Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing

Six-core CPUs finally overtake quad-core processors on Steam

By

Six-core processors have finally overtaken quad-core chips as the most popular type of CPU for PC gamers.

Valve’s recently released Steam Hardware Survey for March has revealed that the period of domination for quad-core CPUs — at least where gaming setups are concerned — has ended due to the increasing popularity of hex-core processors, which is a system’s CPU that features six cores.

10th Gen Intel Core processor on a motherboard.
Intel

As reported by OC3D, 34.22% of Windows PC owners who use Steam are playing video games on a six-core processor gaming rig. Meanwhile, 33.74% of Steam users have their system outfitted with a quad-core CPU.

Recommended Videos

The confirmation of the aforementioned statistics shouldn’t be understated; it represents quite an important milestone in the PC gaming space for six-core processors. PCGamesN highlights how quad-core CPUs have existed for over 15 years.

Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming
Check your inbox!
Privacy Policy

However, as Intel and AMD upgrade their CPUs with the latest technology, it was inevitable that quad-core silicon would be phased out eventually to make way for more powerful processors. We already saw signs of such an outcome when the number of Steam gamers that relied on a quad-core CPU started declining in October 2021, according to PCGamesN.

Although that decline could be attributed to the arrival of Intel’s powerful 12th-gen Alder Lake processors, the end of the quad-core era was always expected: OC3D aptly points out that thanks to AMD’s Ryzen desktop processors, affordable CPUs with six or more cores have become more commonplace, providing gamers with the opportunity to upgrade their gaming systems with reasonably-priced products. Similarly, Intel launched its own processors that sport a higher core count in recent years.

Start of the eight-core CPU era

As CPU technology continues to evolve, video game developers are increasingly starting to develop titles that require at least six or more CPU cores in order to run. Contributing to the diminishing popularity of quad-core processors is the launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

These gaming consoles are equipped with eight-core AMD Zen 2 CPUs. As a result, as OC3D notes, the latest games will be developed to accommodate such hardware, which means PC owners will have no choice but to outfit their system with equally powerful CPUs if they want to play newer titles.

To this end, 17.72% of Windows gaming PCs using Steam are now making use of an eight-core processor. Subsequently, 51.94% of Steam users have a PC with either a six-core or eight-core processor installed.

It’s important to highlight the fact that Steam is not the benchmark to necessarily determine where the consumer PC CPU market is heading. It’s a gaming platform through and through, and many will naturally incline toward equipping their systems with the latest CPUs to maximize gaming performance.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Zak Islam
Zak Islam
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Zak Islam was a freelance writer at Digital Trends covering the latest news in the technology world, particularly the…
I tested the Core Ultra 9 285K against the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — and it’s ugly
Fingers holding an Intel 285K.

Intel's new Core Ultra 9 285K is finally here, promising a boost in performance with a significant reduction in power requirements, at least according to Intel. As you can read in my Core Ultra 9 285K review, Intel's performance claims aren't as rosy as reality, especially when stacked up against what is unequivocally the best processor for gaming you can buy: AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

I threw both processors on the test bench to pit them head-to-head, looking at performance across productivity and gaming apps, as well as thermals and efficiency. These CPUs target different users, but there are still a lot of interesting comparisons we can look at between them.
Specs

Read more
Steam Deck 2: everything we know so far
Steam Deck held between two hands.

It's a matter of when we'll see the Steam Deck 2, not if we'll see it. Valve has talked publicly multiple times about its plans for a next-gen Steam Deck, which shouldn't come as a surprise given that the original is easily the best handheld gaming PC you can buy.

Although the Steam Deck 2 is still a few years off, Valve has been dropping hints about the handheld for a while. Here's everything we know about the Steam Deck 2 right now, from the possible release date to details on specs and performance.
Steam Deck 2: release date speculation

Read more
Intel’s new Arrow Lake CPUs can still consume a ton of power
Pins on Core i9-12900K.

Intel has made a big deal about the efficiency of its upcoming Arrow Lake CPUs, which are looking to earn a spot among the best processors when they release later this week. Some early benchmark results HXL on X (formerly Twitter) show that the CPUs can still draw a ton of power if you stray from Intel's default power settings, however.

The post, which you can see below, shows the Core Ultra 9 285K peaking at 370 watts of power draw in Cinebench R23's multi-core test. The CPU itself is blacked-out, but you can tell it's the Core Ultra 9 285K from the 24 cores picked up by Cinebench. The Core Ultra 9 285K has a maximum turbo power of 250W, according to Intel, and a base power of 125W.

Read more