Gears of War: E-Day showed substantial CPU scaling in Tom’s Hardware’s test of 25 Intel and AMD processors, especially at 1080p. But the benchmark does not mean every PC needs a top-tier processor: higher resolutions and graphics settings can shift the bottleneck to the GPU. In the same test, Low Core Mode reduced performance on every ordinary CPU configuration tested; it helped only in a deliberately restricted two-core experiment.
Why this Unreal Engine 5 game can be CPU-heavy
Many games become limited mainly by the graphics card, but Tom’s Hardware found that E-Day could make the processor a meaningful performance constraint. In its test setup, CPU utilization reached 80%–90% during loading. At 1080p High, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D delivered 42% higher performance than the Ryzen 5 7600X, according to the outlet.
That result describes one controlled comparison, not a guaranteed gap on every PC. Frame rates and processor differences depend on the game build, graphics card, scene, resolution, preset, memory, drivers, and background activity.
What the 25-CPU benchmark actually tested
Published on 1 October 2026, Jake Roach’s Tom’s Hardware comparison used an RTX 5090 Founders Edition at 1080p to make CPU differences easier to see. The test covered 25 processors from Intel and AMD. It used an in-game scene for the CPU comparisons because scenes in the built-in benchmark ran slightly faster; the publication described that built-in benchmark as a reasonable approximation.
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1080p exposes CPU differences
Tom’s Hardware chose High as a compromise setting and reported greater CPU separation at High and Ultra than at the Ludicrous preset. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Ryzen 7 7800X3D led its results. The outlet also found performance scaling beyond six or eight cores, although frame rates plateaued around 150 FPS under its tested conditions.
Its results placed Intel’s Raptor Lake and Arrow Lake processors ahead of AMD processors other than X3D-based Zen 4 and Zen 5 models in that test. This is a ranking within the tested game, hardware, and settings—not a general verdict on Intel versus AMD processors.
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- For the state-of-the-art Socket AM5 platform, can support PCIe 5.0 on select motherboards
- Cooler not included
Higher resolutions can hide CPU gaps
The publication compared a handful of processors at 1440p, where its tested suite and settings reached a GPU-bound ceiling around 130 FPS. It omitted CPU comparisons at 4K because its graphics testing found the game GPU-bound at that resolution. As the graphics card becomes the limiting component, differences between CPUs tend to matter less to the resulting frame rate.
The test configuration disabled Virtualization-Based Security, enabled ReBAR and XMP/EXPO, and disabled specified automatic overclocking features that Tom’s Hardware considered unstable or not covered by warranty; the article notes exceptions for certain supported boost settings. Intel and AMD systems used separate platforms. Those choices describe the outlet’s methodology, not universal setup advice.
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- Can deliver fast 100 plus FPS performance in the world's most popular games, discrete graphics card required
- 6 Cores and 12 processing threads, bundled with the AMD Wraith Stealth cooler
- 4.2 GHz Max Boost, unlocked for overclocking, 19 MB cache, DDR4-3200 support
- For the advanced Socket AM4 platform
Should you turn on Low Core Mode?
For a typical PC, the test points to leaving Low Core Mode off unless you have a specific problem to troubleshoot. The game’s System menu says the option may improve performance on low-core-count devices and handhelds, but Tom’s Hardware’s tests did not show a general performance benefit.
Results on the 25 regular CPU configurations
Tom’s Hardware enabled Low Core Mode across all 25 CPU configurations using the same scene and settings. Performance fell on every tested configuration, including the quad-core Core i3-14100, and the setting did not improve 1% lows. The result argues against enabling it as a routine frame-rate tweak on the tested systems.
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- Octa-core (8 Core) processor core allows multitasking with great reliability and fast processing speed
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The exception: a two-core Core i3-14100
Tom’s Hardware then disabled two cores on its Core i3-14100 in BIOS. Average performance fell from 89 FPS with four cores to 36 FPS with two. In the two-core setup, the outlet observed broken texture streaming, persistent low-resolution assets, and pause or reload operations that hung for upwards of 30 seconds.
With only two cores enabled, turning on Low Core Mode resolved the streaming and freezing problems observed in that setup and increased average performance by 30% compared with the two-core baseline. Tom’s Hardware inferred that the mode changes the game’s asset-streaming system; that explanation is the outlet’s interpretation, not a confirmed statement from the developer.
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The test did not include mobile processors or handheld devices, so it cannot establish how the setting behaves on them. Tom’s Hardware concluded it is likely to reduce performance on relatively recent CPUs or processors with at least six cores, while older quad-core systems might be among the uncommon cases where it helps. Treat that as a test-based expectation rather than a guarantee for every older processor.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the tested CPUs compare with the published system tiers
PC Gamer’s 1 October 2026 article reproduces system requirements attributed to The Coalition. These tiers describe complete target systems, not a ranking from Tom’s Hardware’s CPU benchmark. Each lists an upscaling option—DLSS, FSR, TSR, or XeSS—as part of the stated performance target.
| Tier | CPU options | Graphics memory | System RAM | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Ryzen 5 2600X, Core i7-6850K, or Core i5-10400 | 6 GB VRAM | 12 GB | Medium, 1080p at 60 FPS using DLSS, FSR, TSR, or XeSS |
| Recommended | Ryzen 5 5600 or Core i5-11600K | 8 GB VRAM | 16 GB | High, 1440p at 60+ FPS using DLSS, FSR, TSR, or XeSS |
| Ultra | Ryzen 7 7800X3D or Core i7-14700K | 12 GB VRAM | 16 GB | Ultra, 4K at 60+ FPS using DLSS, FSR, TSR, or XeSS |
All three tiers list 115 GB of storage. PC Gamer reports that the game requires an SSD and a graphics card with hardware ray-tracing support. A CPU that matches one of the listed options therefore does not, by itself, establish that a PC meets the game’s requirements.
PC Gamer also reports launch support for DLSS 4.5, AMD FSR 4, and Intel XeSS 3.0. Upscaling support and version availability can change, so check current game information if those details affect your choice of hardware.
Quick Recap
How to use these results when checking your PC
- Match the resolution and preset. A 1080p High CPU comparison is most useful if you play near those settings. At 1440p or 4K, graphics-card limits may reduce the visible CPU difference.
- Check the full requirements tier. Compare your processor alongside GPU capability and VRAM, system RAM, SSD storage, target resolution, and expected frame rate.
- Do not compare FPS figures without their conditions. The 42% CPU gap and the two-core results came from distinct Tom’s Hardware test setups; they are not interchangeable estimates of what your PC will achieve.
- Use Low Core Mode as a troubleshooting option, not a default boost. The ordinary configurations in the test lost performance with it enabled. The observed benefit came from a severely constrained two-core setup with streaming and long-pause problems.
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