Is an 8-Core CPU Good for Gaming & Streaming in 2024? A Must-Have Workhorse

For serious gamers building a new rig this year, then the answer is a resounding yes – you absolutely want an 8-core CPU if you‘ll be gaming and streaming.

As both games and streaming software utilize more cores for complex processing, an 8-core processor delivers the smooth, uninterrupted performance you need. Anything less, and you risk frustrating lag and framerate drops.

Let‘s dive deeper on why 8 CPU cores hits the sweet spot:

8 Cores Crushes 6 Cores for Gaming FPS

Popular games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Cyberpunk 2077 thrive on high frame rates. More cores directly improves average and top fps:

That‘s a 15-20% fps boost! For competitive multiplayer, those extra frames give you an edge.

Streaming software like OBS also loves CPU cores – no surprise that superstar streamers run 8-core systems.

Now you can get by with 6 cores, but you‘ll leave performance on the table. Personal experience: upgrading from 6 to 8 cores supercharged both gaming and streaming.

What Does an 8-Core CPU Actually Mean?

Simply put – more simultaneous processing power!

A CPU core is an independent processor that runs a single software thread. So a 6-core CPU has 6 of these processors, while an 8-core CPU has 8.

With more cores, your CPU can divide work across more processors at the same time. This means better multitasking and faster completion of complex tasks that support parallelization.

Games rely heavily on the GPU for graphics. But many game components – physics, AI, game logic – run on the CPU. More cores lets these tasks run simultaneously for smoother overall performance.

So if you just game without streaming or background apps, 6 cores remains decent…but 8 cores gives you that seamless experience.

Core Counts for Different Users

• Basic users – email, web browsing, office work: 4 cores still sufficient
• Mainstream users – some gaming, lots of Chrome tabs – go for 6 cores
• Gamers – especially streamers: 8 cores is the new standard
• Content creators – video editing, 3D modeling, programming: consider 10-12 cores

I used to think 6 cores was enough too until I started really taxing my CPU. Upgrading to the 8-core i7-11700K was like night and day.

If building in 2024, you want a minimum of 6 cores. But gamers and streamers will benefit most from 8, even if you just game now but want to start streaming later. Trust me, you‘ll thank yourself down the road!

What Does the Future Hold?

Games will only grow more complex and demand more from your CPU. AI logic, advanced physics – these actually depend more on CPU muscle versus the GPU.

We expect steady core count escalation with each CPU generation. While not fully "future proof", today‘s 8-core processors should play new releases smoothly for at least 3-4 years.

Combined with a high-end RTX 40 series graphics card, an 8-core system makes for capable 1440p gaming even as titles become more intensive.

Of course we can‘t predict precisely when 6 cores becomes inadequate. But based on historical trends and where game complexity is heading with UE5, etc – 8 cores gives you quite some headroom.

I‘d only go higher if you know you‘ll use productivity apps that scale across many cores – video editing, 3D modeling tools, programming IDEs, etc. Otherwise 8 cores is the gamer‘s sweet spot right now.

Best CPUs for Gaming in 2024

For pure gaming prowess, my top recommendation is the Intel Core i9-13900K. It‘s simply unbeatable for max fps gaming today. However, I‘m also fond of AMD‘s excellent value – the 16-core Ryzen 9 7950X also blazes.

Here are your top options:

• Intel Core i9-13900K – Fastest overall for gaming
• AMD Ryzen 9 7950X – Killer price-to-performance
• Intel Core i7-13700K – Excellent bang for buck 8-core

There are also great choices like the Ryzen 7 7700X if your budget is tight. But buy the most cores you can afford – it‘s worth investing a bit more for future-proofing.

Pair these CPUs with an NVIDIA 4080/4090 or AMD RX 7900 XTX, and you‘ve got an incredible system ready for the most demanding games!

Let me know if this helps explain why an 8-core CPU kicks ass – and enjoy unleashing those frames per second! Game on 😎