PC/Laptop CPU Question

[ReddMcKnight]

I have a PC with a Dual Core CPU. Each CPU is clocked at 2.30 GHz. Say a game requires 2.60 GHz of CPU Power, but it still runs on my computer just fine, which I'm assuming is because of the Dual Core functionality. Well, I have a Laptop with 1.30 GHz, but it also has two cores (or so it shows in Device Manager). Will the same game follow that same rule with the Laptop and run fine?

[fastbilly1]

Processor Speed is not a direct measurement for games anymore due to a plethora of other parts of the processor. For example, a 1.3ghz i3 is faster than a 1.6ghz Intel Atom. You will have to do some legwork on this and research games on a case by case basis until you figure out what runs well on your pc. I highly recommend using youtube.

[Cronozilla]

The only thing that's really a determining factor on modern games when it comes to the CPU, is what kind of CPU the game runs best on. If they wanted a dual core CPU, and you had a single core CPU, even if that single core was double the speed of the dual core the game recommended, you'd have a lot of problems.

Other than that, it doesn't really matter. Slowdown due to the CPU is somewhat less rare now. From my experience it only really arises if you're in a situation of the game expects this number of cores and you have a lot less.

The largest determining factor of whether or not a game will run on any machine is the capabilities of the GPU. The easiest way to see if something will run well, is to do what fast said. Look up the game and the GPU on YouTube and see if you can find examples of it playing that game, or others.

Just keep in mind, in general, listed game requirements are pretty much nonsense. I have never seen one that was exactly accurate to what the game needed to run.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

Yeah. These days having a CPU limit the framerate is pretty rare amongst mainstream processors. Any i5 dual core is usually just fine.

There are a few exceptions however. Certain games like Battlefield 4 and PlanetSide 2 really do benefit from having a super beefy CPU.

I'd suggest the same as fastbilly. After a while you should get a pretty good grip as to what your PC is capable of. After that it's pretty easy to tell how well you'll be able to run any given game.

[Hazerd]

All i can say is as far as Dual Cores and Quad Cores, unless the game specifically says it can use the Quad Core technology, a Dual Core of the same generation can perform just as well.

i5 vs i3

Not ALL i5's are Quad Core either.



The benchmarks start at 1:33

[isiolia]

Not ALL i5's are Quad Core either.

From the second generation on, the entire i5 desktop i5 range is, save for one low power part (current lineup).

Laptop parts are dual cores with hyperthreading though, and some desktops (like the Mac Mini) use them as well.

Given how system requirements can be, a game suggesting an i5 (or more likely, i7) might be indicating it can utilize more than a couple threads. Like F1 2013 or Far Cry 3.
Most will spell out multi-core support though, and others will suggest powerful CPUs just for the sake of it.


Also, the benchmarking as shown in that video is certainly relevant, but it's not necessarily the entire story. It's a matter of where the bottleneck lies. Stack up enough graphics power and differences become more apparent.