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Is a 4 core CPU enough for gaming?

Is a 4 core CPU enough for gaming? Let's find out

Updated: Mar 16, 2023 9:42 am
Is a 4 core CPU enough for gaming?

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4 core CPUs, also known as quad cores, remained a staple in PC gaming throughout the better part of the last decade. They’re still very popular today due to their affordability and the practical amount of performance they offer, but all the latest CPUs have many more cores, which does raise some doubts. 

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If you’re interested in PC gaming, you may have been considering picking up a 4-core CPU for yourself. Well, today we’re finding out: Is a 4-core CPU enough for gaming?


How many cores do you need for gaming?

Gaming, as an activity carried out on your processor, doesn’t use up many cores. In essence, game developers find it hard to write code that utilizes multiple cores effectively. 

You may be surprised to learn that many older games don’t use more than a single core at all. This is why maximum clock speed (which is directly tied to single-core performance) has much more of an effect on gaming performance than core count. 

As technology – both software and hardware – has improved, games have been able to better utilize multiple cores. 

We now have very CPU-intensive modern titles that can more effectively utilize multicore processing, although generally, games still favor processors with higher clock speeds than more core counts. 

Are 4 cores good enough for gaming in 2024?

It really boils down to whether or not the 4 core processor in question has SMT, also referred to as Hyperthreading. 

With SMT, each CPU core acts as 2 “logical processors” and is able to take on more workload. A regular 4-core, 4-thread processor such as the Core i3-9100F or the Core i5-4570K will bottleneck pretty hard when running resource-intensive triple-A titles such as Elden Ring. 

A 4-core, 8-thread processor with SMT, however, has the processing capacity in it to be able to provide you with a very comfortable 60FPS experience in most modern titles. 

SMT really is the deal breaker when you’re working with 4 core processors in this day and age. We can’t recommend you go with a quad-core without SMT, when only for a few dollars more, you can find ones that have this feature and hence offer you much better performance and value for your money. 


What is the best 4-core gaming processor?

The Intel Core i3 and AMD Ryzen 3 lineups have some excellent options for you to consider. Currently, the quad-core CPU with the best performance stats is the Intel Core i3-13100. 

Intel Core i3-13100

The i3-13100 is a 4-core, 8-thread CPU with a maximum clock speed of 4.5GHz. It was released in January 2023 and is slightly better than its predecessor, the Core i3-12100. 

Intel Core i3-13100F

Intel Core i3 13100F

Brand

Intel

CPU Model

Core i3

Cores (Threads)

4 (8)

CPU Speed

4.5 GHz

CPU Socket

LGA 1151

The i3-13100 pairs nicely with mid-range cards such as the RX6600 to provide you with powerful 1080p gaming at 60FPS or above. 1440p is possible as well, but only in less graphically demanding games and with some toned down settings. 

It’s advisable to go for the “F” variant of the 13100 processor if you’re interested in getting the lowest price and don’t need the integrated graphics.


Final words

To summarize the information we’ve presented to you in this article: Yes, a 4 core CPU is still enough for gaming in 2024, but only as long as it has SMT or Hyperthreading enabled. This feature allows the 4 cores to function as 8 logical processors, which makes all the difference between a laggy experience at unsteady framerates and one at a steady, consistent 60FPS or more. 


Jack is a Tech and News Writer who has a vast and proficient knowledge of CPUs, Motherboards, and Computer technology.

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