There is a belief that a processor with many cores directly translates into more frames per second. The reality is more complex. A chip with few cores limits performance, but FPS depends more on single-core speed and game optimization. Most current titles are designed for 6 or 8 cores; moving to 12, 16, or 24 does not speed up the game.
How graphics engine optimization limits scaling 🎮
Modern graphics engines divide tasks among several threads, but the main thread (render thread) remains a bottleneck. Drawing instructions, physics, and logic pile up on one or two cores. Adding more cores does not lighten that load, as the game does not know how to distribute work linearly. That is why a Ryzen 5 with 6 fast cores performs the same or better than a Threadripper with 24 low-frequency cores in most games.
Your 24-core CPU and the 2005 game 🚒
Buying a 16 or 24-core processor for gaming is like taking a fire truck to buy bread. The engine roars, you burn gas, but in the end, you only use the driver's seat. Games look at those extra cores and say: thanks, but I don't know what to do with you. Meanwhile, your wallet cries and the fan spins as if it were at a rave.