Is my CPU a bottleneck for my PC?

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rahmin16

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Oct 12, 2013
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Recently I upgraded my graphics card (GTX 660) to 2x 980s in SLI. However I have noticed on games such as counter strike global offensive that the performance has not noticeably increased to justify the price increase. I understand the performance per price ratio etc. However I would like to know if my intel core i5 4670k is a bottleneck and if there are any suggestions to improve. I don't mind upgrading my CPU and mobo etc but was wondering if now would be the time. Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
Solution
techgeek
If you are seeing your GPU usage is low (not 100% for both), it could be something else. Try going into the nVidia Control Panel > Manage 3D settings > Power Management Mode and select Prefer maximum performance. In Optimal power mode, the driver will see that the GPU is rendering insanely high framerates and it will either throttle the clock speed, or won't utilize the GPU's fully.

However that said, CS:GO isn't a very hardware intensive game. So going from 200fps to 400fps is pretty much an academic pursuit. You won't benefit from the additional 200fps.

You CPU is plenty powerful enough for your system and probably will be for a few more years.
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Ecky

Ecky

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Feb 3, 2013
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Expanding on what scuzzycard says, if you have a 60hz screen, you're not going to be able to tell the difference between an Intel Celeron and GTX 950, and a Core i7 Extreme + GTX 1080 SLI in CS:GO. It simply has really low hardware requirements. Which games were you hoping to get more performance in, and what framerates and graphical settings did you have before?
 
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geofelt

geofelt

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Oct 9, 2006
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Some games are graphics limited, and some are cpu limited
Most cpu limited games are because they depend on a single fast master thread.
I think that is the case with CSGO, but a definitive answer seems murky.

If you have applied a decent overclock to your 4670K, there is little more you can do.
Yes, a i5-6600K overclocked will be marginally faster, but I doubt you would notice.
You can test out that possibility with this test:
Run your game.
Limit your cpu, either by reducing the OC, or, in windows power management, limit the maximum cpu% to something like 80%.
Go to control panel/power options/change plan settings/change advanced power settings/processor power management/maximum processor state/
This will simulate what a lack of cpu power will do.
Conversely what a 20% improvement in core speed might do.
On the graphics card side, some games do not support dual gpu.
Don't know if CSGO is in that category.
You will win fps synthetic benchmarks with sli, but gameplay will be better with a good single card.
You will avoid dual gpu issues such as stuttering or screen tearing.
 
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rahmin16

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Oct 12, 2013
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I understand that CSGO is not performance heavy etc however as that is the game i primarily play then that is what I will use as an example. The actual performance varies.
 
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techgeek

techgeek

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Apr 11, 2004
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If you are seeing your GPU usage is low (not 100% for both), it could be something else. Try going into the nVidia Control Panel > Manage 3D settings > Power Management Mode and select Prefer maximum performance. In Optimal power mode, the driver will see that the GPU is rendering insanely high framerates and it will either throttle the clock speed, or won't utilize the GPU's fully.

However that said, CS:GO isn't a very hardware intensive game. So going from 200fps to 400fps is pretty much an academic pursuit. You won't benefit from the additional 200fps.

You CPU is plenty powerful enough for your system and probably will be for a few more years.
 
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Solution
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rahmin16

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Oct 12, 2013
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I currently have a 75hz screen. Games such as GTA 5 and SR4 would maybe offer more of a performance increase, however I am noticing no performance increase in CSGO. Even with uncapped frames it remains the same practically in terms of FPS counts. I understand that you cannot really tell the difference visually but when the FPS does not improve then it causes me to wonder more. I am wondering therefore if the GPU is being bottlenecked by the CPU.
 
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rahmin16

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Oct 12, 2013
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Thanks for the reply. I understand that the FPS increase wont be that beneficial however it would be nice to see a tangible increase from a GTX 660 in terms of FPS. As the FPS only increased slightly I was not sure if the CPU was a bottleneck. Also thank you for the CPU advice, that was my suspicion but was not entirely too sure
 
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scuzzycard

scuzzycard

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Feb 26, 2016
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Well, you've quadrupled your GPU power, but CS:GO is probably a little heavier on the CPU than the GPU. It's a fact though, that your CPU is still fine for gaming and won't be a bottleneck in other situations that are more relevant and less academic in nature. Since you have a K series, you also have the option to buy a good cooler, and overclock that CPU. A Haswell i5 at any speed north of 4GHz will keep up with any game on the market today and probably for a couple more years.
 
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