Quad-core CPUs About to Surpass Dual-cores for Gamers
The latest data set published in the Steam Hardware & Software Survey suggests that processors with four cores are, five years after their introduction, ready to capture the top spot in gamer popularity.
Dual-core CPUs still lead the ranking with a 46.49 percent share, but the segment has declined more than 2 points from 48.71 percent in July. In contrast, quad-core processors have climbed from 41.37 percent to 45.02 percent in the same time frame. All other core counts do not play significant roles: Single-core chips are at 5.52 percent, six-core CPUs at 1.47 percent, triple-cores at 1.39 percent and eight-cores at 0.07 percent.
Intel dominates the Steam charts with a 73.90 percent, trending slightly up from July (72.72 percent), while AMD is down to 26.10 percent. Processors with clock speeds between 2.3 and 2.7 GHz account 40 percent of all Intel gamers (18 percent are between 2.7 and 2.99 GHz; 13 percent are between 3 and 3.29 GHz), while 25 percent of AMD gamers use CPUs with clock speeds between 3 and 3.29 GHz, and 21 percent use processors ranging from 2.3 to 2.69 GHz.
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neat to know, now i want games that actually uses 4 cores...
Metro 2033 is one of those.
Quad core Phenom II x4 965 Black Edition running at a nice steady overclock to 4.1ghz per core up from the standard 3.4ghz without any issues. Seems a little odd most gamers run stock speeds, would of thought they'd know a bit about pc tuning.
neat to know, now i want games that actually uses 4 cores...
GTA IV scales well across 3 or 4 cores.
Direct-X 11 can also use multiple cores to help speed up command dispatch to the GPU.
Multithreaded Rendering is a feature which allows DirectX to be processed via multiple CPU threads. This means that a dual-, triple- or quad-core CPU can have a higher utilization across all cores than DirectX APIs in the past.
Historically the OS would load up a single core for commands to the GPU, in essence creating an overload on the first core and under utilizing the additional cores. With only one core issuing commands to a GPU, we have seen CPUs hold back the potential performance of the GPU. With Multithreaded Rendering, DirectX will take better advantage of all the available cores. This should result in a better experience for the multi-core user because of a faster processing pipeline and increased scaling.
Source: Ian McNaughton, AMD Gaming Blog (Sep 2009) http://blogs.amd.com/play/2009/09/ [...] to-expect/
Even with efficient CPU threading, significant amounts of overall gaming performance are lost by using an API to communicate with non-fixed GPU hardware. There are growing calls within the industry to adopt the console method, as in bypassing the API and using low-level code.
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/g [...] -directx/1
It has also been shown that issues with the power-saving features of some intel processor types actually stops it from working as well as it should even when apps and games could use some extra cpu cylcles to process instruations etc. Battlefield3 for example runs better for some people when thet use a Windows registry hack to disable to the feature and have their processor run 100% all the time (different process\outcome entirely to setting your cpu power management to 100%).
As for stats gathered from data collected by Steam, well really - 'Steam?!?!
There is a large collective of hardcore gamers who undoubtedly have multi-core cpus of the 4\6 core families who have been using them for a long time but who have chosen to avoid Steam for their gaming needs. Some have gone to the extreme of openly stating they won't play 'Steam-Powered' (or should that be 'Steam-crippled') games.
There is also the large possibility that large amounts of users who are quad-core etc users have only just come to the steam platform for their gaming purposes (if it weren't for a couple of games in the last year I wouldn't be counted amongst their data despite my having been a quad-core owner since they were available).
baring all that in mind I can't see how accurate the statement 'The latest data set published in the Steam Hardware & Software Survey suggests that processors with four cores are, five years after their introduction, ready to capture the top spot in gamer popularity.', as per this articles headline, really is.