Best cpu with 12 or 16 cores for gaming.

[SKRDPTSGL]

Which is the best cpu with 12 or 16 cores to combine with a 7900xt or 7900xtx GPU?8 cores are enough for the most games but not for games like Cities skylines i play.

 

[Onasi]

The 9950X3D when that comes out. Theoretically, at least.

 

[Vya Domus]

Right now I guess that would be a 7950X3D or 7900X3D but I would really go with a 9800X3D or wait for the 12 or 16 core variants.

 

[kapone32]

7900X3D.It runs cooler and has 5.7 GHz for 6cores but still with access to Vcache.

 

[dirtyferret]

PCGH could not get that game to run stable with an i9-13900KS or AMD 7800X3D and RTX4090. They said it was the most demanding game they ever tested. I don't think it's a "core thing" as much as a game engine thing

 

[Hankieroseman]

Which is the best cpu with 12 or 16 cores to combine with a 7900xt or 7900xtx GPU?8 cores are enough for the most games but not for games like Cities skylines i play.

7950X worked well with 4090. I wanted to try the 9800X3D and it works well too in Flight Sims.

 

[Athlonite]

but not for games like Cities skylines i play.

As alluded to by @dirtyferret You could run it on a 32 core threadripper and still be sat waiting it's not a CPU thing it's a game engine thing it's just poorly optimised

 

[kapone32]

As alluded to by @dirtyferret You could run it on a 32 core threadripper and still be sat waiting it's not a CPU thing it's a game engine thing it's just poorly optimised

The fact is that City Skylines2 is one of the first Games to use every single CPU core as your population grows. Try it at 4K and see the difference between cores in real time. Reviewers do not have 700000+ population when they test City Skylines 2 as that takes a couple days of straight play.

 

[Dr. Dro]

7950X3D or the upcoming 9950X3D. The 9900X3D will qualify if dual X3D CCDs are present. Unless found for an excellent price (below $300 currently), the (6 3D+6) 7900X3D should be avoided and you should opt for the 8-core 7800X3D or 9800X3D instead, they are faster for games (substantially faster) and a little cheaper.

 

[Launcestonian]

7950X3D or the upcoming 9950X3D. The 9900X3D will qualify if dual X3D CCDs are present. Unless found for an excellent price (below $300 currently), the (6 3D+6) 7900X3D should be avoided and you should opt for the 8-core 7800X3D or 9800X3D instead, they are faster for games (substantially faster) and a little cheaper.

Problem with that data is that it's only relevant for Win 11 23H2, if you visit the MS site & download the installer for Win 11 - its only 24H2 now. Also, another AGESA update is in the works & launching any day now. Not saying its going to drastically change the percentage diffs between processors but there will be some. And yeah, I get it that's AMD's recommendation at the time that data was collected but the winds of change are constantly blowing.

 

[eidairaman1]

Threadripper

 

[Onasi]

@eidairaman1
He asked in regards specifically for gaming. In no universe a TR platform is a good choice for that.

By the way, I am still skeptical that performance in CS2 is a matter of cores and more than an 8/16 setup would help. It seems more like a “game runs like shit regardless” kind of deal, but I haven’t personally tested things out, so fair cop.