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Tom’s Hardware’s 25-processor test found that Gears of War: E-Day can use substantial CPU resources and scale meaningfully with faster processors—at least in its tested setup. With an RTX 5090 Founders Edition at 1080p High, CPU utilization was around 80–90%, and the Ryzen 7 9800X3D averaged 168.7 FPS, 42% ahead of the Ryzen 5 7600X. That is evidence about one game and one benchmark configuration, not a general rule for Unreal Engine 5 games or proof that every PC needs a CPU upgrade. Read Tom’s Hardware’s CPU results.
Does Gears of War: E-Day use more CPU cores?
Tom’s Hardware tested 25 processors and reported CPU utilization around 80–90% during gameplay. Its results also showed meaningful performance differences between CPU models in the test configuration, making the game unusually CPU-demanding compared with the common expectation that a modern game will mostly be limited by the graphics card.
The headline result came from a 1080p High comparison using an RTX 5090 Founders Edition. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D averaged 168.7 FPS, while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D averaged 153.8 FPS. Tom’s Hardware reported the 9800X3D was 42% faster than the Ryzen 5 7600X in that comparison. Hardware Busters also summarized the result, attributing it to Tom’s Hardware rather than presenting it as a separate benchmark: Hardware Busters’ summary.
Those figures describe one test setup, not a guaranteed frame rate for every system. CPU, GPU, game build, drivers, resolution and graphics settings all affect the result. Tom’s Hardware found that most non-X3D processors clustered near 150 FPS in the cited test, so the advantage was not a simple matter of counting cores: the specific CPU model and its characteristics mattered too.
#1 Best Overall
- AN ORIGIN STORY BEGINS — Fight alongside Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago in the gripping origin story of Emergence Day, as the Locust Horde erupts from below.
- A DARKER, GRITTIER THREAT — Face reimagined enemies and a terrifying underground invasion that restores the fear, dread, and intensity at the heart of the Gears of War series.
- MULTIPLAYER EVOLVED — Battle in Horde Siege for large‑scale PvE action or prove your skill in refined Versus PvP with greater precision and competitive depth.
- CLASSIC COMBAT, MODERNIZED — Experience signature cover‑based gameplay enhanced with updated movement, traversal, and controls that feel like Gears while playing like something new.
- CO‑OP YOUR WAY — Play online with up to four players across Campaign, Horde Siege, and Versus, or team up locally with 2‑player split‑screen co‑op on console.
Why the CPU gap changes with settings
A high-end RTX 5090 can expose CPU differences at 1080p because it can render frames quickly enough for the processor to become a constraint. Raise the graphics workload, however, and the GPU can take over as the bottleneck. On the Ludicrous preset, Tom’s Hardware measured a 6.8% gap between the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Ryzen 5 9600X. At 1440p, the RTX 5090 limited results to around 130 FPS in the cited testing.
This is why a CPU comparison is meaningful only when the GPU, resolution, preset, game build and upscaler are held constant. For a buying decision, compare the average frame rate alongside 1% lows, CPU utilization, power use and the cost of the processor—not a single headline number.
Should you turn on Low Core Mode?
Not as a general performance setting. In Tom’s Hardware’s tests, Low Core Mode reduced performance on processors with more than two cores, by as much as nearly 32% in the tested set. The unusual exception was a deliberately constrained setup: disabling two of the four cores on an Intel Core i3-14100 caused texture-streaming issues and long pauses, and Low Core Mode helped with those problems. Even then, the restricted system remained much slower.
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- PREMIUM EDITION — Includes Bravo Squad Signature Weapon Pack, five Seasonal Customization Packs starting with the Emergence Pack, plus 1,000 Iron to unlock additional in‑game content.
- AN ORIGIN STORY BEGINS — Fight alongside Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago in the gripping origin story of Emergence Day, as the Locust Horde erupts from below.
- A DARKER, GRITTIER THREAT — Face reimagined enemies and a terrifying underground invasion that restores the fear, dread, and intensity at the heart of the Gears of War series.
- MULTIPLAYER EVOLVED — Battle in Horde Siege for large‑scale PvE action or prove your skill in refined Versus PvP with greater precision and competitive depth.
- CLASSIC COMBAT, MODERNIZED — Experience signature cover‑based gameplay enhanced with updated movement, traversal, and controls that feel like Gears while playing like something new.
The benchmark suggests that the mode may alter asset streaming in a way that can help an extremely core-limited system; that is an interpretation of the observed behavior, not a confirmed explanation from the game’s developer. For a normal desktop with a six-core-or-better CPU, the test does not support enabling it for extra performance.
What CPU do you need for Gears of War: E-Day?
The results do not establish a universal minimum or a must-buy upgrade. They show that this game can reward a faster CPU when the rest of the system leaves room for CPU scaling—particularly at 1080p with a powerful graphics card. If your GPU is already the limit at your chosen resolution and settings, a more expensive CPU may produce a much smaller difference.
- Compare processors using the same GPU, resolution, preset, game build and upscaler.
- Look at 1% lows as well as average FPS, especially if you are trying to address stutter rather than raise peak frame rates.
- Consider whether your graphics card can deliver more frames at your preferred settings before paying for a CPU upgrade.
- Treat the 9800X3D-versus-7600X gap as a result from Tom’s Hardware’s 1080p High test, not a prediction for every PC.
Tom’s Hardware also tested graphics cards, while TechPowerUp and GameGPU covered GPU or handheld performance. The FPS Review’s Weekender summarizes that broader coverage rather than reporting its own reruns of those tests. The FPS Review says Tom’s Hardware tested 43 graphics cards and TechPowerUp tested 35. The Weekender’s summary reports that RTX 50-series cards slightly led average FPS while Radeon RX 9000 cards had better 1% lows; those are outlet-specific findings, not a universal ranking across games or settings. Read The FPS Review Weekender.
Rank #3
Ten more hardware reviews in the Weekender
The rest of the roundup ranges from graphics cards and processors to monitors, cooling, storage, cases, mice and seating. These are summaries of the named outlets’ reviews, as presented by The FPS Review; they are not independent tests by the Weekender.
ASUS T1 GeForce RTX 5070 OC Edition
The League of Legends-themed limited-edition card has a factory overclock and, according to the Weekender’s summary, a cooling advantage over a reference RTX 5070. Pricing and Radeon alternatives are important counterweights to that advantage. The summary does not provide a specific price or a full comparative benchmark table, so treat the cooler and performance claims as review context rather than a complete value verdict.
AMD Ryzen 7 7700X3D
The Weekender summarizes The FPS Review and HotHardware comparisons as showing roughly 8% higher average gaming performance than the Ryzen 7 7700X, a small gap behind the 7800X3D, and substantially lower power in the cited comparison. It also notes weaker non-gaming performance than the plain 7700. The trade-off is therefore workload-dependent: gaming gains do not automatically make it the better choice for productivity.
Rank #4
- Disc only. Original case and manual not included. Will come packaged in a generic case.
- This renewed game has been cleaned, tested, and shows minimal wear.
Budget 27-inch 1440p QD-OLED monitors
Monitors Unboxed tested 11 models, comparing factors that can materially change the experience beyond resolution and refresh rate: screen coating, subpixel layout, SDR and HDR brightness, calibration, motion handling, ports and design. The Weekender does not give a single winner or model-by-model specifications in its summary, so use the review to compare the features that matter for your desk and viewing conditions rather than assuming all 27-inch QD-OLED panels are interchangeable.
TeamGroup NV10000 PCIe 5.0 SSD
The Weekender highlights efficiency, heat and power draw as central to the SSD review, with price as a caveat. In The Overclocking Page’s reported no-heatsink test, the drive peaked at 67°C against an 80°C throttle limit. That is a specific test result, not a guarantee of the temperature in every case or workload; airflow and cooling can change drive temperatures.
MSI MEG CORELIQUID E15 360
KitGuru’s review, as summarized by the Weekender, found strong cooling that was not class-leading. Its curved AMOLED display is the defining feature, while the price approaches $400. The practical comparison is whether the screen is worth that premium over a simpler cooler that meets your thermal and noise needs.
Best Value
- Listen up, soldier. The world is in ruin. The Locust Horde has risen. It’s Human vs Horde, and here’s your mission: Pick a side, build a powerful deck, and win the war. The fate of the world is in your hands!
- Experience the gritty gunplay of the video game in this official two-player card game. Take command of the COG forces or the Locust horde and seize control of the battlefield, one chapter at a time.
- Strategise your way through each chapter, bolstering your forces with classic characters like Marcus Fenix, General Raam, August “Cole Train” Cole, Dominic Santiago, and Damon Baird.
- Every battle counts. Whatever happens in each chapter will change what comes next, so you’d better be ready to dominate. The deck you build and decisions you make will change the way you play each campaign, making this a game you can reload time and time again.
- Whether you're a hardened vet or a grass-green rookie, get ready to take cover and lay down suppressive fire. Your enemies are trying to take the line, soldier. You’d better shove back hard.
Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE Black and ARGB
Igor’s Lab tested both variants, and the Weekender reports essentially matched results. At 40 dB(A), the summary cites about 28 K above ambient at 100 W and about 69 K at 200 W. It describes the air coolers as much less expensive than a screen-equipped AIO, but gives no exact price in the summary. Compare coolers at matched noise and power, and account for your case clearance and preferred appearance.
SilverStone FLP03 case
The FLP03 is a retro-styled micro-ATX/Mini-ITX chassis. The Weekender highlights included fans, support for a top-mounted 360 mm radiator, and a removable or movable front dashboard. Check motherboard, radiator and component clearances against your specific parts before choosing a compact case; the summary does not list the detailed dimensions.
Pulsar Feinmann F01 Noctua Edition mouse
This mouse adds an integrated fan, and the Weekender’s summary weighs its cooling, materials and polling features against weight, comfort, battery life and price. Those trade-offs make fit and feel particularly important: the feature list alone cannot tell you whether the shape or extra weight suits your grip.
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The Witcher 3 Remastered PC performance
The Weekender draws on TechSpot, DSOGaming and Hardware Unboxed for its coverage of unusual scaling, path-tracing trade-offs, driver issues and pressure on 8 GB graphics cards. Those caveats mean performance conclusions depend heavily on the game settings and driver version. In particular, results with path tracing should not be treated as representative of less demanding presets.
noblechairs HERO Black
Hardware Asylum’s tested model is described as well-built, with a firm, relatively flat seat that may suit taller users better than some alternatives. The review summary also includes a weight rating, but does not state that figure. Seat dimensions, firmness and fit are more useful personal checks than appearance alone when judging a chair.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to read the Weekender’s findings
The roundup combines performance tests and product reviews from several outlets. Keep each finding attached to the outlet, test conditions and product being discussed: a GPU ranking in one game does not establish a general winner, and a cooler temperature at a specified noise level does not predict every system’s result. The most useful comparisons are the ones that match your actual workload and constraints—frame-time behavior for games, brightness and motion for displays, heat and power for storage, and clearance or fit for physical components.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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