GPU operates fully while CPU remains idle at low levels.
GPU operates fully while CPU remains idle at low levels.
Perhaps tracing back from the 60s would help clarify things. If we look at recent years—about a decade or so—most titles rely on 2 to 4 cores, with some even using more. It's amusing when someone claims games can't exceed 6 cores; now that I have an 8-core setup, it seems the rule has shifted to "no more than 8." There’s a trend emerging: games that run smoothly with fewer than four cores are becoming rare.
Among titles that use less than four cores, *Tomb Raider Anniversary* stands out in my memory. I’m not sure if there are others, but I usually skip them. My go-to games are those that can handle multiple threads, and I prefer engines like MT frameworks. This shift gained traction with PS360 Gen, likely because the console was built around multithreading.
It’s interesting how this changed after Sony, IBM, and Kuturagi stepped in. Without their influence, we might still see games relying on just one or two cores today. There’s no "4K game" that works at any resolution—playing Bright Memory felt like a budget experiment, almost too cheap to believe.
If you’re after a solid hack and slash experience, *Narakha* is worth checking out. It’s engaging without the pay-to-win MMO gimmicks.
Pro tip: Play on Chinese or Asian servers if you want smoother performance and fewer frustrations.
The game was designed for an 8-core setup with around 16 threads, working smoothly on a Ryzen 7 5800X and either an RTX 2070 Super or RXT 3080. It struggles to run well on lower-end systems. Most PCs only barely manage it. A solid performance was achieved, but quality depends on the rig. Many developers make it optional for more powerful hardware. For serious gamers today, a minimum of 8 cores with 16 threads is essential. Consoles are likely to surpass this soon, so the bar will drop to 8 or fewer cores with 6-8 threads. Upgrading or overclocking becomes necessary if you want to keep up with high or ultra titles.