A benchmark report published October 1, 2026, found substantial CPU scaling in Gears of War: E-Day: results varied across a 25-processor test pool, and Low Core Mode reduced performance in the standard configurations. The exception was a separate test with two cores disabled on a Core i3-14100, where the mode improved performance and resolved observed streaming problems and long pauses.
What the 25-CPU test found
The main processor comparison used an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition at 1080p. Selected processors were also tested at 1440p. CPU utilization reached 80%–90% when loading into the game, and the Ryzen 7 9800X3D could reach full utilization at 1080p.
The built-in benchmark ran slightly slower than two in-game scenes. The CPU-scaling test therefore used in-game scene 2, giving the results a gameplay-based test condition rather than relying on the built-in run alone.
Resolution and presets change CPU scaling
At 1080p with the High preset, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D delivered 42% higher performance than the Ryzen 5 7600X. The gap between the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Ryzen 5 9600X also varied by graphics preset: it was 6.8% at Ludicrous and nearly 29% at Ultra, and grew further at High.
At 1440p, the test encountered a GPU-bound ceiling of around 130 FPS under its settings. At that point, performance among similar CPU families tended to converge, so the processor differences seen at lower resolution narrowed.
Why Low Core Mode’s results differ
Low Core Mode reduced performance in all 25 standard test configurations, including the four-core Core i3-14100. It did not improve 1% lows, a measure of the slower frame rates that can affect smoothness.
| Test configuration | Low Core Mode result |
| Standard pool of 25 CPU configurations | Performance fell in every configuration; 1% lows did not improve. |
| Core i3-14100 with two cores disabled | Performance improved by 30% within this setup; observed texture-streaming problems and pauses were resolved. |
The separate two-core test had more severe problems before Low Core Mode was enabled: texture streaming broke and pauses lasted more than 30 seconds. Disabling two cores also reduced average performance from 89 FPS in the four-core setup to 36 FPS in the two-core setup.
The benchmark covered desktop processors; mobile CPUs and handheld PCs were not tested.
