How Many CPU Cores Do I Need for Gaming 2024? Ultimate Guide

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In this post, you’ll get to know about How Many CPU Cores Do I Need for Gaming 2024?

Gaming laptops and computers need at least six cores to run well. For serious or professional gaming, a 6-core or even 8-core CPU may be necessary.

However, you’d have to take into account your wallet’s capacity. They may be pricey.

Complete guidance on the number and relationship between CPU cores and GPU is provided here, along with a full explanation of how these two components interact.

Bottlenecking in the GPU-CPU Relationship

Gaming requires a powerful graphics processing unit (GPU). However, you should be aware that there is a strong possibility of a partnership between the two.

How Many CPU Cores Do I Need for Gaming

You can’t substitute one for the other since doing so will hurt your machine’s performance. As a result, a strong CPU is required to accurately assess the smoothness of GPU performance.

If the two aren’t compatible, bottlenecking will occur. When your CPU isn’t strong enough, your GPU can’t operate to its maximum potential.

What Makes a CPU Fast?

The number of cores in a CPU influences its power. Higher scores should imply more processing power. That is true.

However, other components like RAM and hard drive also matter when it comes to playing demanding games better.

For online gaming, a faster internet connection with at least 15 MB/s CPU performance is required. Returning to the cores, each one performs a single function.

If you were among the first people to use single-core CPU PCs, you recall their inability to multitask. Multi-cores made it possible. Now multi-core CPUs are simple.

They may swap jobs in seconds thanks to technology. This is also used to open games. Some games need more cores to operate all the tasks.

You may have observed that multitasking while gaming puts a strain on your PC. So, you may want to get a PC with a strong CPU with more than 4 cores, but also with decent single-core gaming performance.

What Are The Best Gaming CPUs?

The greatest beginning CPUs in Intel and AMD are the Core i5 9th generation and Ryzen 5 3600X. They can handle mid-range or even high-end games, albeit with poor frame rates.

It has 6 cores and 6 threads, whereas the AMD Ryzen 5 3600X has 6 cores and 12 threads. The AMD Ryzen 5 is the victor here, but it is not without cost.

Talking about these two CPUs does not imply leaving or not buying quad cores. The barrier is 4, however, 6 or 8 cores will future-proof your system.

What does “future-proofing” mean? So, you’ll utilize your PC to play complex games in the future. So why not invest in something that will last a few years? Buying a quad-core ensures future bottlenecking.

How Do Hyperthreading and Multithreading Help CPU Performance?

How do single cores accomplish so much? That’s hyperthreading or multithreading. Both imply a single core with many threads.

To differentiate, Intel uses hyperthreading whereas AMD uses multithreading. This is much better. Fortunately, most modern CPUs have many threads.

If you’re considering one with just cores and no threads, you may want to rethink. Even the benchmarks say so.

Consider 3DMark 4 Cores (109,886), then 4 Cores with 4 Threads (1105,294). So, adding several threads makes a noticeable difference, or should I say improvement, in CPU speed.

Having several threads also increases single-core speed. That’s excellent news for multitaskers since a single core can run many apps, including games.

Both Intel and AMD’s newest series are fighting for the top spot when it comes to thread performance. While AMD’s CPUs now have more threads per core, the Intel Core i9 has a distinct advantage in the Intel processor world.

So, certainly, multi threads or hyper threads do help a CPU’s overall performance. Choosing a GPU might break or hinder performance while playing AAA games.

CPU & GPU Synergy at Its Finest:

I recommend Ryzen 5 or i5 for gaming. No RTX 2070 with them or your PC will become a bottleneck. This GPU is powerful and will work well with Ryzen 7 or Core i7 9th generation CPUs.

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Conclusion: How Many CPU Cores Do I Need for Gaming?

Choosing more than one core is a good idea as a general rule of thumb. Playing low-end games might be possible with a four-core CPU at first.

You should also investigate 6- or even 8-core CPUs if you’re serious about gaming.

To maximize the performance of your PC, be sure that you have the correct graphics card. So, if you’ve got the money, go for it.

Diksha

A graduate of the IIMC, Diksha enjoys testing out new tech products and services. Her goal is to help others make more informed purchases of tech products and services. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, watching movies, and listening to music. An ardent reader loves to be surrounded by technology. You can follow her on LinkedIn and Instagram

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