What Is Bottlenecking My PC & How Do I Fix It? - MakeUseOf

Bottlenecking. A term everyone in the customizable computer realm seems to be using, but that doesn't quite make sense to the wider public. What does bottlenecking mean? How does it affect me? How can I fix bottlenecking if it's a problem?

They're all good questions, and we're here to give you a good understanding of bottlenecking and figure out how to fix your PC bottlenecking problem.

What Is Bottlenecking?

In terms of PCs, bottlenecking refers to a component that limits processing power or graphical performance. Bottlenecking typically occurs due to differences in the maximum capabilities of two components, where the maximum capacity of one part exceeds the other, causing a bottlenecking effect in which performance is throttled.

You can visualize this like there is a lot of water trying to escape a bottle. If the water cannot escape the bottle because the bottleneck is too thin, it won't serve its purpose. However, if the bottleneck is quite thick in width, water can escape quickly, which is exactly what you're after. This metaphor is comparable to the parts in a computer, where if one part can't "flow" quickly to another, you get this bottlenecking effect.

A PC bottleneck isn't necessarily caused by the brand, age, or quality of parts, but their performance in relation to other parts. This is not just something that can happen in bespoke high-end systems, either. It can happen in lower-budget devices if careful planning is not undertaken.

4 PC Bottlenecking Examples

One of the most common bottlenecks you'll see is in PC gaming and concerns your CPU (central processing unit).

1. CPU/GPU Bottlenecking

The CPU is responsible for a whole load of important calculating operations and sends rendering instructions to the graphics processing unit (GPU). Often, the CPU is too weak to keep up with a powerful graphics card on poorly planned devices, heavily restricting the number of frames per second.

You could use 100% of your GPU if your CPU were more powerful, but it spends time idling because of this particular bottleneck situation.

2. GPU/CPU Bottlenecking

If you have a powerful CPU but a lesser GPU, basically, your CPU processes the game faster than your GPU can render it. However, while this sounds bad, it actually means that your computer will render 100% of the frames it can possibly do, which is exactly what you want when gaming. That's why it's always handy to consult a gaming PC building guide before starting your PC build!

3. Hard Drive Bottlenecking

One bottlenecking example concerns storage. If you're using an older device but have upgraded your CPU, GPU, and RAM, the next thing to upgrade is your old hard disk drive (HDD). Older HDDs experience longer load times or stuttering as your program tries to pull information from the HDD, which you could replace with a faster SSD.

4. Display Bottlenecking

It's not just the internal components that cause a bottleneck. Say you own a top-of-the-line Nvidia RTX 3080, but you're still gaming on a 60Hz, 1080p monitor. While your video output will be exceptional, and you'll play games on ultra settings, you're not getting the most from your hardware, which is another type of bottleneck.

How to Check For a PC Bottleneck Using a Bottleneck Calculator

If you're sure your PC isn't performing as it should, you might have a system bottleneck. But figuring out how your PC components work together and which components aren't playing nicely isn't as simple as opening your PC case and having a poke around. There are a few ways you can check for a bottleneck in your PC components without having to get hands-on—at least, not hands-on yet!

There are several online bottleneck calculators that you can use to figure out what's holding your machine back. One option is CPU Agent's FPS and Bottleneck Calculator for this example. It's a simple process; head to the site, enter your CPU, GPU, and RAM information, then hit the Calculate FPS and Bottleneck button. Unsure about your PC specs? There are a few ways you can quickly check your PC specs, then fill in the form.

A second option is PC Builds Bottleneck Calculator, which follows a similar process with some slight differences. Specifically, PC Builds doesn't ask for your RAM information but does ask for your intended system use, which it uses to figure out where your issues lie. For example, as you can see from the images below, my GTX 1070 GPU is bottlenecking my much more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 5800X CPU, illustrating that a new GPU is required.

Close

How Can I Fix My PC Bottleneck?

The simplest solution to bottlenecking, whatever you might be looking for in a customizable PC, is to ensure that you select a balanced assembly of components. Whatever hardware you choose, planning will prevent hardware bottlenecking and deliver optimized performance across the board. Instead of buying wildly overpowered individual parts, you will be far better off buying balanced pieces of kit that fit together. Otherwise, your system will lag.

Websites like PCPartPicker are amazing for planning out a new PC build, as they enable you to hypothetically slot in bits and pieces and see what works together and what doesn't. Using sites like this, you can create a system that will always perform, regardless of what programs you run or which games you play. It's also important to remember that you can always upgrade bits and bobs later and that you should optimize now before upgrading things later.

However, the only issue with sites like PCPartPicker is that while they show you compatible parts, they don't illustrate issues that might arise down the line. So, your best bet to avoid building a new system with a bottleneck is to punch your potential components into one of the aforementioned online checkers and check the outcome.

And, of course, building a new PC isn't the only way to fix your bottlenecking problem. The bottlenecking tools will help to pinpoint one or multiple areas of your system that require an upgrade, so check them out before splashing out on an entirely new system.

Use a Bottleneck Checker to Fix Your Bottlenecked PC

Bottlenecking can drastically impact your computer's performance, but you can fix bottlenecking with some proper planning. By ensuring all parts work together in unison and that one doesn't outperform the other, you'll have a device that can meet your needs no matter what they are—from processing images and playing high-end games to having a generally pleasant experience while using your PC.