Does A Better CPU Increase FPS?

Unsure if installing a new processor will increase your FPS? Here’s everything you should know to maximize the FPS gains from upgrading your CPU.

Let’s say you built a PC decked with a premium processor, high-end graphics card, and tons of RAM a few years ago. When you first assembled your system, it could run all games with max settings without breaking a sweat. But with the latest innovations in PC games and hardware, your system may no longer be able to keep up with your gaming needs, and you might find yourself in need of some hardware upgrades.

Assuming your system isn’t heavily bottlenecked by a particular component, you should almost always prioritize upgrading the graphics card if you want a significant boost to your in-game performance. That said, upgrading your CPU will also net you better frames, and in certain situations, you might even see higher FPS gains by picking a newer CPU instead of a GPU.

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How to see FPS in your games

It’s good to monitor the frame rates to see how well a game is running on your hardware

When should you upgrade your CPU?

Let’s take a look at processor-related bottlenecks. You should definitely start looking for a new processor if your system tends to hit 100% CPU utilization and less than 75% GPU usage on even the least demanding games. This means your CPU lacks the horsepower to keep up with your graphics card and is due for an upgrade. So, before you go about searching for a new processor, it’s a good idea to fire up the Task Manager and check the CPU utilization. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Boot your favorite game and press Alt + Tab to minimize it.
2. Right-click on the Start button and select Task Manager.
3. Head to the Performance tab.
4. The CPU utilization percentage will be visible under the graph within the CPU tab. (It shouldn’t be near 100% that’s for sure.)

Which games will benefit from upgrading your CPU?

Since certain gaming genres are more CPU-bound than others, the types of games you play will also have an impact on the frames you’ll gain by slotting in a new processor. For instance, all simulation games, from city builders like Cities Skylines to racing sims like Assetto Corsa Competizionerequire a high-end CPU and the same holds true for Stellaris, Civilization VIand other 4X strategy games.

You should also consider upgrading your CPU if you want to play esports games at high refresh rates. Most mid-range graphics cards can run multiplayer FPS games at 1080p, so you’ll need a beefy CPU to enjoy a lag-free experience at 60Hz+ refresh rates.

Although the emulators for old-school consoles like the NES, PSP, and Wii can work on mobile phones, it’s an entirely different story if you’re interested in playing games made for (relatively) newer consoles. The emulators for consoles like the Wii U, Switch, and PS3 are particularly taxing on the CPU, so it’s possible to see a huge difference in the frame rates if you install a better processor.

On the other hand, if you want to play an RPG or an open-world game at 4K with all the settings maxed out, you won’t see much of a difference in frame rates unless your current processor is older than five years.

Things to keep in mind when upgrading your CPU

Typically, you’d want to focus on a mixture of instructions per clock (IPC) ratings, the clock speeds, and the core count when you choose a new CPU. While CPUs with higher multithreaded performance are preferred for professional workloads, for gaming you should ideally pick a CPU with better single-threaded performance since most present-day games don’t efficiently utilize all the cores. For maximum FPS gains, you should pick processors with higher overclocking headroom as they can hit much higher boost clocks.

If you prefer Team Blue’s offerings, you should go with a processor with the “K,” where the K means that it is overclockable. Alternatively, you can go for a “KF” processor, where F denotes a lack of integrated graphics, which you won’t really need if you also have a decent GPU. AMD fans should go with “X” or “X3D” processors, with the X denoting higher clock speeds (and power requirements), while the 3D suffix implies the CPU is equipped with a 3D cache.

Socket size is important

Finally, you should ensure that the new processor is compatible with your motherboard’s socket. For instance, 14th-gen Intel processors only work on motherboards with an LGA 1700 socket. While most motherboard manufacturers have released Z790 and B760 boards, the Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs can work on most last-gen Z690 and B660 motherboards with a BIOS update. Meanwhile, you’ll need a motherboard with the AM5 chipset for AMD’s 7000-series CPUs. Sadly, the old motherboards no longer work with Team Red’s Zen 4 processor lineup, so you’ll have to purchase a new B650 or X670 motherboard in that case.

Long story short, a better processor can improve your frame rates, though the FPS gains will vary depending on the type of games you play on your system. If you’re still unsure about picking a new CPU, we have a list of the best processors for gaming that you can use as a reference.