Simple Question about Bottlenecking..

Shain Taylor

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Mar 21, 2013
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I'm confused about something. Let's say N CPU bottlenecks after let's say a HD7850 and you install an R9 290, does this mean that you will only get 7850 performance out of the R9 290 or will it be better/worse?
 
Solution
I understand what you meant. If the more powerful GPU were just a more better version of the less powerful GPU, the bottleneck would be the limit and all GPUs would have the same performance (bottleneck limited)

However, it is never that simple. The CPU bottleneck limits the data processed sent to the GPU. More powerful GPUs may be more efficient and games are not even in their load on CPU vs GPU, so a game that is very CPU intensive will show little effect no matter what the GPU. Games that are very GPU intensive, even if bottlenecked by the CPU, will show significant improvements anyway, and some operations essentially bypass the CPU.

So, it all depends on the specific game in practice.

Here's a question for you. What are you...

Shain Taylor

Honorable
Mar 21, 2013
411
0
10,960
I don't mean that I am having bottlenecking issues; just if N CPU would bottleneck in BF3 with anything more that a 7850, and I used N CPU with a 7970 in BF3, would I get 7850 performance out of the 7970 or would it be better/worse than the 7850?
 
I understand what you meant. If the more powerful GPU were just a more better version of the less powerful GPU, the bottleneck would be the limit and all GPUs would have the same performance (bottleneck limited)

However, it is never that simple. The CPU bottleneck limits the data processed sent to the GPU. More powerful GPUs may be more efficient and games are not even in their load on CPU vs GPU, so a game that is very CPU intensive will show little effect no matter what the GPU. Games that are very GPU intensive, even if bottlenecked by the CPU, will show significant improvements anyway, and some operations essentially bypass the CPU.

So, it all depends on the specific game in practice.

Here's a question for you. What are you thinking of doing that the answer to this question would help?
 
Solution
The whole concept of a bottleneck is actually pretty bogus .
Computer hardware X might be restricting fps on a low resolution monitor , but be performing ideally at a higher resolution .
And even if its being restricted in FPS on a low resolution monitor you will be able to turn image details up .

When you start to factor in the performance of a monitor there is another layer of complexity .
60 Hz monitors[ almost all] can only every display 60 fps . If you have a computer pushing 90 fps at it all you see is 60 fps because thats all the monitor can display . Maybe of the "better" computers people suggest get built on this forum just cost more and do not change the end user experience anyway