Does cpu matter in gaming?

[bboy.hh]

Hey all i want to ask about cpu , does cpu that matters in gaming? Another question , if the cpu is old , it can make the game stutter or slow?

 

[spdragoo]

Well, aside from the obvious "the system won't even run without a CPU", yes, a CPU always matters in gaming. It's why you'll see games have "minimum" and "recommended" system requirements. That being said, there are games that will make even brand-new CPUs struggle, & games that will still run on ancient Core 2 Duos.

And yes, stuttering can be due to a CPU simply not being powerful enough to run the game, or being too close to the minimum requirements for the game. Best way to check to see if your CPU is causing the stuttering:
-- try changing the resolution. If your FPS is unchanged and/or the stuttering doesn't improve, your CPU is holding you back.
-- try changing the quality settings. If your FPS is unchanged, your CPU is holding you back.

 

[geofelt]

Some games are graphics limited like fast action shooters.
Others are cpu core speed limited like strategy, sims, and mmo.
Multiplayer tends to like many threads.

Yes, stuttering is one of the symptoms of inadequate single thread core performance.

Look up the passmark performance numbers for any processor.
You will get two numbers.
The first is the total rating where all threads are fully utilized.
The second is the performance of a single thread.

As to threads, most games can not effectively utilize more than 2-3 threads,
rarely can they benefit from 4 or more unless the game is multiplayer.

 

[zebarjadi.raouf]

Depends on other hardware and the game but overall yes it matters and a slow one can cause stutters.