Modern games often require a minimum of four cores to run smoothly and efficiently.
Modern games often require a minimum of four cores to run smoothly and efficiently.
We'll likely see 4C/8T emerging as the new benchmark for budget options. It's proven to be reliable and has been for years. However, I expect base model CPUs and APUs in the next couple of years will reach a minimum of six cores, both with and without multithreading support. The 10th generation and beyond i5s and Ryzen 5 models have demonstrated rapid progress in the midrange segment, which should accelerate to entry-level devices soon. That's my perspective.
your 7200u is handling 2c/4t fine for gaming, MHW, Resident Evil 2, Tomb Raider… mostly at low settings, though 1080p / ~60fps isn’t impossible. Some PS2 titles even run at 1440p. P Oh, yeah, not every game works. I tried FH5… max 15fps! That’s a really unoptimized setup (and the last "Microsoft Store" game I tried was definitely a mistake).
Playing a game doesn’t require a specific number of cores. You only need adequate CPU power. A dual-core processor with similar multicore capabilities to a 7700K or 3300X would perform just fine. The challenge lies in the fact that such powerful dual-core chips don’t exist. The Pentium G7400 behaves similarly to older Core i5 4C/4T parts in multicore scenarios, and can sometimes outperform older i7 models in games because of its strong single-core performance. However, an i7 3770K still delivers respect despite being outdated. Dual cores are becoming increasingly rare, just as single-core chips once were. The Pentium G7400 stands out due to its HyperThreading feature, though it’s frustrating that Intel introduced the Celeron G6900 2c/2t CPU in 2022. That decision is completely out of place, especially since such a weak processor can’t even handle modern web browsers well.
In my opinion, having six cores was a given when the Coffee Lake i5 launched.