Budget processor. What to choose, AMD or Intel? Bus frequency
Best Processor for Gaming | Introduction
Intel Core i3-8350K- 15900 rubles
Best Processor for Gaming | The best choice in the category up to $100
There aren't many enthusiast-worthy entry-level processors - at least until the new Ryzen APUs hit the shelves. These chips won't have cutting-edge features like AVX or Optane memory support, but they make a great pair of discrete graphics cards under $200.
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
First level
The high prices of graphics cards have not affected the entry-level and budget gaming market as much as they have in the mid-to-high-end PC market (think of any cards from the Nvidia GTX 1050 and up). However, in conditions of severe restrictions, the ability to play without installing a video card can save a lot of money. And as RAM prices continue to rise, the savings are worth it.
All this makes the quad-core, quad-thread Ryzen 3 2200G especially attractive for building budget systems. The $7,000-plus chip delivers consistent 720p performance thanks to integrated Vega graphics. It has enough headroom for everyday tasks and can be installed in a cheap motherboard based on the 300-series chipset (after updating the BIOS). Finally, it has an unlocked multiplier, so with good cooling it can be overclocked, including integrated graphics.
Alternative:
Intel Pentium Gold G5600- 8100 rubles.
AMD Ryzen 3 1200- 6900 rub.
Best Processor for Gaming | Conclusion
Now you have a list of our recommendations for choosing best gaming processor for the coming months. The point is small: you need to choose and buy a suitable processor.
Remember that the situation in stores is constantly changing. Therefore, focus on current prices and adjust your strategy. In any case, good luck!
The first quad-core processor was released in autumn 2006. They became the Intel Core 2 Quad model, based on the Kentsfield core. At the time, bestsellers such as The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion and Half-Life 2: Episode One were considered popular games. The "killer of all gaming computers" Crysis has not appeared yet. And the DirectX 9 API with shader model 3.0 was in use.
How to choose a processor for a gaming PC. We study the effect of processor dependence in practice
But it's the end of 2015. On the market, in the desktop segment, there are 6- and 8-core central processors, but 2- and 4-core models are still considered popular. Gamers are raving about the PC versions of GTA V and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and there is no gaming graphics card in nature that can deliver a comfortable level of FPS in 4K resolution at maximum graphics quality settings in Assassin's Creed Unity. In addition, the release of the Windows 10 operating system took place, which means that the era of DirectX 12 has officially begun. As you can see, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge in nine years. Therefore, the question of choosing a central processor for a gaming computer is more relevant than ever.
The essence of the problem
There is such a thing as the effect of processor dependence. It can appear in absolutely any computer game. If the performance of the video card rests on the capabilities of the central chip, then they say that the system is processor-dependent. It must be understood that there is no single scheme by which the strength of this effect can be determined. It all depends on the features of a particular application, as well as the selected graphics quality settings. However, in absolutely any game, tasks such as the organization of polygons, lighting and physics calculations, artificial intelligence modeling, and many other actions fall on the “shoulders” of the central processor. Agree, there is plenty of work.
The most difficult thing is to choose a central processor for several graphics adapters at once
In processor-dependent games, the number of frames per second can depend on several parameters of the "stone": architecture, clock speed, number of cores and threads, as well as cache size. The main purpose of this material is to identify the main criteria that affect the performance of the graphics subsystem, as well as to form an understanding of which central processor is suitable for a particular discrete video card.
Frequency
How to identify processor dependence? The most effective way is empirically. Since the CPU has several parameters, let's analyze them one by one. The first characteristic, which most often pay close attention to, is the clock frequency.
The clock frequency of the central processors has not been growing for quite a long time. At first (in the 80s and 90s), it was the increase in megahertz that led to a frenzied increase in the overall level of performance. Now the frequency of AMD and Intel CPUs is frozen in the delta of 2.5-4 GHz. Everything below is too budget and not quite suitable for a gaming computer; anything above is already overclocking. This is how processor lines are formed. For example, there is an Intel Core i5-6400 running at 2.7GHz ($182) and there is a Core i5-6500 running at 3.2GHz ($192). These processors have the same absolutely all characteristics, except for the clock frequency and price.
Overclocking has long become a "weapon" of marketers. For example, only a lazy motherboard manufacturer does not brag about the excellent overclocking potential of their products.
On sale you can find chips with an unlocked multiplier. It allows you to independently overclock the processor. At Intel, such "stones" have the letters "K" and "X" in the name. For example, Core i7-4770K and Core i7-5690X. Plus, there are separate models with an unlocked multiplier: Pentium G3258, Core i5-5675C and Core i7-5775C. AMD processors are marked in a similar way. So, hybrid chips in the name have the letter "K". There is a line of FX processors (AM3+ platform). All "stones" included in it have a free multiplier.
Modern AMD and Intel processors support automatic overclocking. In the first case, it is called Turbo Core, in the second - Turbo Boost. The essence of its work is simple: with proper cooling, the processor during operation increases its clock frequency by several hundred megahertz. For example, the Core i5-6400 operates at a speed of 2.7 GHz, but with the active Turbo Boost technology, this parameter can permanently increase to 3.3 GHz. That is exactly 600 MHz.
It is important to remember: the higher the clock speed, the hotter the processor! So you need to take care of high-quality cooling of the “stone”
I'll take the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X video card - the most powerful single-chip gaming solution of our time. And the Intel Core i5-6600K processor is a mainstream model equipped with an unlocked multiplier. Then I'll fire up Metro: Last Light, one of the most CPU-intensive games of our day. The graphics quality settings in the application are selected in such a way that the number of frames per second each time rests on the performance of the processor, but not the video card. In the case of the GeForce GTX TITAN X and Metro: Last Light - the maximum graphics quality, but without anti-aliasing. Next, I will measure the average FPS level in the range from 2 GHz to 4.5 GHz in Full HD, WQHD and Ultra HD resolutions.
Processor dependency effect
The most noticeable effect of processor dependence, which is logical, is manifested in light modes. So, in 1080p, as the frequency increases, the average FPS also steadily increases. The results were very impressive: when the speed of the Core i5-6600K increased from 2 GHz to 3 GHz, the number of frames per second in Full HD resolution increased from 70 FPS to 92 FPS, that is, by 22 frames per second. With an increase in frequency from 3 GHz to 4 GHz - another 13 FPS. Thus, it turns out that the processor used, with the given graphics quality settings, was able to “pump” the GeForce GTX TITAN X in Full HD only from 4 GHz - it was from this mark that the number of frames per second with an increase in the CPU frequency stopped growing.
As the resolution increases, the effect of processor dependence becomes less noticeable. Namely, the number of frames stops growing, starting from 3.7 GHz. Finally, in Ultra HD resolution, we almost immediately ran into the potential of the graphics adapter.
There are many discrete graphics cards. It is customary in the market to catalog these devices in three segments: Low-end, Middle-end and High-end. Captain Evidence suggests that different processors with different frequencies are suitable for different performance graphics adapters.
The dependence of performance in games on the frequency of the central processor
Now I’ll take the GeForce GTX 950 video card - a representative of the upper Low-end segment (or lower Middle-end), that is, the absolute opposite of the GeForce GTX TITAN X. The device belongs to the entry level, however, it is able to provide a decent level of performance in modern games in Full HD resolution. As you can see from the graphs below, the processor, operating at a frequency of 3 GHz, “pumps” the GeForce GTX 950 in both Full HD and WQHD. The difference with the GeForce GTX TITAN X is visible to the naked eye.
It is important to understand that the less load falls on the “shoulders” of the video card, the higher the frequency of the central processor should be. It is irrational to purchase, for example, an adapter of the GeForce GTX TITAN X level and use it in games at a resolution of 1600x900 pixels.
Video cards of the Low-end level (GeForce GTX 950, Radeon R7 370) will have enough of a central processor operating at a frequency of 3 GHz. Middle-end adapters (Radeon R9 280X, GeForce GTX 770) - 3.4-3.6 GHz. High-end flagship video cards (Radeon R9 Fury, GeForce GTX 980 Ti) - 3.7-4 GHz. Productive bundles SLI/CrossFire - 4-4.5 GHz
Architecture
In reviews devoted to the release of one or another generation of central processors, the authors continually state that the difference in performance in x86 calculations is a meager 5-10% year after year. This is a kind of tradition. Neither AMD nor Intel have seen any serious progress for a long time, and phrases like " keep sitting on my Sandy Bridge, wait for next year»become winged. As I said, in games, the processor also has to process a large amount of data. In this case, a reasonable question arises: to what extent is the effect of processor dependence observed in systems with different architectures?
For both AMD and Intel chips, you can define a list of modern architectures that are still popular. They are relevant, on a global scale, the difference in performance between them is not so big.
Let's take a couple of chips - Core i7-4790K and Core i7-6700K - and make them work at the same frequency. Processors based on the Haswell architecture are known to have appeared in the summer of 2013, and Skylake solutions in the summer of 2015. That is, exactly two years have passed since the update of the “so” processor line (this is how Intel calls crystals based on completely different architectures).
Impact of architecture on game performance
As you can see, there is no difference between the Core i7-4790K and Core i7-6700K running at the same frequencies. Skylake is ahead of Haswell only in three games out of ten: in Far Cry 4 (by 12%), in GTA V (by 6%) and in Metro: Last Light (by 6%) - that is, in all the same processor-dependent applications. However, 6% is mere trifles.
Comparison of processor architectures in games (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980)
A few platitudes: it is obvious that it is better to assemble a gaming computer based on the most modern platform. After all, not only the performance of the chips themselves is important, but also the functionality of the platform as a whole.
Modern architectures with a few exceptions have the same performance in computer games. Owners of processor families Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge and Haswell can feel quite calm. With AMD, the situation is similar: various variations of the modular architecture (Bulldozer, Piledriver, Steamroller) in games have approximately the same level of performance
Cores and Threads
The third and perhaps the determining factor that limits the performance of a video card in games is the number of CPU cores. It's no coincidence that a growing number of games have a quad-core CPU in their minimum system requirements. Vivid examples include such modern hits as GTA V, Far Cry 4, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and Assassin's Creed Unity.
As I said at the very beginning, the first quad-core processor appeared nine years ago. Now there are 6- and 8-core solutions on sale, but 2- and 4-core models are still in use. I will give a table of markings for some popular AMD and Intel lines, dividing them depending on the number of "heads".
AMD hybrid processors (A4, A6, A8 and A10) are sometimes referred to as 8-, 10- and even 12-core. It's just that the company's marketers add elements of the built-in graphic module to the computing units. Indeed, there are applications that can use heterogeneous computing (when x86 cores and embedded video process the same information together), but this scheme is not used in computer games. The computational part performs its task, the graphic - its own.
Some Intel processors (Core i3 and Core i7) have a certain number of cores but double the number of threads. Hyper-Threading technology is responsible for this, which was first used in Pentium 4 chips. Threads and cores are slightly different things, but we'll talk about this a little later. In 2016, AMD will release processors based on the Zen architecture. For the first time, the "red" chips will acquire technology similar to Hyper-Threading.
In fact, the Core 2 Quad on the Kentsfield core is not a full-fledged quad-core. It is based on two Conroe crystals, divorced in one package under the LGA775
Let's do a little experiment. I took 10 popular games. I agree that such an insignificant number of applications is not enough to state with 100% certainty that the effect of processor dependence has been fully studied. However, the list included only hits that clearly demonstrate the trends in modern game development. The graphics quality settings were selected in such a way that the final results did not rest against the capabilities of the video card. For the GeForce GTX TITAN X, this is the maximum quality (without anti-aliasing) and Full HD resolution. The choice of such an adapter is obvious. If the processor can "pump" the GeForce GTX TITAN X, then it will cope with any other video card. The stand used the top Core i7-5960X for the LGA2011-v3 platform. Testing was carried out in four modes: when activating only 2 cores, only 4 cores, only 6 cores and 8 cores. Hyper-Threading multithreading technology was not involved. Plus, testing was carried out with two frequencies: at nominal 3.3 GHz and overclocked to 4.3 GHz.
Processor dependence in GTA V
GTA V is one of the few modern games that use all eight "crusts" of the processor. Therefore, it can be called the most processor-dependent. On the other hand, the difference between six and eight cores was not so impressive. Judging by the results, the two cores are very far behind other modes of operation. The game slows down, a large number of textures are simply not drawn. The stand with four cores shows noticeably better results. It lags only 6.9% behind the six-core one, and 11% behind the eight-core one. Whether in this case the game is worth the candle - you decide. However, GTA V clearly demonstrates how the number of processor cores affects the performance of the video card in games.
The vast majority of games behave in a similar way. In seven out of ten applications, the system with two cores turned out to be processor-dependent. That is, the FPS level was limited by the central processor. At the same time, in three out of ten games, the six-core bench showed an advantage over the quad-core one. True, the difference cannot be called significant. Far Cry 4 turned out to be the most radical game - it stupidly did not start on a system with two cores.
The increase from the use of six and eight cores in most cases turned out to be either too small, or there was none at all.
Processor dependence in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The three games loyal to the dual-core system were The Witcher 3, Assassin's Creed Unity and Tomb Raider. In all modes, the same results were demonstrated.
For those who are interested, I will give a table with the full test results.
performance of multi-core systems in games
Four cores is the optimal number for today. At the same time, it is obvious that gaming computers should not be assembled with a dual-core processor. In 2015, just such a “stone” is the bottleneck in the system
We figured out the cores. The test results clearly show that in most cases four "heads" in a processor are better than two. At the same time, some Intel models (Core i3 and Core i7) can boast of supporting Hyper-Threading technology. Without going into details, I note that such chips have a certain number of physical cores and twice the number of virtual ones. In ordinary applications, Hyper-Threading is certainly useful. But how does this technology fare in games? This issue is especially relevant for the line of Core i3 processors - nominally dual-core solutions.
To determine the effectiveness of multithreading in games, I assembled two test benches: with a Core i3-4130 and a Core i7-6700K. In both cases, a GeForce GTX TITAN X graphics card was used.
Core i3 Hyper-Threading Efficiency
In almost all games, Hyper-Threading technology has affected the performance of the graphics subsystem. Naturally, for the better. In some cases, the difference has been enormous. For example, in The Witcher, the number of frames per second increased by 36.4%. True, in this game without Hyper-Threading, disgusting friezes were observed every now and then. I note that the Core i7-5960X did not notice such problems.
As for the quad-core Core i7 processor with Hyper-Threading, support for these technologies made itself felt only in GTA V and Metro: Last Light. That is, only two games out of ten. They also noticeably increased the minimum FPS. Overall, the Hyper-Threaded Core i7-6700K was 6.6% faster in GTA V and 9.7% faster in Metro: Last Light.
Hyper-Threading in Core i3 is really dragging, especially if the system requirements indicate a quad-core processor model. But in the case of Core i7, the increase in performance in games is not so significant.
Cache
We figured out the main parameters of the central processor. Each processor has a certain amount of cache. Today, up to four levels of this type of memory are used in modern integrated solutions. The cache of the first and second levels, as a rule, is determined by the architectural features of the chip. The cache of the third level from model to model can vary. I will give a small table for your reference.
So, the more productive Core i7 processors have 8 MB of cache in the third level, the slower Core i5 have 6 MB. Will these 2 MB affect performance in games?
The Broadwell family and some Haswell processors use 128 MB of eDRAM (Level 4 cache). In some games, it can seriously speed up the system.
It's very easy to check. To do this, you need to take two processors from the Core i5 and Core i7 lines, set the same frequency for them and disable Hyper-Threading technology. As a result, in the nine games tested, only F1 2015 showed a noticeable difference of 7.4%. The rest of the 3D entertainment did not respond in any way to the 2-MB cache deficit in the third level in the Core i5-6600K.
Impact of L3 cache on gaming performance
The difference in L3 cache between Core i5 and Core i7 processors in most cases does not affect system performance in modern games
AMD or Intel?
All tests discussed above were carried out with the participation of Intel processors. However, this does not mean at all that we do not consider AMD solutions as the basis for a gaming computer. Below are the results of testing using the FX-6350 chip used in the highest performing AMD AM3+ platform, using four and six cores. Unfortunately, I did not have an 8-core AMD "stone" at my disposal.
Comparison of AMD and Intel in GTA V
GTA V has already established itself as the most processor-intensive game. With the use of four cores in an AMD system, the average FPS level turned out to be higher than, for example, Core i3 (without Hyper-Threading). In addition, in the game itself, the image was rendered smoothly, without slowdowns. But in all other cases, the Intel cores turned out to be consistently faster. The difference between processors is significant.
Below is a table with full testing of the AMD FX processor.
Processor dependency in AMD system
There is no noticeable difference between AMD and Intel in only two games: The Witcher and Assassin's Creed Unity. In principle, the results lend themselves perfectly to logic. They reflect the real alignment of forces in the market of central processors. Intel cores are noticeably more powerful. Including in games. Four AMD cores compete with two Intel. At the same time, the average FPS is often higher for the latter. Six AMD cores compete with four Core i3 threads. Logically, eight "heads" of the FX-8000/9000 should impose a fight on the Core i5. Yes, AMD cores are absolutely deservedly called "semi-cores". These are the features of modular architecture.
The result is banal. For games, Intel solutions are better suited. However, among budget solutions (Athlon X4, FX-4000, A8, Pentium, Celeron), AMD products are preferable. Testing has shown that the slower four cores perform better in CPU-intensive games than the faster two Intel cores. In the middle and high price ranges (Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, A10, FX-6000, FX-8000, FX-9000), Intel solutions are already preferable
DirectX 12
As mentioned at the very beginning of the article, DirectX 12 became available for game developers with the release of Windows 10. You can get acquainted with a detailed overview of this API. The DirectX 12 architecture finally determined the direction of development of modern game development: developers began to need low-level programming interfaces. The main task of the new API is to rationally use the hardware capabilities of the system. This includes the use of all computational threads of the processor, and general-purpose calculations on the GPU, and direct access to the resources of the graphics adapter.
Windows 10 has just arrived. However, there are already applications in nature that support DirectX 12. For example, Futuremark has integrated the Overhead subtest into the benchmark. This preset is able to determine the performance of a computer system using not only the DirectX 12 API, but also AMD Mantle. The way the Overhead API works is simple. DirectX 11 imposes limits on the number of processor drawing commands. DirectX 12 and Mantle solve this problem by allowing more draw commands to be called. So, during the test, an increasing number of objects are displayed. Until the graphics adapter can no longer cope with their processing, and the FPS does not fall below 30 frames. For testing, I used a stand with a Core i7-5960X processor and a Radeon R9 NANO video card. The results turned out to be very interesting.
It is noteworthy that in patterns using DirectX 11, changing the number of CPU cores has almost no effect on the overall result. But with the use of DirectX 12 and Mantle, the picture changes dramatically. Firstly, the difference between DirectX 11 and low-level APIs turns out to be just cosmic (somewhere by an order of magnitude). Secondly, the number of "heads" of the central processor significantly affects the final result. This is especially noticeable when moving from two cores to four and from four to six. In the first case, the difference reaches almost a two-fold mark. At the same time, there are no special differences between six and eight cores and sixteen threads.
As you can see, the potential of DirectX 12 and Mantle (in the 3DMark benchmark) is simply huge. However, do not forget that we are dealing with synthetics, they do not play it. In reality, it makes sense to evaluate the profit from using the latest low-level APIs only in real computer entertainment.
The first PC games that support DirectX 12 are already on the horizon. These are Ashes of the Singularity and Fable Legends. They are in active beta testing. The other day colleagues from Anandtech
The most current lines at the moment are NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1000 series and AMD Radeon 400 series. The video card is one of the most expensive parts of a PC, so in some cases it makes sense to take a video card from last year's line, which also supports all modern technologies, but costs significantly less. It goes without saying that such a video card has a smaller backlog in terms of performance for the future.
The choice of graphics card is quite simple: the higher the position in the line, the higher the performance of the graphics chip. When choosing one model from different manufacturers, you should look not only at the cooling system, but also at the amount of memory of the video card, the frequency of the graphics chip, the memory frequency, the bus width and possible options for connecting monitors.
To build a good gaming computer for games in Full HD (1920x1080) format, a video card of the NVidia GeForce GTX 1060 / GTX 1070 or AMD Radeon RX 460 / RX 470 level will be enough. To build an advanced gaming computer with Quad HD (2560x1440) support and the ability to select maximum graphics settings use NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 / AMD Radeon RX 480 cards. And for the most powerful gaming systems with support for multiple monitors or 4K resolution, you will need at least two top-end video cards in a bundle of SLI or Crossfire.
RAM
Random access memory (RAM) is designed to store temporary data, such as game textures. The current RAM standard is DDR4. For most modern tasks, from 16 to 32 GB of RAM will be enough, at least 8 GB.
When choosing RAM, they rely on the volume of each module and its clock frequency. The return on buying high-frequency memory kits is inversely proportional to the investment: with a low performance increase, the cost of each module will be much higher, the best option: 2400 - 2800 MHz. You should also pay attention to RAM heatsinks, which may not be compatible with some CPU air coolers.
When choosing a high-frequency memory kit, you need to look at the maximum frequency that is supported by the processor. If the memory frequency is higher, it will automatically be reduced to the one that the processor can support, and the capabilities of the RAM will not be fully disclosed.
Solid state and hard drives
A gaming computer most often uses a hybrid system: the system and related programs are installed on a solid state drive (SSD), and it is better to use more capacious and cheaper hard drives (HDD) to store user files.
SSDs come in two types of memory: TLC and MLC. The difference between them is in the way information is stored, but the differences in practice are more important. MLC memory is generally more reliable, has a greater number of rewrite cycles, but TLC memory is cheaper and more affordable. Modern solid state drives are built using 3D NAND technology, and here the line between TLC and MLC memory becomes almost imperceptible - the write resource and access speed of such drives are higher compared to their predecessors.
Just in time for the beginning of the school year and during it, the need for new computers is increasing, and many will be wondering - which processor is better for gaming?
To answer this question, let's look at the variety of modern models, and by what parameters and criteria a chip is generally chosen for modern games.
PC processor price
When assembling a gaming computer, the main thing is not the processor, but the video card, the main expenses will be on it. You can naturally spend money and assemble from all the best, but such a system unit will be very expensive, which is far from accessible to everyone.
If you want to spend not very much, but get a fairly good gaming PC, you will have to save on something. One of the options is to save on the processor, which does not always play such a decisive role in the performance of toys.
For example, Intel processors of the i3, i5, i7, i9 families differ in price, but all four can be used in gaming systems. The best processor for gaming is of course the i9 series, but the price of the youngest of them starts at $1,000 (60,000 rubles). Another thing is the i3, which costs several times cheaper - $ 150 (9000 rubles), but it can also be installed in a gaming computer.
If you choose the AMD platform, then it has traditionally always been cheaper than Intel. The junior version of the top-end Ryzen Threadripper 1920X processor, which is on par with the most powerful Intel chips in terms of performance, will cost $ 800 (48,000 rubles), which is already cheaper. If you choose the younger AMD Ryzen 3 1200, then the price for it is only $110, and yes, it can also be used for a gaming computer.
This range of prices raises many questions, which we will try to answer below.
What processor for games to choose?
Let's divide all the processors listed below into some subgroups: premium, fast and good. The latter will be the best option when the budget is not very large. Premium ones are of course very productive, but they are designed for buyers who often want to highlight their high social status.
Premium Processors
Fast processors
Good processors
There are many processor models that can be used in a gaming computer. We chose purely for our own subjective reasons. This does not mean that even cheaper and lower-performance chips cannot be used, but if you want to unleash the full potential of a gaming video card, then we choose at least the last four.
Characteristics of processors for games 2017
Now let's take a look at some of the main characteristics and nuances by which you should choose a gaming processor. Today's latest generation chips like AMD Ryzen are equipped with more advanced architectures to enable never-before-seen multiprocessing and multithreading, along with smart features that optimize power on their own. Although not all games or applications can reveal all these possibilities, everything is moving in this direction. Consider the main selection criteria.
Frequency
This is one of those parameters by which the processor for gaming is most often chosen. Usually, something below 2.8 GHz is not considered a gaming processor, so we try to select it in the 3-4 GHz range. What is above this threshold is usually overclocked “stones” for overlocking. Such models have an unlocked multiplier and can significantly increase the frequency with good cooling. Both Intel and AMD often refer to them as K and X, for example, our list has the Intel Core i7-7700K.
True, most modern processors independently regulate the frequency within certain limits (2.9-3.9 GHz), if required by the task being performed. The Intel Core i7-7700T processor from our list is just that.
Cores and Threads
More and more modern games require a minimum of 4 cores (GTA V, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Far Cry 4 or Assassin's Creed Unity) to give acceptable performance on a pair with your gaming graphics card. True, multi-core does not always affect performance; multi-threading often plays a key role. All modern Intel processors support Hyper-Threading technology, which implements twice the number of threads in relation to cores, which gives higher performance. The new AMD Razens are also equipped with similar technology. All processors with such parameters can be safely written into gaming ones.
Cache
The size of the cache usually does not affect performance in games, but it will be noticeable if you run many programs at the same time or surf the Internet like crazy, opening many tabs at the same time. It is definitely impossible to exclude this parameter in the rapidly developing world of technology. Some processors, such as the premium AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1920X, are equipped with a huge amount of this memory (38 MB in total). There are 1st, 2nd and 3rd level caches.
Intel or AMD?
Traditionally, AMD processors have always been cheaper than their competitor Intel, and did not have the same performance capabilities, so they were more often bought because of their budget. However, the latest generation of AMD Ryzen, thanks to the introduction of the latest technologies (including intelligent ones), even bypassed many models of Intel chips. This is despite the fact that the prices for them are decently cheaper.
The time has passed when AMD trailed behind Intel, now the company is gaining more and more momentum and is likely to bypass its eminent brother. Moreover, the latter has not offered anything fundamentally new for the past few years.
Which processor to choose for 4K games?
Although many top-end video cards support 4K resolution, you can get a fairly acceptable performance (at least 60 FPS) at maximum settings only by creating a system of two or even three video cards. Accordingly, such a configuration requires a sufficiently powerful central processor.
For these purposes, choose from fast processors, and preferably premium ones. Expensive, yes, but you get a completely different gaming experience with ultra-high resolution.
Which processor is suitable for VR games?
To comfortably use a VR helmet, any chip from the good processors section is enough. Even high-end headsets only offer Full HD resolution, which any mid-range gaming graphics card can handle, providing good performance and high frame rates (FPS).
If you can get an expensive VR headset like the HTC Vive or PlayStation VR, you can probably put together a very decent system unit with an expensive processor.
Conclusion
So, which processor to choose for games? If you are not constrained by means and want to surprise your friends and pamper your self, then the answer is obvious. And if the budget is small, but at the same time you really want to play in comfort, then choose a processor with at least 4 threads. An Intel Core i3-7320 from our list or an AMD Ryzen 3 1300X will work. But it is better to install the Intel Core i5-7600, which will be the best option with a small margin for the future, because the gaming industry offers more and more interesting games that require high power.
