Why Some Games Still Struggle with Multi-Core CPUs
It is 2025, and CPUs are more powerful than ever. A high-end processor like the Ryzen 9 7950X or the newer Ryzen 9 9950X can throw 16 cores and 32 threads at any workload. On paper, that should be more than enough to handle even the most demanding games. But in practice, many PC gamers are finding that some titles still run poorly, even on the latest hardware.
A perfect example is X4 Foundations. Despite having a Ryzen 9 7950X and a top-tier GPU like the RX 7900 XTX, players often see frame rates dipping to 30 FPS in complex scenarios. And it is not just X4. Many grand strategy and large-scale simulation games, such as Stellaris or Total War, show the same kind of slowdown because they rely heavily on calculations for AI and world simulation that are not well spread across multiple cores.
Why Multi-Core CPUs Are Underused
Game engines were traditionally built around single-threaded performance. That means one core often carries most of the heavy load, especially for things like game logic, physics, and AI. Even if your CPU has 16 cores, only a few may be fully active while the rest sit nearly idle.
Developers have made progress, but spreading workloads across many cores is not as simple as flipping a switch. Certain calculations must remain sequential, and balancing workloads across threads without creating delays or synchronization issues is complex.
This is why some older or niche engines, like the one powering X4 Foundations, struggle to scale with hardware. Even when paired with a powerful GPU, the game bottlenecks at the CPU level because only a handful of cores are being used effectively.
Engines That Get It Right
There are engines that show what is possible when multi-core scaling is done well. Titles built on Unreal Engine 5, for example, have made progress in spreading tasks like physics, rendering prep, and AI across more threads. Modern shooters like Battlefield 6 also benefit from optimized threading, allowing them to scale up and keep frame rates smooth on high-core-count CPUs.
This shows that the problem is not the hardware. It is the software. Some developers are investing heavily in making engines future-proof, while others are still catching up.
Why This Matters for Gamers
For gamers, this issue means that having a powerful CPU is not always a guarantee of smooth performance. A Ryzen 9 or Core Ultra chip might look impressive on a spec sheet, but in certain games, you may not see much improvement over a midrange processor.
That can feel frustrating, especially when you have invested in top-end hardware only to watch your frame rate tank. It also means that game reviews and performance benchmarks need to be read carefully, since results vary massively by engine.
X3D CPUs: A Practical Solution
One of the most effective ways to deal with this issue is to choose a CPU with extra cache, such as AMD’s X3D series. The additional L3 cache allows the CPU to store more of the game’s data close to the cores, which reduces the time spent waiting on memory and improves performance in simulation-heavy titles.
This does not magically make a poorly optimized engine multi-threaded, but it can smooth out frame times and provide noticeable gains in games like X4 Foundations, Stellaris, and other strategy or management sims that rely on large numbers of calculations. For many gamers who enjoy these genres, an X3D processor is a smart choice.
What Needs to Change
The real solution lies with developers. As CPUs continue to add more cores rather than just higher clock speeds, games must evolve to take advantage of that parallel processing power. AI, physics, world simulation, and even rendering tasks can all be distributed more effectively, but that requires careful engine design from the ground up.
Gamers are hoping more studios follow the lead of companies that have prioritized performance and scalability, instead of pushing visual features at the expense of optimization. Until then, expect some titles to run beautifully and others to struggle, no matter how powerful your hardware is.
Final Thoughts
The frustration of getting low on high end hardware is a reminder that raw specs are not the whole story. Gaming performance in 2025 still depends heavily on how well a developer has optimized their engine for modern CPUs.
Grand strategy and simulation games are often the biggest culprits, but choosing a CPU with a large cache like AMD’s X3D lineup can make a meaningful difference for players who spend most of their time in these genres. For the long term, though, the industry needs to put more focus on threading and engine scalability.
Tarl @ Gamertech