Question 1

How does the comparison decide the overall winner?

Accepted Answer

The headline winner is the part with the higher normalized 0–100 performance index — a single relative score tuned to reflect well-established ordering across reviews and generations rather than any one benchmark suite. The gap is reported as a percentage relative to the slower part, so '~44% faster' means the winner's index is 44% above the loser's. It's the cleanest one-line summary, but the per-metric table can name a different winner on individual rows like single-thread, value or efficiency.

Question 2

How do I read the percentage delta?

Accepted Answer

It's the difference between the two performance indices expressed as a percentage of the lower one. If part A scores 90 and part B scores 62, A is (90−62)/62 ≈ 45% faster. Using the slower part as the baseline keeps the number intuitive ('this much more performance than the cheaper option'). For parts within about 1% the tool calls it a dead heat, because at that margin the decision should rest on value, efficiency or features instead.

Question 3

What is a bottleneck and when does the panel appear?

Accepted Answer

A bottleneck is when one component can't keep the other fully fed, capping real performance. The panel only appears when you pair a CPU with a GPU (the comparison itself works for any two parts, but a bottleneck check is only meaningful for a CPU+GPU pairing). It compares the two indices, flags the weaker one as the likely limiter, and shows a 0–100 balance score where 100 means perfectly matched.

Question 4

How reliable is the bottleneck heuristic, and what are its limits?

Accepted Answer

Treat it as a directional sanity check, not a guarantee. It's derived purely from the gap between two launch-spec indices: pairings within 12% are labeled balanced, beyond that the lower-indexed part is flagged as the limiter. Real bottlenecks depend heavily on resolution (CPU matters more at 1080p high-refresh, GPU matters more at 4K), in-game settings, RAM speed, drivers and the specific title. The tool can't see any of those, so use it to spot obviously lopsided pairings, then verify with benchmarks for your exact games.

Question 5

Can I compare two CPUs or two GPUs, not just CPU vs GPU?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can compare any two parts — two CPUs, two GPUs, or one of each. The metric table adapts to whatever both parts have in common (CPUs surface single/multi-thread, cores, clocks; GPUs surface gaming, compute, VRAM, bandwidth). The bottleneck panel only shows up for a CPU+GPU pairing, since balancing a processor against a graphics card is the only case where that question makes sense.

Question 6

Why does a slower part sometimes win rows like perf-per-dollar?

Accepted Answer

Because raw performance and value aren't the same thing. Perf-per-dollar is the index per $100 of launch MSRP and perf-per-watt is the index per 100W of TDP — both reward parts that deliver more per unit of money or power. Mid-range and efficiency-first designs routinely lose the raw-index row but win those derived rows, which is exactly why they're shown: the fastest part is rarely the smartest purchase.

Question 7

Can I compare parts from different generations or brands?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and that's the main point of a normalized index. A 2020 flagship and a 2025 mid-ranger can be placed on the same 0–100 scale and compared directly across NVIDIA, AMD, Intel and Apple. When two parts from different years tie on the index, the value and efficiency rows are usually where the real decision lives.

Question 8

Why do TDP and MSRP highlight the lower value as the winner?

Accepted Answer

For most metrics higher is better, but power draw and price are costs, so lower is better — the table respects that direction. A green TDP cell means that part runs cooler and cheaper to power; a green MSRP cell means it launched at a lower price. This prevents the misleading impression that a higher number is always good.

Question 9

Is the data live or continuously updated?

Accepted Answer

No — it's a curated reference dataset of documented launch specifications (cores, clocks, TDP, process node, release year, launch MSRP) with a hand-tuned relative performance index. It's built for relative comparison, upgrade planning and class shopping, not as a live price tracker. Street prices move constantly, so read MSRP-based perf-per-dollar as a relative value signal rather than a current quote.

Question 10

Is my comparison private?

Accepted Answer

Completely. The entire dataset and all comparison, delta and bottleneck logic run in your browser in JavaScript — nothing is uploaded, there's no account and no telemetry, and it works offline once the page has loaded. Picking parts and swapping A/B never leaves your device.

Metric	A · GeForce RTX 4090	B · GeForce RTX 4070	Winner
Performance index	91	63	A
Gaming	90	62	A
Compute / AI	92	64	A
VRAM	24 GB	12 GB	A
Mem bandwidth	1008 GB/s	504 GB/s	A
TDP (lower better)	450 W	200 W	B
MSRP (lower better)	$1599	$599	B
Perf / dollar	5.7	10.5	B
Perf / watt	20.2	31.5	B

CPU GPU Compare Pro

How to read a head-to-head

CPU GPU Compare FAQs

Trusted by Builders & Upgraders

More hardware tools

Related Articles

Technical Services