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6-core CPUs are the most popular, according to the Steam hardware survey, but are they still enough for gaming in 2025? Let’s find out.
According to the latest July 2025 Steam Hardware Survey, 29.5% of total Steam users are still using 6-core CPUs. Therefore, a majority of gamers still rely on six cores, but it is followed by 24.4% of users with 8-core processors. This begs the question: Are CPUs with six cores still enough for gaming? Or, should you consider moving to CPUs with eight cores, since others are doing so as well?
The answer is both yes and no, depending on the processor. In this article, we will explain in detail whether 6-core CPUs are enough for gaming in 2025. Read on to find out more.
Note: The article is subjective and reflects the writer’s opinion.
Are 6-Core CPUs Enough for Gaming?
If you have an older 6-core CPU, such as the Ryzen 5 2600, Ryzen 5 3600, Intel Core i5-9600K, or even the Intel Core i5-10400F, then it may not be sufficient for gaming in 2025. Don’t get us wrong, the 6-core CPUs are quite capable, but they struggle to push more framerates in modern games.
In fact, the Hardware Unboxed channel on YouTube benchmarked an older processor, such as the Ryzen 5 3600, and showed just how much it lagged behind compared to current 6-core or 8-core CPUs. Using such older processors in modern titles can also cause some random stutters. On top of that, if you enable ray tracing, which is usually very heavy on both CPU and GPU, then your game will struggle even more.
On the other hand, modern processors with six cores, like the Ryzen 5 5600, Ryzen 5 7600, or Intel Core i5-12400F, have no issues keeping up with other, more expensive 8-core or 12-core CPUs. Therefore, if you have a newer processor, you are good and don’t have to worry about anything. However, if users of older CPUs want to upgrade to something new, they should prefer an 8-core processor. After all, if you are going to upgrade, then why not make the upgrade truly worth it, right?
Will 6-Core CPUs Be Enough for Future Games?
Whether 6-core CPUs will be enough for future games will depend heavily on the game. By future games, if you mean titles like GTA VI, then yes, CPUs with six cores will be enough. However, that’s only true for modern processors. Older six-core CPUs are already struggling in some games and will only suffer more.
However, when next-gen consoles release in 2027 or later, games tailor-made for those consoles will probably require eight cores or more. Such titles are not expected to arrive anytime before 2029. Therefore, for the next 4-5 years, all modern CPUs with six cores will be just fine.
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