SOVLED! Does CPU Impact FPS? Things you should know!

CPU is the brain of your computer and we all know that. But, how much does it impact the FPS when it comes to playing games on your system.

Well, this question is pretty easy to answer because the CPU has very little to do with the FPS. Although it is impossible to play games without a CPU the FPS is mostly related to the GPU. But, there are some caveats to it.

First of all, the CPU is responsible to process the instructions and also conveying the inputs from the users. But, it has a lot more things to do in the new-age games. The AI utilized in many games is mostly handled by the CPU. Some of the most CPU-intensive games are Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Stat Citizen, ARMA, GTA-5.

So, all these games are going to put a load on your CPU. But, still, the main component which can impact the FPS is actually your GPU. Obviously, the GPU can be bottlenecked by a weak CPU but if the CPU is enough to work along with your GPU, it has nothing more which can contribute to the FPS. So, you can say that CPU is important for FPS because, without a compatible CPU, a GPU will not be able to offer you the best FPS possible.

Importance of a good CPU in gaming

CPU will boot up your game when you send the instructions to it. The inputs given by you through the Mouse, Keyboard, Joysticks are processed by the CPU before they actually affect the gameplay.

For example, if you are using a weak CPU with a powerful GPU. We can say we are using an Intel i3-8350K with an RTX 3080. You are going to face a serious CPU bottleneck. The GPU can get bottlenecked at around 50% even on 1080P resolution. The bottleneck will increase as the resolution is increased.

So, it is good to choose the right CPU as per the kind of gaming you want to do. Some tools like this can actually help you identify any bottlenecks you may get to see with your chosen CPU/GPU.

What is the CPU bottleneck in gaming?

CPU bottleneck is pretty easy to understand. As we discussed earlier, there are some initial yet powerful tasks that are always handled by your CPU before the GPU actually starts its job of throwing the frames to your monitor. These initial instructions are important to be processed by any game you want to play.

Not all the CPUs will be able to process those game instructions at the same speed. But, if a CPU is so slow that it is not able to work according to the GPU’s requirements, this could cause a bottleneck.

The simple way to check the CPU bottleneck is to use software like MSI Afterburner and turn On the real-time game insights. If the CPU is reaching its 100% of usage but the GPU is still not reaching its highest potential, that means there is a CPU bottleneck. This will not only impact the FPS but your ability to increase the game’s resolution even if your GPU is capable enough for that high-performance gaming.

How to choose the right CPU for gaming to achieve the best FPS?

There is no simple and straight answer to this question. But, there are definitely some good resources to make the decision perfectly. PCPartPicker is a good resource to pick the best GPU as per the selected CPU or vice-versa.

The best way is to make your decision with proper research. But, keep a thing in mind that there is always going to be some kind of bottleneck in all the cases. Even if you match the CPU and GPU perfectly with each other, there is never going to be a 0% bottleneck. But, you can try to match the specifications properly with a good platform. Or, you can take suggestions from an expert to pick the right components for you.

Conclusion

CPU is not the most important component when it comes to gaming FPS. A good GPU is what you should strive to get. In order to get the best FPS possible, you should get a good graphics card. But, a CPU should be capable enough to work along with your GPU and give it enough strength. If your CPU isn’t bottlenecking the GPU, it will not reduce or impact the FPS. Nor, a good CPU will increase the FPS.

Thanks for reading!