Help understand gaming performance from hardware

[Leot]

I'm trying to understand how does the motherboard, Ram and CPU help improve the performance of the PC during gaming unlike GPU and hard drive of which I understand. A clear explanation would be great because im thinking about upgrading my motherboard, RAM and CPU cause I think they might be throttling my GPU. Thanks

[emosun]

ok i dont think anyone is going to sit here and type out how a computer works but a game is a program same as any other , faster hardware = faster program/game

what you should probably do is just post what your specs are and what the game is and what settings so people can determine what the issue is. 

[Chosenporo]

A good motherboard will allow you to run faster ram, which can give marginal fps gains, it will also allow for overclocks, which, provided you have a good cooler can have distinct performance impact.

[LogicalDrm]

Mobo has very little direct effect on performance, even with more specialized software. It's just base with features that can allow you to gain more from other components.

 

CPU is brains of the operation. While GPU draws stuff on the screen, CPU calculates what should be and where. Which is why games with more variables are CPU intensive. Like strategy games.

 

RAM is short-term memory. In games when you load level, everything is loaded to RAM and VRAM. Faster RAM has only little effect and on certain combinations. More RAM means that game can load more resources to RAM. Which leads to less micro-stutter which is caused from CPU moving stuff to RAM while in game.

[noobs guid to marsterrace]

It's more about balance. motherbords have no affect on performance but have other feature like more fan headers and RGB lights. Ram makes little difference I have 8gb and it's fine some people recommend 16gb but rams expensive and not worth getting alot of. GPUs are more important then CPUs but its important to get a balence. If you tell me you specs I could recommend something to upgrade.

[ShredBird]

A CPU runs the game.  It keeps track of everything going on and tells the GPU what to draw on screen.  The faster the CPU, the faster it can calculate what's on screen and tell the GPU to draw it leading to more frames per second.  For example, in a game like Grand Theft Auto, the CPU is running the AI for all the cars and characters on screen as well as calculating the physics and what objects in the environment are on screen.  The faster it can calculate all this, the faster it can tell the GPU to draw it. 

 

Basically there are two wait times for any game.  How long the CPU takes to calculate a frame and how long the GPU takes to draw it.  If the CPU time is longer than the GPU time it means that your CPU is holding back your game performance.   If the GPU time is longer, then your GPU is holding you back.  This is why when you want to test the limits of your CPU, you lower the resolution so the GPU time is minimized.  When you want to test the GPU you maximize resolution to increase the draw time.  Every machine has a balance.

 

RAM has the least effect on performance.  Mainly you just need enough, speed doesn't effect most games too much.  However, some processors such as AMD's new Ryzen benefits a lot from having really fast RAM.