Overclocking on a CPU bottleneck?

[Timmy-P]

It may seem like a stupid question, but would I get any gains from overclocking my GPU, even if it's being bottlenecked by a weak CPU? My reasoning is if GPU usage is limited, it's still being used somewhat, so an overclock would still do something, no matter how marginal. Or am I thinking too basically?

[Comessy]

No it wouldn't do anything

[RevoltTrain]

It should help a bit. But don't expect it to be a giant difference.

[Boink]

The more your GPU can calculate the more stress it puts on the CPU. If your CPU is already at 100% load your GPU will just wait for the CPU to give it a new task (this is how a bottleneck is formed).

Overclocking increases the amount the GPU can calculate but also increases the load on the CPU, which needs to allocate the tasks for the GPU. So if your CPU is already maxed out, your GPU can't calculate any faster no matter how high you clock it.

[Timmy-P]

The more your GPU can calculate the more stress it puts on the CPU. If your CPU is already at 100% load your GPU will just wait for the CPU to give it a new task (this is how a bottleneck is formed).

Overclocking increases the amount the GPU can calculate but also increases the load on the CPU, which needs to allocate the tasks for the GPU. So if your CPU is already maxed out, your GPU can't calculate any faster no matter how high you clock it.

How does overclocking the GPU put extra strain on the CPU?

[Boink]

How does overclocking the GPU put extra strain on the CPU?

Every instruction the GPU does is given to it by the CPU. By overclocking, you increase the number of instructions the GPU can complete per second, but these can only be given as fast as the CPU can prepare them. If the CPU can't give as many instructions as the GPU can handle, the GPU will simply wait until it receives another one.

[Timmy-P]

Every instruction the GPU does is given to it by the CPU. By overclocking, you increase the number of instructions the GPU can complete per second, but these can only be given as fast as the CPU can prepare them. If the CPU can't give as many instructions as the GPU can handle, the GPU will simply wait until it receives another one.

Yes, I get that. I made myself seem dumber than I am, sorry. So again, how does increasing the instruction rate put an extra burden on the CPU?

[Megahurt]

Yes, I get that. I made myself seem dumber than I am, sorry. So again, how does increasing the instruction rate put an extra burden on the CPU?

It doesn't, he just phrased it weird, overclocking your gpu would increase it's performance and you would need a stronger cpu to keep up with the extra performance, it won't make the bottleneck worse.

[Hieb]

How does overclocking the GPU put extra strain on the CPU?

 

The CPU has to prepare data for every frame rendered. Higher framerates = more CPU load. However you won't get worse performance with more GPU horsepower, it just won't help much. When the CPU is the bottleneck, that means it's basically reached its limit in terms of how many frames it can prepare for the GPU. Overclocking the GPU increases the potential for the GPU, but it's wasted if the CPU cannot prepare any more frames.

[Timmy-P]

The CPU has to prepare data for every frame rendered. Higher framerates = more CPU load. However you won't get worse performance with more GPU horsepower, it just won't help much. When the CPU is the bottleneck, that means it's basically reached its limit in terms of how many frames it can prepare for the GPU. Overclocking the GPU increases the potential for the GPU, but it's wasted if the CPU cannot prepare any more frames.

Yes, I understand. I've known this. What puzzled me was how @Boink worded it, making it seem as if overclocking the GPU worsened CPU performance that's all.

[Hieb]

Yes, I understand. I've known this. What puzzled me was how @Boink worded it, making it seem as if overclocking the GPU worsened CPU performance that's all.

 

It shouldn't. Sometimes crossfire and SLI setups can reduce performance when CPU bottlenecked, but otherwise increasing the GPU power will just provide no benefit in most cases.

 

Overclocking the GPU will put more load on the CPU if framerates or some graphical settings increase. It's not the inherent power of the GPU that affects whether a CPU is a bottleneck, it's the game, framerate and graphics settings (e.g. ambient occlusion and shadows increase CPU load)

[Timmy-P]

It shouldn't. Sometimes crossfire and SLI setups can reduce performance when CPU bottlenecked, but otherwise increasing the GPU power will just provide no benefit in most cases.

Overclocking the GPU will put more load on the CPU if framerates or some graphical settings increase. It's not the inherent power of the GPU that affects whether a CPU is a bottleneck, it's the game, framerate and graphics settings (e.g. ambient occlusion and shadows increase CPU load)

I get it. I do. I was just confused by wording, that's all.