Research-based tutorial. Thresholds are sourced and vary by guide, and we have not run these tests ourselves. No affiliate links.
The short answer
Quick answer
- Watch GPU usage while you play. If it stays near 95% to 100%, the GPU is the limit.
- If GPU usage sits well below that (guides use anywhere from 60% to 90% as the line) while the frame rate is low, the CPU or something else is holding the GPU back.
- A GPU limit is normal and often what you want. It only means the graphics card is doing all it can.
A bottleneck means one part cannot keep up with the rest, so the whole system waits on it. In games, the CPU prepares each frame and the GPU draws it. Whichever finishes last sets your frame rate. That is why a faster graphics card sometimes changes nothing, and why the fix starts with finding which part is the limit. If you are deciding what to buy, see our GPU value guide after you finish this check.
Step 1: Show CPU and GPU usage while you play
You need a live overlay, because a number read after you quit the game tells you nothing. Several guides name the same free options:
- Windows Task Manager: the Performance tab shows CPU and GPU usage. It is enough for a quick look, though it is not an overlay (MakeTechEasier).
- MSI Afterburner with RivaTuner Statistics Server: a free overlay that shows GPU usage, CPU usage, frame rate and frame time on screen (CyberPowerPC, MakeTechEasier).
- Vendor tools and others: the NVIDIA app, AMD Adrenalin, Intel PresentMon and CapFrameX can also show an overlay (Digital Citizen).
Show at least GPU usage, CPU usage, frame rate and, if available, frame time. Play the demanding part of the game, not the menu, for a few minutes.
Step 2: Read the numbers
Guides use different cut-offs, so treat them as a range, not a rule:
| Source | GPU limit looks like | CPU limit looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Digital Citizen | GPU usage around 95% or higher | GPU usage below about 90%, especially with low GPU power draw |
| CyberPowerPC | GPU usage near 100% with CPU at about 60% or lower | CPU near 100% with GPU at about 60% to 70% or lower |
| PCWorld | Not defined as such | GPU usage of 80% or less points to a strong CPU limit |
| MakeTechEasier | GPU usage consistently over 90% with low CPU usage | GPU usage low, plus CPU clock speed at maximum |
The common thread is that the GPU number is the signal. PCWorld says the CPU usage figure on its own is not what tells you there is a CPU bottleneck, and Digital Citizen suggests checking per-core activity too. Our editorial view is that one busy core can limit a game while the overall CPU percentage looks modest, so check both and trust the GPU number first.
Step 3: Run the resolution test
This test confirms what the overlay suggests. Lower the game’s resolution and check the frame rate.
- If the frame rate rises a lot, your GPU was the limit, because you gave it less to draw.
- If the frame rate barely moves, the CPU is probably the limit, because the GPU was already waiting (Evetech, Digital Citizen).
Step 4: Rule out other causes
Low GPU usage is not always the CPU. Digital Citizen says a frame-time spike that lines up with a GPU usage drop can come from the CPU, RAM, storage, shader compilation or asset streaming. Before you blame the processor:
- Check whether a frame-rate cap or V-Sync is limiting the game. A capped game shows low GPU usage by design (our editorial note).
- Close background apps. HP names them as one of the biggest causes of a CPU bottleneck.
- Check how much memory the game uses. See how much RAM you need for gaming.
What to change first
| If you are | Try this |
|---|---|
| GPU limited | Lower the settings that load the graphics card most, such as resolution, shadows and ray tracing. This is normal, and usually the cheapest fix (our editorial advice). |
| CPU limited | Lowering resolution will not help, because the GPU is already waiting (Digital Citizen). Close background apps, reduce CPU-heavy settings such as crowd density or view distance, and consider a CPU upgrade only if the first two do not help. |
HP adds that every system has some bottleneck, and the goal is to split the load between CPU and GPU as evenly as you can, not to remove it entirely. PCWorld notes that if the CPU is the limit, a higher resolution can give the GPU more to do, so you lose less. Be careful with online bottleneck calculators. They estimate from part names and do not measure your games.
Before you spend money
Memory prices are high this year, so an upgrade is rarely cheap. We explain why in Why PC Parts Cost So Much in 2026, and Build, Buy a Laptop or Wait? covers whether to wait at all. If you play on a laptop, the GPU power limit can also change results; see our gaming laptop buying guide.
Last checked 27 October 2026. We update this guide when the tools or recommended thresholds change. How we source our guides is explained on the About page.
Sources
- Digital Citizen: How to tell whether your CPU or GPU is limiting gaming performance
- PCWorld: PC bottlenecks, CPU or GPU limiting gaming performance
- CyberPowerPC: How to identify and test for a GPU or CPU bottleneck
- MakeTechEasier: How to check for CPU and GPU bottlenecks in your PC
- Evetech: CPU bottleneck test guide
- HP Tech Takes: Is my CPU bottlenecking my GPU? (January 2023)
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