General Tasks bottleneck calculator
AMD Athlon II X3 400e and AMD Radeon R9 280X
Popular combinations
Popular graphic card comparisons
Popular processor comparisons
General Tasks
6400 × 4800
1 monitor
1. Select purpose
Currently selected:
General Tasks
2. Select processor
Currently selected:
AMD Athlon II X3 400e
3. Select graphic card
Currently selected:
AMD Radeon R9 280X
4. Select resolution
Currently selected:
6400 × 4800 resolution
(1 monitor)
Calculation result
Bottleneck percentage
The AMD Athlon II X3 400e may serve as a bottleneck for the AMD Radeon R9 280X in the General Tasks with 6400 × 4800 and 1 monitor. Although the AMD Radeon R9 280X is engineered to manage heavy graphical tasks, the AMD Athlon II X3 400e might lack the processing power needed to fully unlock the AMD Radeon R9 280X capabilities. This imbalance may inhibit the overall efficiency of your system, slowing down processing and possibly compromising graphical fidelity. For a more harmonious hardware setup, upgrading to a high-performing processor that can meet the demands of current software and games is advised.
In a configuration featuring the AMD Athlon II X3 400e and AMD Radeon R9 280X, with a screen resolution of 6400 × 4800 and 1 monitor, the system experiences a 14.2% bottleneck for General Tasks.
Processor and graphic card utilizations
In a computing setup featuring the AMD Athlon II X3 400e and AMD Radeon R9 280X, under the context of General Tasks with a screen resolution of 6400 × 4800 and 1 monitor, the processor is expected to have an utilization rate of 82.7%, while the graphics card is projected to be utilized at 64.6%.
It's crucial to understand that these figures signify theoretical maximums based on typical CPU-to-GPU workload distribution ratios for certain tasks or gaming experiences. Achieving these high levels of utilization in real-world settings can be a challenging endeavor.
Playability
- Playable
- Frames per second
-
A game is considered "playable" if it can consistently run at 60 FPS on high settings. This ensures a smooth and visually appealing gaming experience free from lags or stutters.
Heatmap of bottleneck
In gaming scenarios, your AMD Radeon R9 280X might not attain its full performance potential due to a lack of optimal utilization. This happens when the AMD Athlon II X3 400e fails to handle and transmit data to the AMD Radeon R9 280X at an adequate speed. As a result, the AMD Athlon II X3 400e will be operating at its maximum capacity, while the AMD Radeon R9 280X remains underutilized.
When it comes to bottlenecks, a processor bottleneck is generally viewed as more detrimental than a graphics card bottleneck. In cases of a processor bottleneck, the AMD Athlon II X3 400e capacity reaches its limits, which may adversely affect other applications running concurrently. This situation can result in diminished responsiveness and multi-tasking capabilities.
Moreover, due to the processor bottleneck, the system might not leverage the full performance capabilities of the AMD Radeon R9 280X. Consequently, there could be restrictions in graphical rendering, frame rates, and the overall gaming experience.
To visualize these bottlenecks, consider examining our heatmap. On this heatmap, the X-axis represents the CPU Score, while the Y-axis denotes the GPU Score. A quick glance at this heatmap can offer invaluable insights into potential bottlenecks within various system configurations.
By correlating your AMD Athlon II X3 400e CPU Score and AMD Radeon R9 280X GPU Score on the heatmap, you can acquire a more comprehensive understanding of how these components interact and where the bottlenecks might occur. Making well-informed hardware choices based on this heatmap analysis can lead to a more balanced and efficient computing setup for your specific needs.
Bottleneck solutions
Replace processor
When the processor becomes the system's bottleneck, upgrading it is often the most straightforward way to improve performance. Opting for a faster processor with more cores and higher clock speeds can effectively minimize or even eliminate the bottleneck, making it easier for your graphics card to perform to its maximum capability.
- AMD Athlon II X4 559 Full details
- AMD A8-5500 Full details
- AMD FX-4100 Full details
- AMD A8-5500B Full details
- Intel Core i5-680 Full details
- AMD Athlon X4 750 Full details
- AMD Athlon X4 740 Full details
- AMD Phenom II X4 965 Full details
- AMD Phenom II X4 B60 Full details
- Intel Core i5-760 Full details
- Intel Celeron G5900 Full details
- AMD FX-4130 Full details
- Intel Celeron J4115 Full details
- Intel Core2 Extreme X9770 Full details
- AMD Phenom II X4 B65 Full details
- Intel Pentium G4520 Full details
- AMD A10-5700 Full details
- AMD Phenom II X4 970 Full details
- Intel Pentium G4500 Full details
- Intel Celeron G5905 Full details
- AMD A8-6500 Full details
- Intel Core i7-920 Full details
- AMD Phenom II X4 980 Full details
- Intel Core2 Quad Q9650 Full details
- Intel Celeron G3950 Full details
- Intel Core2 Quad Q9550 Full details
- Intel Pentium G4400T Full details
- AMD Phenom II X4 960T Full details
- AMD Phenom II X4 940 Full details
- AMD Athlon II X4 645 Full details
- Intel Celeron G3920 Full details
- AMD A8-3850 Full details
- AMD Phenom II X4 850 Full details
- AMD Phenom II X4 B50 Full details
- Intel Core i3-3245 Full details
- AMD Phenom II X4 945 Full details
- Intel Core i5-660 Full details
- Intel Xeon E5-2407 Full details
- Intel Xeon E5607 Full details
- Intel Xeon E5530 Full details
- Intel Xeon E5-2603 v2 Full details
- Intel Xeon X5482 Full details
- Intel Xeon X3440 Full details
- Intel Xeon E5540 Full details
- Intel Xeon E5-2609 Full details
- Intel Xeon X5365 Full details
- Intel Xeon E5-2403 Full details
- Intel Xeon X3363 Full details
- Intel Xeon E5606 Full details
- Intel Xeon E5440 Full details
Impact of Changing Screen Resolution
Interestingly, if you're facing a processor bottleneck, altering the screen resolution may have a counterintuitive impact. Elevating the screen resolution will primarily stress the graphics card, thereby reducing the proportion of work that the processor needs to do in certain tasks. This makes it less likely that the processor will max out, though it does not replace the benefits of a processor upgrade for a balanced system.
Read moreReplace graphic cards
If the processor is causing the bottleneck, replacing the graphic card isn't generally recommended unless you're also planning to upgrade the processor. Downgrading your graphics card to better match the processor might alleviate the bottleneck, but it often results in a decrease in overall system performance, especially in graphics-heavy tasks like gaming or 3D rendering.
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Full details
- AMD Radeon Eng Sample: 100-000000560-40_Y Full details
- AMD Radeon Sky 500 Full details
- AMD Radeon HD 7950 Full details
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 Full details
- AMD Radeon R9 270X Full details
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 Full details
- AMD Radeon HD 7870 XT Full details
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 Full details
- AMD Radeon HD 7870 Full details
- AMD Radeon R9 270 Full details
- AMD Radeon R7 370 Full details
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti Full details
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Full details
- AMD Radeon RX 460 Full details
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 Full details
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti Full details
- AMD Radeon HD 7850 Full details
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 Full details
- AMD Radeon RX 560 Full details
- AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100 Full details
- AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL Full details
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Full details
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti BOOST Full details
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 Full details
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti Full details
- AMD Radeon RX 560X Full details
- AMD Radeon R7 260X Full details
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 Full details
- AMD Radeon R7 360 Full details
- AMD Radeon HD 7790 Full details
- AMD Radeon R9 360 Full details
- AMD Radeon HD 6990 Full details
- AMD FirePro W7000 Full details
- NVIDIA Quadro K4200 Full details
- AMD FirePro W7000 Adapter Full details
- NVIDIA Quadro P1000 Full details
- NVIDIA Quadro M2000 Full details
- NVIDIA Quadro K5000 Full details
- AMD FirePro W8000 Full details
- NVIDIA GRID K520 Full details
- NVIDIA Quadro K2200 Full details
- NVIDIA Quadro P620 Full details
- NVIDIA Quadro P600 Full details
- AMD FirePro W7170M Full details
- NVIDIA Tesla C2070 Full details
- NVIDIA Quadro K5100M Full details
- AMD FirePro W5100 Full details
- AMD FirePro W5000 Full details
- NVIDIA Quadro K1200 Full details
Impact of Changing Screen Resolution
Increasing the screen resolution in this case will demand more from your graphics card and can make the processor's bottleneck less noticeable in some scenarios, but again, it won't entirely solve the underlying problem.
Read moreOffers for AMD Radeon R9 280X
Dual-X
Vapor-X
DirectCU II
IceQ X²
Tri-X
Dual-X
| Product name | Merchant | Available | Price |
Merchant
Available
Price
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
85mm for Sapphire Tri-X Vapor-X R9 280X 290 290X 390 390X Graphics Card Fan 4pin Fan Cooling |
|
Yes | 68.99 $ |
Yes
|
|
MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Gaming graphics card with Twin Frozr VI cooling system 13 new from 197.00 $. 2 used from 89.00 $. Last updated 30 minutes ago. |
|
Yes | 197.45 $ |
Yes
|
|
2 new from 219.00 $. 2 used from 139.00 $. Last updated 33 minutes ago. |
|
Yes | 219.95 $ |
Yes
|
|
|
Yes | 315.00 $ |
Yes
|
|
|
|
Yes | 399.00 $ |
Yes
|
Product pricing and availability information was updated as of the date and time listed, but is subject to change. If you choose to purchase a product from a retailer, the price and availability displayed on their website at the time of purchase will apply. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through the links to participating retailers on this site. However, this does not impact the products or prices that are displayed or the order in which prices are listed.
Bottleneck calculator types
Select purpose bottleneck calculator
Before selecting a bottleneck calculator, consider your primary computing tasks. For general activities like web browsing and office work, the calculator evaluates the balance between your CPU and GPU. If you focus on CPU-intensive tasks like video editing or 3D rendering, the tool will highlight processor performance. For GPU-centric tasks such as gaming or graphical rendering, it will assess the efficiency of your graphics card. Choose the appropriate calculator to accurately identify potential system bottlenecks for your specific use-case.
Select game bottleneck calculator
By selecting a game from the list, the calculator will analyze potential bottlenecks specifically tailored to that game's system requirements and graphical demands. This allows you to optimize your setup for a smoother, more responsive gaming experience. Choose the game that aligns with your interests to get the relevant bottleneck analysis.