PC Gaming Performance Basics
FPS is the result of several moving parts working together. Understanding the basics makes hardware and benchmark numbers much easier to interpret.
GPU
The GPU handles much of the game's graphics workload. Its architecture, compute capability and memory resources influence rendering performance.
CPU
The CPU prepares game logic, simulation and rendering work. Its importance varies with the game, settings and desired frame rate.
RAM
System memory holds active data for the operating system and applications. Capacity and memory configuration can matter, particularly for integrated graphics.
Resolution and settings
Higher rendering resolution generally means more pixels for the GPU to process. Individual graphics settings add different workloads depending on the engine.
Why benchmarks differ
Two published results can disagree because they use different hardware, game versions, scenes, settings or test methods. A benchmark is meaningful only when its context is understood.