Game Bottleneck Calculator

Intel Core i9-9900 and AMD Radeon RX 480

Calculator result

The graphics card may potentially become a bottleneck for the processor's performance. Although the processor is powerful enough to handle demanding workloads, the graphics card's limited capabilities in terms of graphical processing could hinder the overall system performance. This mismatch might result in lower performance and reduced efficiency. To optimize the system, it would be beneficial to consider upgrading to a more powerful graphics card that can better complement the processor's capabilities.

AMD Radeon RX 480 is too weak for Intel Core i9-9900 on 1920 × 1080 pixels screen resolution for Valorant.

This configuration has 6.0% of graphic card bottleneck .

During gameplay, it is possible that your processor may not reach its maximum performance due to the limitations of your graphics card. This means that the graphics card may struggle to process the data quickly enough, resulting in the processor not being fully utilized. Consequently, the utilization of your graphics card will be at its maximum while the processor's potential remains untapped.

In terms of bottlenecks, a graphics card bottleneck is considered preferable to a processor bottleneck. With a graphics card bottleneck, the utilization of the graphics card reaches its maximum capacity, allowing you to experience the optimal performance that the card offers. This ensures that you can enjoy the full potential of your graphics card's capabilities.

Moreover, one advantage of the processor not being maximally utilized is that it allows your CPU to handle other background programs efficiently. Since the processor is not operating at its maximum capacity during gaming, it can allocate resources to handle additional tasks, such as background processes or multitasking, without compromising performance. This provides flexibility and smoother overall system operation.

Solutions

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

In most cases, it is recommended to retain your current processor rather than downgrading it. Downgrading the processor may result in compromised performance and hinder your system's capabilities. By keeping your current processor, you can benefit from its processing power and allocate system resources to handle background tasks efficiently, without significantly impacting your gaming experience. Instead, focusing on upgrading the graphics card can provide a more effective solution in overcoming the bottleneck and enhancing your gaming visuals and 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.

Component utilizations

While playing Valorant game, processor Intel Core i9-9900 will be utilized 70.8% and graphic card AMD Radeon RX 480 will be utilized 83.3% .

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 AMD Radeon RX 480

Merchant location:
Product name Merchant Available Price
Merchant
Available
Price

XFX Radeon RX 580 GTS XXX Edition 1386MHz OC+, 8GB GDDR5, VR Ready, Dual BIOS, 3xDP HDMI DVI, AMD Graphics Card (RX-580P8DFD6)

3 new from 129.00 $. 8 used from 64.00 $. Last updated 4 hours ago.

Get it on Amazon.com Yes 129.99 $
Yes

GIGABYTE B650 Gaming X AX (AM5/ LGA 1718/ AMD/ B650/ ATX/ 5-Year Warranty/ DDR5/ PCIe 4.0 M.2/ PCIe 4.0/ USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C/AMD Wi-Fi 6E/ Realtek 2.5GbE LAN/Motherboard)

37 new from 179.00 $. 20 used from 119.00 $. Last updated 1 hours ago.

Get it on Amazon.com Yes 188.78 $
Yes

GIGABYTE Z790 Gaming X AX (LGA 1700/ Intel/ Z790/ ATX/ DDR5/ M.2/ PCIe 5.0/ USB 3.2 Gen2X2 Type-C/Intel Wi-Fi 6E/ 2.5GbE LAN/Q-Flash Plus/EZ-Latch Plus/Gaming Motherboard)

23 new from 209.00 $. 11 used from 139.00 $. Last updated 46 minutes ago.

Get it on Amazon.com Yes 209.99 $
Yes

XFX Radeon RX 580 GTS Black Edition 1425MHz OC+, 8GB GDDR5, VR Ready, Dual BIOS, 3xDP HDMI DVI, AMD Graphics Card (RX-580P8DBD6)

2 new from 259.00 $. 5 used from 120.00 $. Last updated 4 hours ago.

Get it on Amazon.com Yes 259.00 $
Yes

ASUS ROG Rapture WiFi 6 AX Gaming Router (GT-AX6000) Dual 2.5G WAN/LAN Ports, Quad-Core 2.0Ghz CPU, WAN Aggregation, AiMesh Compatible, Lifetime Internet Security, Instant Guard, Aura RGB

17 new from 259.00 $. 15 used from 178.00 $. Last updated 1 hours ago.

Get it on Amazon.com Yes 259.99 $
Yes

ASUS Dual GeForce RTX™ 4060 OC White Edition 8GB GDDR6 (PCIe 4.0, 8GB GDDR6, DLSS 3, HDMI 2.1a, DisplayPort 1.4a, 2.5-Slot Design, Axial-tech Fan Design, 0dB Technology, and More)

13 new from 309.00 $. 3 used from 285.00 $. Last updated 5 hours ago.

Get it on Amazon.com Yes 309.99 $
Yes

MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 4060 8GB GDRR6 128-Bit HDMI/DP Nvlink TORX Fan 4.0 Ada Lovelace Architecture Graphics Card (RTX 4060 Gaming X 8G)

26 new from 319.00 $. Last updated 4 hours ago.

Get it on Amazon.com Yes 319.99 $
Yes

MSI VGA Graphic Cards RX 580 ARMOR 8G OC

1 new from 489.00 $. 8 used from 168.00 $. Last updated 36 minutes ago.

Get it on Amazon.com Yes 489.95 $
Yes

PowerColor Red Dragon AMD Radeon™ RX 6800 XT Gaming Graphics Card with 16GB GDDR6 Memory, Powered by AMD RDNA™ 2, Raytracing, PCI Express 4.0, HDMI 2.1, AMD Infinity Cache

4 new from 698.00 $. 11 used from 444.00 $. Last updated 36 minutes ago.

Get it on Amazon.com Yes 698.00 $
Yes

ASUS ROG Strix G15 (2022) Gaming Laptop, 15” 16:10 FHD 144Hz, GeForce RTX 3050, AMD Ryzen™ 7 6800H/HS, 16GB DDR5, 512GB PCIe SSD, Wi-Fi 6E, Windows 11, G513RC-ES73, Eclipse Gray

10 new from 849.00 $. 3 used from 801.00 $. Last updated 1 hours ago.

Get it on Amazon.com Yes 849.99 $
Yes

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

8 new from 1029.00 $. 1 used from 1003.00 $. Last updated 29 minutes ago.

Get it on Amazon.com Yes 1029.99 $
Yes

ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2023) Gaming Laptop, 16” 16:10 FHD 165Hz, GeForce RTX 4060, Intel Core i7-13650HX, 16GB DDR5, 512GB PCIe SSD, Wi-Fi 6E, Windows 11, G614JV-AS73, Eclipse Gray

7 new from 1359.00 $. 7 used from 1052.00 $. Last updated 4 hours ago.

Get it on Amazon.com Yes 1495.00 $
Yes

Sapphire 11330-01-20G Nitro+ AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT Gaming Graphics Card with 16GB GDDR6, AMD RDNA 3

15 new from 569.00 $. Last updated 4 hours ago.

Get it on Amazon.com No 569.99 $
No

PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX Graphics Card

4 new from 979.00 $. 14 used from 901.00 $. Last updated 4 hours ago.

Get it on Amazon.com No 979.99 $
No

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. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through the links to participating retailers on this site. However, this does not impact the products or prices that are displayed or the order in which prices are listed.

Offers for Intel Core i9-9900

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. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through the links to participating retailers on this site. However, this does not impact the products or prices that are displayed or the order in which prices are listed.

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 i9-9900
Graphic card
AMD Radeon RX 480
Resolution
1920 × 1080
Purpose / Game
Valorant
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%
Determining the Frames per Second (FPS)

Choose the anticipated or experienced number of frames per second (FPS) with this configuration.

Frames per second on low game settings
0 FPS 1000 FPS
Frames per second on medium game settings
0 FPS 1000 FPS
Frames per second on high game settings
0 FPS 1000 FPS
Frames per second on ultra game settings
0 FPS 1000 FPS

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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