The world of PC gaming has come an exciting journey since its inception, with each technological advancement contributing to a more immersive and visually stunning gaming experience. However, this perpetual technological progress is also the source of one of the biggest fears of PC gamers: that one of their components is not up to par and needs to be replaced. 

With a graphics card, it's easy to upgrade, but a GPU bottleneck is often a real headache that can require replacing the motherboard and RAM, as well as the chip in question.

How to stop future CPU bottlenecking?

In general, as with anything related to PC building bottlenecks, just make sure to plan your build accordingly. Some general tips from us:

• Try to stick to current gen CPUs and motherboards.

• Pick a form factor that'll be appropriate for future upgrades.

• When buying memory, buy fewer sticks of RAM. E.G. for 16GB. Pay extra for a single 16GB stick instead of 2x8GB sticks.

• Make sure your Power Supply has some extra juice to handle adding new components.

• Make sure your motherboard has enough slots for upgrades, for example - PCiE slots, Sata Slots, M2 Slots, Fan Connectors, & more.

• Make sure the CPU you buy can handle basic processes before spending big on a GPU.

• Use computer performance analysis apps and CPU agent bottleneck calculators.

 

 

Remember that your PC peripherals can also have bottlenecks

We all worry about bottlenecking and the damage they do to CPUs. Imagine spending 800$ on an RTX 4080 SUPER only to find out that you're not going to get any value out of it because your Ryzen 5 3600 CPU simply can't keep up. 

Still, one thing that's striking is that we talk about these CPU and GPU bottlenecks as if they only had to do with the power of your graphics card and processor, and that's because the wasted resources can even come from the peripherals we use. After all, even if you're ready to play the most demanding games on the most powerful triple A rig, what about your monitor, for example?

Your monitor's resolution and refresh rate can also be a bottleneck. If you have a powerful graphics card, you should use a monitor that's up to par, and if we use the definition of "wasted potential" by using hardware that's too weak for the rest of the set, we can draw some parallels that are a bit more abstract than they might seem.

For example, what keyboard do you use? If you've spent 500$, 600$ or 800$ on a graphics card, it makes sense to use a keyboard that's up to par, and the same goes for the mouse. There are cheap alternatives that, in terms of performance, give you a better deal than many very expensive peripherals. Even building your own keyboard is cheaper than it seems.

We can stretch this even further: let's talk about audio. With a powerful setup, you should also have good sound. You don't need to spend a fortune on that, as there is a very wide range of decent headphones for a good price. A little lifehack is to look at some of the IEM brands you can find even on Amazon. There you can get good sound without paying too much for it.

The case that houses all your components can also be a limiting factor. What if its airflow is poor? You can even lose computer performance because the temperatures of your components are too high, forcing them to exercise thermal regulation by reducing their power to lower the temperature.

In the end, it all comes down to balancing and pampering our setup within our economic possibilities. Consider all the parts of your experience, not just the graphics card and the processor, and try to match the quality and performance of each of them to have a completely balanced rig.

 

 

What will the future of gaming look like?

Before we delve into the future, it’s essential to understand the evolution of PC gaming. In its early days, games relied heavily on conventional rendering techniques that couldn’t replicate the complexity of real-world light and shadows. In the quest for visual perfection, two emerging technologies, ray tracing and artificial intelligence (AI) powered graphics, have taken the spotlight. These technologies promise to transform the PC gaming landscape, taking graphical quality to unimaginable levels and immersing gamers in astonishingly realistic digital worlds.

Ray tracing is a technique that simulates the way light interacts with objects, generating ultra-realistic visual effects. Unlike traditional methods, ray tracing can create precise reflections, natural shadows, and global illumination in real time, transporting gamers to a new level of immersion.

In addition to ray tracing, AI has burst onto the gaming graphics scene. Machine learning algorithms and neural networks are now being used to improve crucial aspects of game graphics. From smoother character animations to advanced texture mapping and increased resolutions, AI is driving developer creativity and improving the visual quality of games.

The benefits of these technologies are undeniable. Immersion is a fundamental pillar of the gaming experience, and ray tracing and AI-powered graphics take it to new heights. Digital worlds now feel more alive and real than ever, with visual effects that capture the essence of natural light and reflective surfaces.

Of course, there is no progress without challenges. Implementing ray tracing and AI-powered graphics in games is not without its hurdles. Hardware requirements are more demanding, meaning players need to upgrade their systems to fully enjoy these features. Additionally, the computational intensity of these technologies can increase development costs, which can influence the economic viability of projects.

However, the future looks promising. The coming decades could bring even more amazing advancements. Ray tracing is expected to evolve into real-time global illumination, allowing for even more accurate rendering of the virtual world. Dynamic weather conditions could become the norm, thanks to the combination of ray tracing simulation and artificial intelligence. We could even see the arrival of AI-powered content generation, where games are autonomously created based on players’ wishes.