Have you ever tried playing a game, and you have a sudden drop in FPS from time to time? Next second, you’re dead.
If you try to observe, these sudden FPS drops appear when you kill the entire army of the mob at once. The screen may show the damage done to at least 1,000 crowds by your massive fire AOE skills.
Anything that shows too much text or a big change in graphics usually drops FPS. It, my friend, is a matter of CPU interruption or GPU interruption.
Let’s move on when we talk in detail about CPU and GPU interruptions and ways to interrupt issues.
Defining the Bottleneck, CPU Bottleneck and GPU Bottleneck
The term “obstacle” is used when there is a limit on the quantity of data you can provide for processing or the amount of data you can process simultaneously.
Because of the volume of information being sent in for processing, the ability to return processed data is insufficient.
The components involved in the interruption process are the CPU (processor) and GPU (graphics card).
An interruption will occur if there is too much difference in their processing speed. We’ll talk additionally about the details of the process later.
Is it possible for a CPU to bottleneck a GPU?
Yes. The CPU issues instructions if the GPU runs faster than the rate. Most of the time, the command buffer (FIFO, which contains the commands issued to the GPU) is almost empty.
If the CPU is an older model or has only one core / dual-core, it will lack power, and the modern GPU will not be able to use its full potential.
The first PCI Express motherboard is from 2004, so there are many older systems, and most of them can use modern GPUs (if the BIOS recognizes newer models).
So in such cases, the system with CPU and ddr2 / ddr3 RAM will not have enough power to run 1080 etc. You will lose capacity.
But these cases are rare. Nonetheless, I’ve seen people ask if they can upgrade their old system by buying a new GPU.
These days, if you have a CPU with at least 3.5 GHz and 4 cores, you won’t see any obstacles.
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CPU Bottleneck
- GPU Bottleneck
CPU Bottleneck
CPU interruption occurs when the processor is not fast enough to process and transfer data. A good example is the AMD A6 5th gen processor paired with the GTX 1080 Ti graphics card.
A GTX 1080 Ti can easily play games with better graphics details on paper. However, the CPU is hampered because the A6 processor cannot maintain the graphics card’s processing speed.
The CPU is responsible for processing real-time game actions, physics, UI, audio and another complex CPU-related processing.
There is an obstacle if the speed of data transfer is limited. See below for a better visual representation of what happens when a CPU interrupts.
GPU Bottleneck
The same concept applies to GPU interruptions – only when you connect a high-speed processor to an entry-level graphics card.
An Intel Core i7-8700K and a GeForce GT 1030 graphics card are the perfect complements.
Of course, the Core i7 processor can process games faster. Since the GT 1030 processes so quickly, it is impossible to return the processed data.
Causes of CPU and GPU Bottleneck
Now let’s talk about what hinders CPUs and GPUs. With whom we have spoken so far. You may think that you have a slow processor or a bad graphics card which causes this.
No.
Games are not designed to be the same. Although they change according to the set-in game settings, they are CPU-dependent and GPU-dependent games.
CPU-dependent games usually have higher FPS rates with lower-resolution graphics. These games include:
- Cities: Skylines
- Civilization V
- Minecraft
- Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag
GPU-dependent games benefit from greater frame rates on high-end graphics cards. Here are some games that depend on the infamous GPU.
- The Witcher 3
- Borderlands 2
- Metro last light
- Dim light
That’s why you must choose a specific gaming setup that you typically play carefully. Getting started with this prevents you from having to “upgrade” your components anytime soon.
Ways to Address CPU and GPU Bottleneck
There is no way to see if your CPU or GPU is to blame for the interruption. You can do this by downloading monitoring software such as MSI After Burner.
We’ve included a download link here for your convenience. Click on the Download After Burner button in the Downloads tab.
Monitoring Your CPU and GPU Processes
With the MSI After Burner opens and set up, log your CPU and GPU usage while gaming or you can easily open the Monitoring window while gaming. It allows you to see every load on your CPU and GPU.
You have CPU constraints if your CPU reflects high usage with low GPU usage. Similarly, this means that the game depends on the CPU.
On the other hand, if your GPU load is increasing while your CPU load is low, then you have a GPU interruption. It also means that the game depends on the GPU.
Fixing Your Bottleneck Issues
Obstacles to your CPU or GPU are easy to solve. The key is to balance the processing load of both components to play the same rhythm.
Increase the game’s resolution
If you have a CPU interruption, you should “balance” the load by increasing your GPU’s processing usage.
The GPU will take longer to process data if you increase the resolution of your game’s visuals to 4K.
Final Thought
If you have a CPU interruption, you should “balance” the load by increasing your GPU’s processing usage.
Increasing the resolution of your game’s visuals to 4K requires the GPU to handle more data.. Combining the right ingredients will reduce the chances of encountering an obstacle.
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