BuildRanked · Thermal bottleneck
Is heat slowing down your PC?
Find out whether your CPU or GPU temperature is limiting performance
For official limits and a deeper thermal view, see the Thermal browser. For full rankings, visit Rank PC.
Components & temperatures
Pick the CPU and GPU closest to what you have, then set the temperatures you usually see under load (°C). Everything updates locally in your browser — no accounts or cloud calls for the math.
What this suggests
Choose a CPU and a GPU in the section above to see which side loses more performance to temperature in this model.
Choose a CPU and a GPU above to see how heat compares between them in this model.
What is a thermal bottleneck?
A thermal bottleneck happens when a part gets hot enough that it has to slow itself down to stay safe. Your game might still look “GPU bound,” but the real limit can be cooling — the chip cannot sustain its full clock. This page compares that effect between your CPU and GPU using a simple temperature curve. It is an educational estimate, not a lab measurement of your exact rig.
CPU vs GPU overheating — what is the difference?
CPU hotspots often come from cooler mount, paste, fan curve, or weak case airflow around the socket. GPU hotspots are usually case flow past the card, fan curve, or dust on the heatsink. Either one can drag down frame times; the tool highlights which side is losing more performance in this model.
Why CPU or GPU temperatures run high (and how to fix each)
If your CPU is consistently hot, the most common causes are weak cooler contact, aging thermal paste, restricted intake airflow near the socket, or overly aggressive boost settings for your cooling setup.
If your GPU runs hotter than expected, causes are often dust buildup in the card fins, poor airflow under the card, a conservative fan curve, high ambient room temperature, or dried-out paste/pads on older cards.
How to fix thermal throttling
- CPU-first fixes: re-seat the cooler, apply fresh thermal paste, and improve front-to-back case airflow around the socket area.
- GPU-first fixes: clean dust from heatsinks/fans, improve airflow under the card, and raise the GPU fan curve slightly.
- System-wide fixes: keep filters clean, lower room temperature if possible, and verify cable placement is not blocking intake paths.
- Advanced tuning: tune CPU power limits or fan curves for sustained clocks; on older GPUs, repasting can recover thermal headroom.
Start with cleaning and airflow first. If temperatures remain high, move to cooler re-mounting, paste refresh, and power/fan tuning.
Always confirm temperatures with your own monitoring software. Results here are for illustration only and do not replace manufacturer guidance.