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For best gaming performance you laptop or desktop computer must have at least 6 core CPU. A 4-core CPU is still considered the threshold for gaming, but if you want to get into serious or professional gaming, then you might go for a 6-core or even an 8-core gaming processor. However, you must consider the depth of the pockets. They are really expensive.
So here we have a detailed guide on How Many CPU Cores Do We Need for Gaming? And a guide on the relationship between GPUs and CPUs.
Relationship Between GPU & CPU - Bottlenecking
It makes sense to have a GPU suitable for gaming. But you should know that the relationship between the two is very doable. You can't ignore one, as this will seriously hinder the best performance of your machine.
Therefore, to perfectly measure the smooth performance of a GPU, you need a powerful CPU, and vice versa.
If there is a mismatch between the two, you will run into a bottleneck. This is a term for the condition of your PC when the GPU is not fully functional because the CPU is not powerful enough.
What makes a CPU so powerful?
How many cores a CPU has determines how powerful it is. As a rule of thumb, more cores should mean more processing power. That's it. However, more than that, other components like RAM and hard drives are also important when it comes to better playing games with different requirements.
When it comes to online gaming, you definitely need a better internet connection, at least 15 MB/s CPU speed to get more frames per second.
Back to the core, a single core performs a single basic task. If you were one of the first to use single-core CPU PCs, you'll remember that they couldn't handle multitasking.
With the advent of multi-core, this became a reality. Multi-tasking is easy with multi-core processors these days. They have the technology and ability to switch tasks in seconds.
This feature is also used when you open and play games. Some games require extra cores because they need to run a lot of processes. In this sense, you may have noticed that doing other tasks while playing games makes your PC go through a lot.
So you might want to buy a PC that has a powerful processor over 4 cores but at the same time single-core gaming performance is enough to handle a single task of gaming or even software.
What are the best starting CPUs for gaming?
Following the logic I explained above, the best starting CPUs for Intel and AMD are the Core i5 9th generation and the Ryzen 5 3600X. They perform well in mid-range games and even some top and modern titles, but with lower frames per second.
The Core i5 9th gen has a CPU score of 10795, 6 cores 6 threads, and the AMD Ryzen 5 3600X 6 cores 12 threads has a CPU score of around 18302.
Clearly, AMD Ryzen 5 is the clear winner here, but clearly it comes with its fair share.
Talking about these two processors doesn't mean staying or buying quad cores at all. As I said, it's a threshold, but going to 6 or 8 cores will future-proof your system.
What do I mean by future-proof systems? Well, you will use your PC to play premium games in the future. So why not buy something that will be relevant even years from now?
Buying a quad core is sure to be a good example of a future bottleneck.
Multithreading and Hyperthreading - How these two help in CPU performance?
How can a single core perform multiple tasks so easily? This has to do with hyperthreading or multithreading.
Both of these mean the same thing - a single core with multiple threads. Intel has hyperthreading and AMD has multithreading just to make a difference.
It's certainly better. Fortunately, most CPUs today come with multiple threads. If you're considering choosing the one with only cores and no threads, then you might want to reconsider your choice.
Even benchmarks tell the story. Consider the 3DMark for 4 Cores, which is 1,093,886, then 4 Cores with 4 Threads, which jumps to 1,105,294. So when adding multiple threads there is a significant difference in the performance of the CPU, or should I say increased performance.
Additionally, having multiple threads can also improve single-core performance. This should be good news for multitaskers, as a single core is enough to run multiple programs, even some popular games.
The latest series from Intel and AMD are both vying for the top spot in thread-based performance. While AMD won this battle with its processors with more threads per core, the Intel Core i9 holds a different edge in the Intel processor stack.
So, the answer to this question is yes, multithreading or hyperthreading does help the overall performance of the CPU. At the same time, however, you should understand that choosing a GPU can disrupt or affect performance when playing AAA games.
Some perfect combination of CPUs with GPUs
I highly recommend that you choose Ryzen 5 or i5 and above for gaming. But don't use an RTX 2070 with these as your PC will eventually bottleneck. This GPU is pretty powerful, and if you pair it with a Ryzen 7 or Core i7 9th Gen CPU, you'll be treated fairly.
FAQs - About recommended CPU cores for gaming
How many CPU cores are best for gaming?
Anywhere around 4-6 cores is more than enough for playing most high-end games.
Is a 6-core CPU enough for gaming?
Since more and more new franchises are built on the logic of exploiting multiple cores, having a higher core count is very beneficial. In other words, 6 cores are undoubtedly the best choice for gaming.
How many cores does GTA V use?
GTA V requires at least 4 cores to play smoothly without any frame drops.
How Many CPU Cores Do We Need for Gaming - My Conclusion
As a general rule of thumb, choosing multiple cores CPU is the right choice. You can play low-end games starting with a quad-core processor. However, if you are keen on gaming, you should consider a 6-core or even 8-core CPU.
Also, make sure you have the right GPU to get the most out of your PC. you will find a bunch of articles on the web about your best CPU that meet you budget and gaming performance.
What are your suggestion about this guide tell us more in the comments.