Gaming PCs and Displays

How to understand building or buying a Pre-build Gaming PC better?

CPU v.s. GPU Frequency

Clock frequency (measured in GHz or MHz) represents the speed at which your processor completes cycles. In gaming, it acts as a multiplier for how fast your hardware can perform its specific tasks.

However, the CPU and GPU have distinct roles, and their clock speeds affect your Frames Per Second (FPS) in different ways.

1. The CPU: The "Game Manager"

The CPU prepares the frames before the GPU draws them. A higher CPU clock frequency allows it to do the math and logic faster.

• Role: It calculates physics (explosions, object movement), game logic (hit registration, quest updates), and AI behavior. Crucially, it sends "Draw Calls" to the GPU, effectively telling the GPU what to draw.

  
  

• Effect on FPS: The CPU sets the maximum possible FPS ceiling. If your CPU is slow (low frequency), it cannot send instructions fast enough. The GPU will sit idle waiting for work, resulting in low FPS regardless of how powerful your GPU is.

  
  

• Most Noticeable In: 1080p gaming, simulation games (like Civilization or Factorio), and chaotic multiplayer games (Warzone, Battlefield).

2. The GPU: The "Artist"

The GPU takes instructions from the CPU and paints the actual pixels on your screen. A higher GPU clock frequency allows it to render visuals faster.

• Role: It handles lighting, shadows, texture mapping, and millions of pixel calculations.

  
  

• Effect on FPS: The GPU determines the actual FPS stability and visual quality. If your GPU clock is low, it will take too long to paint each frame. The CPU will have to wait for the GPU to finish, causing the FPS to drop.

  
  

• Most Noticeable In: High resolutions (1440p, 4K), maxed-out graphics settings ("Ultra"), and visually demanding titles (Cyberpunk 2077, Alan Wake 2).

Display Resolutions

Feature	1080p (Full HD)	1440p (Quad HD/QHD)	4K (Ultra HD/UHD)
Pixel Count	1920×1080 (2  million pixels)	2560×1440 (3.7  million pixels)	3840×2160 (8.3  million pixels)
Best For	General computing, budget-friendly gaming, and older hardware	High-performance gaming, professional work, and a balance of quality and performance	High-resolution content creation, professional visual work, and 4K media consumption
Hardware Requirements	Lower-end to mid-range graphics cards and CPUs	High-performance graphics cards	High-end, powerful GPUs and CPUs

Testing Results

Here is my machine Ryzen 9 5900 12-Core with 32 DDR4 RAM with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 10GB Ram result:

Steel Nomad is doing something intensive so the FPS doesn't translate to real game performance and that's why you see estimated Red Dead Redemption 2's 1440P Ultra setting it would 70+FPS.

During Thanks Giving Black Friday 2025, I purchased an upgrade to my system and am now with a NVidia GeForce RTX 5090 and with 32GB memory. The CPU is AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D with 8-Core Processor. This is a huge upgrade from my previous RTX 3080 and my Ryzen 9 5900. Although the 5900 has 12 cores, the 9800X3D is a lot more faster on clock speed.

Here is my Cyberpunk 2077 Ray Tracing: Ultra setting.