Is Sekiro a CPU or GPU Intensive Game?
To answer the question outright – Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is primarily a CPU intensive game. While it can run on most modern discrete GPUs, having a sufficiently powerful CPU is critical to avoid bottlenecking, especially at higher frame rates.
CPU Requirements and Benchmarks
FromSoftware themselves recommend at least a 4 core/4 thread Intel Core i5-2500K CPU for Sekiro. This already indicates the game‘s hunger for processing power. Some testing shows the minimum specs Core i3-2100 struggling:
- An i3-2100 + GTX 1060 averaged just 38fps on High settings at 1080p
- Upgrading to an i5-8400 + GTX 1060 boosted this to a solid 60fps
So a 4 core/4 thread CPU is advisable, with 6 cores ideal. Having 8 cores only helps marginally with an extra 5-10% performance gain.
CPU vs GPU Usage Analysis
Monitoring software reveals that Sekiro routinely maxes out quad core CPUs to 100% usage. In contrast, most modern GPUs are only pushed to around 60-80% utilization.
This shows the CPU is the primary limitation rather than graphics card power. Upgrading the CPU brings bigger fps improvements than upgrading the GPU.
Frametime Plot Analysis
The frametime consistency analysis above also demonstrates that Sekiro is CPU bound. When the CPU frametimes spike frequently, it indicates the processor struggling to keep up.
Optimizing CPU performance is essential to "smooth out" this frametime graph as much as possible for best gameplay experience.
CPU + GPU Combinations for High Refresh Gaming
To enjoy Sekiro at high framerates like 144Hz refresh rate, having both a sufficiently fast processor and graphics card is key:
| Resolution | CPU Recommendation | GPU Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p 144Hz | Intel i5 / Ryzen 5 | Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti |
| 1440p 144Hz | Intel i7 / Ryzen 7 | Nvidia RTX 3080 |
As we can see, a balance of CPU and GPU power is ideal. Otherwise, having insufficient CPU muscle will bottleneck performance regardless of graphics card upgrades.
Summary – Invest in CPU Power!
In closing, to enjoy Sekiro to its fullest potential, concentrate on CPU upgrades first before thinking about more expensive GPUs. Having at least 6 high performance cores is highly advisable to avoid stuttering and instability at key moments in this action masterpiece.
Let me know your thoughts on optimal PC builds for this classic Soulslike challenge!
