing us to assist you in building a better PC tailored to your specific requirements.

Your configuration
Processor
Intel Core i9-13900K
Graphic Card
AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT
Resolution
2560 × 1440
Purpose / game
General Tasks
Determining the level of Bottleneck

Choose the level of bottleneck you anticipate or have encountered with this configuration. Adjust the slider in the direction of the component you believe is causing the bottleneck.

Processor image
Graphic card image
Determining the utilizations

Select the level of component utilization you anticipate or have observed with this configuration. Adjust the slider on a scale of 0 to 100% in accordance with the utilization level you believe each component is experiencing.

CPU Utilization
Processor image
0% 100%
GPU Utilization
Graphic card image
0% 100%
Random-Access Memory Size
RAM Size
GB
RAM Utilization
Random-access memory image
0% 100%

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Calculators

Processor image
Processor Processor image
Required
Graphic Card Graphic card image
Required
Graphic card image
Purpose
Required
General Tasks

General Tasks

Processor Intense Tasks

Processor Intense Tasks

Graphic Card Intense Tasks

Graphic Card Intense Tasks

Gaming astronaut image
video game
Required
Screen resolution Screen resolution image
Required
Screen resolution image
×