A bottleneck in a PC occurs when one component limits the performance of another component. In the context of gaming, a bottleneck can refer to a situation where the CPU or GPU is not operating at its maximum potential, which can result in lower frame rates and overall performance. Bottlenecks can occur in both high-end and entry-level systems, and they are not necessarily caused by the quality or age of the components, but rather their performance.
The most common bottleneck in gaming PCs is the interplay between the CPU and GPU. A CPU bottleneck occurs when the graphics card works faster than the CPU, leading to the GPU not being fully utilized. On the other hand, a GPU bottleneck occurs when the graphics card cannot keep up with the CPUs output, resulting in the GPU calculating fewer images per second than the CPU prepared beforehand.
To prevent or minimize bottlenecks, it is important to have a balanced system where the CPU and GPU are well-matched in terms of performance. Additionally, other factors such as RAM, storage, and airflow can also contribute to bottlenecks, so it is essential to consider the overall system configuration when building or upgrading a PC.
