You need a CPU with at least six cores to play modern games. A few years back, PC games were highly dependent on the single-core performance of a CPU. But now, game engines are designed to take advantage of all the available cores on a CPU for improved gaming performance.
With that said, a CPU with 6 cores and 12 threads is the sweet spot for gaming nowadays. You can opt for a quad-core CPU, but you’ll likely encounter lower performance when playing modern games.
Understanding the Number of Cores You Need for Gaming
To know how many cores you require for gaming, let’s learn how the CPU cores and threads work.
Each core or thread on a CPU is assigned a task when you are playing a game. This means that if you have a CPU with more cores, each task will be divided among all the available cores and threads, resulting in faster execution of those tasks.
In modern CPUs, each physical core is assigned at least two threads to boost the multicore performance. So, having more cores and threads makes a CPU faster when executing heavy workloads like gaming, rendering videos, etc.
CPU Cores & Modern Games
The main problem is, that though the gaming engine can consume multiple cores on a CPU, it cannot distribute the workload evenly among all the available cores. Therefore, most of the gaming workload is assigned to the first available core on a CPU, and the rest is then divided into the remaining cores.
The above bar chart, released by AMD in 2017, shows an 8-core CPU stressed by a DirectX12 app workload.
As you can see, the game code (in purple) runs on only six cores. Additionally, the first CPU core handles the majority of the gaming workload compared to the other available cores.
The gaming workload is not evenly distributed among all the CPU cores. Out of the eight cores, only six cores are running the game code.
This means you only need a 6-core CPU for playing DirectX12-compatible games. Upgrading to an 8-core or 10-core CPU will have little to no impact on your gaming performance.
Unless, there are gaming engines that evenly distribute the gaming workload on all the available cores, a six-core CPU is enough to satisfy your gaming needs.
Let’s say you are a hardcore gamer who runs other tasks while gaming like streaming, web browsing, etc, then yes you will have more advantages going with an eight or ten-core CPU. But remember that, the gaming code will still not surpass the six cores, you will have little to no returns from the remaining cores.
Why Intel or AMD Are Adding More Cores On A CPU?
When I tell people that you do not need more than six or eight cores for modern PC games, they often argue, “Then why are Intel and AMD racing to make processors with more cores?”
The answer to this argument is simple, AMD and Intel are not just stacking up more cores on a CPU, they’re also increasing the clock speed. By checking the prices of Intel’s Raptor Lake and AMD’s Zen 4 chips, it’s evident that gamers are being charged for higher clock speeds rather than just CPU cores.
Furthermore, the latest-generation CPUs from AMD and Intel come with a higher cache for gaming. The CPU with a higher clock speed and cache directly impacts your frames per second (FPS) in gaming.
Modern CPUs use 3D V-Cache to lower the clock frequency, resulting in better gaming performance. Intel’s Raptor Lake processors come with more cache, which makes them best for gaming and other CPU-intensive tasks.
Does Per-Core Performance Still Matter in Gaming?
The clock frequency is equally assigned to all the available cores of a CPU. So, yes the single-core performance does matter in gaming. A CPU with 6 cores (each core clocked at 3.6 GHz) would be better in gaming than a CPU with 8 cores (each core clocked at 1.8 GHz).
So, processors with higher clock speeds tend to be better in gaming and other single-threaded tasks, making per-core performance as useful as multi-core performance.
For more insights, read my comparison article on the single-core vs multi-core performance in PC gaming.
The Bottom Line
| CPU Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Dual-Core CPUs | Suitable for older or less demanding games. |
| Quad-Core CPUs | A viable option for many current games, but may struggle with newer, more demanding titles, leading to lower performance. |
| Hexa-Core and Octa-Core CPUs | Best for modern gaming, smoother performance and better handling of multitasking and resource-intensive games. |
| High-Core Count CPUs (10+ cores) | It is overkill for gaming unless you are dealing with heavy multitasking while playing games. |
You can easily get away with a six-core CPU if you intend to play modern games on your PC. An eight-core CPU can also be a good choice to make your machine future-proof for gaming.
Lastly, a four-core CPU is still in the PC gaming race, but you will struggle with limited performance in games that demand more than 4 cores on a CPU.
Go with a current generation six-core CPU from Intel or AMD for building a gaming PC. Go with a current generation CPU with a higher clock speed and more cache.
FAQs
Do CPU threads matter for gaming?
Yes, threads matter for playing modern games on your computer. Open-world games with complex environments, AI, and physics simulations can benefit significantly from multi-threaded CPUs. Having more threads on a CPU can also help gamers seamlessly deal with tasks like streaming, game clients, voice chat, and other background tasks.
Mosaab Jamal Ahmed is a seasoned technology enthusiast with a passion for gaming and PC upgrades. His journey began in 1998 with a Pentium 1 PC, igniting his lifelong fascination with computer hardware.
Over the years, Mosaab has honed his skills in upgrading and optimizing PCs with the latest components, ensuring peak performance for gaming and other demanding applications.
Through his insightful articles, Mosaab shares his extensive knowledge on building and enhancing gaming PCs.