Catalog balance model / catalog-tier-v1.1

CPU, GPU & RAM bottleneck calculator.

Compare a processor, graphics card and RAM configuration for your target resolution. See the likely limit, memory compatibility and the evidence behind each conclusion.

Free & shareable Versioned formula No account

CONFIGURATION INPUT

Build the pairing.

Choose exact desktop models when possible, then add the RAM details you know. Board variants and motherboard support can change the final configuration.

PROCESSOR

Select the CPU

CPU model required for the benchmark report

No processor selected. Select one to continue.

Desktop catalog models with usable core and clock specifications produce the strongest estimate.

GRAPHICS CARD

Select the GPU

GPU model automatic detection or catalog selection

Detecting browser renderer…

Choose the exact VRAM variant where it is known. A generic family name is clearly marked as a lower-evidence fallback.

03 / SYSTEM MEMORY Add the RAM configuration. RAM generation, installed capacity, data rate and active channels cannot be detected reliably by a browser. Enter only what you know; unknown values remain unknown.

Memory generation

?Not sure 3DDR3 4DDR4 5DDR5

Installed capacity GB Total installed system memory. Data rate MT/s Use the advertised MT/s value, such as 3200 or 6000—not the base clock shown by some tools. Active channels CH Two or four DIMMs do not always mean quad-channel. Most consumer boards operate in dual-channel.

CPU

Select a CPU and we will show its published DDR support. This does not detect the RAM installed in your PC.

GB/s

Add the data rate and channel mode to preview theoretical peak bandwidth.

04 / TARGET RESOLUTIONWhere should the pairing work?

01 1080p 1920 × 1080 2.1 million pixels 02 1440p 2560 × 1440 3.7 million pixels 03 4K 3840 × 2160 8.3 million pixels

What you receiveLikely limiter · tier gap · evidence level · separate RAM and VRAM checks

METHOD BEFORE MARKETING

A bottleneck is a moving target.

The honest answer depends on workload. This model narrows the question to catalog tier balance and keeps every assumption visible.

CPU / 01

Core + clock proxy

Boost clock, base clock, cores and threads form a weighted capacity index. It cannot fully represent IPC, cache or hybrid-core scheduling.

GPU / 02

Compute + bandwidth

Theoretical FP32 and memory bandwidth form the graphics tier. They are useful directionally, but they are not measured game frames.

RANK / 03

Percentiles, not mixed units

Each index is ranked against its own recent desktop catalog, then the two market tiers are compared in percentile points.

OUTPUT / 04

Band, not fake precision

Balanced, leaning or likely limited is more defensible than claiming the same exact performance loss across every game.

PLAIN ANSWERS

Before you trust a result.

Use the calculator to review a planned build, then benchmark the real PC and test the games or applications you actually use.

Is this an FPS bottleneck percentage?+

No. PCBenchmark compares CPU and GPU catalog tiers and reports a directional balance band. It does not invent a fake universal FPS percentage.

Why does resolution change the result?+

Higher pixel counts generally move more work toward the graphics card. The calculator applies a small, published scenario adjustment rather than pretending to simulate a specific game.

Can every game have the same bottleneck?+

No. Game engine, scene, settings, ray tracing and target frame rate can all change which component becomes the limit.

Can RAM cause a bottleneck?+

Yes. Too little memory, single-channel operation or a very low data rate can hold back some workloads. We report those risks separately instead of turning them into a made-up universal performance-loss percentage.