Is L3 Cache more important than Core Count?
Is L3 Cache more important than Core Count?
For gaming, the Ryzen 7000 series CPUs perform well in games, as shown in some reviews where the 7600X outperforms more costly options. The 5800X3D also showed strong results thanks to its cache. Now, even with just six cores, these Ryzen processors are delivering impressive results. This raises the question of whether high core counts are becoming less relevant, making it harder to compare CPUs without benchmarks. For a typical consumer rather than an enthusiast, would you notice the difference between a 9700K and a 7600X just by checking the product page?
Most games can't run well on more than eight cores. Usually, faster cores matter more than having many cores, which isn't surprising. Benchmarks have been used for a long time to fairly compare CPUs. Raw numbers don't tell the whole story when it comes to clock speed, core count, or cache. The same clock speed might perform better on a newer chip because of higher IPC. Not every core is the same—big.Little designs have E-cores and P-cores—and communication between them can add extra latency.
It depends on the workload. Some programs like a lot of games and some compilation tasks love a ton of cache. Other programs could not care less and want as many cores as physically possible. Others couldn't care less about either and only want the highest clocked single core performance you can get. There's no one simple statement like "L3 Cache is more important than core count" that you can make because of how varied different workloads are, and anything like that in a complete vacuum is impossible to tell. Even stats like core count are kind of irrelevant when you have to take into account per core performance. An i3 12100F for instance is 2 less cores than an i5 10400F, but the i3 has much better per core performance and on average is about the same performance in multi core situations. Plus a lot of things don't scale infinitely with core count, so even if you have 100+ cores if your application doesn't use more than 6 of them having the extras are largely irrelevant. Edited March 28, 2023 by RONOTHAN## used RAM where I meant cache
Games typically run smoothly with a single thread or close to it, so core count isn't the main focus. However, we aim for high performance through smart caching. That said, we don't rely on extremely high core counts. Many systems gain benefits from more cores beyond gaming, and some titles actually run faster with them. Looking ahead, the gaming community may adopt better core usage—using multi-threading for strategic planning, NPC movement in shooters, and faster world calculations. For gamers, prioritize strong cache and maximum speed.
Many reviews seem to use different stock configurations. My tuned 5900X performs better than my tuned X3D, and I don’t play at 1080p.
Various workloads affect hardware differently, even inside the same game. For instance, CS:GO stands out because it relies more on CPU speed and doesn’t benefit much from 3D caching. If you play only that game and aim for the highest FPS, avoid using 3D features. Consider how caches operate—they store data nearer to cores, offering better bandwidth and lower latency. The drawback is their limited size compared to system RAM. This advantage appears only when RAM isn’t fast enough, and the impact depends on how much data you need to store. In my view, this has been a persistent issue for a long time. Core capacity is growing faster than RAM speeds, making it hard to keep up with processing demands. Manufacturers are focusing on larger caches to support more cores. I’d like to see a split between desktop platforms, giving higher-end users double the memory channels, similar to older HEDT models. CPUs in tiers 7 and 9 should receive this upgrade, maybe even tier 5. Dual-channel configurations should remain the same for lower tiers, which are more expensive and less performance-focused.
I'm eager to compare the 7700x with the 780x3d and see how it stacks up. If you're comfortable lowering the voltage on the 7800x3d even further, there are many factors to consider. Generally, stock chips with strong performance and cache are excellent. Cores? Most chips with solid core counts and speed usually have those, often eight or more. It's not something you need to hunt for anymore.